need some help building a system for gaming [UEGENT pls!]

coupon expires on july 14 and im going vacation on july 17 so this is kinda urgent

so i have my eyes on Dell Inspiron 9300, price sesms real nice with the coupon, anyway theres my original setup:

Module Description Show Details
Inspiron 9300 Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Display 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™ (question: is it necessary?)
Memory 256MB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 1 Dimm (gonna get 2x1GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 533 (PC2 4200) Notebook Memory, or 2x 512? 1x 1gig? on newegg, im really not sure yet but price on newegg seems better)
Video Card 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800 (good enouf for 3d games like lin2 / doom3? like no lag at best resolution)
Hard Drive 80GB Hard Drive
Network Card Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
CD/DVD Drives 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer write capability
Wireless Networking Card Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) No productivity suite - Corel WordPerfect word processor only
Security Software No Security Subscription
Digital Music Musicmatch® Jukebox Basic
Primary Battery 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options No Extended Service, Support or Ltd Warranty ( i pick this one :No Extended Service, Support or Ltd Warranty [subtract $229] or should i spend the $229 just in case?)
Internet Access: Dial-Up 6 Months of America Online Membership Included
Digital Imaging Photo Album™ SE Basic
Miscellaneous Award Winning Service & Support
Financial Software No QuickBooks package selected- Includes limited use trial



any suggestion is appreciated, thank you

 

That card is arguably the best notebook gaming card on the market, so you'll be fine there. Adding RAM later is smart, as for the warranty, I wouldn't bother with it, but if you're nervous about the machine dying, then spend the money. I would get a lower res display, but that's personal preference.

 

If you want a gaming rig, why don't you get an XPS with everything max and be done with it.

 

so xps would be a better machine for me than Inspiron 9300?

Inspiron XPS or Inspiron XPS gen2?

i took a look at spx gen2, pretty much the same cept
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra
9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (80 WHr)


is it really necessary for the extra cash?



also considering get a lower resolution but boost up to 1.86 GHz, 1.73 -> 1.86 GHz is there a noticeable different?

 

The XPS 2 I've heard has a better screen, as many people complain about faded colors and other stuff on the 9300's screen but I haven't read any complaints on the XPS 2 as of yet. The Go 6800 and 6800 Ultra aren't too different in terms of design, but the clockspeed of the 6800 Ultra is set much higher at 450 Mhz vs the 300 Mhz of the regular. The memory is also clocked higher on an ultra, so the difference is very simialr to the one between an x300 and an x600.
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NzU3LDI=

 

that's interesting since the screens are the same. makes me wonder how legit all those gripes about the 9300 wuxga are.

 

Could be psychological since you feel the screen is better since it cost you more money. Kinda like those sugar pills which make people feel healthier. On the other hand I have no idea if the screens are the same or not, or possibly they are same screens with different standards of testing i.e. 9300 with dead pixels is fine but XPS 2 is replaced.

btw I wouldn't be too concerned about that coupon expiring. They have a new one every time it expires, so all that matters is you get one that you are happy with. I also saw a post that said the Dell magazine had a coupon for 40% in it so that's even better.

 

as for your XPS or XPS gen 2 question, i doubt you'll even be able to find a normal XPS laptop direct from dell (not including delloutlet.com sales). if it were me (oh wait it was/is) i would go for the i9300 over the xps gen 2 simply because the xps gen 2 has a LOT of features and things that i wouldnt want to pay for, like all the lighting effects, no ability to choose a cheaper processor (minimum is the pentium M 760), and dont forget it weighs a bit more, if weight is a concern. Also i noticed you cannot choose the lower resolution screen like you have the option of in purchasing the i9300, which i woud (and did) opt for because its better clarity with more fps (Since the native resolution is set lower).

The tradeoff to getting the XPS is its higher end graphics card, and more efficient cooling system (aluminum vs copper), and specialized tech support if thats your thing...

I am investigating whether or not the i9300 can use the XPS gen 2 cooling system which would kickass, but time will tell for that matter

 

Your problem sounds similar to the one I just encountered. I spent a long time debating over the XPS 2 or the i9300. Both systems can easily plan any game on the market, both now and in the future. What the choice really comes down to is what you are going to do with your computer. The coupon that you are going to use that expires on the 14th, is probably similar to the one that has run just about all summer, whether it is the $750 off or the $800 off. A better value for the cost of the system that you are buying is the 35% off or the 40% which is evidently in the dell magazine. If you are going to be taking your laptop away from a power outlet for any period of time, the sub 2 hours of battery life from the XPS 2 is a definite downside. But on the flip-side, the XPS 2 is the best gaming system on the market. So that is up to you to decide.

About some of your other concerns:

The UXGA screen is really a matter of personal opinion. Why not go over to a Best Buy or a Circuit City and find a similar computer, like the HP z8000, that has a similar screen, and see if you like it or not. For me, I choose not to purchase it because I did not like the look of it, and it was a lot more for something that I did not notice a huge improvement with.

The warranty is another issue. I don't know what you are planning on using your laptop for, but if you are playing on carrying it around a lot, then maybe a longer term warranty, or at least one with accidental coverage should be looked into. Also ask yourself how long you need this laptop to last, is it just for 1 or 2 years, or is it for the next 3 or 4.

For me a finally went with the i9300, because it has the best match of portability and high-end gaming, and should be able to least me for the next several years to come. Best of luck in your decision, and feel free to ask anymore questions.

 

Spend the $229, if you possibly can. Notebook repairs can be prohibitive. Cover your pc for the time you expect it to be active. They go bung at any second (they're machines), and accidents do happen (by people and cats).

 

thank you for all the replys. verheat: is overhear a problem on i9300's? i gave up sony S460 cuz the heating problem

 

it's not a problem cuz of the Pentium Ms...they use less power and don't cause much overheats...from wat i've heard from my friends