Dell M90 (Quadro 3500M) vs. XPS1710 (GeForce 7950 GTX)

Hey,
I am probably buying a Dell system for the fall and was wondering what system was better. The m90 and the xps1710 have almost the exact same specs except for the video card.

Which video card is better? They both have a 256 bit interface as well as 512mb ram. The 7950GTX has a higher memory bandwidth (44.8 GB/s) compared to the 3500m (38.4 GB/s).

I have read in some of the posts here that workstation cards are generally slower because they are meant for "pure" graphics. That said, their 3D mark 06 scores and other benchmarks seem to be almost identical and I have yet to find a accurate framerate comparison in the same new game.

Although this article is old, nVidia said this about the subject.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_geforce.html

I have submitted a post to the nVidia knowledge base asking about the 3500m and the 7950 GTX specifically, so hopefully I will get an answer there. The people at Dell seem to think that the Quadro is better, but I'm not so sure what their reasoning is.

Any insight into this matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

The cards use the same hardware, though the Quadro has some extra features unlocked, has different firmware and drivers as well. If you install Geforce drivers on the Quadro, gaming performance will be as near to identical as makes no difference. However, I would highly recommend not buying either one of these systems, as they are outdated and not upgradeable. Check out the Clevo M570RU for the same amount of power in a newer an more upgradeable machine.

 

Yeah, I was checking out the Clevo as well from this Canadian computer store, Eurocom. I know that the m570ru is better (santa rosa, lighter, upgradeable) but I cant find a manufacturer who has an accidental damage warrently like dell. I know that SafeWare has a good accidental damage warrenty, but it doesn't work for Canadian residents. Thats the only reason I am even considering Dell. The other companies that I know have accidental damage are Toshiba, HP and Sony.

 

XoticPC offers accidental damage protection.

 

I called Xotic a little while ago, and they offer LCD accidental damage protection. That is super important, but it doesn't cover me if a roommate somehow knocks the computer out of a window, lol. The Dell one covers stuff like spills and other damage that screw up stuff other than the screen.

That said, I really wish Xotic had that b/c they look awesome and the people seem really nice.

 

Maybe you need to get some better roommates if you think they are going to be dropping your computer out of a Window -_-. I would usually say accidental coverage is useless as most people who do it get(that I know personally) end up never using it or abuse it :|

I think you would be better off getting the better laptop without the accidental coverage and buy one of those really nice hard cases, and just put in there when you are out?

 

Good call Scavar, I think I'm going to end up just taking good care of it.

In regards to the video cards, I got this response from nVidia.

I guess that's that!

 

Very comprehensive answer from Nvidia... I must admit.

Of course, go for the XPS, if it's for gaming.....why even bother with the M90 (isn't more expensive on the top of it)?

Otherwise, they are almost the same notebook with some design changes.

 

It must be a goofy error on the nVidia site, because they have the memory bandwidth of BOTH the 2500M and the 3500M set at 38.4 GB/s. Based on what I've seen (that the Quadro 3500M is more or less faster than the 7950 GTX), I can only concur that the 3500M and the 7950 GTX are the exact same card, give or take some slight modifications. I only got a Quadro 3500M because of its availability on eBay when I went for a laptop purchase, I had trouble finding a 7950 GTX.

Just to add, I have been personally told that the Quadro 3500M is faster than the 7950 GTX in games, but I don't have anything to substantiate that claim. I'll find out in a little while.