Difference between 8400GT and 8600GS

Im looking at either a Sony FZ with the 8400GT or The ASUS F3SV-x1 with the 8600GS. I like both of the laptops but honestly the only reason I may opt for the asus is for the GPU. Are the differences between these two cards even enough to base a purchase on, or should I just opt for what I had originally set my eye on, the FZ?
Thanks.

 

From what I have seen, there isn't much difference between 8400Gt and 8600GS. However, there is a significant difference between both of those cards and 8600 GT.

I would go for the FZ as it is:
- way better looking
- better performance
- lighter in weight
- way better screen and picture quality

Good Luck!

 

I disagree with you saying the FZ has a better screen, the resolution is only 1280x800 compared to the ASUS at 1680x1050. Also the battery life on the FZ is 2-4 hours compared to the ASUS at 2 hours. So i dont think the sony is worth it considering the resolution sucks. If it was the same as the Asus I would consider it. I think the G1S is still the best Option.

 

He wasnt looking at a G1s...He was looking at the F3Sv.

I would go with the Sony, because it is way lighter, better built, better battery life, and better looking. The GPU is almost the same (you can overclock the 8400GT to be the same as the 8600GS, the only difference is clock speeds), and I would say that the screen is a tradeoff between better brightness/quality vs. higher resolution. Resolution is not the only important factor in a screen.

 

THanks for the help,
I was expecting more ASUS supporters but I definately like the overall package of the Sony better.
Are there any reviews or just hands-on experience with either of these gpu's yet?

 

One other laptop you could consider is the Compal IFL90 - it has an 8600M-GT and can be had for under $1,400.

 

I've seen a vaio fz in person and the screen and overall build quality was mediocre at best in comparison to my asus z96j (very similar to the f3). I would go with the f3 or wait for other santa rosa notebooks to be introduced

 

I approve of Chaz's recommendation of the Compal IFL90, which has an 8600M GT that blows both the 8400M GT and 8600M GS out of the water.

If you must buy a laptop that has either an 8400M GT or 8600M GS though, just look at the breakdown in statistics. The 8400M GT and 8600M GS both have a 128-bit memory bus, so there won't be much difference in the memory world between the two. The 8600M GS has slightly faster clock speeds, and slightly higher memory bandwidths, at 22.4 Gb/s for the 8600M GS compared to 19 Gb/s for the 8400M GT. Combined, though, these apparent advantages only give the 8600M GS a 200-300 point lead in 3DMark06.

 

Im glad you brought the IFL90 to my attention... I will definately be keeping an eye on that also.

 

Two reputable websites that will be carrying the IFL90 when it launches in mid-June are:

powernotebooks.com
xoticpc.com

Check out the Compal forums for more info.