Future upgrades and hard decisions...

Hello everybody.

I started looking around to buy my new laptop. So far I had a long, awesome time with my old Dell Inspiron 8200. It proved incredibly reliable and efficient so far, but at this point it's specifics are just getting too old.
I am quite a passionate gamer and I use the same laptop to work as well.

Now, given the extremely positive experience I had with my present notebook, I would really like to stick to Dell for my next one. Problem is that, as you very well know, on 15.4" models, at the moment, Dell doesn't provide anything better than a rather disappointing ATI x1400 videocard. Switching to a 17" model is quite unlikely, since it would reduce too much the portability I need (since I travel and I use the laptop to work as well).

My simple, and probably naive questions, are:

- Is there any way to know if and roughly when Dell will update their videocard selection? Is that likely to happen within a reasonable time? I am not in a hurry and I can wait some few months to make my decision. I just wouldn't like to buy an ATI X1400 at the end of September to discover that in the middle of October the X1600 is now within the options... (I know that higher videocards are unlikely to appear on 15.4" laptops, but a X1600 would be enough for my needs).
- Let's assume that I finally decide not to buy a Dell (I am very reluctant about this, but, you know...). What other option could you point out as a good solution, considering that 17" models are a no go for me? I saw some Asus models with ATI x1600, if I remember correctly, but I have no direct experience of that brand and I received mixed feebacks from different friends about it...

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

(I was quite unsure if I had to post such questions here or under the Dell-specific forums... I tried here first, maybe I'll repost there in the future...)

 

As to Dell's plans for the immediate future, I think that would be really hard to predict. Dell seems to change options fairly often and without warning, depending on what they have on hand in their supply channels. As for Asus, they make some very high quality notebooks (much better than Dell IMO) and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. IIRC, the W3J has the X1600 but it is a 14" screen rather than a 15.4. I believe all the Asus in the 15" range carry a GeForce 7300 or 7400. I"m sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

My 2 cents

 

Oh, and the MSI MS-1039 is a 15.4 with an X1600 in it. Don't know much about it, but it seems fairly popular. You might want to check around the MSI forums.

 

Thanks for your hints, mach_zero.

My affection to Dell is probably quite irrational and there are certainly other good companies out there. It's just that 3 years and half without even a single, minor problem (this laptop even fell to the floor once and came out of it as if nothing happened...) would make anyone quite willing to have more of the same.

More advices and info are welcome, please...

 

If you're at all serious about your games as you indicate then you really don't want to settle for anything less than a 7600 Go or X1600 imo. Sure the X1400 will manage OK in current games but in a year or two its not going to be much use to you with regards to games, I certainly wouldn't want to try running Crysis on it. There seems to be plenty of 14" - 15.4" laptops so liniting yourself to Dell only seems to be a bad move, as just because you had a good experience last time doesn't mean you'll experience the same this time. There's been plenty of people who've had nothing but trouble with Dell notebooks.

 

Yes, I see your point.
The x1400 is a videocard with little future at this point (which really makes me wonder why Dell offers customizable and up to date processors and memories all along with such a lame graphic option...).