Is an 8600GT DDR3 worth US$800 more than an 8600GT DDR2

That's the question which I can't answer without opinions. I just finished my recon of laptops and that's the difference between 2 similarly configured Asus G1s and Inspiron 1520. Minor differences such as DVD supermulti vs. DVD-RW, 8W vs. 9W battery and XP Pro configurability for the Asus I can handle but the big question is whether the extra fps on the GDDR3 is worth that much (I've converted the difference from the local currency to US$ for easier comparison for probably the vast majority of forum users).

How much do US retailers charge c90 users for the graphics card upgrade? That's something I'd like to know before I can make my decision.

 

I think you can best make the decision yourself. It will be a noticeable difference in frames I think, but if that's worth 800 dollars? You should judge that.

 

That's the problem, it's incredibly difficult to decide. What I wanted to know is how much the c90 buyers pay in order to get their DDR3 version as I've heard it recently became available as a graphics card upgrade.

 

$800 more for a better RAM speed on the graphics card? It's your decision ultimately, but I would say no way. For $800 more, I would expect to get SLI 8700s (or even 7950s) with 512 MB of DDR3 each, not a different 8600 with DDR3.

 

My second consideration for the title question is how much support Dell are willing to give for the 1520. According to Chaz's hardware sticky the 1520 can replace its video card but only with proprietary Dell graphics cards, as the 8600GT DDR2 is the best option currently for the 1520, I'm wondering if there will come a point where that will get surpassed allowing Dell to charge its current customers extra for replacing the 8600GT with the new, superior model.

 

You may want to ask a Dell representative what plans they have for the 1520. Sometimes, even though a computer's card CAN be upgraded, the reseller chooses NOT to upgrade it (or to change the power/voltage requirements on the new card so much that it necessitates a motherboard upgrade, as well).

 

It's only $70 more at Gentechpc

 

That's one hell of a premium I'll be paying if I do go for the Asus. I'd better reread the comparison thread by masterchef.

 

Dude, it is not $800.00 more. First off, the 1520 comes up to around 1350 (after you get 2 year warranty) 160 gb of hard drive, and a carry case + tax (which you HAVE to get if you want to compare it to the G1s-A1).

Now, the Asus G1s-A1 can be had for $1630.00 (after 80 bucks mail in rebate) and, unlike Dell, it comes with a 30 day 0 dead pixel gurantee. At the end of the day, you are only paying $300 for a 20-30 percent faster graphic card and a better looking notebook. I think $300 dollars is worth a faster GPU and not having to carry a fugly dell.

Btw, I have an asus g1s-a1 and I highly recommend it.

 

Depends on what you are doing with the laptop really, like afeni23 said, the difference in price in not as great as you imagined to be. If you took build quality into consideration, the price really seems marginal. As I was saying it all depends on what you plan on doing with the laptop, if you want to game with med-high quality then asus is required, if only casual gaming/watch movies then Dell Vostro (Yes Vostro) is very well suited for the job. Vostro is cheaper than 1520 equipped at the same spec, I don't know why I guess it's just some random pricing by dell again.

 

Perhaps I forgot to clarify this, but I did mention in the opening post that US$800 is an approximate currency conversion from the local currency, reason being I am NOT a US resident and hence don't benefit from mail in rebates (dead giveaway that poster is from the US) or 30 day dead pixel guarantees. Both the guarantees in my case are too all intents and purposes identical.

 

The Vostro is cheaper than the Inspiron only in Europe and the US. If you check other regions (for example mine) the Vostro isn't even on the market so I can't even consider that as an option. On top of this if the Vostro is released the price for a similar machine to the Inspiron is at least 2 to 3x higher going by pricing trends for business machines.

 

Well, no... but frankly I can't see an $800 difference.

You can pick up an ASUS G1S-A1 for $1630

You can pick up an x205 wiht an 8700GT for $1570 these days if a 17" laptop isn't too big for you...

Unless Dell is selling a laptop with an 8600GT DDR2 for $750-$830...

 

That's how much i got my Vostro with 8600m gt for...$827 before Tax

 

or you can pickup a t61p for around 1200-1400$ and it runs just as fast as a g1s

 

HOLY crap no... not a chance. maybe if there were more differences but no way...

 

$800 dollars? Nope. For $75? Yes

 

That's settled then, I'll take the Inspiron since I seriously doubt the price of the G1S will drop by more than approximately US$20-30 over the next month or so. All of the opinions are appreciated.

 

I have a 1520 for sale harley if your interested. 2.2ghz 8600mgt , 2gb ram, 160 gb 7200 sata rpm

 

The offer is appreciated, but just about everyone ignores what I said on the second page, namely I AM NOT A US RESIDENT caps for emphasis. The second part which I have to add is I DON'T HAVE A CREDIT CARD so I either buy locally or I can't buy period. Good luck with your trade jbannick.

 

I would never, ever, pay that much more for the GDDR3 card.

I strongly suggest you go with the Dell.

You could also try shopping around more for other brands/configurations/deals, but I can't really help you there because you are buying local, and I don't know your preferences/priorities anyways.

 

The difference is about the same here in the UK. You can get the Inspiron with the DDR2 version for under £800 ($1600), but the cheapest laptop I can find with the GDDR3 version is around £1150 ($2300). A £350 ($700) difference.

 

An update since the thread was somehow resurrected. I went ahead with a Vostro purchase and aside from the fact that RAM upgrades from Dell are extortionate and I couldn't purchase RAM elsewhere I am very satisfied with my new PC. Especially since aside from the DDR2 video card I couldn't find a single model specified to my liking locally at this price.