Why can't Inspiron 1420 have a better GPU?

I have heard a few reasons why the Inspiron 1420 can't house anything better than an 8400m.. like the frame is too small to handle the heat put out by 128-bit cards.. or Dell simply decided not to do it..

However, with the release of the Asus F8 which is also a 14.1 inch notebook with an option of an 8600m, why is it that the Asus can house a stronger card and the Inspiron can't? Does the Asus have a thicker frame? I don't know much about the insides of notebooks and as a newcomer to computer gaming, I didn't realize an 8400m would be insufficient for future gaming until after I received my system. I figure I should learn as much as I can now, before I make similar mistakes in the future.

 

because theres a 1520

 

Well I personally am not a fan of Dell so I will be a bit biased but you just gotta put it up to being what the companies are willign to do based on what they think the consumers need. Yeah the 8400 will not be able to hang with 8600 in modern games but reasons are that I guess dell figures that a 14.1 inch user is looking for travel while Asus feels that while its 14.1 people still want something they can game on.

You also gotta factor in other things, such as heat, weight, and cooling and how much energy it consumes as well as just the price. Yeah just gotta be aware of all your options before you make a purchase I suppose. Yeah the 8400 is meant for thin and light notebooks so thats an indicator its not gonna be a real performer. Sorry.

 

Thanks for your input, Forerunner. It's too bad I didn't hear about the Asus before it was too late and it's too bad I didn't discover this forum until after I had laid down my cash.

 

No way to return it at all? You can try returning it but you might have to pay like a 10% charge or something. I have no idea how dell does it business you can say you are not satisfied with it (which you aren't). If they charge you a percentage to return it you might consider doing it.

Edit: Heres their return policy: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/policy/en/policy?c=us&l=en&s=gen&~section=010

Its a rough 15 percent though but I'm not sure if you can return yours (you should be though) but you should call and check and make sure to keep evyerthing and not open whatever is not opened yet and make sure everythign is in good condition.

 

Thanks for the info.. but odds are I'm not going to return the system.. the amount it costs for the return in addition to the extra money required to upgrade to a better system, I'd be able go out and by an Xbox 360 which plays can play most of this year's anticipated games (Bioshock, Gears of War) without the added fuss.

 

I had the same thing happen to me (6 mo ago), I got a 1705 with some nice specs but the 7900 is looking dated, when compared to cards that came out mere months afterward, and I found this site days after it shipped.

I could have probebly gotten them to return it, but by the time I learned about what I should have done it would have been iffy.

 

Notebook design is a very involved and expensive process, you cant just cram every new bit of tech in there and hope it works, they pick the components that will sell well, and work best for the given chassis. The 8400 is a huge step in the right direction, earlier inspirion 14.1's were gma 950 only.