Dell 1520 Vs. my Old Dell Dimension 4400 (can I upgrade the notebook?)

I'm trying to compare my new incoming laptop to my old computer specs and hoping I can upgrade in some areas:

Laptop Specs:
* Inspiron 1520, Intel Core 2 Duo T5250, 1.5GHz, 667Mhz 2M L2
Cache
* 1GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm
* 128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G Insp 1520
* Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card

Old desktop specs:

* Dell Dimension 4400
* Intel Pentium 4 CPU @ 1.60 GHZ
* 768 MB DDR SDRAM
* ATI Radeon X800 Pro AGP 256 MB


The notebook is a gift for my birthday, and I'm wondering I'm stuck with that Processor? Someone told me upgrading notebooks was an entirely different beast than desktops. As it is, I've pretty much assumed I'm stuck with the video card, because I heard they're built into the motherboard on notebooks.

I somehow manage to play games like Battlefield 2142 on the old computer (obviously I'm not TOO picky with performance, as long as I get a decent fps).
How will my new laptop stack up against the old desktop? Basically all I'm really hoping for is a faster frame-rate with a gfx card that will run visuals as decent as they run on the desktop computer.

 

Replacing the processor will void your warranty. The video card is an upgrade, but the 8600 is FAR better. There was no way you could have upgraded to that instead (it's only an extra $100, very worth it)?

 

Tough call. The X800pro in your desktop is more powerful than the 8400M GS in the laptop. It has a much higher memory bandwidth and decently higher fill rates. That said, the 8400M GS will handle modern shaders a lot better.

The new cpu will anihilate the old one.

The new ram will be quicker and there is more of it.



I'd guess that gaming performance will be a bit better but not hugely. If it were me I'd find out the maximum ram the desktop can take and upgrade it to 2GB DDR (if it can take that) and a 2.8GHz or better P4, again if the motherboard can take it.

Alternatively, if you can spec the laptop with an 8600M GT that will give you MUCH better graphics than your old desktop.

 

Ah, I wish I could have. But it was a gift, and all the specs were pre-determined. Not to sound stingy, but I'm just kind of glad the specs they did choose weren't the maximum budget parts.

That's good news; I was just afraid my performance in those areas would be worse, not better. Does the laptop have to be spec'd with the 8600M GT upon order/production, or can I upgrade it with reasonable ease like upgrading memory? I get the feeling it would be an "adventure" like replacing the processor

 

I just answered my own question with a little research; looks like the video card in the laptop stays. The desktop is actually the family computer, and I'm (if all goes well) finishing basic studies at the community college and transferring to a University, so I wanted to have a system that could multi-task and run games at least as well as the Dimension 4400.

After the move I'll buy a strong desktop for my place, because even though I love my ATI card, my old desktop bottlenecks at the processor speed; it's sad to have good graphics and a poor FPS rate.

In the end, I just want the laptop for school and when I'm out and about. And if it can play games like Battlefield 2142 at low quality with a better fps than the Desktop, than that's more than what I wanted =D