College: zx5000 vs zv5000z vs zt3000

I know this post probably sounds redundant, but I'm really having trouble deciding what will fit me best. I've been back and forth between these models for weeks and just can't make a decision! My main priority is Microsoft Office, so I don't need something that will power CAD or any engineering stuff. But I do want it to run as fast as possible. I also need to play DVDs since I dont have a dvd player. So all in all I need something fast, reliable, and somewhat portable. I probably won't need to bring it to class, but I want to keep that option open unless I ever have to. Hp is the best option since it has the student discount (except for Dell, but I didn't like them). I need it to last 4 years, however, seeing that I will be broke after this purchase! $1600 max!

Primary Uses:

Microsoft Office
Word
Excel
Powerpoint

Internet Browsing

Future-Proof for new OS's, Microsft Office, and Internet

I'll let my XBox handle my gaming woes!

 

I was leaning towards the zx5000, but I didn't want someone to reply and just say "I agree"! I'll probably get the max 3.4 Ghz Pentium and the 128 Mb video since I can't upgrade those down the road, I'll get the lowest memory and hardrive and upgrade later as I see fit. How do you think the 3.4 will perform battery and heat wise? I can get the zt3000 with the Pentium M 755 2.0 Ghz, but the GPU is not that great and probably won't last me 4 years.

 

Since your needs are not very demanding (eg. hardcore gamer, cad designer, etc...) it doesn't look like you need that much power. So the ZV will be a good choice. But, you want the unit to be able to watch DVD's because you don't have one, the ZD7000 is the best choice for that. You also want it to be portable when needed, so that would leave the ZX5000 as your best option.
The ZX5000 has the best of both worlds. It's small like the ZV series which will allow for portability when/if needed, but is also powerful enough (depending on config) to last you the 4 years. The 15.4" widescreen LCD will also allow you to play DVD's whenever you want in it's native widescreen format. Little to no black bars on the screen which is a major plus.
So, my recommendation would be the ZX5000. I'd also recommend maxing out the config for what you can afford, because it will then last you longer without becoming out dated.

Good Luck!

-Vb-

 

Well, the ZT3000 may last you for the 4 years if you don't do a lot of CPU or graphics intensive applications/games. You mentioned that you will also like to play games, but what type do you play? The 9600 would be needed for all the latest DirectX 9.0 games that are in the market. If you don't plan on playing those type of games, then the ATI 9200 in the ZT3000 should be fine. Although, getting lower now will limit your future uses, so a 9600 or higher would be the best option.
Regarding the 3.4 CPU, it's gonna run pretty hot compared to a Pentium M, but on a P4 basis, it's probably gonna run at 5-10 degrees hotter. The battery, maybe about 1.5-2hrs max on a standard 8 cell battery. If you get the 12 cell, maybe 2-2.5hrs possibly 3hrs max.

Just to let you know, there are other brands out there that may offer you the power for the same price. I know Averatec 6100 series offers almost the same as the ZX5000, and they're approx $1500. The only thing they're missing is the big name like HP and probably the quality of support. Otherwise, owners of Averatec seem to like their quality.

-Vb-

 

How stable is the P4 3.4 in this laptop? Just going from what I've heard, the Pentium 4 is not designed for notebooks. Seeing that I've decided to put my gaming needs on the back burner for now, how does the AMD 3400 compare stabilty wise? Is it better suited for a laptop?

Thanks for all your help!!

P.S. I edited my requirments in the first post!

 

The Athlon 64 3400+ is definitely better suited for a laptop than the P4 3.4GHz. So long as you can live with outdated 440 Go video chip the zv5000z is the notebook to get out of the 3 you listed, especially if you want it to last 4 years.

 

So the real question is, will the Nvidia GeForce 4 440 Go last me the 4 years, not the AMD. Will I need a better GPU for Windows Longhorn in the future, or even the internet? No games, however.

Oh yeah, what battery life do you think I can expect with the AMD 3400 with the 12 cell?

 

Well, the 440 GO will probably be pushing the limits. Since it's already an outdated GPU (replaced by the FX GPU's about 1+ years ago) it may not be able to last the full 4 years. Especially if you decided to start playing games again. As an example, I have a 3+ year old Toshiba Sat Pro 4320 with an 8MB video card. That's right, 8MB and a P3-600 CPU. It suits my purposes, but I would like to have the ability to play games on it. I can't do that with this card. I can play older games, but not the newer. So, with the 440 Go, it may come out to be a similiar case as mine, the system will work for standard web, office apps & DVD watching, but won't support anything more intensive.

The P4 CPU's are stable in laptops as long as they have the appropriate cooling. Once the cooling fans fail or get blocked, it'll start to over heat. This is not limited to the P4 CPU's, the AMD CPU's will also exhibit this same problem. They're generally both desktop CPU variants if not full DTR CPU's. The best thing for a notebook will probably be the Pentium M/Centrino based notebooks. You will notice that the PM systems only require 1 cooling fan, while the AMD & P4 systems need 2 to keep it cool. But if it's a choice between the AMD & P4 CPU's, I'd go for the P4 system because it has the better video card, this will last you a lot longer than the older card in the AMD model.

Battery life, you're probably gonna get similar times to the P4's.

-Vb-

 

Well......decisions.........decisions.....

 

Wait, I thought the zv5000z had the Mobile AMD 64 3400+, like the emachines M6811. Cause wouldn't that actually give it better battery life than the Pentium 4?

 

It has the DTR Athlon 64 3400+ (81W max), not the Mobile Athlon 64 3400+ (62W max) that the eMachines has. Now, if you don't mind getting slightly creative, see my Undervolting thread in this forum.