Help me decide between two Pavilions

Is this Pavilion dv6626 worth $100 more than this Pavilion dv6604?

The main differences I've notice are:

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 1.5 GHz vs. AMD Athlon 64x2 1.8 GHz
Bells & Whistles - webcam, lightscribe.

I don't care that much about the processor, and the bells & whistles are basically just extra, so....why am I asking?

 

I'd still like feedback, though! Is the Intel vs AMD + the extra perks worth $100 for someone who mainly does internet and word processing and no major gaming? What are the return policies of Circuit City vs Best Buy?

 

Set a budget and stick to it, is what I would probably suggest in your case. The dv6626 is going to offer better battery life and less heat but for your uses either system would do just fine.

Both BB and CC charge you restocking fees(~15%) which is really crappy return policy especially for notebooks.
http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/cat/-13414/edOid/105452/rpem/ccd/lookLearn.do
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...800050001&contentId=1117177044087&id=cat12098

 

Thanks, Miner. What would the difference in battery life be? I'm assuming heat won't be much of a problem considering what I do with my computer, but I do like a decent battery life and I know the 6-cell doesn't get great time. But what is the difference between the AMD and Intel in terms of battery life?

 

With the std 6 cell and normal usage(web surfing, typing etc) I wouldnt expect either to last much over 2hrs. The AMD based system might deliver anywhere between 1.5 to 2hrs per charge while the Intel based system might do a bit better to anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5hrs. Basically it would depend on the individual usage. Some people might be able to get it to around 3 hrs but thats a stretch with every thign turned off and LCD turned down to the lowest brightness.

 

I'd buy the dv6604. Less money and better GPU. Use the money you save to upgrade to 2GB of Crucial DDR2-667 SODIMM memory at your leisure. The CPU is one of the new 65nm designs which narrows the battery life gap with Intel.