cant decide between ZX5000 and ZD7000

This is what I am looking at in the ZX5000 and the identical setup in the ZD7000. The difference is that the removable storage of 128mb is built into the ZX5000 while it cant be in the 7000 and plus the size of the 7000 might be a bit bigger than I want. You guys know the advantages in one of these models over the other? I'm having a tough time deciding.

ProcessorIntel(R) Pentium(R) 4 3.20 GHz w/HT Technology edit
Operating SystemMicrosoft(R) Windows(R) XP Professional-only $49!! edit
Memory1.0GB DDR SDRAM (2x512MB) edit
Hard Drive80 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive edit
Primary CD/DVD Drive4X DVD+RW/R & CD-RW Combo Drive edit
Networking54g(TM) Integrated Broadcom 802.11b/g Wireless LAN edit
Display15.4" WVA WSXGA+ (1680x1050) edit
Graphics Card128MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) 9600 edit
Productivity SoftwareMicrosoft(R) Office 2003 Basic edit
Primary Battery12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery edit
Removable StorageBuilt in Bay w/USB Digital Drive and 128MB edit

price $2,478.99 *
mail-in rebate - $50.00

price after rebate $2,428.99

 

yeah the only difference btwn the two is probably the graphics card, the zd7000 has the nvidia 5700 video card and the zx5000 is the ati 9600, and since the 5700 is better i would go with the zd7000 for the same price.

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Quikster

 

As for the zd7000 ... the are big and run very very hot !
zx5000 is a good buy, but right now the Inspiron 9100 gives more bang for the buck

check out the dell 20% discount on right now....you can get an XPS for that money

 

except for the fact that Dell's 9100 has many issues:
a) very poor design
b) thick thus making typing hard and has many complaints of peoples wrists hurting after only short usage
c) dell has many issues with reliability and robustness of their machines

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

My point is that for $100 more you can get a notebook with significantly better specs than those from HP...even if its as thick as a brick.

 

the 5700 from Nvidia is meant to compete with ati's new card the 9700; the 9600 is a good card however the technology in the 5700 is newer...

It would be perfect if HP could put a 9700 in the zx 5000; as bad as I want a laptop it seems worth it to wait(especially at this point) till the 9700's are put in all the newer machines; since they are already being installed into Dells and other companies its just a matter of time before HP catches on...

After some research I prefer the 5000 because it is smaller and seems to be better made for distributing heat...

 

better specs mean nothing if it breaks, is too uncomfortable to use, or is too impractical and poorly designed.

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

so, are there any brands (give model) of notebooks out there that any of you would definitely consider up against the ZX5000... that I can get spec'd out similarly to the one above?

 

Dell's are built really crappy too, dont spend so much money for such a poorly built machine. You can tell how cheap and flimsy it is by simply squeezing the frame.

 

If you wanted to compare something else to the zx5000 I would look at some of the Acer line. I've heard, quite a bit, that the Ferrari 3200 is a great game machine, don't know price though.

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

I'm also debating these two models...

Anyone have the zd7000 model?

SK

 

I agree. The Dell systems may have great prices, but I guess that's only to compensate for all the problems they have with their notebooks. Not only are their notebooks poorly designed and have poor quality notebooks (IMO), their service/support is another problem. I'm not saying the HP has the best service, but if I had to choose, I'd go with HP anytime.

Any notebook based on the P4 CPU will run hot, but it depends on how well the cooling system is in the notebook. I've seen and played with the ZD7000 notebooks and find it a very nice unit. plus, I didn't find that it ran "very very" hot, no hotter than any other P4 based HP.

The ZD7000 is a bit heavier than a ZX5000, weighing in at 9.5lbs. It didn't seem too heavy when I picked it up, but prolonged hauling of this unit, you will notice the extra weight. If you want a notebook that won't run as hot, slightly lighter, still has the 17" LCD and has an ATI 9700 GPU, you may want to look at the Sony A Series. The main issue with this unit, is the fact that it costs WAY more than the HP ZD7000.

The 128MB Digital Drive is pretty much like a USB Pen Drive (Thumb Drive). It's just a memory storage device that plugs into the USB port so you can copy data to other systems. The ZX5000 just has a port (Digital Drive Bay) that the Digital Drive slips into when not in use. You can buy one of these types of devices for about $50 or less for a 256MB drive.

Here's a link Freeman/Underpantman posted that gives a great comparison between P4, AMD64, Pentium M (Banias & Dothan) & Celeron M. The results will be very suprising.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2129&p=1

I guess it all comes down to what your needs are/will be. If you plan to move around a lot and take the system with you, you may want to have a smaller/lighter unit. If you will never move the unit and will be plugged in all the time, then the ZD7000 will be a definite plus hwne playing games or watching DVD's. You can even get an external USB TV Tuner and use the huge 17" LCD as a TV.

-Vb-

 

I wouldn't worry about the graphics card differences. I have a friend who just got the zd7000 and I played Doom 3 on it. I also have Doom 3 and play it on my zx5000 and I don't see an NOTICABLE differences. The 9600 is DX9 compatible so the 9700 is just an upgrade from that. So if you want the bigger screen go for the zd7000 because games look amazing on it. But also consider that it runs hotter than the zx5000, sucks up more battery life (if that is a concern) and it is not quite as portable. For me the 15.4'' screen is plenty big with the BrightView option. Im planning on doing a review of my new zx5000 once I find the time this week!

My zx5000!

3.2 Ghz Pentium 4 with HT
512 Mb RAM
60 Gb Hardrive 5400 rpm
15.4'' Brightview Display
128 Mb ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
12 cell battery