The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Second W520 vs Inspiron 17R Special Edition

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by andy789, Jul 31, 2012.

  1. andy789

    andy789 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    154
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I know it is not fair to compare a business class of W520 with Dell Inspiron, but still... I am thinking to replace my old Dell Vostro 1710, which I use mainly for software development, eLearning development etc. First I was thinking to get another W520 with a similar spec as my current one. Then I've found this new Inspiron 17R SE and am having a tough time to make a choice:

    W520
    2.5GHz Intel Core i7-2860QM Quad-Core
    8GB of DDR3 RAM
    500GB Hard Drive (7200rpm)
    nVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics (2GB)
    15.6" HD Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Display
    1920 x 1080 Native Resolution
    SuperMulti DVD Burner
    802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0+HS
    9 Cell battery
    Integrated Webcam, Microphone & Speakers
    ---------------------------------
    ~$1,400

    Dell Inspiron 17R SE
    i7-3610QM
    17.3" 3D Capable FHD WLED True-Life (1920x1080)
    8GB 2 DIMM (4GB x2) DDR3 1600Mhz
    2 x 1.0TB 5400RPM SATA HDD
    mSATA SSD - 32GB
    12.7" Tray Load Blu-ray (BD-RE) (BD-Read/Write)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M GDDR5 2GB (3D)
    Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230, 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth v4.0
    Skullcandy™ speakers (two speakers and a subwoofer)
    6-cell Battery
    Dell™ Backlight Chiclet Keyboard
    Integrated Webcam, Microphone & Speakers widescreen HD (1280 x 720)
    ----------------------------------------------
    ~$1,400

    I had different Thinkpads and Dell laptops in the past, but it is a difficult decision between these two. What do you think? Is the current build quality of Inspirons really too bad vs Lenovo?
     
    andy789, Jul 31, 2012
    #1
  2. power7

    power7 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    155
    Messages:
    531
    Likes Received:
    66
    Trophy Points:
    41
    I'd first decide whether having the extra 2" of the screen is important to have attached to a laptop.

    As otherwise, from the specs, the Dell looks like a traditional huge consumer laptop with glossy screen and small battery (6 cell is just 48Wh), without Trackpoint, off-center trackpad etc. If this is going to sit on the desk most of the time, no dock option, no way to connect a decent monitor or two (only HDMI output), etc. are quite annoying too.

    Why not W530 with K2000M btw, if in the 'keyboard issue' you're open enough to accept even Dell? :)
     
    power7, Jul 31, 2012
    #2
  3. andy789

    andy789 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    154
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yes, the W520 is the way to go despite the older processor and the weaker graphics. If the W530 had the same keyboard as my W520, it would have been an easy decision :eek:
     
    andy789, Jul 31, 2012
    #3
  4. edit1754

    edit1754 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    1,475
    Messages:
    5,145
    Likes Received:
    71
    Trophy Points:
    216
    Where are you buying the W520 in that configuration?
     
    edit1754, Jul 31, 2012
    #4