D901C, 9260, 9191 or Blackhawk?

Hey guys I am currently researching for a replacement for my desktop gaming rig and I have concluded that one of these three machines will do it for me. Only thing is which is the better buy. I am aware that all these models are derivatives of the Clevo D901C so they are essentially the same beast so what really comes down to is if there are any subtle differences between the machines, let me know as well as a retailer to purchase it from as there are a few to choose from. Also do any of these retailers offer a warranty that covers accidental damage protection or is that only a dell quality?

Thanks for the input!

 

no differences in the machines... just the resellers... top picks to buy from are xoticpc, and my personal favorite PcMicroworks... they work well with negotiations. Now as far as accidental damage, i hope your not a clumsy one with a beast that cost 3 grand... but all you rele have to do is call up these companies, as you SHOULD anyway wen spending this much and ask. Dont be afraid to speak to a human. you'll prolly end up getting a better deal this way too!

 

Hey thanks for the info, another thing I have to consider is which operating system to choose from. I done a fair amount of research on vista compared to xp performance wise and xp beats is for almost any process. But I have to accept that vista will eventually eat up xp as far as future support so what do you guys suggest?

 

I would personally go with XP atm and then get vista in a few months after SP1 is released.

PcMicroWorks currently has a special on the X6800 processor. It's only a +350$ upgrade from the standard 2.4Ghz processor. Get it while it lasts!

I payed quite a bit more for mine lol!

 

Jesus, that's like 560 dollars less then other resellers, thanks for the info wujen.

 

I have the D901C and bought both VISTA 64 bit Ultimate and XP Pro. (Dual booting with Vista is realllllly easy) Both op systems can do SLi, so the only reason I have XP Pro is when I run into a program that just can't work with VISTA. I run three HD (all RAID 0) so even the dual boot XP can utilize the Raid. Xoticpc offers for $293 I think, (I have it) 24/7 Tech and Service support ant accidental damage (screen) is included. Can't help on the differences, I only own this one. But I can highly recommend the D901C and Xoticpc. Enjoy

 

One more thing that I would be concerned with in the long run, is the 7900gtx going to be compatible with DX10? I'm not very familiar on how cards are built for DX(x) I'm assuming they are configured on the chipset level to work with the DX system better than a card that wasn't designed for that specific version. Would buying buy be a wise choice given that every future game will be built on the DX10 system?

 

Only the 8000+ series cards support DX10, that said it will be a very long time until games are made exclusively for DX10. All the future games will have DX9 support for quite a while.

 

Hi I checked out the Blackhawk and was wondering if it really did have the 5.9 "perfect rating"

 

5.9 isn't a perfect rating anymore. The ratings have gone up to 6.9 if I remember correctly.

 

but does you notebook have 5.9 like it says?

 

After doing my research and talking to Tom from PC Microworks, I believe I'm going to go with the Blackhawk, I'll let you know if I order it and what specs I got

 

Now all we need is a big sticker/painting of a Nova 'mech going with all eight C. ER Medium lasers... And LRM5.

 

Not for quite a while. After MS got beat up in Dec. '06 because it would be dropping support for XP in January of 2007 when Vista was released under its general lifecycle support rules, MS changed the support policy for XP. Now, both consumer and professional versions of XP SP2, will get main support through April 2009, and extended support through April 2014. In particular, that means that MS will continue to give security support for XP through April 2014. The info from MS on XP home is here: http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3221

and the press release discussing extended coverage for all versions of XP is here: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/jan07/01-24ExtendedSupportWindowsMA.mspx

Of course, they probably won't be actively enhancing XP, but then again, there's Vista, so perhaps we don't want any more "enhancement" of XP.

So long as you're happy with the XP you've got, and it runs the apps you want, you shouldn't have any reason to switch over to Vista until April 2009, or at the latest, April 2014 (by which time Vista should be out of beta testing).

 

Just put the order in, here the specs



Model name: Black-Hawk

Parts:
Intel® Core™2 Duo E6700 (2.66GHz/1066MHz/4MB)
2048MB Ultra Speed DDR2 800MHz Extreme Performance Memory
160GB @ 7,200RPM High Speed Storage (1 x 160GB @ 7200RPM)
No External Storage
8X High Speed Dual Layer +/- DVD-RW Drive
Single nVIDIA Geforce GO 7950GTX 512MB RAM X-TREME GPU
17" WUXGA+ Ultra Resolution GlassVision Wide Screen Cinema Display
8 Channel Advanced SRS WOW Surround Sound System
High Speed 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Networking Adapter
Internal High Speed V90k Dial Up Modem
Built In 802.11ABG 54mbps High Speed Wireless Adapter
Integrated Advanced Bluetooth Wireless Adapter
No EVDO (Evolution Data Only) High Speed Internet Connection
No GPS Location Device
No TV Tuner
No Floppy Drive
No Extra Mouse
No Controller
No Biometrics
Microsoft® Windows XP Professional Edition
No Office Productivity Package
No Virus or Spyware Protection
No Burning or DVD Software
No Extra Battery
Extra AC Adapter For Ease of Use
No Car Power Adapter
No Notebook Carrying Bag
No Notebook Security
*NEW* Advanced Alloy High Flow Notebook Cooler
3 Year Diamond Blanket Protection Advanced Coverage
Dead Pixel Protection Not Included


Cant wait!

 

Thanks Tlukowski, have fun with the Blackhawk

 

Looks pretty nice. I'm confused on why you picked pcmicroworks though.

I spec'd out my 9260 on Sager, Xoticpc, and pcMicroWorks... pcMicroWorks was the highest price by over $300.

Did you try and price match by working through them direct?

Sounds like you should never take the price offered through the web interface.

 

A few of the resellers 'negotiate' as well as absorb the credit card surcharge as a 'cash only discount.' I however was dumb enough to not haggle a tiny bit, but hey... what's another couple hundred on something so fscking expensive anyway. It depends on if you do it over the phone and who you get.

 

Blackhawk came in today! Yes, its a Saturday, PC Microworks is by far the most plesant company I had the opritunity to purchase from and I am loving this notebook!

 

btw.. i looked at ur specs..u have the EXACT same everything that i put in mine lol... im actually curious as to how much u got the price too... PM me if u can... i understand if u dont tho... privacy issues etc. either way, considering u got the same machine i can at least vouch for its continued pleasantries

 

I'm very pleased with my Blackhawk although there is one stuck green pixel about 2 inches from the right side of the screen that I do notice, I tried a few pixel fixer programs for no avail although I ran em for less than 20 minutes on the spot.. Any suggestions? Its not a big deal but I would love to see it go away.

 

Which programs did you use to try to remove the stuck pixel? Not sure how long they're supposed to run for, but I'd like to know as well.

 

i think thats just a dead/bright pixel... either way its gonna stay that way. One dead pixel isnt THAT bad, altho prolly annoying. Some resellers dont let you return it with 3... So dont be so down. i doubt it can just be fixed. Theres whole threads about Dead PIxels.. how to find more/ reseller warranties/etc..