A laptop v. my current desktop?

[Craig321]

Hi,

I'm still a few months off getting a laptop, but I've been looking anyway (prices should drop and things may change by the time I actually get the laptop).

Anyway, I've been looking at a Dell Inspiron 6400 with the following specs:

Intel® CoreTM  2 Duo Processor T5200 (1.60 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
1024MB 533MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x512)
80GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7300 TurboCache™
Vista Premium
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display

I mainly want the laptop just to have a nice portable PC, but I know I'm going to end up wanting to multi-task and play games on it, so I just wondered how it'll compare to my current desktop:

3.0GHZ 1MB L2 (note: it isn't C2D :p)
200GB SATA HDD
256MB NVIDIA 7600GT
Asus P5P800-SE
1GB Dual Channel DDR Corsair XMS3200 Pro (2x512)

I know it probably won't match up to my desktop on gaming (I don't expect it to), but how will it be for speed (starting programs, multi tasking, general stuff)?

Also, anyone got a rough estimate on how the GeForce 7300 will match up to a desktops 6800GT please?

One more thing, has anyone got any idea how upgradeable Dell laptops are? When the warranty runs out I wouldn't mind upgrading the HDD and RAM.

Okay, another thing (I keep editing and adding questions ):
Has anyone got some close-up pictures of the Dell Inspiron 6400 showing sizes, thickness, style etc. please?

Thanks,
Craig.

Oops, just realised I posted this in the CPU section, it was originally only going to be on the CPU...

 

[Craig321]

Not going to beat your desktop thats for sure, but it will be allright. I have a lesser specced laptop and it plays games acceptably well, 1280x800 isn't a massive res so you dont need big gpu power.

I would have thought it'd beat my desktop in processing applications etc as the CPU is better, isn't it?

The laptop spec is not that bad but if going for it I'd up the RAM to 2gb, remember that TurboCache will take system RAM.

Might up it to 2GB when the warranty runs out (so I don't void warranty upgrading it myself). It'll make it too expensive going for 2GB so start with.

 

[Craig321]

Just to point out in case this hans;t been mentioned but the processor in the op post is the older yonah based dual core centrinos and not a mobile core 2 duo (merom sp?!) therefore in single core applications it will be roughly the same speed as a 1.6ghz yonah and in multi threaded apps about 160% of the speed of a single core yonah.

The mobile C2D's are slightly different and based off of the desktop variant however have a slower FSB (667FSB) but the same amount of cache (2mb and 4mb - for the 7x series).

My philips X56 has the C2D T5600 (1.83ghz) and when not in laptop mode (ie plugged in) its pretty swift - quicker than my desktop which is a celeron D 356 (512k L2 cache) running at 4.3ghz.

To give a quick example the laptop runs a 31second super pi compared to my desktops 36 seconds(51 seconds at the stock 3.33ghz). Not blistering but swift enough.



EDIT: It appears the spec in nthe op post is miss leading, the T5X series denotes that its in fact a Merom based processor however the clock speed (1,6ghz is incorrect for a merom (should be 1.66ghz) and the FSB is also wrong (533fsb whereas it should be 667 for the merom). Might be worth checking this out (the op) in more detail before commiting.

31 second super pi, very nice for a laptop.

Your laptop is a slightly better spec than the one I'm looking to get so super pi will be a bit longer on mine.

My current desktop does 1MB Pi in 46 seconds, the laptop I'm looking to get should beat it by roughly 10 seconds?

Is your laptop the newer C2D mobile rather than the old one you talked about?

EDIT: It appears the spec in nthe op post is miss leading, the T5X series denotes that its in fact a Merom based processor however the clock speed (1,6ghz is incorrect for a merom (should be 1.66ghz) and the FSB is also wrong (533fsb whereas it should be 667 for the merom). Might be worth checking this out (the op) in more detail before commiting.

That's weird, it definitely says "Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo Processor T5200 (1.60 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)" on the Dell website when I'm customising the laptop.

The next option down (+£90+) is the same as your laptops CPU (T5600). Maybe Dell just wrote the T5200 specs wrong?

 

[Craig321]

bump!

 

[Craig321]

The cpu is significantly faster, enough to help make up for the poor gpu, well at least in dual core games.

That's an answer I like to hear

I was expecting and really don't mind that my desktop may beat the laptop on the gaming side, but as you say, the CPU will make up for the graphics.

I probably won't be playing many (or any) high graphic games on the laptop, the most graphically intense game I'd have on there would be something like Black & White 2.

Has anyone got any idea how fast a laptop of that spec could do pi to 1mb please?

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

th 7300 is terribly weak. The rest of the laptop is cool,but if the graphics are holding it back its next to useless. However if you are playinv VERY old games then it should be alright.

Still skeptical though. I had a turbo Cache 7300 for approx 2hrs. Got it for my destktop and sent it back withing 1hr. It was so appaling.

Still your choice!

Weak as in? How would it compare to a desktop 6800GT?

I'd trade my inspiron in for a lattitude any day. They are just too heavy and thick.

I've been looking at some pictures and it doesn't look too chunky. I also found out it's roughly 2.7kg. My Dad's old Toshiba is 3.8kg and that's just about a fine weight (a bit on the heavy side, but still carryable).

 

[Craig321]

Awful.

So a desktop 6800GT would be way better then?

 

[Craig321]

Yes. At least 300%.

Are you sure? Dell add £105 for a 7300 (upgrade from onboard intel accelerator) & it's the best you can get for the Inspiron 6400 (or atleast, it's the most expensive! )

EDIT

I've read a couple of pages and it looks like it is a bit of a bad card (apparently the lowest range nVidia make...).

What would a 256MB ATI® Mobility™ Radeon® X1400 HyperMemory™ graphics card be like?

EDIT

Got my answer on MSN from you
Thanks very much Energize.

for a lattitude any day.

They look good, nice and compact. Rather expensive : £1000+ though

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

Another question I just thought of.

Can I upgrade the laptop without voiding warranty? I see Dell sell Insprion 6400 RAM (Kingston stuff) so I'm guessing I can upgrade without messing up the warranty?

And how hard would it be to upgrade something like the graphic card? For example: if I was to save for a top of the range graphic card for that laptop would I be able to put it in without troubles? Same for the RAM and hard drive?

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

I don't know if this will help but i had a Sony Vaio single core 1.8ghz Centrino 512mb ram and a Geforce 6400 turbo cache and i was able to play farcry on medium settings at 1280 x 800 and im guessing the 7400 is better then that. But like said before it depends on what games you play.

I'll probably end up playing hardly any games on it, maybe a few LAN games of Warcraft III with my brother & some WoW online, but no games much more than that. (Possibly some BFME1/2, Titan Quest, Diablo II (that's really gonna stress the CPU and graphic card!) & maybe Black & White 2.)

That's quite amazing actually, you playing FarCry on medium with a 1.8Ghz single core! & on a laptop as well

I've been told and have read in a couple of places that the Mobility X1400 is similar/better to the 7300 & not worth the extra £40.

I'll research a little more on review websites and Google before I settle on anything

Thanks for the help,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

RAM should be fine, however you might want to keep the old stuff just in case... although chances are they wouldn't even check the amount of RAM.

As for the graphics you would only be able to change if it has an MXM graphics module, which it probably doesn't.

P.S I am installing FarCry on my laptop now, which runs Max Payne 2 ok at medium settings, 1280x800 (x1150 graphics, turion dual core 1.6ghz, 1gb ram)

Runs fine 1280x800 low settings (water medium though), the 7400 should be faster than my card.

Cool

I guess as long as I don't break any warranty seals & put the old stuff back in if it ever needs to go for repairs @ Dell then I should be fine

I wish I could do some proper tests on the set up computers at shops, as in: installing games that I play, Super PI, 3DMark etc... just to get an idea of speeds of laptops... but all I get to do on shop show laptops is either watch a video that can only be exited with a password or play on Vista a little (with loads of crap installed)

 

[Craig321]

Nice, fairly decent score on 3DMark06... especially for a laptop!

The spec I'm hoping to get is:

C2D 1.6GHZ T5200 - I'd like to upgrade this in the future, but I'll need to find out the specs of the motherboard etc. to see if it could handle a T7400+
1GB DDR2 RAM (2x512) - with future upgrade of another 1GB (it's only £85 for 1GB )
80GB 7200RPM - possible upgrade of 160GB+ if needed
ATI Mobility X1400


On yours: Pi in 26 seconds. Very nice. My current desktop does Pi in 46 seconds

The 1.6Ghz T5200 will take a few seconds longer than your T7200, but not too much longer? Any idea of an estimate of how long the above spec will Pi please?

I'm not really looking to game a lot on this laptop, as said above: just a few games (stuff like Warcraft III, WoW, Diablo 2, Black & White 2 etc. which all should handle fine on it I would have thought)

I like the fact that your laptop is beating your 4400 X2 on Pi - shows that the 1.6Ghz T5200 will beat my desktop 3Ghz by far in processing (multi tasking, programs etc.)

Thanks for the pics of the laptop, it looks very nice



A couple more questions about your spec:

How long does the battery last (did you get the 9 cell extra?)

How heavy is it? I did read somewhere that it's 2.7KG which is a perfect weight for me, but the X1400 etc. will add some weight.

 

[Craig321]

Hi Craig321... to answer your questions...

Super Pi on T5200 (1.6GHz) as a guess would take about 35 seconds? This is an estimate, but it should be about there on the 1M test.

I've yet to test any real games on my Laptop, my screen has a native resolution of 1440x900, I would've thought it would play some of the old games OK at a reduced resolution of 1280x800, but don't expect to game Battlefield 2 on it!

Yep, I wasn't too surprised of the Super Pi score beating my AMD X2 4400+ @ 2.6GHz! Although gaming wise, my desktop would wipe the floor over this laptop's measly X1400. Think I should get a Core2 for my desktop too...

The laptop is an OK size, definitely not "thin" I must admit, although it wasn't really a priority. The 9-Cell battery came with the laptop - I didn't buy it from Dell directly - it's from a famous auction website. The weight of the laptop would increase quite significantly depending on what battery you put in it. So 2.7KG +- 0.1, 0.2KG could be expected. It is a slightly wider screen than the normal ones as you'd expect.

It might be worth you getting the larger glossy screen too - the 1440x900 - you won't be disappointed. Good choice with the faster hard drive too, will make things a bit more zippy!

Thanks very much kbc

Which ones are the glossy screens?

I like the glossy screens... when there's no light, but i really find them terrible when there's a slight bit of light on the laptop (my sister has a glossy screen laptop).

Having read this thread I thought it prudent to add the the previous link.....the following link is the same site but it puts things into perspective, its how I specced my 2 week old Dell 9400

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Grafic-Cards.130.0.html

I got the T7200 [2Ghz] C2D
2 Gig of 667 MHz Ram
17" screen WUXGA 1900 x 1200 resolution Truelife
and the 7900GS Gfx card.
I also asked for the 9 Cell battery much better.

It is nice not had time to install games or do any benchies yet...but it is nifty.

I had a hard time choosing the laptop as there is a lot of laptops about combining C2D with X1400 or 7300 Gfx cards and the like AKA Sony Viao (= Rip off) and claiming they are gaming rigs...Rubbish !!

I got my little lot for £1000 and that had the 2 year @home warranty too

Just check carefully the spec of each Lappy...the link is all you need to assess the Graphics card you need.

Thanks for that link, I'll look through that page/site.

I guess I'd be better off adding the extra £25 to the price of the laptop for the 9 cell battery.

I'd really like to get the T7200 rather than the T5200, but that pushes it rather far past budget . 10 seconds Pi difference between the 5200 and 7200 (if your estimate is correct) is quite a lot!

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

just to let you know the 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7300 scores 13k in 3Dmark01 havnt had a chance to run 03, 05 and 06 yet but as soon as i get a chance il let you know the scores but for general gaming there not too bad iv run the following games on it so far using fraps for fps

2142 1024x768 35fps
farcry x64 1024x768 23fps
Quake 4 1024x768 38fps
WoW 1024x768(wide) 50fps

hope this helps
Pure™

What spec laptop did you get 13k on?

These are only resolutions nothing here about levels of detail.

The link puts the 7300 go in class 4, not something to aim for if you intend to have the Laptop for a couple of years..remember it won't be upgradeable! Push yourself that little bit further.

Performance class 4
Some not fastidious current games can be played fluently with small details.
Nvidia Geforce Go 7300

4 pixel-, 3 vertex-pipelines, 64-bit memory, a few improved 6200 go
about ? / 3700 / 1600 3DMark 01 / 03 / 05

I might be able to push my budget a bit further depending on when I get the laptop. It's still ~3 months until I actually get it so hopefully prices will have changed / I will have found a bit more money

If what PU7E says is true (13k in 3DMark01) then I'm happy with getting the Mobility X1400/GeForce 7300.

Cheers dude, it took me a while to get the deal and spec machine I wanted from the Dell tele sales...advice to anyone, DO NOT BUILD AND BUY ONLINE...you get all sorts of money off, things thrown in for free if you telephone your "queries" in total I got £140 worth of concessions, including the 2 year @ home support.

It helped by my company offereing a dell 6% dicsount scheme too

It is a heavy beast and gets a little warm under knee, but the 17" widescreen view is amazing and the power it has is a little surprising, having used older laptops.

Good thing is that the only laptop I've properly used is an old Toshiba one - 3.8KG & it gets really hot on my leg where the main CPU exhaust is. Oh, and it's really noisy

The Dell Inspiron is apparently extremely quiet, 1.1kg lighter than the Toshiba I have used & I can't see the Inspiron getting any hotter than the Toshiba.

Yours is also 17", so that might explain the heaviness?

You say you got quite a lot off by making your order through the phone rather than online... did they give you the option of taking out and getting the money back on stuff like MS Works?

ademcg, that's a lovely spec laptop you've got there.

I've played on one of those Dell Inspiron 9400 - they're fantastic if not a little large. It's like a pavement slab.

Doesn't look too big from the pictures that were posted on the previous page.



Thanks
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

The ones I posted on the previous page is the Inspiron 6400, the Inspiron 9400 is much larger with the 17" display.

Ohhhh I didn't realise you guys were on about the 9400. on the last few posts.

Also I doubt you'd get much discount if you try to skip on the software such as Microsoft Works.

True, how easy is it to get a better deal by doing it over the phone?

Thanks,
Craig.

 

[Craig321]

Very, sit by your Pc with the build you want on screen...then chip away at them, "I would like the price to be no higher then £X.....if I got the X upgrade I would authorise now....my credit card is in hand...come on ask your manager if you need to authorise another 2% off (this is apparently true btw)

I'm not too good at that kind of stuff

Maybe I'll get my Dad to do that - he'll be able to get some deals on it for me

 

[Craig321]

Try to get the better deal by getting the larger resolution screen whether it's on the 9400 or the 6400.

I think with the 6400 that I want you can only get 1280x800 which is fine for me.

17" would be WAY too big on a laptop for me.