Will i notice the diff in processors in a Dell Notebook ??

[Davidtxs]

Hey i am ordering a Dell notebook tonite is it worth the diff to go from the
1.66 included
1.83 add 165
2.0 add 231
2.15 add 363
im tryin to keep cost down lol
thanks
i did go with teh 2gb of memory

[Peacock]

David,
How much are you looking at spending, if you can go for the duo- core systems, and if you are shopping off of the website you can customize them the way you want them, you can get a real decent dell duo-cores systems for under 1600 dollars

Andres

[Davidtxs]

ya thats about where ii am at with the 1.66
with tax and all id like to stay around 2K
and is the True Life option worth it for photos???
thanks

[jeffkohn]

I've had my Dell laptop for a while now, I believe it's an Inspiron 8600. It has the Pentium M 1.6 (no duo core) and 1GB of RAM. I actually find it to be pretty pokey running CS2 but I think the HD is the real bottleneck.

Given the pricing you list above I'd go for the 2.0, in my experience the top performance option is usually overpriced from a "bang-for-the-buck" perspective so I usually pick the second tier of performance.

But if you're going to buy a Dell, watch the coupon sites for some of the deals and you can save a bundle (I got over $800 off my laptop when I bought it thanks to a short-lived coupon code).

[jeffkohn]

Another thing, I'd get the memory from a third part like Crucial, usually the memory upgrades from the manufacturer are overpriced.

[Davidtxs]

ya went with the 5400 rpm drive but i have a 7200 external 500 gb that i use mostly thanks for the tip on the memory will it not void any warranty if i put it in ???

[AndrewCCM]

No.. it won't void the warranty. I tell you what, not just a month ago my father inlaw got a single core Dell (didn't need anything fancy), came with free 1GB RAM upgrade and $300 rebate...Windows Media 15.4 widescreen, wireless, DVD, etc... all of $599... Heck of a deal.... I was shocked at how decent that machine turned out to be for the price. Same one today is over $800 even with current deals..

[Davidtxs]

here is what im leaning towards i did go with the GeForce video upgrade and the 4 yr premium with accidental damage coverage lol thats a have to have for me
the below comes up to about 1700 plus tax

Inspiron E1705:
Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2300E (1.66GHz/667MHz FSB) ZDE16HN [222-2988] 1
Operating System (Office software not included):
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 WMCE [420-5769][420-5924][463-2282][420-5460][420-5476][420-5755][412-0689][420-4830][420-4928] 11
Operating System Re-Installation CD:
PC Restore recovery system by Symantec PCR [464-5503] 135
LCD Panel:
17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™ 17UXGAE [320-4926] 2
Memory:
512MB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz 512M2D6 [311-5636] 3
Hard Drive:
60GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive 60GB [341-2942] 8
Combo/DVD+RW Drives:
FREE!8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability 8XDVDRP [420-5775][464-9484] 16
Wireless Networking Cards:
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps) IP3945 [430-1516] 19
Video Card:
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS 256NV2 [320-4779]

[AndrewCCM]

Man.. I don't know.. sounds like a good system.. just seems overpriced to me. I need to look around though. Seems like I am getting coupons for these things all the time. The machine I was talking about above was a 1505...Not the 17" or dual core or upgraded video card.. But... 1/3 of the price. It's been awhile since I researched very deeply though. I think it'll be a fine system. Just be sure to upgrade that RAM (3rd party or whatever). That and the processor will make the biggest difference in your PS speed. Video card upgrade is more for gamers or 3D rendering applications than anything...

Have a good one!

[Davidtxs]

well take the warranty out and it drops to 1350 i didnt realize the difference in warranty price I have to have the 17 " though i may take out the true life option thats another 100

[AndrewCCM]

Ah.. that makes sense then.. Not sure what that true life deal is.. I was quite impressed with the LCD though..Video performance seemed to be very good without it, but you might research that a bit more.

Good luck...I think you'll like your new system.

[Davidtxs]

thanks i wont sleep tonite decidin on what configuration lol

[jeffkohn]

I see you're getting a 17" screen. Just one word of warning, forget about using that laptop on an airplane unless you fly first class. I have the 17" widescreen and the damn thing is just too big to open up and use when flying coach. Makes me wish I had maybe gone with a slightly smaller model. Also, is 17UXGAE the 1900x1200 resolution? I have that and honestly think the resolution is a bit much; stuff is pretty small and I have to use a larger than normal system font. It's a nice enough display, but I think there's a medium resolution around 1600x1000 that in hindsight I wish I had.

[AndrewCCM]

I can agree with Jeff on his points. I use a Dell 17" Latitude for my main machine at the office (not for photo editing).. I use 1920x1200 res too.. It is nice for slideshows and such, but on planes.. ugh..

Just something to consider if you do travel and intend to use it for that.

[Davidtxs]

ok im down to the video display is what im decidin on i may save the 119 and just go with the 17" basic
and i dont fly much lol