Notebook Buy

[ZesteR]

Hey guys!

 

I have almost convinced my parents to get me a notebook for Christmas this year. They are discussing my budget, but I'm really sure it's under 1000. (I can probably one put in 100-150 of my own $ towards it) Yet still keeping it under the 1000 mark.

 

I want a 17" Intel C2D notebook. I did some research but I am trying to find ways to knock the price down. But I want to enjoy dx10 so I have been adding the Geforce 8600 vid card in there with a nice LCD panel. Or should I go with a cheaper 7900 and use dx9?

 

As for now, my mother can get me a discount through dell with her company. Not sure of the discount since it varies.

I have built a few notebooks online and ended up a little over 1000. With the dell discount I'm around 1040 b4 taxes.

 

My specs so far on the Dell:

 

Vostro 1700:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T5470 (1.6GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)

OS: Vista Business

LCD Panel: 17 Wide WUXGA w/ TrueLife (1680x1050 i think)

Memory: 1 gig 667MHz 2 DIMM (I can upgrade that later on. I noticed it is more expensive to upgrade during the build)

HDD: 120 gig 5400 rpm sATA (I can upgrade this later too)

Optical Drive: 24X Cd Burner/DVD Combo

Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT

Battery: 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion (I will be plugged in most of the time, especially for gaming)

 

Price: $1297

After Assumed 20% Discount: $1037.60

 

 

I want 17" b/c of a full size keyboard and i just want one, lol.

I honestly will only play HL2, CSS, maybe BF2142, TF2, and lower end games.

 

Of course ill do my homework on it, but that will not matter with hardware specs.

 

Does this sound worth it?

Is the hardware not worth getting or worth spending a little more to get a better part?

Would taking it down to a 15.4" help with the price? Would that be comfortable gaming on? Will I rather lug around 15.4 w/ acc. than a 17 w/ acc.?

 

edit:

eBay offers much lower prices for better hardware - WORTH IT?

Lots of refurbs on ebay.. that really drops the price down.. unsure though

Edited October 8, 2007 by ZesteR
spl er0rz

[ZesteR]

I honestly think I am going to get a 15.4". I will be carrying it around a lot and want to be able to carry the acc. in one bag.

The discount is more like 10% so I kinda got my hopes up.

 

I did another dell that I think is going to be my base.

 

Inspiron 1520:

 

T5450 - 1.66/667MHz 2MB l2 cache

Vista home

1680x1050 Res.

1 gig RAM

Geforce 8600 GT

80 gig 5400 hdd

56WHr battery (6-cell)

Base price: $1,169

With 10% discount: $1052.10

 

The ebay ones seem cheaper for what they are, and I do not mind refurbs.. but unsure if I should go that route.

[akaM2]

check out dell's refurb section, they have new ones appear every couple weeks.

[ZesteR]

ok.

 

would I be able to apply discounts to that?

Edited October 9, 2007 by ZesteR

[Playaa]

or you could try to convince Maverick to drop his price by $100.

 

also...Dell = ick.

buy a mac.

[boiler]

yeah, good luck finding a macbook with that kind of power for less than $1000.

 

Here are my thoughts regarding your options:

 

1. You will absolutely 100% hate life if you try to run Vista + almost anything else with less than 2GB of RAM. You will. If you're going to stay cheaper by upgrading the RAM through Newegg or something, have that new ram ready to pop in the laptop as soon as you get it from Dell.

 

2. The upgraded screen is well worth the upgrade, as is the 9-cell battery. If you're going to be spending 99% of the time plugged in though, then skip the battery. The higher-res screen is a must-have, especially if you want to do some lightish gaming with it.

 

3. Look for a refurbished model in the Dell Outlet or drop your specs some. I tried a couple of ways to build you a system for under $1000 that would do what you are wanting it to do, and unless you could come up with another $100-$200, you just can't fit it all in. I got a new one put together for about $1289 before taxes that included the "top-end" 8600M GT video card, high-res 1680x1050 display, 2GB of ram, and a 160GB HD. Dropping the 8600M GT for the 8400M GS would save $100 on that price and probably still be serviceable. Essentially the same configuration from the outlet is around $900.

 

Regarding the display, I bought a 15.4" Inspiron 6000D a few years ago and went with the standard WXGA display. Everything looked nice, but I hated the display because I didn't have nearly enough "space" (resolution) to do the things that I wanted to do, let alone have a nicer res for gaming. Even stuff like spreadsheets were a pain because I had to scroll vertically constantly. the 1680x1050 display is absolutely worth the money, and the truelife displays are gorgeous. I also can't stress the 2GB of memory part enough - save now or pay later, one way or the other you're going to want to have 2GB of ram in that thing as soon as you start using it. You really really are going to hate gaming with that thing running vista and only 2GB of ram. Just buy it now and save yourself a headache.

Edited October 9, 2007 by boilersax

[appalachian_fox]

Definitely get the upgraded screen, and you should seriously consider the battery. Honestly, a 17" laptop is a pretty big beast, I think you may end up happier in the long run with the 15.4" for portability. If you think that's too small, you can always buy yourself a nice 20-22" LCD monitor ($200ish) and a full-sized keyboard ($3-$???) to set up at home / carry to large gaming events. A 17" isn't impossible to carry around, but it is large. But definitely get the high-end screen, it is beautiful and you can't change that later...easily. Or cheaply.

 

Dell Outlet isn't as good a deal as it used to be, and I have no clue if the discount applies (I imagine not, but I don't know), but get an idea in mind, keep an eye on it, and let your parents know now. Good deals can be nabbed pretty quickly, so you will have to move fast, and the only way to do that is to have everybody on board and ready to go, and start looking now. You can do really well there.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

[Playaa]

alright fine, I'll give some good input.

definitely don't get a 17" screen if you expect to carry it anywhere.

I have worked on laptops ranging from 12" to 17" and 15.4" is quite literally the perfect laptop size.

If you really really need screen space, just get an LCD monitor to go with it.

also, you will definitely need a screen with a resolution greater than 1440x900 as that just isn't enough.

[Magruter]

http://dealnews.com/deals/Dell-Home-325-of...ore/191011.html

Add a couple of upgrade to that bad boy and get 325 off.

[boiler]

http://dealnews.com/deals/Dell-Home-325-of...ore/191011.html

Add a couple of upgrade to that bad boy and get 325 off.

We have a winner.

 

Congrats, you get a cookie mags!

[[LaW]Maverick]

I would never...ever...ever buy a Dell...ever...

 

That being said, if you have to

 

BUY AT LEAST 2 GIGS OF RAM WITH VISTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I can't stress that enough.

 

Here's my vote:

 

Top Choice (comes with a free extra gig of RAM on NewEgg right now)

Under $1,000...but needs an extra gig of RAM if you ask me (for Vista)

 

 

After getting my wife an ASUS laptop, I'm flat sold on how nice they are. If you want to spend under a grand though, these outstrip the Dell in my opinion...and more importantly, they aren't Dells. Once nice thing 'bout ASUS, is they actually manufacture a lot of the boards in their laptops, so you don't have as much of a mish-mash of 3rd party pieces and parts in your system.

 

Just some thoughts :-) I hope these help.

 

On a side note: ASUS is becoming a HUGE manufacturer of laptops world-wide, they just haven't caught on as fast in the US

[Allanon]

or you could try to convince Maverick to drop his price by $100.

 

also...Dell = ick.

buy a mac anything but a mac.

 

 

I r super fixer!

[ZesteR]

thanks guys!

 

I know 2 gigs for vista.

Inorder to go from 1 gig ram to 2 gig ram it's a 125 upgrade. I'd rather just get it from newegg for sure.

 

I want a 15.4 for sure.

Def. 8600 GT and 1680x1050 res.

 

Ill have to build that Inspiron later that mag linked to.

I did not look into Asus laptops, but I will now.

 

TY for the help guys!

 

The monitor deal later down the road sounds like a great idea too.

 

Also, do u know if laptops have the CPUs soldered right onto the mobos or can I swap them out later down the road for a faster one when the prices drop?

[Playaa]

Mac > Asus > Dell > Mud.

 

there's your chart.

[boiler]

If you buy from Dell, you can swap out the CPU for something faster down the road. Obviously it voids whatever warranty you have, but it can be done.

 

Honestly, I don't know why everyone is soooooo against Dell laptops. Yes, the build quality isn't an Apple, but I love my 9400 and for what I saved on it, it was worth every penny. Their support has gotten 100X better than it was in the recent past as well. The last few times I have called, not only did I get someone who spoke fluent english (with a slight accent) but they resolved my issue in that one phone call (hold time of 2 minutes) and my new part arrived the next day. Pretty hard to beat that. It was a power supply cable issue, for the record. Laptop itself has been perfect.

[[LaW]Maverick]

If you buy from Dell, you can swap out the CPU for something faster down the road. Obviously it voids whatever warranty you have, but it can be done.

 

Honestly, I don't know why everyone is soooooo against Dell laptops. Yes, the build quality isn't an Apple, but I love my 9400 and for what I saved on it, it was worth every penny. Their support has gotten 100X better than it was in the recent past as well. The last few times I have called, not only did I get someone who spoke fluent english (with a slight accent) but they resolved my issue in that one phone call (hold time of 2 minutes) and my new part arrived the next day. Pretty hard to beat that. It was a power supply cable issue, for the record. Laptop itself has been perfect.

 

In Dell's defense, the last support call I had to place was last year or the year before. They could have improved like Boiler said. It took me an HOUR on the phone to order a replacement power supply...when that's specifically what I asked for in the first place. The first thing I asked was "I need to order a new power supply with this part number." Took an hour...

 

Anyway, my big gripe with Dells is that the people I know who've had them have had lots of problems, and they cost more than the ASUS laptops do. The ASUS laptops have a better build quality if you ask me as well. Their cheaper models are plastic, just like the rest, but they feel solid, and their higher end models (which I thought were metal) appear to be some sort of Carbon Fiber...they're sweet. OH! Almost forgot, the other big problem with Dells? They tend to load their consumer machines with TONS of useless CRAP that is irritating as all get out to get rid of. Their XPS systems come with a lot less, and I don't have any huge problems with those, but everything else they sell (that's not for business) comes completely loaded with everything from things that help you pick an ISP, trials of AOL, and dell messenger programs to things that allow dell agents to control your computer during a tech support call (which I don't like, but some people may not mind...it's a security concern imo).

 

Also Zest, as far as I know, there isn't a laptop company that permanently affixes CPU's to the MOBO, but the upgrade options for laptops are always more expensive than desktops (significantly) and there are fewer of them.

 

My 2 cents? Spend the extra cash now on something you'd be happier with, because replacement parts for laptops don't drop in price much fast. It's cheaper to buy it as a whole system. I had to replace the graphics card in that laptop I'm selling and the cheapest one I found on eBay was $470, and the one I ended up with was $550 with shipping. That's painful, considering the similar graphics card for desktops costs $230. I still feel the pain in my hip where my wallet sits...

 

Edit: Playaa, he said he wanted a laptop under $1,000...do they make a modern MacBook under $1,000? Not that I see. So for budget systems, Mac isn't even a player, thus negating your chart :-)

Edited October 9, 2007 by [LaW]Maverick

[appalachian_fox]

I've never had an issue with Dell machines, especially their laptops, though stay away from their online tech support. Worthless and slow.

[ZesteR]

Warranties Schmarranties.

Yes Sub 1000 Plz - We have a "Mac is the best no matter what you say thread here"

 

I want to keep with my low budget b/c it's not me paying for it. But I am paying for another gig when I know my parents will buy this for me.

 

I honestly never need to deal with Dells support -- my parents owned 2, my sister owns 1, and my mother & 2 sisters own laptops from Dell.

When something goes wrong, they come to me b4 Dells support.

And I'm prob. gonna void warranties anyways, so they will not be happy to help me out.

 

I made a Vostro 1500 for under 1000K with 10% discount. I will post up specs later when I have time.

 

--side note--

I will be posting up a thread about laptop suitcases/carriers. (not bookbags, needs to look like a pro )

[boiler]

--side note--

I will be posting up a thread about laptop suitcases/carriers. (not bookbags, needs to look like a pro )

 

Targus ftw.

 

I have two of their messenger bags (one 15.4" for wife's laptop, one 17" one for mine). Extremely well constructed with lots of useful spots for stuffs. The strap pad on the wife's started to come loose due to my carelessness after 3 years of use, and they offered to replace it no questions asked for free.

[Magruter]

I do like targus, they pretty much have the market cornered for bags. The one i have ATM is nice but the strap is constantly twisting. I wish they put a thicker should strap on.

[ZesteR]

--side note--

I will be posting up a thread about laptop suitcases/carriers. (not bookbags, needs to look like a pro )

 

Targus ftw.

 

I have two of their messenger bags (one 15.4" for wife's laptop, one 17" one for mine). Extremely well constructed with lots of useful spots for stuffs. The strap pad on the wife's started to come loose due to my carelessness after 3 years of use, and they offered to replace it no questions asked for free.

Nice. my boss has one and he loves it. He goes away and goes out in the field and it gets the crap beat out of it. Someone used it to boost themselves up (while laptop was in it) and things were just fine, just dirty.

 

What about those Aluminum ones? I think they are so cool looking.

[Magruter]

Cool looking if you're in miami vice (the TV show not the movie, even though the movie sucked BAD!)

[ZesteR]

I just spoke with my mother after building a laptop thru the link Mags dropped me.

Parents said they will get it for me! Now I have to email my mom the link and what to build and she'll see if she can get a 10% discount on top of the coupon. Until then here are the specs:

 

Dell Inspiron 1520

 

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz/800MHz FSB/4MB L2 Cache)

OS: Vista Home Premium

Color: Jet Black

LCD Panel: 15.4" UltraSharpTM Widescreen WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Display with TrueLife

Video Card: 256MB GeForce 8600M GT

Memory: 1GB DDR2 Shared at 667MHz (that means 2 DIMMs right? i.e. 2 sticks of 512?) --I might have to sell them and just get a 2 gig stick.

HDD: 80 gig 5400 RPM --Ill upgrade this later

Drives: CD/DVD Writer

Wireless Card: Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini-Card

Camera: none

Battery: 9 cell 85WHr Lithium Ion

Sound Card: High Definition Audio 2.0 (I have my USB 5.1 Headset)

Network: 10/100BaseT and 56K/Fax Modem

 

I took out all the options to put software on it. Even MS Works & free trials of Antivirus

 

Total Price: $1,344

Total After Coupon: $1,019

Potential Total After 10% Discount--

If taken off b4 coupon: $1,209.60 - $325 = $884.60

If taken off after coupon: $917.10

 

At any of those prices, I think it's a great buy!

 

Notes: I'm really happy I am able to get the CPU i wanted and a better battery. I do want to get some GPS software and use this in my car for trips. So that will come in handy or the convenience of not having to find a plug.

I will get a bluetooth adapter for under $10 rather than integrate it into the laptop for $20.

 

Concerns?!

Any good useful cards for the Express Card slot? other than addition USB/FireWire/sATA ports?

Edited October 10, 2007 by ZesteR
The blue was harsh on the eyes - changed to Green

[boiler]

I will get a bluetooth adapter for under $10 rather than integrate it into the laptop for $20.

Why?? Seriously, what's another $10, really? I would think the convenience of having it built in would definitely be worth $10. Seems silly to me.

 

Other than that, that's a great buy, and has plenty of power for you (once you do the RAM thing).

 

Nice choice with the better battery, you definitely won't regret it. The screen is also gorgeous too, I love mine!

[[LaW]Maverick]

Zest, looks like that's a pretty sweet deal--I'd go for it (though I still have issues with Dell) A lot of people are perfectly happy with their Dells, so I don't think you have anything to worry 'bout :-)

 

 

As far as cases go, I have a "Swiss Gear" bag by Wegner. They're the guys that make Swiss Army knives. Why?

 

1.) Built VERY well

2.) Lifetime warranty...my friend had a seam busting on his, called up the people, 5 minutes later they agreed to send him a new bag with no hassle, arguments, or pictures.

3.) they look pretty sweet

 

only downside is that they're kinda pricey, but they're comparably price to higher end Targus stuff, and I've never been overly happy with the Targus stuff I've bought in the past. Their newer stuff does look significantly better, however, than the stuff I owned.

 

Here is the stuff NewEgg carries by Wegner (which is MUCH MUCH cheaper than anywhere in stores.

 

and

 

Here is the one I own. It has held up VERY well, and even if it doesn't...I have that lifetime warranty to fall back on. :-) It's definitely going to out-last this laptop. The negative reviews on it seem to be people's 17" laptops not fitting--however, my big-arse Alienware 17" laptop fits just fine.