Dell Deals and Help

[Knight]

Hello,

I'm going to be a fool for asking this, but I have never been in this situation before. My father told me about a site that has a lot of good deals. (Deals2buy.com: http://www.deals2buy.com/) I'm looking for a laptop so I went to the Dell section. I found the laptop that I might purchase. The Studio 15: http://www.deals2buy.com/delldeals.htm.

My question is what would the affect be by using non matching capacity DIMM's for RAM.

3GB: 1x2GB and 1x1GB
vs.
4GB: 2x2GB

Would dual channel not work with the 3GB option?

What is your opinion on this model with the savings?

[Bobsama]

Especially on laptops, don't worry about single-channel mode. In benchmarks for desktops, it would still come within about 1% on non-synthetics. On those synthetics of course it did well, but where it actually matters with real apps, it was just the same. Besides, if they use a 32-bit OS, 3GB is fine. No reason to go higher--all 32-bit apps will only use 2GB max. Even using system RAM for graphics RAM (for the HD3450), it's still fine and you'll still have a bit of space.

[Knight]

Especially on laptops, don't worry about single-channel mode. In benchmarks for desktops, it would still come within about 1% on non-synthetics. On those synthetics of course it did well, but where it actually matters with real apps, it was just the same. Besides, if they use a 32-bit OS, 3GB is fine. No reason to go higher--all 32-bit apps will only use 2GB max. Even using system RAM for graphics RAM (for the HD3450), it's still fine and you'll still have a bit of space.

Thank you for the response. :) Performance will not be the number one use because I will most likely just write reports and do the occasional movie rip with the laptop.

[Knight]

I have a question for the people who know laptops well. (I revived my thread. :()

Can someone help me tell the difference between these two options?

High resolution, glossy LED widescreen 15.4 inch display (1440x900)
High resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1920x1200) add $25

Is the first one LED back lit? Is the second one not LED back lit because it doesn't say so and is only 25 dollars more for a higher resolution. Does 1920x1200 seem crazy when it is in a 15 inch laptop? (My 20 inch monitor is only 1680x1050)

They come straight from the Dell Studio 15 tech page.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_studio_15?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I just would like someone to shed some light on this issue.

EDIT:

Is their any merit with this quote?

"The company has also chosen to launch these laptops before Intel releases its new Centrino 2 "Montevina" mobile processors, slated for launch later this summer, but that won't make much of a difference to the mainstream users Dell hopes to attract."

Is the Montevina family the new 45nm stuff for the mobile market?

[Kobalt]

LED is brighter and apparently saves energy. I wouldn't go with 1920x1200... you'd most likely have to change the DPI and that messes things up with a lot of programs.

As far as Montevina, there are already 45nm processors (those are the 800mhz FSB ones). Montevina has 1066mhz FSB, the CPU uses 29W instead of 34W, and there is NAND flash cache.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino Scroll down to the Montevina section.

[Knight]

LED is brighter and apparently saves energy. I wouldn't go with 1920x1200... you'd most likely have to change the DPI and that messes things up with a lot of programs.

As far as Montevina, there are already 45nm processors (those are the 800mhz FSB ones). Montevina has 1066mhz FSB, the CPU uses 29W instead of 34W, and there is NAND flash cache.

Thank for the response. I should have looked a little more on the internet before posting the question about Montevina. I guess things change just as fast in the mobile segment.

[ziddey]

hmm http://gamers-underground.com/forum/tech-chat/26929-great-article-about-ccfl-vs-led-wled-lcd-screens.html

not impressed :(

[Kobalt]

hmm http://gamers-underground.com/forum/tech-chat/26929-great-article-about-ccfl-vs-led-wled-lcd-screens.html

not impressed :(

That's an article that uses the same source throughout its entirety. They didn't even try a LED screen.

Here's a good comparison of the CCFL and LED screens on a M1330.

CCFL:
http://img451.imageshack.us/img451/5247/ccflxx6.th.jpg (http://img451.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ccflxx6.jpg)

LED:
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/5320/dscf2064ym6.th.jpg (http://img487.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf2064ym6.jpg)
The biggest difference is in the color accuracy IMO.

[Knight]

Should I get this deal? My school starts soon and I would like a compact notebook that has good components. I'm not really interested in the EEE or Wind notebooks because I plan to do minor CAD work and play less intensive games.

XPS m1330
2.1GHz T8100
4GB RAM
LED LCD
8400GS 128MB
250GB HDD
Wireless N
2.0 EDR Bluetooth
56Whr 6 Cell battery

$1,136

[Kobalt]

I'd wait a month or so for the new Montevina laptops, but if you have to have one now at least check out the refurbished m1330s. For instance, here is a good deal now:

XPS m1330
2.2GHz T7500
3GB RAM
LED LCD
8400 GS 128MB
250GB HDD
Intel Wireless G
Bluetooth wireless card 355
9 Cell battery
$1,009

You can even get one with a 64GB SSD for $1,169.

Refurbished computers look exactly like new ones, are cheaper, and you don't have to wait for it to be built.

[Knight]

I'd wait a month or so for the new Montevina laptops, but if you have to have one now at least check out the refurbished m1330s. For instance, here is a good deal now:

XPS m1330
2.2GHz T7500
3GB RAM
LED LCD
8400 GS 128MB
250GB HDD
Intel Wireless G
Bluetooth wireless card 355
9 Cell battery
$1,009

You can even get one with a 64GB SSD for $1,169.

Refurbished computers look exactly like new ones, are cheaper, and you don't have to wait for it to be built.

Any confirmed dates for the release of Montevina by system builders? Might this mean a new XPS change?

[Kobalt]

Any confirmed dates for the release of Montevina by system builders? Might this mean a new XPS change?

Well Dell just updated their Latitude lines with the Montevina platform and the XPS 1330 is over a year old and stores are trying to clear the 1330s (ie Staples), so it can't be much longer.

[AndrewZorn]

Just in case you're still considering the m1330, I thought it important to come in and say this:

I got the LED backlit screen in my m1330. It looks like garbage. The one in Best Buy, with the CCFL screen, looks great. Why? Mine has a grain effect to it that makes everything look like it is on canvas or something.

Turns out that Dell is/was (again, this is all from a couple of months ago) actually putting cheaper LCD PANELS with the LED backlights. So you pay more for the even backlighting, but get shafted because the panel they give you is some cheap, Chinese-made piece of trash.

I was pretty disappointed with all this.

I would have changed it through return or something, but the LED backlight was part of the package deal I got. T7500, 8400gs, 160gb 7200rpm drive, 3gb RAM, Bluetooth, 6-cell, wireless G, 3yr accidental warranty for about $1000. Can't really beat that, apparently still...

EDITed for accuracy.

[Knight]

Just in case you're still considering the m1330, I thought it important to come in and say this:

I got the LED backlit screen in my m1330. It looks like garbage. The one in Best Buy, with the CCFL screen, looks great. Why? Mine has a grain effect to it that makes everything look like it is on canvas or something.

Turns out that Dell is/was (again, this is all from a couple of months ago) actually putting cheaper LCD PANELS with the LED backlights. So you pay more for the even backlighting, but get shafted because the panel they give you is some cheap, Chinese-made piece of trash.

I was pretty disappointed with all this.

I would have changed it through return or something, but the LED backlight was part of the package deal I got. T7500, 8400gs, 160gb 7200rpm drive, 3gb RAM, Bluetooth, 6-cell, wireless G, 3yr accidental warranty for about $1000. Can't really beat that, apparently still...

EDITed for accuracy.

Not good news at all. :( Thank you for the user feedback. I was considering the m1330, but I might as well wait for Dell and others to release revised notebooks for this year. (If any are scheduled to be released this year.)

Is the problem only with the m1330 or does it also show with the m1530?

[AndrewZorn]

No idea, sorry... I just know this because of the SlickDeals thread, where everyone was complaining of the same thing, except those who had got the CCFL screen (and the one on display at Best Buy was a CCFL).

[Knight]

Is the jump from 2.1GHz to 2.4GHz warrant $50? Could software tools be used to adjust the clock without spending the extra money? I just notice a lot of GPU overclocking, but not CPU overclocking on the internet.

[Knight]

Here are some roadmaps of when we should expect the new lines to come out.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6282/dell3lp9.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8226/dell2rz6.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5239/dell4rc5.jpg

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2742/dell5vc4.jpg

[Kobalt]

Wow so the XPS 1530 isn't getting replaced until November and the 1330 isn't getting replaced until the winter some time? Where did you see these roadmaps?

[Knight]

Wow so the XPS 1530 isn't getting replaced until November and the 1330 isn't getting replaced until the winter some time? Where did you see these roadmaps?

The Notebook Review forum... BUT take it for a grain of salt because no one knows if the slides are fake or not. :( The OP hasn't responded to any questions yet.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=291340

[AndrewZorn]

For CPU overclocking I think you'd have to go software, ie Clockgen.