Hard drive speed question

[hyg71886]

I am looking at laptops to use for business, Im looking at the Sony Vaio TX670P/W Notebook and the Area-51m 7700. The HD in the Sony is 4200rpms or 4500. Whats the difference in the speeds? Would I notice the differnce in speed? I can configure the Alienware almost the same price with more stuff which would make it easy for me to play games. Can some one shead some light on the situation?

[moistmule]

get what you can afford, you won't notice any speed difference

[glc]

I wouldn't look at either a Sony or Alienware for business. I'd get a laptop that's made for business use, such as a Dell Latitude.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by glc I wouldn't look at either a Sony or Alienware for business. I'd get a laptop that's made for business use, such as a Dell Latitude.

What one would you recommend, I would preffer one with long battery life. This is what I configured from them,

Latitude D810
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz) w/ATI RADEON X600 128MB, Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition, SP2, with media

Unit Price: $1,806
- $180
SYSTEM OPTIONS
Latitude D810 Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz) w/ATI RADEON X600 128MB edit
Operating Systems Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition, SP2, with media edit
Hardware Support Services 3 Year Mail-In Economy Plan edit
LCDs 15.4 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen WSXGA+ LCD Panel edit
Memory 1.0GB 533MHz, DDRII SDRAM, 2 DIMMS - Dual Channel edit
Mail- In Rebate None edit
Dell Printers None edit
Printer Promotions None edit
Modular Bay Devices DISCOUNTED!! 8X max DVD+/-RW Combination Drive edit
Hard Drives 80GB Hard Drive, 9.5MM, 5400RPM edit

INTERNET/NETWORKING OPTIONS
Wireless LAN (802.11) FREE! Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 WLAN (802.11b/g, 54Mbps) miniPCI Card edit
Wireless Routers None edit
Wireless Router Installation None edit
Bluetooth Dell Wireless® 350 Bluetooth Module edit
Mobile Broadband None edit

SOFTWARE OPTIONS
Productivity Software None edit
Financial Software Pre-Installed None edit
Security Software None edit
File System FAT32 File System edit
Factory-Installed Software None edit

ADDITIONAL STORAGE OPTIONS
Removable Storage None edit
Additional Hard Drive None edit
Floppy Drive Options No Floppy Drive edit

DOCKING SOLUTIONS/DESKTOP REPLACEMENT ACCESSORIES

Docking Solutions None edit
External Monitors None edit
Keyboard None edit
Mouse None edit
Speakers None edit
Documentation None edit

BATTERIES/POWER ADAPTERS

AC Adapter 90W A/C Adapter edit
Additional Power Cords / Adapters None edit
Battery 9-CELL PRIMARY BATTERY edit
Additional Batteries None

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus Unit Price: $1,806

For that price with a 40% off coupon you could get an Inspiron 9300 with a GeForce Go 6800, which if I remember your needs from the other thread would be better for you.

[glc]

Hello........what are the priorities here? I read "business".

[RazorDX]

If it's possible, I'd change the file system from Fat32 to NTFS. Not exactly a hardware issue, but it will make your data more secure from corruption.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc Hello........what are the priorities here? I read "business".

Priorities (from the other thread, as I'm sure you've figured out by now -- as you said, this is getting a bit confusing) are gaming, computer animation, and web design. As mentioned in this thread, long battery life is also desired.

IMO the best laptop for the first two priorities is the Dell Inspiron XPS M170 (formerly the XPS Gen 2, but now with better support and a GeForce Go 7800 GTX). The Sager NP5720/Clevo M575A, which has similar specs to the M170 but isn't out yet, is also a possibility. (It also features a modular bay with a second battery and second hard drive option, a larger number of screen resolutions, Azalia 8-channel audio, and is available with the ATI MR X800XT and X700 as well as the 7800GTX, among other things).

However, the battery life concern means that both are out of the running, as the XPS Gen 2 has about a 2-hour battery life, and the NP5720/M575A reportedly has a 1.5 hour battery life with the 7800GTX and only the 8-cell primary battery. So that means that the Insiron 9300, which is built on the same ODM kit but which features the regular and much less power-intensive GeForce Go 6800, is a better option. I have heard of people getting 4.5 hours of battery life on it with the 9-cell battery by underclocking the GPU and undervolting the CPU.

I will post the configuration that I speced out shortly (I need to re-spec it, since my shopping cart expired).

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow I will post the configuration that I speced out shortly (I need to re-spec it, since my shopping cart expired).

Here is the configuration:

Inspiron 9300: Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
Display: 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™
Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
Video Card: 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800
Hard Drive: 80GB Hard Drive
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
Network Card: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
CD/DVD Drives: 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Wireless Networking Card: Intel® PRO 2200 and Dell 350 Bluetooth Internal Wireless Cards
Primary Battery: 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)
Additional Battery: 9-cell Lithium Ion Additional Battery (80 WHr)
Carrying Cases: Large Backpack Carrying Case
Hardware Warranty: SAVE $70 (after rebate) 4Yr Ltd Warranty,At-Home Srvc + Nights and Weekend
Accidental Damage Protection: Add CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service to 4Yr Lim Warranty

TOTAL: $2,837.00

Now for the discounts. Dell has in the past offered a 40% off coupon (usually with a minimum price before discounts of $999 or $1299). That would bring the price down to $1702.20. Dell is not currently offering this coupon, so you could wait until they do again, but you might be waiting for a couple of months.

If you don't want to wait, call up Dell and speak to a sales rep. Dell reps have to sell a certain number of items per week or they lose their job, so tell them (politely) that you are ready to buy now but will only buy if you can get the laptop at 40% off ($1700). If you can't get that price, say (politely) that you will wait until Dell offers their 40% off coupon and then buy straight from the website. The idea is to get the sales rep to be alarmed at losing a sale so that they give you the discount. If it's not working, hang up and call Dell back, and try again with another rep. If you can't get it to work with a bunch of reps, call back next week and repeat the process.

Keep in mind also that you'll be getting $70 back through a rebate on the four-year warranty. That will bring your cost down to $1630.

EDIT: In the configuration I forgot to note that you should add the OS CDs to your order. Dell charges $10 extra, but they are worth it if you need to do a clean install. The total cost includes that $10.

[hyg71886]

should i go with that or the xps though? I wont be using it for computer animation now but in the next 2yrs when i go to full sail. So should i go wit the xps or the inspirion? And are dell laptops reliable? i heard some bad stuff about them.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus should i go with that or the xps though? I wont be using it for computer animation now but in the next 2yrs when i go to full sail. So should i go wit the xps or the inspirion? And are dell laptops reliable? i heard some bad stuff about them.

The Inspiron 9300 and the Inspiron XPS M170 are very similar. The only real differences are the looks (silver and white for the 9300; silver and black with blinged LEDs for the XPS) and the graphics card (X300 or 6800 on the 9300; 6800 Ultra or 7800GTX on the M170). There are a couple of other minor differences too, such as the bulky AC adaptor on the XPS to provide the extra power the GPU needs, and the standard 9-cell battery (available on the 9300), and the fact that you can't get an XPS with below a 2 GHz Pentium-M, and that only the more expensive screen option (WUXGA) is available on the XPS. But overall the 9300 is much the same.

If you are concerned about graphics performance above all else, get the XPS. However, you said you want something with reasonable battery life; if you value that above the extra graphics performance (the 9300 with the 6800 card is still very fast, especially overclocked), then get the 9300.

Of course, both laptops are rather big; if you want portability, then you should probably find a laptop with the GeForce Go 6600 or Mobility Radeon X700 that is 15.4".

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow The Inspiron 9300 and the Inspiron XPS M170 are very similar. The only real differences are the looks (silver and white for the 9300; silver and black with blinged LEDs for the XPS) and the graphics card (X300 or 6800 on the 9300; 6800 Ultra or 7800GTX on the M170). There are a couple of other minor differences too, such as the bulky AC adaptor on the XPS to provide the extra power the GPU needs, and the standard 9-cell battery (available on the 9300), and the fact that you can't get an XPS with below a 2 GHz Pentium-M, and that only the more expensive screen option (WUXGA) is available on the XPS. But overall the 9300 is much the same. If you are concerned about graphics performance above all else, get the XPS. However, you said you want something with reasonable battery life; if you value that above the extra graphics performance (the 9300 with the 6800 card is still very fast, especially overclocked), then get the 9300. Of course, both laptops are rather big; if you want portability, then you should probably find a laptop with the GeForce Go 6600 or Mobility Radeon X700 that is 15.4".

Cant I buy an extra battery for the xps?

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus Cant I buy an extra battery for the xps?

You can, but it's really up to you whether you want to do that. You can get two 9-cells on a 9300 and be able to use it for an entire transatlantic flight; you'll need four or five 9-cells to do that with an XPS. Then again, if you want to go all-out, the XPS is the way to go, although if it were me buying it, I would wait for the Sager NP5720/Clevo M575A to come out. Assuming it's not much more expensive, I would buy it in a second over the XPS, because some of the limitations of the XPS (like the non-Azalia sound and lack of a modular bay) sort of annoy me.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow You can, but it's really up to you whether you want to do that. You can get two 9-cells on a 9300 and be able to use it for an entire transatlantic flight; you'll need four or five 9-cells to do that with an XPS. Then again, if you want to go all-out, the XPS is the way to go, although if it were me buying it, I would wait for the Sager NP5720/Clevo M575A to come out. Assuming it's not much more expensive, I would buy it in a second over the XPS, because some of the limitations of the XPS (like the non-Azalia sound and lack of a modular bay) sort of annoy me.

Who makes that laptop and is it a good company?

[Stuey]

Originally Posted by moistmule get what you can afford, you won't notice any speed difference

I disagree. Well... it depends on other criteria as well. A HD spinning at 5400 rpm with an 8 mb buffer will show a VERY noticeable difference over an equal capacity HD spinning at 4200 rpm with a 2 mb buffer. I don't recall ever seeing a 4200rpm HD with anything but a 2mb buffer...

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus Who makes that laptop and is it a good company?

Clevo makes it. All laptops are made by Original Design Manufacturers, most of them Taiwanese. The top-tier ones are Asus, Quanta, Compal and Clevo. Quanta makes Dell Latitudes and IBM Thinkpads; Compal makes Dell Inspirons; Asus generally manufactures for itself; and Clevo makes many of the laptops from Alienware, VoodooPC, Sager, Eurocom, and other boutique manufacturers.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow Clevo makes it. All laptops are made by Original Design Manufacturers, most of them Taiwanese. The top-tier ones are Asus, Quanta, Compal and Clevo. Quanta makes Dell Latitudes and IBM Thinkpads; Compal makes Dell Inspirons; Asus generally manufactures for itself; and Clevo makes many of the laptops from Alienware, VoodooPC, Sager, Eurocom, and other boutique manufacturers.

wow, i never knew that. I think Im going to go with the clevo, how much do u think it will cost, can i custom config it, and what do I need?

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus wow, i never knew that. I think Im going to go with the clevo, how much do u think it will cost, can i custom config it, and what do I need?

I have no idea how much it will cost. I belive it will be somewhat more than the XPS would with coupons, but I could be completely off-base on that. Pre-order starts on October 12 from what I hear, so you should chack on various sites around then. You should be able to custom-configure it. If I were you I would go with no less than a 2.0 GHz Pentium-M and 1 GB of RAM; 2 GB of RAM would be preferred. Get the hard drive size that you thinki you need.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow I have no idea how much it will cost. I belive it will be somewhat more than the XPS would with coupons, but I could be completely off-base on that. Pre-order starts on October 12 from what I hear, so you should chack on various sites around then. You should be able to custom-configure it. If I were you I would go with no less than a 2.0 GHz Pentium-M and 1 GB of RAM; 2 GB of RAM would be preferred. Get the hard drive size that you thinki you need.

Well anyone do animation for games? Cuz I have no idea how much space i need. Oh yeah, can I watch a dvd with out booting up the os? Thats a good feature to save battery life

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus Oh yeah, can I watch a dvd with out booting up the os? Thats a good feature to save battery life

No, but very few laptops have that option. On the Sager/Clevo you can listen to an Audio CD or an MP3 CD without booting up, though.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow No, but very few laptops have that option. On the Sager/Clevo you can listen to an Audio CD or an MP3 CD without booting up, though.

I have my Creative Labs Zen Micro now so I wont really need that feature, but still good no the less. Is there a program I can install or a setting I can change to make this possible?

[Stuey]

I highly doubt it. I thought playing a DVD movie requires software to decode the DVD. Besides that, if you want to watch a DVD, not loading the OS won't be saving you too much battery life. The screen still needs power, the speakers need power, the video card needs power, the optical deive needs power.

You're not going to be able to ever enable a laptop with this function unless it was designed that way.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Stuey83 You're not going to be able to ever enable a laptop with this function unless it was designed that way.

Correct. Additionally, you couldn't install a program to watch DVDs before the OS loads because the OS would need to load for the program to run.

[hyg71886]

Originally Posted by thefultonhow Correct. Additionally, you couldn't install a program to watch DVDs before the OS loads because the OS would need to load for the program to run.

Forgot about that lol. This laptop seems like the best buy, Is there a store that carries them so i can test it out?

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Prometheus Forgot about that lol. This laptop seems like the best buy, Is there a store that carries them so i can test it out?

Well, it's not even accepting pre-orders until October 12, and it doesn't start shipping until the 28th. Even then I doubt it would be carried in retail stores -- I don't think Sager has any agreements with any.