Dell Laptop

[garywoodrow]

Just lookin for some advice, I need a laptop because im rarely at home anymore, staying at my mums and sisters quite alot... But i have A-Level work which needs doing on computers. Also i play games alot and especially Flight Sim X. Just wondering if anyone knows if this laptop would be able to run most of the latest games and FSX very well. I would prefer to run FSx on at least medium graphics settings. Thanks in advance.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7100 Processor (1.8GHz,800MHz,2MB L2 cache)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium - English
Jet Black Colour with Matte Finish without camera
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
1024MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512]
80GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
nVidia® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB DDR2 dedicated graphic memory
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)

Also looking at this laptop:

http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5920WSMi_Laptop_LX.AGS0X.015/version-1.asp


Gary

[Dick Fisher]

I have no particular axe to grind when it comes to laptops, but I am writing this on an Acer Aspire 1800, which I've owned for 2 years. It has 3.2ghz P4 processor and 2gb of RAM. Graphics are 128mb Radeon from ATI.

It was purchased to specifically run high end video editing software and to allow a continuous linear production process from capturing 720 x 576 DV video streams through compression to DVD authoring.

It has performed flawlessly since the day I bought it (hopefully not the kiss of death!). I have experienced Dell, but would generally comment that to get the best "value", you have to purchase whatever they happen to be offering at that moment. Start adding extras and they become very uncompetitive.

Keep asking folks for their experiences and opinions and you'll get closer to an informed choice. Don't rush into it!!

[boguing]

I'm also an Acer fan. Support was excellent when I needed it.

Acer is a brand that always seems to have a model pitched at a 'sweet spot' price when I buy one.

Having said that, I haven't heard any criticism of Dell laptops. Desktops, yes, proprietary hardware makes upgrading difficult, but with laptops that's almost always the case. You can change/add hdd/ram/keyboard and optical drive, but that's it.

Dell's recent stand against Vista is also to their credit. The last Acer I bought was post Vista launch, but came with XP Pro and a Vista update - which I won't be using for a while yet.

[garywoodrow]

just done some more shopping and found this from www.pcspecialists.co.uk (http://www.pcspecialists.co.uk). For £819 with finance @ £26 per month for 3years.

Display
15.4 INCH WIDESCREEN DISPLAY (1280 X 800) + ANTI-GLARE
Processor (CPU)
INTEL® Core 2 Duo T7500 (2 X 2.20GHz) 800MHz FSB/4MB L2 Cache
Memory (RAM)
2048 MB CORSAIR DDR2 667MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x1GB)
Operating System
WINDOWS® VISTA Home Premium (inc Genuine CD & License) (£59)
USB Options
4 x USB 2.0 PORTS
Memory - Hard Disk
80GB SERIAL ATA II HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (5400rpm)
CD/DVD Drive
8x DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Graphics Card
256MB GEFORCE 8600GT + D-SUB + TV-OUT
Sound Card
Realtek ALC268 2 Channel High Definition Audio + SPIDIF OUT
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (ETHERNET)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 3 IN 1 MEMORY CARD READER (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO)
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 87 KEY KEYBOARD + 2 HOTKEYS
Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Speakers
INTEGRATED 1.5W STEREO SPEAKERS
Webcam & VoIP
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Battery
9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery - up to 6 Hrs Life (+ Spare 6 Cell Battery) (£35)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor
Dimensions & Weight
W x D x H: 355mm x 257mm x 35.2mm | Weight: 2.7KG
Additional Features
1 x Express Card Slot
Warranty
1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1st Month Free Collect & Return
Does anyone know what the laptops actually look like from this place though, i havent found any images yet lol. Also, would the 8600m GT be capable of running FSX?

Thanks, Gary

[oldbeefer]

Recommend you look at this http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/ - had very positive reports on the PCAdvisor forums for reliability and value for money.

[Basil]

The Novatech X20i T2350 looks v high spec for the price.
About the same or better than a Vaio TZ at 1/3 of the dosh.
Couldn't find much on PCAdvisor.
Anyone have personal experience of them?

Basil - running yet another scan on the desktop :{