gaming laptops

pwd

I want one



looking at:

dell xps 1730
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1730?c=ie&cs=iedhs1&l=en&s=dhs

and

dell xps 1710
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1710?c=ie&cs=iedhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~section=specs#tabtop

There's a big difference in price, even after the current special offer on the more expensive model. How big a difference in performance would there be?

Any other laptops you think I should look at?

Darwin

Hi, the 1730 runs either two 8800's in SLI config or two 8700GT's...the former can much run pretty much anything at 1900x1200 (the native resolution of the display). I believe the 7950GTX in the 1710 is capable of outperforming the 8700GT in some games. On the subject of the 1710, I'm half thinking of selling mine if you are interested (I haven't advertised it yet) - it has the spec listed here:
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=ie&cs=iedhs1&kc=NRS17101&l=en&oc=N04X7101&rbc=N04X7101&s=dhs
I've had it since October last, so 6 months or so warranty left and needless to say its absolutely pristine. I would be looking for somewhere in the region of 900 euro - drop me a PM if you're interested and I can send you some pics etc.

pwd

Why are you selling?

pwd

I think I'll get a new one. I want a higher spec than your one, and it's dificult to check quality of 2nd-hand laptops.

Voodu Child

The 8700M is a fairly weak card if you try and think of it as 'high end', not really worth spending a lot of money on. A XPSM1730 with the 8700M Sli would be ok if you picked it up cheap on the outlet, but I definitely wouldn't pay new prices for it - the performance just isnt high enough to justify spending so much money.

The M1730 with 8800MGTX Sli is about as powerful as they come at the moment. But comes with a very high cost. I think you'll get one for a little over e2100 using a 10% voucher and buying through the Dell EPP scheme.

Darwin

No probs pwd, I'm thinking of selling as I just bought a desktop and do all my gaming on that!

pwd

Thanks for your replies. I got the 1710 with 512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card because it got excellent reviews everywhere I looked and there was a huge difference in the prices

Voodu Child

How much?

pwd

InspironTM XPS M1710 (N04X7102)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache), Genuine Windows Vista&#174 Home Premium - English
€ 1,515.24
1
€ 1,515.24

Item
Description

Base
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache)

Memory
4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]

Keyboard
Single Pointing Internal Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)

Video Card
512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card

Hard Drive
320GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive

Microsoft Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista&#174 Home Premium - English

Modem
56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - Ireland/Spain

CD/DVD Drives
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including software - Vista

Wireless Local Area Networking
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-PCI Card (for Core 2 Duo Processors)

Shipping Documents
English Documentation with UK Power Cord

Gedis Bundle Reference
N04X7102

Microsoft Application Software
Microsoft® Works 9.0 - English

Standard Warranty
Base Warranty - 1 Year XPS Premium Hardware Support (incl. Gaming and On-Site Support)

Hardware Support
Base Warranty - 1 Year XPS Premium Hardware Support (incl. Gaming and On-Site Support)

AntiVirus & Security Software
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English

Power Supply
130W AC Adapter

Bluetooth
Dell™ Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 Module (up to 3Mbps) with Enhanced Data Rate for Vista

Order Information
Inspiron Order - Ireland

Primary Battery
9 cell Lithium-Ion Battery (80 Whr)

Carrying Cases
No Carry Case

Dell System Media Kit
Resource DVD - (Diagnostics & Drivers)

Gaming Software
Value Game Bundle-Supreme Command,STALKER,Hitman,Blood Money,Rainbow 6,Vegas,Driver Parallel,GRAW2

Accidental Damage Support
No Accidental Damage Support

Dell Internet Order
Dell Internet Order

LCD
17.0" UltraSharp™ Wide Screen WUXGA (1920x1200) TFT Display with TrueLife™



Total excl. VAT VAT Rate VAT Total incl. VAT
Sub-total(s): € 1,349.95 21.00% € 283.49 € 1,633.44
Delivery Charge: € 49.59 21.00% € 10.41 € 60.00
Total Price: € 1,399.54 € 293.90 € 1,693.44

As well as the better graphics card option I selected more ram and a bigger hard drive compared to the default spec, and also got the games bundle.

pwd

using a 10% voucher and buying through the Dell EPP scheme.

Where can you get a voucher?
What is the epp scheme?

If either of these are available to me I can still use them since I saw a mistake in the delivery address and had to cancel the order anyway...

AlmightyCushion

If you have yet to re-order than yes they are useful to you. EPP is a scheme dell offer for certain companies. The employees of these companies get a discount when buying through dell. Dell never really check up on the people buying so pretty much every one can use it and get the discount. All you have to do is use dell.ie/epp and order through there (the discount comes off at the checkout) and if they ask say you work for aib or eircom.

Voodu Child

Definitely have a look at the vouchers and EPP. e1400 seems a little higher than I would pay for a laptop with 7950GTX. It was a great card (and still is) but its a very old card, and there are a couple of machines with 8800M that will literally trounce it, perhaps twice the performance.

And while the 8700M is not as good as the 7950GTX in many/most respects, e1400 would nearly buy a laptop with twin 8700s, which most definitely will outperform it, by a reasonable margin.

However, if you can get the price of the M1710 down a couple of hundred, the above points won't be valid. So see what kind of deal you can get and report back. If its the case where you're spending 1400 for it, I could definitely recommend some other machines for similar money that would have higher performance.

Edit - the last 10% voucher I had expired a couple of days ago. If they email me with another one, i'll post it in the 'bargain alerts' forum if its not there already, so keep an eye on that forum for Dell deals.

pwd

wow I just saw the lid of it...it's a bit ridiculous looking and I'd want to use it for work too ...so what other equivalent laptops can you recommend?

AlmightyCushion

A laptop with a 7950gtx/8800gtx? Not many that wouldn't look similar.

Nforce

Alienware m9750....with sli'd 7950's or 8700GT's. I'd choose the 7 series

Voodu Child

Nforce wrote: »

Alienware m9750....with sli'd 7950's or 8700GT's. I'd choose the 7 series

They were available with the 7950GTX for very good prices up to recently. They've removed the 7950GTX option last week, its just the 8700.

It was a great price though, something like e1300 for Sli'd 7950's. Might even be worth ringing them (they're based here) just to check if they had any spare/surplus lying around :pac:

M9750 with twin 8700s would be pretty good all the same, should perform quite a bit higher than the Dell originally mentioned with the single 7950GTX. Starts at around e1400, though that is a pretty low spec in other aspects.

Alienware do the M15x too. You'll spec one with the 8800MGTX for around e1600, though as usual, you will probably want to up the ram and HDD. I'd do that myself personally, should work out a lot cheaper.

I'd also consider the Novatech X80. Its the same 17" Sager/Clevo laptop you'll see a load of companies selling, but Novatech are the best price i've seen. It's equipped with a single 8800M GTX, so performance should be awesome. Starts at around £1250 (without OS).

Cizmo announced a new 15" gaming machine with 8800M GTX. It starts at e1499, and actually uses the brand new Montineva platform. They won't start shipping til June, but it might be worth keeping an eye out depending on your time-scale.

TBH, the closer you get to the e2100 of the M1730 with Sli 8800M GTX, the harder it is to recommend any other machine. That laptop is a monster, i've seen them score 13,000 and over on 3DMark06. But it all depends on your budget and exactly how much performance you need.

Nforce

I'm sure that if you rang them up you'll get the 7950's handy enough....though you'd need to be quick. I've an m9700 with sli'd and volt modded 7900 512mb cards ( same performance as 7900GTX) :cool:
M15X only has the 15.4" screen, but can take the newer Intel mobile processors and has the alienfx lighting system!

pwd

That novatech laptop looks great, but googling reveals very mixed reviews about the company itself: Complaints of incorrect specs, failure to fulfill warranties, problems developing after a few months with the products. Which is frustrating because the laptop seems just what I'm looking for.

Voodu Child

I can't vouch for the company, havent used them. I do know that you'll find negative reviews for just about every company if you google them...people are more likely to post about a bad experience than a positive one..:pac:

It might be worth joining this forum and asking if people have had dealings with them. The Novatech X80r is basically a Sager NP5793
so you should be able to get info about it, and also about the various re-sellers.

conzy

voodoo_child wrote: »

I'd also consider the Novatech X80. Its the same 17" Sager/Clevo laptop you'll see a load of companies selling, but Novatech are the best price i've seen. It's equipped with a single 8800M GTX, so performance should be awesome. Starts at around £1250 (without OS).

Was looking at that machine for a while ^ Looks great, Also if you know anyone in the states, the Gateway P-6831 FX is incredible value @ $1350

T5550 (1.86ghz)
2gigs DDR2 667mhz
8800m GTS 512mb
250gig 5400 rpm drive + empty bay
17" 1440*900 Glossy LCD
9 Cell battery

I know it doesn't have the same features as a $3000 Alienware / XPS but its great value for money and it has excellent performance, I mean why would
you need anything better than an 8800 in a laptop?!

The CPU socket is also accessible so you can drop in a new CPU easily...

Anywhoo have fun

Voodu Child

conzymaher wrote: »

Was looking at that machine for a while ^ Looks great, Also if you know anyone in the states, the Gateway P-6831 FX is incredible value @ $1350

I saw that machine alright, fantastic value. If you're a gamer looking for an affordable machine, that's got to be one of the best right now. Pity you can't buy them here..

Nforce

Also.......if you're feeling flush:p.......Alienware are to release the M17x with core2 extreme procs and sli'd 8800mGTX cards:cool:

pwd

I tried to order that one from novatech.
But my bank is not registered with securecode so I was unable to complete the order.
Emailed them to see if I can still order with my own card.

Darwin

Yes, that Gateway machine hits the sweet spot in terms of price/performance. One thing that would put me off is the relatively low res of the display at 1440 x 900 - particularly if you like your RTS games.
They also have a version with a 1900x1200 display, more RAM and a faster CPU (I think) for $2000, but they are hard to get at the moment.
I'm off to the states in June so I'll definitely be having a look in Best Buy...

conzymaher wrote: »

Was looking at that machine for a while ^ Looks great, Also if you know anyone in the states, the Gateway P-6831 FX is incredible value @ $1350

T5550 (1.86ghz)
2gigs DDR2 667mhz
8800m GTS 512mb
250gig 5400 rpm drive + empty bay
17" 1440*900 Glossy LCD
9 Cell battery

I know it doesn't have the same features as a $3000 Alienware / XPS but its great value for money and it has excellent performance, I mean why would
you need anything better than an 8800 in a laptop?!

The CPU socket is also accessible so you can drop in a new CPU easily...

Anywhoo have fun

pwd

http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Acer_Aspire_8920G-934G50Bn_-_Core2Duo_T9300_2.5_GHz_-_18.4-_TFT,_Blu-Ray_LX.AP30X.036/version.asp

Don't seem to be able to order from novatech without getting someone else to use thier cc for it, which is messy but not impossible. Been looking at other laptops. This one looks interesting. It has an 18.4" screen with a resolution of 1920X1080, which is a better ratio for showing movies (less black borders at the top and bottom). It has a tv tuner and a blu ray player as standard also, so it would be great for multimedia, and it is a good price I think for the spec. The graphics card is NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS TurboCache supporting 1280MB though, which is a lot slower than the top of the range ones. What sort of games could be played on it with this card do you think?

Voodu Child

^^
Its not really a 'gaming' laptop tbh. The 9500M GS is about equivalent to a 8600M GT (very slightly better). It's good enough to play old stuff like HL2 perfectly, and current games at maybe medium settings, but wouldn't fall into the same high-end gaming category as some of the other laptops mentioned here.

pwd

http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Acer_Aspire_8920G-934G64Bn_-_C2D_T9300,_4GB,_9650M_LX.AP70U.068/version.asp

I was thinking that alright. It does come with a new better gfx card too though - 9650m gs which I think is equivalent roughly to 8700m from what I've been reading.

Voodu Child

Yep, but €1750 for a laptop with a card equivalent to the 8700M, when you can get an Alienware M9750 with 8700 starting at €1150.

Im not saying it's a bad purchase, but it's a different machine to the ones you were thinking about in the original post. Its less of a gaming machine and more of a movie/multimedia type thing. Obviously youre getting extra features (blu-ray etc) but you're paying for them too - so you have to ask yourself whether you want your money going towards gaming performance or other stuff.

Gran Hermano

I'm finding myself in a similar position to the OP in that I've spent the last
week or so debating whether to get the Dell XPS M1710, M1730 or the
Alienware M9750.

Laptop will mainly be used for video and music conversion/editing
with occasional RTS gaming (360 and PS3 cover most of my gaming needs).
I've a large mp3/avi/photo collection and the current 100 gig hard drive
is constantly stuffed -even with me moving media frequently to external
hdds. I'm looking for a decent 512mb graphics card and I guess 3-4GB of
RAM along with a 200GB hdd (prefer a faster 7200 rpm).

I'm looking for a laptop for using around the house 90% of the time so battery or weight isn't a major concern. The bigger the screen the better
and HDMI and optical out would be useful.

Budget is up to €2k, maybe €2.5k if it's worth it. I'd almost decided on the
M9750 when I noticed the new Acer gemstone blue range which is just out.
Has anyone any opinions on how the compare to the other 3 I'm looking at.
To add further confusion the pricing on the Acer's is suspiciously low,
is it a case of all 'fur coat and no knickers' and aren't up to much
performance wise?

silvine

I've had a look at those Acer Blues as well. They certainly look good but there is very little online by way of reviews yet.

Although, its predecessor, in the Acer 6920 Gemstone range, won plaudits from reviewers and are generally regarded as decent budget laptops.

Gran Hermano

silvine wrote: »

I've had a look at those Acer Blues as well. They certainly look good but there is very little online by way of reviews yet.

Although, its predecessor, in the Acer 6920 Gemstone range, won plaudits from reviewers and are generally regarded as decent budget laptops.

It's catch 22, they're so new there is feck all reviews on them and because
they're just out they're in limited stock. From what I can gather the graphics
card (NVIDIA GeForce 9650M GS)is not cutting edge, but should be
sufficient for all but playing the latest cutting edge games at top resolution.

I'm getting tempted...