Dell Inspiron 9100 - worth what?

DirkVoodoo

Hey,

I have decided to sell my Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop and was wondering what kind of price could be got for it. I love it to bits as a desktop replacement, it runs any game (Farcry, Doom 3, etc. with no hassle). Anyone who has seen/owned one knows, of course, that its big and produces a lot of heat. No problem if you intend to stick it on a desk all day, which I do. However, I use it on the side for college work (not in lectures), so it can be awkward to carry around and removing it from the mains is akin to running a Hummer on a thimble full of petrol.

Im in New York on a J1 right now so i can't remember every detail of the specs, but it s something like;

Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHz with HT
1024 MB PC3200 DDR RAM
60 GB HD 5400 rpm
ATI Mobility Radeon 9800 256MB DDR2
15.4 Widescreen 1920x1200 native resolution
Combined DVD-RW/CD-RW
Windows XP Pro
Broadcom 10/100MBit, Broadcom 802.11a/b/g 54/11Mbit

I just wanted to know how much it would be worth now. It cost ~3000 euro back in october of 2004. Hasn't been tweaked/modified, no scratches, dents or internal defects (But it is a Dell).

Please tell me if im leaving out any other critical info.

Does the dell outlet store accept trade-ins ?

P.S. Any serious offers posted here, although not expected, will DEFINITELY be considered. Can deliver anywhere in Ireland (Preferably Dublin), I don't know how to "clear" out the HD thoroughly tho.

P.P.S. No comments about "why did you buy it in the first place?" please! Im only considering selling it if i can get a semi-decent amount of the money back, otherwise it will replace my broken desktop.

Zapho

Would ya wanna swap ram? I've got the same laptop but I've only got 512mb, could do with 1024mb...

Apart from that its a sweet ass machine. You could probably get around €2000 for it I'd say.

Scruff

is there any way to upgrade the video cards? i got an 9100 with a 9700 and 128mb of ram. would be sweet if it could be upgrased to a 9800 with 256.

Zapho

Yeah you can, although if you buy the upgrade from Dell I think they get a professional to come out and do it for you. It couldn't be too hard though. I've got a 9700 with 128mb ram in mine.

Scruff

hmm... i rang dell tech support there to see if i could get the 9800 and they said the only card they have listed for the 9100 is the one i already have. She said the only inspiron with more than one card was the 9300. but the discussion boards on dell.com say you can upgrade to the 9800. confusing.

DirkVoodoo

Scruff wrote:

hmm... i rang dell tech support there to see if i could get the 9800 and they said the only card they have listed for the 9100 is the one i already have. She said the only inspiron with more than one card was the 9300. but the discussion boards on dell.com say you can upgrade to the 9800. confusing.

I remember my order was delayed a month, when i rang up and asked "where's my laptop?", the dell guy said they were having trouble locating the radeon 9800 card.

It was listed as an option when i ordered around sept/oct 2004, shortly before they discontinued the 9100 they didnt offer that card anymore.

Don't worry, mine definitely has the radeon 9800 256 MB card, its a beast! :eek:

Trojan

Wow, sweet machine.

Looking at the Inspiron Outlet page:

Dell Outlet wrote:

Inspiron 9100 (System Identifier. 09EA0HGT)
Inspirion 9100, Pentium 4, 3.0 Ghz, 15.4 WXGA
English - Win XP SP2 Home (No Media)
System Price EUR 1,193.58

Inspiron 9100 (System Identifier. E6WB3AMT)
Inspiron 9100, 3.0 Ghz, Pentium 4, 15.4 WUXGA
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price EUR 1,233.00

Inspiron 9100 (System Identifier. ZRB6L702)
Inspiron 9100, Pentium 4, 3.0Ghz, 15.4 WXSGA+
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price EUR 1,095.99

Those prices do not include VAT so those machines are, what, another 21% more? Also they're 3.0Ghz, and they all have 512 Mbs, so that's a couple hundred extra right there.

I'd give a ballpark guess that true value is around the 2k mark. Personally I'd take up a weights programme in the gym and keep the laptop

Zapho

Yeah, check the website, you can definately get the 9800, my bro has the same laptop top and his has the 9800 in it too.

Scruff

after a lot of checking it seems you can indeed get it but they only list it as an upgrade for the xps though it will work in the 9100 as they are the same motherboards. Unfortunately the only place to get the is from dell in the states and they are rather pricey. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?TabPage=producthighlights&sku=XPSVID&spagenum=1&category_id=&brandid=&k=&c=us&l=en&cs=19&mnf=&prst=&prEnd=&mnfsku=&orderby=&searchtype=&pageb4search=&page=DellItemsProductListing.aspx&instock=&refurbished=&iCompatid=&mnfname=&brand=&ModelSelection=166537

me thinks i will leave it.

unless....dont suppose you're willing do do a trade and cash for the graphics card???

DirkVoodoo

Hmm..not getting much response re the laptop.

Nope, im sorry scruff. Its a case of the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts. If i take out the card and sell it to you im losing (possibly) the number one selling point of the laptop.

J-blk

2K may be overstepping it a bit - yes, it's terrible how fast PCs devalue, but such is the nature of these things...

4 months ago, I bought an Inspiron 9100 from the DELL outlet with these specs:

Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz with HT
1024 MB PC3200 DDR RAM
60 GB HD 5400 rpm
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB
15.4 Widescreen 1920x1200 native resolution
Dual Layer DVD-RW
Windows XP Home
Intel 802.11b/g Wi-Fi mini-PCI card

The only main differences between our two configurations are the GFX card and the slight CPU diffence. Mine cost €1270 delivered. So, possibly €1600-1700 would be nearer to the mark on yours, or even a bit lower. That said, bear in mind that these boards are full of highly technical people, typically looking for good value in the FS forums. On the "Buy & Sell" or something for the more casual users, you may have a better chance of approaching the 2K mark.

As for the Radeon 9800... it was offered as a free upgrade for the XPS Gen. 1 in the US ONLY - this offer never made it to Europe and as already posted here, it would be very difficult to source the part here (though E-bay may have some) and DELL would not do the installation for you...

DirkVoodoo

J-blk wrote:

ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB

The only main differences between our two configurations are the GFX card and the slight CPU diffence.

Ive read some reviews, some stuff about the 9700 and the 9800 being worlds apart. The 9700 is R360 based, so its performance is more similar to the desktop 9600. Struggles to run Farcry 1280x800 high detail. The 9800 can also be overclocked.

Elsewhere, i think cnet, said that with the 9700 it makes a rather feeble gaming machine.

Taking this into account, and the 350 euro price tag of the 9800, not to mention the other component specs, i think 2000 euro is reasonable. Its not cheap, but it wasnt a cheap laptop in the first place.

Inspiron 9100 reviewed by overclockers.com

jesus_thats_gre

Am sorry, but 2K is vastly over valued..

http://outlet.dell.com/Emea_Dfo/EuDispatcher?target=InventoryPage&action=filter&lob=INSP&unique=1121893480720&sessionID=Cp8yQmvm!1455311340!742477034!1121893480626


The XPS2 can be bought on the outlet store for less and there is a massive difference in performance.


Inspiron XP2

2.13 GHz Centrino
1024MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x512)
60GB (7, 200rpm) IDE Hard Drive
17 inch screen - native res 1920x1200
8x DVD+/-RW (Multiformat)
NVIDIA Geforce Go 6800 ULTRA with 256MB DDR3 video memory
Intel Pro/Wireless 2200 802.11b/g Eur
Gigabit Ethernet

Price incl. VAT excl. del: EUR 1,877.61


http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20050224/index.html

jesus_thats_gre

I wouldn't pay more that 1200 euro for your 9100. There was an original iXPS Gen 1 sold here about 3 months ago for 1250 IIRC.

penexpers

Yeah 2000 is an insane price for it. I would reckon around 1200 too.

DirkVoodoo

Dell Outlet store is selling a 3.0GHz, 512 MB RAM, 128MB ATI M11 Video Memory, 60 GB HD

Price incl. VAT excl. del: EUR 1,491

Another one, same spec, 40 GB HD tho, and its

Price incl. VAT excl. del: EUR 1,690.84

I guess the moral of the story is there are bargains to be found on the dell outlet store, but there is no official price guide.

Perhaps 2000 might be a tad too high,

your estimate of 1200 is well below the mark.

Im gonna set it at 1600 i think.

P.S.What was the spec of that XPS? Model number doesnt automatically guarantee one laptop is better than the other.

Thanks for the pricing info though, its appreciated.

Trojan

I think you're probably right with the 1600 estimate Dirk. Do remember that tech sellers have a tough time on board because if you overstep the perceived true value you'll get nailed by people as like above.

One thing the Dell Outlet can offer, that you don't, is a warranty. I'd suggest Buy & Sell if you really do want to sell it.

jesus_thats_gre

Am sorry Dirk but you won't get that price here for it and I would feel sorry who pays that much for it...

Just look at the benchmarks I linked to on tomshardware and you will see what sort of differences in performance exist between the 6800Ultra and 9800..

You are talking 3 or 4 times the frame rate in Doom3 and over double the score in 3D Mark 2005.. It even gives the desktop X800 a run for its money.




Using overpriced, out dated examples from the outlet store is not a way to make yourself feel better as to the value of your laptop. Those machines are overpriced and will probably never be bought.

The 9300, the replacement for the 9100, can be bought for the same price brand new and for even less on the outleft store..



http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=232183&page=1&pp=20&highlight=XPS%2At=232183&page=2&pp=20&highlight=XPS%2A

jesus_thats_gre

nspiron 9300 Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz, 2 MB L2
English - Win XP SP2 Home (Backup Media)

Operating System: English - Win XP SP2 Home (No Media)
English - Win XP SP2 Home (Backup Media)
Memory: 512MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2x256)
Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
Hard Disk Drive: 60GB 5400rpm ATA/100 HDD
Video: 64MB DDR ATI MOBILITY RADEON X300
NoteBook Screen: i9X00 17.0" WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LCD
Modem: Internal 56K Modem
Network Interface Card: Intel Pro/Wireless 2200 802.11b/g Eur
CD Read-Write Drive: 8x DVD+/-RW (Multiformat)
Software: AOL, Dellnet + Tiscali UK ISP Combo
Record Now/MySonic DVD S/W
English - Adobe Reader 6.0
Microsoft® Works® 7.0
MISC: 6 cell Li-Ion 53WHr primary battery
Inspiron Internal Keyboard No pointer UK
D-Series 90W AC adapter
NO SNAP COVER OPTION

for EUR 922.46


whats no SNAP cover tho?

DirkVoodoo

u can stick a cover on top of the outside of the LCD - i guess to "pimp" your laptop.

Only it adds another few milimetres onto an already hefty laptop

Scruff

J-blk wrote:

As for the Radeon 9800... it was offered as a free upgrade for the XPS Gen. 1 in the US ONLY - this offer never made it to Europe and as already posted here, it would be very difficult to source the part here (though E-bay may have some) and DELL would not do the installation for you...

the only place i've been able to find is dell in the usa. and its way too expensive to justify it, maybe it'll turn up cheaper in a couple of months on ebay from bust xps's..or i'll just by an xbox360 for the same money!
For the moment the 9700 is grand for playing farcry, hl2 and bf2. Not the highest resolution or detail but enough to be enjoyable.