Beyond3D Forum

mkillio · 19-Jul-2009, 20:05

I'm trying to decide between the Dell XPS M1330 and the Studio XPS 13.

I have the 1330 configured with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/6MB cache) and that's pretty much it for options, it comes to $1,024.

I have the XPS 13 configured with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P9600 (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB), the LED screen, and the NVIDIA® GeForce® 9500M - 256MB. This one is $1,519.

Do you think the XPS 13 is worth the extra $500? Also the XPS 13 offers the Geforce 9500M and 9400M G, the difference is $110. The site doesn't say if the 9400 has 256MB or 128B, is it worth the extra $110?

I.S.T. · 19-Jul-2009, 23:40

9500M G or 9500 GS? Big difference between the two. Also, the 9500M G seems to be somewhat faster than the 9400M G, but not by too much. Just a clockspeed difference.

The 9400M G and 9500M G both have 16 SPs. The 9500 GS has 32 SPs, and clockspeeds in between the 9400 and 9500M G. here are more detailed specs for all three: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...GS.8167.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...-G.9451.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...G.11949.0.html

Sorry I wound up making it a bit more confusing... >.<

mkillio · 19-Jul-2009, 23:48

It is not the GS.

Any idea how much better the image quality is on an LED? Power Consumption difference?

mkillio · 20-Jul-2009, 14:24

Also, is there much of a difference between the two processors besides the bus speed and clock speed?

mkillio · 26-Jul-2009, 19:09

Bump?

Davros · 26-Jul-2009, 22:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkillio

Any idea how much better the image quality is on an LED?

none you just dont have to worry as much about the back-light dying

mkillio · 26-Jul-2009, 22:33

Also, I chose those particular processors because they have 6mb of cache as opposed to 3mb. I plan o multitasking and playing some video games, is that extra cache going to make a noticeable difference?

suryad · 26-Jul-2009, 22:56

I would say to hit up the sny website and look at their 16.4 inch laptops. My sister bought a laptop with a 2.4 ghz c2d, 16.4 inch screen, 320 gb hdd 7200 rpm of course, 4 gb ddr2 and I think the new nvidia vid card wiht a 3 year warranty for less than a thousand dollars.

mkillio · 27-Jul-2009, 00:05

I won't get anything other than a 13" or a 14".

MfA · 27-Jul-2009, 21:16

Vaio SR has a HD4570 as an option, Asus N81Vp a HD4650, N80VN a 9650M GT and MSI GX400 a 9600M GT ... plenty of options with good 3D chips at less than that 1500$ for the XPS (only the Vaio is 13.3", the rest 14").

mkillio · 28-Jul-2009, 03:26

I definitely want/need a 13.3" for travel. I don't like the idea of not having dedicated pg up and down keys but I suppose I will hook it up to a regular mouse and keyboard.

I ended up pricing the Sony to $1499 with the T9600 processor and it would cost $1499, do you think it is worth the extra $300 for the extra 3mb's of cache and .8Ghz of speed? How does this and the Dell compare?

MfA · 28-Jul-2009, 09:03

Personally I'd settle for the P8700.

The SR is significantly lighter. The SR has a 16:10 screen (also LED lit) instead of 16:9 (whether that is an advantage or disadvantage is up to you). The SR has the better video chip (slightly faster, but more importantly twice the dedicated memory). The SR has an acceleration sensor to shutdown the HD. Other than that there isn't much feature wise between them ... I don't see any reviews of the most recent SRs but here is an older one :

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lapt...es.aspx?page=3

(Of course the conclusions about speed are pretty much entirely irrelevant.)

mkillio · 28-Jul-2009, 16:21

Priced with the T8700 the Vaio is over $100 less, not bad. Does the wattage difference between the processors affect heat and battery life? I may spend the extra $50 and get the T8800 which is still 25 watts but 133Mhz faster.

Do you think, on a day to day basis I would notice not having the extra 3mb of cache? I use ACT!, Outlook, Word, Excel, and Chrome at the same time while working.

mkillio · 02-Aug-2009, 23:52

I know the answer to my question is an opinion, I just want some input though.

digitalwanderer · 03-Aug-2009, 00:30

I just got an Inspiron 8200 yesterday that I am completely, head-over-heels in love with.

mkillio · 03-Aug-2009, 04:10

I've definitely decided on the Vaio. I'm just trying to decide on which processor.

Sc4freak · 03-Aug-2009, 09:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by I.S.T.

9500M G or 9500 GS? Big difference between the two. Also, the 9500M G seems to be somewhat faster than the 9400M G, but not by too much. Just a clockspeed difference.

The 9400M G and 9500M G both have 16 SPs. The 9500 GS has 32 SPs, and clockspeeds in between the 9400 and 9500M G. here are more detailed specs for all three: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...GS.8167.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...-G.9451.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...G.11949.0.html

Sorry I wound up making it a bit more confusing... >.<

I have a Studio XPS 1340 with the 9500G. It's not a single card - it's a hybrid-SLI solution.

I have no idea why Nvidia called this a "9500G". It comes with a 9400M IGP, and a discrete 256MB 9200GS. When running in power saving mode, Hybrid-SLI is turned off and it runs on the IGP (which is still pretty decent by itself). When in performance mode, the discrete 9200GS turns on and works in SLI with the IGP.

As far as performance goes, Hybrid-SLI can increase performance significantly, but is subject to all the usual problems with SLI (scalability, driver support, micro-stuttering if that really exists). Here are some benchmarks I compiled.

But even then, the 9500M Hybrid-SLI solution can't touch a more modern discrete graphics solution. I'd estimate that the AMD Mobility Radeon 4670 (which is available in the SXPS 16) is about twice as fast as the 9500M.

mkillio · 03-Aug-2009, 23:34

So in everyones opinion, do you think it is worth the extra money for the speed and cache bump?

digitalwanderer · 04-Aug-2009, 01:21

Yes.

Davros · 04-Aug-2009, 11:16

No.....
the cpu is about 2.5% faster clock speed wise, lets be generous and say the extra cache doubles performance
overclock your current pc by 5% you wont even notice a difference then ask yourself if its worth $300

ps:
what are you going to be running on it

neliz · 04-Aug-2009, 13:00

Be aware that turn-over time in Sony's "repair labs" is awful. What you gain in esthetics's you'll lose in service and support. I'd rather go with a vendor that'll indicate fixed times on it's repairs and which allows you to do full tracking of the process.

Being without a laptop sucks, being without a laptop for 3 months sucks even more. being without a laptop for three months, having it die on you two months after returning and waiting another couple of months on a replacement is god-awful.

Even 300Mhz and 3MB extra cache will never earn it back. Go HP or Dell.

mkillio · 04-Aug-2009, 16:20

A friend of mine has had his Vaio for over four years and hasn't had any issues.

I'm pretty sold on the faster and twice as much video memory, not to mention the lower price and better looks.

ShaidarHaran · 05-Aug-2009, 00:43

I agree with neliz.

As a PC tech I tend to build my own systems but if I were to buy a pre-built laptop it would probably be a Dell. Can't beat next business day on-site service with a stick.

Don't even get me started on Sony. If you have a broken one you may as well throw it away.

Davros · 05-Aug-2009, 09:39

wow, i was incredibly impressed with sony when my lcd died

I.S.T. · 06-Aug-2009, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davros

No.....
the cpu is about 2.5% faster clock speed wise, lets be generous and say the extra cache doubles performance
overclock your current pc by 5% you wont even notice a difference then ask yourself if its worth $300

ps:
what are you going to be running on it

-_- Did you even read the topic? He's buying a laptop.

Yes, you should get the better CPU.

19-Jul-2009, 20:05	#1
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	Trying to decide on a new laptop I'm trying to decide between the Dell XPS M1330 and the Studio XPS 13. I have the 1330 configured with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/6MB cache) and that's pretty much it for options, it comes to $1,024. I have the XPS 13 configured with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P9600 (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB), the LED screen, and the NVIDIA® GeForce® 9500M - 256MB. This one is $1,519. Do you think the XPS 13 is worth the extra $500? Also the XPS 13 offers the Geforce 9500M and 9400M G, the difference is $110. The site doesn't say if the 9400 has 256MB or 128B, is it worth the extra $110? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

19-Jul-2009, 23:48	#3
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	It is not the GS. Any idea how much better the image quality is on an LED? Power Consumption difference? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

20-Jul-2009, 14:24	#4
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	Also, is there much of a difference between the two processors besides the bus speed and clock speed? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

26-Jul-2009, 19:09	#5
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	Bump? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

26-Jul-2009, 22:33	#7
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	Also, I chose those particular processors because they have 6mb of cache as opposed to 3mb. I plan o multitasking and playing some video games, is that extra cache going to make a noticeable difference? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

19-Jul-2009, 23:40	#2
I.S.T. Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,445	9500M G or 9500 GS? Big difference between the two. Also, the 9500M G seems to be somewhat faster than the 9400M G, but not by too much. Just a clockspeed difference. The 9400M G and 9500M G both have 16 SPs. The 9500 GS has 32 SPs, and clockspeeds in between the 9400 and 9500M G. here are more detailed specs for all three: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...GS.8167.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...-G.9451.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...G.11949.0.html Sorry I wound up making it a bit more confusing... >.<

26-Jul-2009, 22:56	#8
suryad Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 2,454	I would say to hit up the sny website and look at their 16.4 inch laptops. My sister bought a laptop with a 2.4 ghz c2d, 16.4 inch screen, 320 gb hdd 7200 rpm of course, 4 gb ddr2 and I think the new nvidia vid card wiht a 3 year warranty for less than a thousand dollars.

27-Jul-2009, 00:05	#9
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	I won't get anything other than a 13" or a 14". __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

27-Jul-2009, 21:16	#10
MfA Regular Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5,227	Vaio SR has a HD4570 as an option, Asus N81Vp a HD4650, N80VN a 9650M GT and MSI GX400 a 9600M GT ... plenty of options with good 3D chips at less than that 1500$ for the XPS (only the Vaio is 13.3", the rest 14"). Last edited by MfA; 27-Jul-2009 at 21:30.

28-Jul-2009, 03:26	#11
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	I definitely want/need a 13.3" for travel. I don't like the idea of not having dedicated pg up and down keys but I suppose I will hook it up to a regular mouse and keyboard. I ended up pricing the Sony to $1499 with the T9600 processor and it would cost $1499, do you think it is worth the extra $300 for the extra 3mb's of cache and .8Ghz of speed? How does this and the Dell compare? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

28-Jul-2009, 09:03	#12
MfA Regular Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5,227	Personally I'd settle for the P8700. The SR is significantly lighter. The SR has a 16:10 screen (also LED lit) instead of 16:9 (whether that is an advantage or disadvantage is up to you). The SR has the better video chip (slightly faster, but more importantly twice the dedicated memory). The SR has an acceleration sensor to shutdown the HD. Other than that there isn't much feature wise between them ... I don't see any reviews of the most recent SRs but here is an older one : http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lapt...es.aspx?page=3 (Of course the conclusions about speed are pretty much entirely irrelevant.)

28-Jul-2009, 16:21	#13
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	Priced with the T8700 the Vaio is over $100 less, not bad. Does the wattage difference between the processors affect heat and battery life? I may spend the extra $50 and get the T8800 which is still 25 watts but 133Mhz faster. Do you think, on a day to day basis I would notice not having the extra 3mb of cache? I use ACT!, Outlook, Word, Excel, and Chrome at the same time while working. __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

02-Aug-2009, 23:52	#14
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	I know the answer to my question is an opinion, I just want some input though. __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

03-Aug-2009, 00:30	#15
digitalwanderer Dangerously Mirthful Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Winfield, IN USA Posts: 15,292	I just got an Inspiron 8200 yesterday that I am completely, head-over-heels in love with. __________________ Elite Bastards - Adminish “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.” - General James N. Mattis

03-Aug-2009, 04:10	#16
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	I've definitely decided on the Vaio. I'm just trying to decide on which processor. __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

03-Aug-2009, 23:34	#18
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	So in everyones opinion, do you think it is worth the extra money for the speed and cache bump? __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

04-Aug-2009, 01:21	#19
digitalwanderer Dangerously Mirthful Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Winfield, IN USA Posts: 15,292	Yes. __________________ Elite Bastards - Adminish “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.” - General James N. Mattis

04-Aug-2009, 11:16	#20
Davros Darlek ****** Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 9,497	No..... the cpu is about 2.5% faster clock speed wise, lets be generous and say the extra cache doubles performance overclock your current pc by 5% you wont even notice a difference then ask yourself if its worth $300 ps: what are you going to be running on it __________________ Guardian of the Most holy Two Terabytes of Gaming Goodness™ Last edited by Davros; 04-Aug-2009 at 11:25.

04-Aug-2009, 13:00	#21
neliz MSI Man Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: In the know Posts: 4,885	Be aware that turn-over time in Sony's "repair labs" is awful. What you gain in esthetics's you'll lose in service and support. I'd rather go with a vendor that'll indicate fixed times on it's repairs and which allows you to do full tracking of the process. Being without a laptop sucks, being without a laptop for 3 months sucks even more. being without a laptop for three months, having it die on you two months after returning and waiting another couple of months on a replacement is god-awful. Even 300Mhz and 3MB extra cache will never earn it back. Go HP or Dell. __________________ I miss you CJ, 1976 - 2010

04-Aug-2009, 16:20	#22
mkillio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Indpls. IN Posts: 503	A friend of mine has had his Vaio for over four years and hasn't had any issues. I'm pretty sold on the faster and twice as much video memory, not to mention the lower price and better looks. __________________ "It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important." - Martin Luther King Jr.

05-Aug-2009, 00:43	#23
ShaidarHaran hardware monkey Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,904	I agree with neliz. As a PC tech I tend to build my own systems but if I were to buy a pre-built laptop it would probably be a Dell. Can't beat next business day on-site service with a stick. Don't even get me started on Sony. If you have a broken one you may as well throw it away.

05-Aug-2009, 09:39	#24
Davros Darlek ****** Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 9,497	wow, i was incredibly impressed with sony when my lcd died __________________ Guardian of the Most holy Two Terabytes of Gaming Goodness™

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