Yes another "What should I get thread"...


Recommended Posts

Okay getting a new laptop soon and I posted on msghelp but it's slow compared to here - and it's good to have lots of opinions.

First of all:

Intel? Core? 2 Duo T8300 2.4GHz (3MB Cache 800MHz FSB)

OR

Intel? Core? 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB) (this one is ?67 more!)

And the GPU:

512MB NVidia? GeForce? Go 8800M GTX [+?330]

512MB NVIDIA? Quadro? FX 3600M [+?396]

- the benchmarks for the 8800 are better, but why is the quadro is more, and what else beats the 8800?

And

Intel Turbo Cache Memory 1GB ? Accelerate Data Transfer Speed [+?33]

_ IS this worth it, will it make it alot faster (I will have 2GB of ram)

And the HDD:

Single Drive Configuration - 320GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Protection

Single Drive Configuration - 400GB 5400 RPM SATA [-?25]

- I am assuming the 320 is better overall.

Thanks :)

Incase your wondering its alienware - don't tell me to go for another make. Alienware is what Im going for, I'm not changing my mind.

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/665322-yes-another-what-should-i-get-thread/
Share on other sites

Before you read my post please note IM NOT AN EXPERT!!! :p These are my opinions and I may be very very wrong!

The difference between the processors isn't that great at first sight, I'd say go for the 2.4GHz as you won't really notice 0.1GHz difference, but the 6MB Cache vs the 3MB Cache will speed things up (I think) so I'd go for the 2.5GHz.

GeForce series is for gaming, Quadro is for design applications like 3D etc. so I'd stick with the GeForce Go 8800M GTX. Unless you'll be doing a lot of CAD then go for the Quadro.

The turbocache things I've never understood, but I see them as more of a gimmick than anything useful.

I'd go for 7200RPM you will notice quite a difference between that and a 5400RPM harddrive, but NB it will suck up more of your battery life!

[Also I know you said not to say go for another make, but Dell own Alienware and I'd say their XPS brand is on par with alienware just you're not paying for the badge - but there I said it, take that with a pinch of salt ;P]

I would personally go for the T9300 due to the extra cache and the slight speed increase, though performance wise i wouldnt say there's too much difference between the two

defo go for the 8800, quadro is only really for cad

Not entirely sure wot the turbocache is for, i think it might be for vista to store its Readyboost data, but i could be wrong

And defo go for the 320 hdd, the speed of it is defo worth it over the extra capacity

I'm sorry but getting an Alienware is probably one of the worst decisions. Just avoid it, seriously. Having an Alien face on your laptop lid does not make you cool.

Probably taping that $1000 in $100 bills that you pay extra for that laptop makes it more unique.

I'm sorry but getting an Alienware is probably one of the worst decisions. Just avoid it, seriously. Having an Alien face on your laptop lid does not make you cool.

Probably taping that $1000 in $100 bills that you pay extra for that laptop makes it more unique.

I'd listen to chconline, he knows what he's talking about - as can be seen from his posts around neowin.

I'm sorry but getting an Alienware is probably one of the worst decisions. Just avoid it, seriously. Having an Alien face on your laptop lid does not make you cool.

Probably taping that $1000 in $100 bills that you pay extra for that laptop makes it more unique.

Like I said, I don't want this to turn into an alienware debate. It's not a bad decision, I would like one and that is what I'm getting. Sorry to be rude, but it's something that cheeses me off.

I'd listen to chconline, he knows what he's talking about - as can be seen from his posts around neowin.

True, but like I said.. read above.

Alienware is for the stupidly rich and stupid.

Not really, they're well specced out, even if you do pay a little extra for the lights (which I love :p)

If you're after the LEDs, tons of laptops has them. Dell XPS gaming laptops, Asus G-series, etc. Waste of battery life tho IMO.

Just remember the purpose of buying a laptop. Computers are less about brands than cars are. There's absolutely no point of that. Even at that, get an Apple laptop, those are the ones who's leading modern industrial design, not Alienware.

It's your money, you have the right to do whatever you want with it, but we're recommending on behalf of your best interest. Other than that, there's nowhere we can start.

I'd listen to chconline, he knows what he's talking about - as can be seen from his posts around neowin.

Aww thanks, I feel so honored :blush:

Go for the Intel Core 2 Duo T8300. The extra ?67 isn't worth the performance increase. Also, go for the GeForce 8800M GTX. The Quadro FX 3600M is a workstation graphics solution for CAD, DCC and visualization applications. Most consumers won't need any of its features. Don't go for the Intel Turbo Memory. I've read many forums where people had decreased performance with it. Your RAM will be sufficient enough for gaming so don't worry. And finally, go for the faster 320GB HDD.

We're moving away from the original subject of the thread. BTW just for your interest, Dell owns alienware... Says it all really.

ANYWAY... Which ones should I go for?

It says what really? That you can buy a XPS with the same specs for less than an Alienware? What does Dell owning Alienware have to do with anything? It tells me that the same parts available to Alienware are available on a Dell, that you can buy cheaper....

Back on topic, buy the most flashy expensive overpriced parts available, that way they match the laptop.

With the options you have provided us I gues you are intrested in the newer more expensive model (mx17x). One thing I will agree is that it looks much better than the ugly 17" XPS (in my opinion). Is true with Alienware you are paying for the form factor but then again people purchaced the macbook air? (before anyone starts I am not anti mac)

[1] Area-51? m15x

Design & Display: Silver Skullcap Design

Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology with Webcam

System Lighting: Alienware? AlienFX? System Lighting - Aqua

Operating System: Genuine Windows? Vista Home Premium - English

Graphics Processor : 512MB NVidia? GeForce? Go 8800M GTX

Processor: Intel? Core™ 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)

Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 512MB

Turbo Cache Memory: None

System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 320GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Protection

CD/DVD/RW: 8x Dual Layer Writer (DVD?RW, CD-RW)

Sound Hardware: Intel? High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with surround sound

Keypad: Alienware? Area-51 m15x AlienFX? Keyboard - English

Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel? Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card

Additional Power: Additional Battery - Alienware? m15x 6-cell SmartBay Additional Battery (Silver)

Warranty: AlienCare 3-Year Free Phone 24/7 and Collect & Return

AlienContact: Added Bonus with any AlienSupport Selection

AlienContact - Remote Alienware Support

they are the specs of my new beast! im upgrading the ram too 4gb myself

thanks for your help

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • The machines are starting to fight back any way they can.
    • No news articles about the Arch Linux repo being majorly infected with malware?!?
    • Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones by Paul Hill Waymo, the self-driving car maker owned by Alphabet – the parent company of Google –, has recalled some of its fifth-generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS). It did so after some of its cars drove through closed construction zones. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected vehicles were capable of driving through a closed freeway construction zone and continuing to drive at speed. The listing on the NHTSA website says that Waymo is currently developing a solution to fix this issue, but in the meantime, freeway driving is being restricted. Waymo will update its ADS software so that vehicles can detect when they can avoid entering construction zones. According to the Safety Recall Report, on April 20, 2026, Waymo’s Field Safety Committee began meetings reviewing an event from April 11, 2026, and five events from April 19, 2026, where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles didn’t recognize and drove past ramp closure signs into the pre-planned freeway construction zones. This took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Separately, on May 18, 2026, seven Waymo vehicles entered freeway lanes with active construction in the San Francisco Bay Area by driving between cones that were placed to show the lane was closed. On the back of both of these events, Waymo restricted freeway driving until it could address the issue. In June, Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and additional information related to ADS performances around construction zones; then, as a result, it decided to conduct a recall. This development is not good for Waymo as it adds to a growing list of technical hiccups its cars have experienced. Ultimately, it will lead to more scrutiny from lawmakers around the world who will be more cautious about letting autonomous vehicles on their roads without tighter regulation. For readers in areas where Waymo operates, does this news make you more wary about stepping into one of these vehicles?
    • I'm still on Windows 10 22H2 because I didn't want to deal with all the issues in Windows 11, so I waited almost a week before installing the latest Patch Tuesday update (KB5094127), I went ahead and did it, and it was a huge mistake—ever since then, my File Explorer has seen a performance drop of about 30% when transferring large files... Once again, Microsoft has outdone itself! This update cannot be uninstalled, either through the Control Panel (via Settings) or by accessing Advanced Startup Options. The only possible alternative would be to use system restore points, but I’d have to reinstall all app and driver updates (and there’s no guarantee it would work). Or there’s the “nuclear option” of a in-place repair without losing files or apps, but even then, all my customizations would be lost! Microsoft just can’t help but mess everything up! Way to go, Microsoft! But I still don’t want your c****y Windows 11!
    • Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs by Sayan Sen While Microsoft has been trying to improve it, Windows 11 is definitely not flawless, as even today some issues are taking a year to publicly acknowledge. However, one area of trouble that may finally see much better results soon is graphics driver crashes. Work on graphics driver timeouts, also called Timeout and Detection Recovery (TDR), is not new as the latest WDDM 3.2 also has specific improvements regarding it. Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 3.2 is supported on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. However, with the upcoming version 26H2, TDR crash diagnosis could go to the next level as Microsoft is introducing a new DirectX 12 API feature called "DirectX Dump Files". Similar to how system memory dump files work when a system crashes or freezes or encounters any such major issue, DirectX Dump Files (DDF) will essentially record a snapshot of the GPU execution right at the moment a graphics-related crash or hang or freeze occurs, so that developers can better understand and diagnoze these TDR and timeout detection errors. The dump will be available as a .dxdmp file for analysis and it will be a comprehensive dump file generated with detailed insights about the hardware, drivers, Windows, as well as the affected application. This should be another welcome change in this department. Earlier at GDC 2026, when the technology was first debuted, Microsoft had shared more details regarding it. The company had explained how DDF is designed to gather data from every layer of the graphics stack into a single file, eliminating the need for developers to manually correlate logs from multiple tools. As mentioned above, the dump can contain a lot of useful details like GPU hardware state information such as register values, shader program counters, page fault virtual addresses, shader memory data, and command buffers. Alongside that, it also captures DirectX runtime and kernel information, including D3D objects, pipeline state objects, device error data, adapter details, and CPU call stacks. Microsoft says the feature has been built around two primary use cases: retail device removals and local device removals. The former allows developers to collect crash information from end users' systems in the field, while the latter helps QA teams and developers investigate issues on test machines. Developers will also be able to include up to 2 MB of custom application data through new D3D12 APIs, providing additional context for troubleshooting. In addition, Microsoft is introducing three dump collection modes ranging from zero-overhead capture, which has no runtime performance impact on supported hardware, to higher-detail modes that collect more vendor-specific debugging data. On compatible Tier 2 hardware, zero-overhead dumps will be enabled by default, meaning developers may begin receiving useful crash diagnostics without making any code changes. The table below explains the three tiers: Tier Description NO_OVERHEAD Enables crash capture with no runtime cost and is suitable for broad deployment MEDIUM_OVERHEAD Provides a balance, capturing additional diagnostic data with moderate impact HIGH_OVERHEAD Collects the most detailed GPU and driver state available, enabling deeper investigation at the cost of higher runtime overhead In terms of availability, the company expects broader release to be around the fall of 2026, which should be right around the time when Windows 11 version 26H2 lands. Right now, DirectX Dump Files are available as a preview and currently, only AMD has the compatible AgilitySDK Developer Preview driver version 26.10.07.02. You can find the official announcement post here on Microsoft's website.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Eurosoft10 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Eurosoft10 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      Skeet Campbell earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Sharbel earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • First Post
      BizSAR earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      599
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      190
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      79
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      77
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      70
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!