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

    • I'd say the first one failed to be as popular as Apple anticipated, but the easy adjustment here is to make fewer of them next time around. It would only be a "flop" if it isn't possible for Apple to recover the design and factory tooling costs given the number of units sold, which I doubt would be the case. It isn't like no one bought them; it just failed to become the new hot phone of the year.
    • You're right that it does not follow the plain meaning of the word, but in this context, it is a legal term defined in 49 U.S.C. Kind of how "wire fraud" laws apply even if a physical wire was not used. Given that it is codified in law, and it isn't just automotive journalists that don't understand evolving technology, I highly doubt congress would change a well understood term just because technology makes the term slightly less actuate.
    • This is exactly why I keep saying we are not ready for human free self-driving. These little "bugs" are may seem like random one-offs. There was also the Waymo that drove between police with drawn weapons and the suspect they were pointing them at. From a software perspective it is easy to understand how those extremely rare situations may not have been programed for, but that is the point. If AI needs to be told to watch out for every possible contingency, then it can never be successful. There will always be the possibility of a first encounter that the AI needs to understand to avoid.
    • TeraCopy 4.0 Final by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 | 14.6MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • 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
      586
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      187
    3. 3
      Michael Scrip
      74
    4. 4
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      72
    5. 5
      neufuse
      69
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!