HP dv5000z vs. Compaq V4000T Pros and Cons? which one should I buy?

[bocaj]

My HP zt3000 died yesterday I LOVED that laptop, I called HP support ( of course out of warranty ) and they said 650.00 i was like umm no brainer.. get a new notebook.. I guess I could take apart the laptop and sell the parts on ebay.. anyone wanna buy a broke zt3000 with the upgraded video card with icons so tiny u need a maginfiying glass to see them

ANYWAY so I am on the fence about these two. I LOVE LOVE the feel look and build of the HP dv5000z to me hands down the build quality far surpasses the V4000T BUT the V4000T Has the X700 ( which I assume is better than the 200M - could someone tell me the big difference between the two? ) The Compaq has intel and the HP has AMD I have listed the different options below, does the AMD run hot? ( something I heard a long time ago about AMD ) and does the intel out perform the AMD or vice versa. I want to keep the price point of the whole build around 1000.00 I do mostly Graphic Design and Web pages LOTS and LOTS of Photoshop work, Dont play many games ( dont have time for them, making money is my game Might dabble a little bit into 3D but nothing Major. Oh and surf for pron

Question #1 Which video card beats hands down?
Compaq V4000T - 128MB ATI MOBILITY(TM) RADEON(R) X700
vs.
HP dv5000z - 128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 200M w/Hypermemory(TM)

Question #2
Will someone tell me is it worth it and why I need to spend $25.00 on BrightView???? what the hell is the difference and shouldn't already come with it?

Question #3
Also do both laptops take the same ram? im thinking ill just buy the RAM from newegg and save some money.. what ram should i get? least expensive and best ram preferably.. Also I have Read the difference between 1 GB of ram and 2GB of ram doesnt see much increase per cost. Can someone with experience let me know in these laptops if you have 2GB or ram vs 1GB?

Question #4
LightScribe.. is it really worth it? or just stick with the
DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support
Record up to 4 hours of DVD-quality video or up to 16 hours of VHS-quality video without turning over the disc; archive up to 8.5GB of files on a single disk

Question #5
6 Cell or 12 Cell battery? is the 12 cell really big and clunky? or just a small bump on the bottom and its worth the extra battery time to buy it?

Question #6
Processors:
If i go with H I was thinking the AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-34 (1.8GHz/1MB L2 Cache) but will the 512K be just as good for 50.00 less? and is the 2.0 REALLY worth the 50.00 more than the 1.8 with 1MB L2 cache
HP dv5000z choices
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-32 (1.8GHz/512KB L2 Cache) +$50.00
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-34 (1.8GHz/1MB L2 Cache) +$100.00
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-37 (2.0GHz/1MB L2 Cache) +$150.00
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-40 (2.2GHz/1MB L2 Cache) +$200.00

If i go with the compaq I was thinking just the 735A or would the 740 or 750 be a much better choice for the amount of money on the upgrade?
Compaq V4000T
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 735A (1.70 GHz) +$100.00
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz) +$150.00
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 750 (1.86 GHz) +$200.00
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 760 (2.0 GHz) +$275.00
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 770 (2.13 GHz) +$425.00

Hard drive: I bought a 100GB HD 7200RPM for my zt3000 but didnt install it yet thank goodness ill just slap it in this bad boy. Should I buy the 80GB 5400 RPM for the extra $60.00 and sell it on ebay or not worth the hassle for the money I might make on it.

Sorry for the jumbled posting but oh well Thanks in advance for any feedback you may have on my little situation

[Phriend]

Whats up Bocaj, I can help you out here a bit. I have recently orderd a v4000t, hasnt came yet but I have experience with both of these laptops. As for build quality...I fell the compaq is more...compaq and sturdy. The hp has more things that can come lose, break etc. Newasy to your questions.

1. The x700 is probably the 3rd card down from the best. It will eat the m200 alive or dead.

2. The brightview is an upgrade...for some. It probalby cost a bit more than a normal lcd. Also the brightview is far superior in dark areas with less ambient light....hardcore vivd colors.

3. Yes order the laptop with the 256mb module and upgrade from newegg.

4. Lightscribe, i wouldnt waste the bucks.

5. 6 cell....12 cell will stick out....anoying!

6. id go with the 1.8ghz turion or the 740 pentium.

As for the rest.....read into the difference between the 2 cards, search forums and have fun ^_^...

[crazycd1]

I would go with the v4000t out of the 2. I just ordered the dv4000, which is pretty much the same as the v4000t.
Ram..... Check for sure, but I think the dv5000 uses regular DDR and the v4000t uses DDR2. Make sure you get ram for the one you decide to buy. I would say order with 256, add 1 gig, and it will be plenty. Add the other gig down the road if you feel you need more the 1.25..
If you want to game at all... get the x700 video for sure.

[funnyperson1]

1. If you do any kind of gaming at all, get the X700, it is ages better than the 200M. Literally ages better, the 200M would get demolished by an Ati desktop card that cost $100 3 years ago (I know because I had a Radeon 8500), whereas the X700 is still a $100 card that will play any game on the market.

2. Basically it makes the screen clear with no anti-glare coating. So you get a bit brighter screen, with really great colors, but a lot of glare in sunny environments. Check it out at any computer store to make sure you like it (BB/Compusa should have plenty of laptops with Brightview/Xbrite screens).

3. The V4000T uses DDR2, and dv5000 uses DDR as far as I can see. DDR2 is slightly cheaper and you can get 1gb from newegg for under $100 last I checked.

4. Lightscribe is really cool, but the disks are really expensive if you want to use Lightscribe. I would rather just stick to regular labels and save like $.80 per disk.

5. The 12 cell is a burden, the bump really sucks, stick with the 6er.

6. I would get the ML-34 or the 735A

[Phriend]

funny, why the ml-34 or 735A??

[funnyperson1]

I just think they offer the best Value for money of the choices listed. Although come to think of it the 740 might be a better choice just because it is a 533fsb chip. I still think the ML-34 is the best AMD because it offers the best balance between performance and price.

[Phriend]

yea thats what I was getting at with the 740 ^_^. Only reason Id say a higher end AMD is because regardless of speed non of them use that much power if im correct.