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Major Help - My configured laptop got shot down and I need to reconfigure!

post #1 of 126
6/5/04 at 2:07am
Thread Starter 
My dad won't pay for anything around $2000.

I had a configured Inspiron 8600 with the following:
1.8 Dothan SXGA+
512 mb 1 Dimm
8X Dual-Layer DVD+RW
a/b/g wireless
60 gb 7200 RPM
128MB Mobile Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo

for $1990, but he won't buy it because it almost $2000!


I was looking at eMachine 6809, but I doubt the regular Radeon 9600 64mb can play Half-Life 2 at a decent detail and framerate. I was also looking at a Dell because my college has on-campus fixing for Dell models. So what should I do? My dad says he's only paying for laptop around $1500 give or take some $100. I want a laptop that has at least 128mb Radeon 9600, DVD-burner, and powerful enough to play Half-Life 2, but not too bulky (one down-side of the 6809). Can anyone help me find a Dell with something like this or maybe Hypersonic or some other well-established brand (I prefer Dell though). What does people think of the 6809 playing HL2? Please respond. I'm currently very despressed after my "perfect¡±8600 got shot down !
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post #2 of 126
6/5/04 at 2:08am
why dont you get a 1.5p-m 9700 notebook?

its around 1400-1500
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post #3 of 126
6/5/04 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
Any info on that?
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post #4 of 126
6/5/04 at 8:20am
ibuypower.com
cyberpower.com
powernotebooks.com

are a few, but i recommend that u use the "SEARCH" feature on this board and find a thread which has pentium-m systems and there corresponding ODMS because one very cool member did the research behind this and even listed URLS on where to purchase each one... it shoulda been stickied but its here somewhere
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post #5 of 126
6/5/04 at 8:48am
Thread Starter 
http://notebookforums.com/showthread...&highlight=odm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok found the link. Now I'm sort of thinking about Compal CL56.

PowerPro M 5:6
GamePC GPN-CEN4
Voodoo PC Envy m:360
iBUYPOWER Battalion 101 CL-Series
Falcon Northwest FragBook TL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of all these companies where can I find the cheapest Dothan, 128 mb Mobile Radeon, DVD-burner, and Wireless-G laptop deal?

Also what does one think of the Compal CL56 - is it good to buy?
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post #6 of 126
6/5/04 at 12:25pm
Search CL56 in the forums, there are a ton of reviews... I believe rincewind did one with a bunch of nice pics too, lol. discountnotebooks.com has it as well.

I think the only issues would be the screen something about the lighting? and sometimes the keyboard, though very few have complained, not sure on that though.
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post #7 of 126
6/5/04 at 3:11pm
take a look at ecs G556 availabe at internetishop.com
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post #8 of 126
6/6/04 at 2:20am
definitely, as mentioned, consider a slower processor
even for gaming a 1.5 vs 1.8 probably wont be all that great
as far as the cl56 screen goes, type in search "cl56 screen" and youll find plenty
from what ive read it sounds fine (for a laptop lcd, not for a crt, if thats what you use) and the leakage issue doesnt seem to be an issue anymore
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post #9 of 126
6/6/04 at 2:41am
agreed, you definitely don't need a dothan. a 1.5-1.7 banias will suit your needs fine, and itll save you a bundle.

also, try and configure ur laptop with as little ram as possible, and then buy and install extra ram on your own as you see fit. that'll save you money too.
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post #10 of 126
6/6/04 at 2:56am
You were looking at teh dell 8600. did you want widescreen? If so you might wnat to look at the mitac 8050 or Asus W6n. but these dont' ahve wsxga or wuxga like the dell does. Otherwise look for the compal, ecs 556 or the Aopen. All very good systems.
Forget dell, its like over 7 pounds..
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post #11 of 126
6/6/04 at 5:49am
Thread Starter 
How about this:

Battalion-101 CL-Series 15.0" SXGA+
1.7 P-M 1st Gen
512 mb
128 Mobile Radeon 9700
40 GB 5400 rpm
4X Dual Format DVD+-RW
Wireless-G
No-OS (Pre-formatted HD only)

Total: $1,741

Can this satisfy my HL2 and DoomIII cravings and maybe even do some Premiere video-editing, plus be portable and not too bulky?

If anyone can find a better price/config, please tell me.
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post #12 of 126
6/6/04 at 8:02am
thats what i have

since d3 and hl2 isint ou yet no one knows

my guess is if u can run farcry well u can run thosegames well
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post #13 of 126
6/6/04 at 10:45am
If you want the i8600, go to the Dell Outlet. Here is a link to the i8600 with most of what you want for USD $1608.00. This price might get it under Dad's radar.

It's a 1.6GHz (PM-1600)
512 MB 333MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
15.4 in WSXGA+ Notebook Screen
128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
4x DVD+RW
60 GB EIDE Hard Drive (4200 RPM)
no wireless option

After you get the machine, you can always call Spare Parts later and order the wireless card for about $60.

The same is true for the HD. Get the machine 1st. Worry about replacing it with a 7200 RPM HD later.
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post #14 of 126
6/6/04 at 11:04am
Thread Starter 
Do you guys really think the 1.6 1st Gen P-M vs. 1.7 Dothan really has that much of performance gap in gaming, video-editing, and general use?
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post #15 of 126
6/6/04 at 12:50pm
Read your private messages crellion.
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post #16 of 126
6/10/04 at 11:38pm
Thread Starter 
KethalManden - read your PM.
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post #17 of 126
6/11/04 at 12:20am
Thread Starter 
My friend in the 20th Anniversary Sale at Dell got a All-in-One Printer and a Inspiron 8600 with the following specs: 1.6 P-M, 512 mb, 4x burner, wireless b/g, Geforce FX 5200 and 40 Gig HD + extra battery --- all for under $1800! Now was this a good deal or what?
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post #18 of 126
6/11/04 at 4:05am
Thread Starter 
Alrighty! ~ here's my updated configuration of my C56:

Case ( Battalion-101 CL-Series 15.0" SXGA+ 1400x1050 LCD TFT Notebook w/Li-Ion Battery, Universal AC Power Adapter, Deluxe Carrying Case Original Metallic Graphite Pearl Color )
Processor ( Intel® Centrino Mobile 1.6GHz CPU with 1M Cache )
Memory ( 512MB DDR-333 PC-2700 [Notebook Memory] Major Brand )
Video Card ( Mobility 128MB ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 256-bit 3D Video )
Hard Drive ( 60 GB 5400rpm ATA-100 Super Slim Notebook Hard Drive )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( 4X Dual Format DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive [CL-Series] )
Sound Card ( 3D Wave Stereo Sound Onboard )
Fax Modem ( Build-in 56K V.90 Fax Modem [Notebook] )
Network Card ( Build-in 10/100 Network LAN [Notebook] )
Mouse ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( Build-in SD Memory Card Reader/Writer [Notebook] )
USB Port ( Build-in 3x USB 2.0 Ports [Notebook] )
IEEE-1394 Fire Wire Card ( Build-in 1x IEEE-1394 Firewire Port [Notebook] )
TV Tuner ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Wireless Network Adapter ( [FREE] Wireless LAN Wi-Fi 802.11g 54Mbps Mini-PCI Module )
Operation System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard 1-Year Limited Warranty + 1-Year i-Care Deluxe 24/7 Phone Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

Total: $1,645.45 (includes $39.00 shipping)

Now in Gaming performance, how will this configured 1.6 1st Gen C56 compare with my first posted Inspiron 8600 with a 1.8 Dothan? Is the difference much? Also do you think this $1,645.45 laptop can do some Adobe Premiere editing?
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post #19 of 126
6/11/04 at 6:48am
If you plan on video editing, consider scrapping the dvd burner and going for the 7200 rpm hdd might be worth it... that's what i did because i figure by the end of the year i'll be able to get a faster external burner for half the cost. Even with that HDD it will do fine in premiere. That config will run better than most people's desktops.

As far the as the advantage of the dothan... my cl56 w/ 1.8ghz dothan will be here on tuesday, i'll run a few benchmarks and you can compare those those to rincewinds (or somebody else with a very similar config but w/ banias)
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post #20 of 126
6/11/04 at 7:41am
Thread Starter 
I have be keeping an eye on all Dell deals, including this one from Small Business...

Inspiron 8600

Catalog Number / Description Product Code SKU Id



Inspiron 8600:
Intel® Pentium®M Processor 745 (1.8GHz),15.4in WSXGA+ LP18NHM [221-4650] 1


Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home WHXP [420-3235][412-0408][313-2174][313-2208] 11


Memory:
256MB DDR SDRAM 1 Dimm 256MB1D [311-3182] 3


Mail-In Rebate Offer:
$150 Mail In Rebate 150REB [462-9602] 56


Hard Drive:
30GB Hard Drive 30GB [340-9635] 8


CD ROM/DVD ROM:
FREE! 4x CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) including Sonic RecordNow 4XDVDRP [462-6270][430-0685] 16


Video Card:
128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY® RADEON™ 9600 PROTURBO ATI128M [320-2902] 6


Wireless Networking Cards:
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11g, 54Mbps) IP2100 [430-0570] 19


Dial-Up Internet Access:
6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLSMB [412-0586][412-0625][420-3223] 37


Network Card:
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem INTNIC [430-0493] 13


Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices:
No Floppy NOFD [340-8972] 10


Bundled Software:
Productivity Pack with WorkPerfect® and Microsoft® Money Standard ICOREL [412-0398][412-0552][412-0556] 22


Security Software:
Norton Internet Security™, 90 day trial NIS2004 [412-0628] 25


Digital Music:
Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH MMBASE [412-0516] 26


Digital Imaging Software:
Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Edition DPS [412-0521] 38


Power Adapter:
AC adapter - 65w, 19.5v 65W [312-0176] 9


Primary Battery:
72 WHr Primary Battery ADDBATT [312-0066] 27


Purchase Intent:
Purchase is not intended for resale. NOT4SEL [462-4506] 138


Dell Media Experience:
Dell Media Experience™ DMX [412-0581] 115


Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options:
1 Year Basic Plan (No Rebate offered with this Plan) T111YRR [950-9057][950-3820] 29


Total: $1820 - $150 mail-in-rebate


How about this configuration/price compared to my CL56? It also has free shipping but I'm not sure if Small Business has sales tax in my state. But the pro is this is a Dothan 1.8 ghz (which I extremely love Dothan ). What'd you guys think? Should I just go with my latest configured CL56?
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