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Uniwill(Mwave) N233II/Alienware Sentia for $1200: Loaded!!!

post #1 of 47
8/30/04 at 12:26am
Thread Starter 
Hey folks,
I've been doing quite a bit of research on parts and components for 12.1" laptops and wanted to share my findings. I was down to the Asus m5n and the Uniwill machines. The Uniwill was inevitably cheaper but I'll post what I found for the M5n in a separate post as well if you'd like.

Of note, is that even despite this research I have not purchased this rig and am still deliberating on various systems. I'm left trying to decide whether I buy compact or something larger that'll let me game reasonably like the Acer 1681 to tide me over till PCI-X becomes mainstream in notebooks along with standard upgradeable video!

In any case, if I do go compact I will go with the Uniwill. The Asus M5n is sweet, but the lack of availability of the mid-size battery and the difficulty in affordably upgrading the 9.5mm (as opposed to the standard 12.5mm) optical drive is what kills it for me. For those of you who know you are in the market for a compact laptop this info will be of most use for you. =)

Just to note, this price is afforded by ordering parts from different vendors and self-assembly. In this regard you do take some risks regarding return policies and specifically the issue of dead pixels. I did luckily find the best prices from laregly good, if not great, vendors with reasonable return policies. In any case, for those more adventurous spirits, onward!

The parts I made this price with are primo and include a 1.5ghz Dothan CPU, 40GB 7200rpm hard drive, 512MB of 333mhz DDR memory (is 400mhz DDR compatible with this machine?), and a 4x DVD+/-RW internal drive. All parts noted include the price of shipping, but may vary depending on where you live and when you check on pricing.

Case/Shell: $622.90
- Vendor: Pronetsale.com
- http://www.pronetsale.com/smoreinfo.asp?iid=204323

CPU, RAM, & Hard Drive: $445.11
- Vendor: Mwave
- CPU - Pentium M 715 (1.5Ghz 2MB cache):
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=BA20550
- RAM - 512MB 333Mhz Mwave RAM ($4+ for Kingston)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=BA20135
- Hard Drive - Hitachi 40GB 7200rpm Travelstar:
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=AA27370

4x DVD+/-RW: $132
- Vendor: Newegg.com
- Drive: NEC ND-5500A 4x DVD+/-R/RW, 16x CD-R/RW
- That's right it burns R and RW in both formats @ 4x!!!
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...152-018&depa=1

Total: $1200.01

Hope this helps!

Let me know if anyone goes for this before I do. I'd love to see your review!
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post #2 of 47
8/30/04 at 12:30am
Thread Starter 
Just another note. The price idoes not obviously include the cost of Windows XP. I in my egocentricity assumed that you already have it as I do.
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post #3 of 47
8/30/04 at 12:35am
Thread Starter 
$%#$@&% Ah poop. Sorry again, forgot to add the 11G wireless chip. Here it is. I swear I reviewed this things 10x before submitting it!

- Vendor: Buy.com
- Wireless Intel Centrino 802.11b/g card: $32
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...omp&dcaid=1688
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post #4 of 47
8/30/04 at 1:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by triadone
Hey folks,
I've been doing quite a bit of research on parts and components for 12.1" laptops and wanted to share my findings. I was down to the Asus m5n and the Uniwill machines. The Uniwill was inevitably cheaper but I'll post what I found for the M5n in a separate post as well if you'd like.

Of note, is that even despite this research I have not purchased this rig and am still deliberating on various systems. I'm left trying to decide whether I buy compact or something larger that'll let me game reasonably like the Acer 1681 to tide me over till PCI-X becomes mainstream in notebooks along with standard upgradeable video!

In any case, if I do go compact I will go with the Uniwill. The Asus M5n is sweet, but the lack of availability of the mid-size battery and the difficulty in affordably upgrading the 9.5mm (as opposed to the standard 12.5mm) optical drive is what kills it for me. For those of you who know you are in the market for a compact laptop this info will be of most use for you. =)

Just to note, this price is afforded by ordering parts from different vendors and self-assembly. In this regard you do take some risks regarding return policies and specifically the issue of dead pixels. I did luckily find the best prices from laregly good, if not great, vendors with reasonable return policies. In any case, for those more adventurous spirits, onward!

The parts I made this price with are primo and include a 1.5ghz Dothan CPU, 40GB 7200rpm hard drive, 512MB of 333mhz DDR memory (is 400mhz DDR compatible with this machine?), and a 4x DVD+/-RW internal drive. All parts noted include the price of shipping, but may vary depending on where you live and when you check on pricing.

Case/Shell: $622.90
- Vendor: Pronetsale.com
- http://www.pronetsale.com/smoreinfo.asp?iid=204323

CPU, RAM, & Hard Drive: $445.11
- Vendor: Mwave
- CPU - Pentium M 715 (1.5Ghz 2MB cache):
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=BA20550
- RAM - 512MB 333Mhz Mwave RAM ($4+ for Kingston)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=BA20135
- Hard Drive - Hitachi 40GB 7200rpm Travelstar:
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=AA27370

4x DVD+/-RW: $132
- Vendor: Newegg.com
- Drive: NEC ND-5500A 4x DVD+/-R/RW, 16x CD-R/RW
- That's right it burns R and RW in both formats @ 4x!!!
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...152-018&depa=1

Total: $1200.01

Hope this helps!

Let me know if anyone goes for this before I do. I'd love to see your review!
Hey thanks for the tip about the dvdrw slim drive, i have been looking for one like crazy and finally noticed that newegg sell them
You should check the others drives for example:

NU from newegg ($108):
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...154-018&depa=1

or

A toshiba dvdrw with dual dvd support ($124 currently out of stock)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...130-026&depa=1

I found the same hitachi hard drive cheaper and with free 2nd day shipping in:
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=100526

I also found corsair memory for $90 with $0.99 of shipping in:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...145-484&depa=1

Hope this save you some money. I would be using a Dothan 1.7 processor. As for the memory speed, it would support pc3200 but it will only run at a speed of pc2700. The case in that site seems to be pretty cheap. Before i was thinking of buying it in mwave and sell the hdd, mem, and drive, but they didnt offer a dvdrw or in ekm because they were offering a 8x dvdrw, but the order button doesnt appears.
Now my doubts are these:
Can i use the heatsink that comes with the processor or does the case already comes with the heatsink and fan?
I liked more the design and color of the m5n, and i will like to see some pics of the back of the monitor of the uniwill. Most of the pics i see are from the keyboard, screen and sides.
thanks again
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post #5 of 47
8/30/04 at 1:30am
Dude, that's a great price...better than ekm. Nice find.
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post #6 of 47
8/30/04 at 3:01am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the links Joako, they'll definitely help me and anyone else who is looking! I do prefer the NEC drive to the others. It's a bit more, but has 4x for the R and RW DVD speeds, so I think worth it.

I wish I knew what drive ekm is offering. I did see that they had the 8x DVD offered. The only drive I've seen with those specs is also an NEC ND-6500A (the link below) does 8x and dual layer!!! Only problem with it is that it doens't seem to be available in the US yet. Also, ekm's return policy also seems a bit sketchy as well (I'm concerned mostly about the LCD in the case).

http://www.nec.co.uk/DVD_RW_ND6500.aspx

I'd assume that the heatsink comes with the case, given that each case has different internal layouts and hence different sinks. The back of the case looks ok. You can see it in this demo: http://www.uniwill.com/Product/223II...uct%20Tour.exe

The back of the case looks fine, has a rectangular indent in it which looks to be for vendors to put their logo on. This is fine as I'm planning to make my own design if I don't buy a brand name. I'm also likely to paint it in similar fashion to the Alienware Sentia if I do get it. I think the silver palmrest just looks sweet.

Hope this helps. =)
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post #7 of 47
8/30/04 at 1:40pm
triadone are you sure the nec dvdrw will fit?? how about the bezel, will it stick out? Any opinions anyone?
thanks
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post #8 of 47
8/30/04 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
It shoulnd't be an issue. Virtually all of these drives are made per a standard, much like hard drives, etc. i.e.- u order a 3.5" or 2.5" hard drive and don't think twice about whether or not it will fit into the hard drive bay. The standard optical drive size is 12.7mm (i misquoted earlier @ 12.5) thick. The depth is also uniform. I called the guy at ekm to ask about the drive in their system, said that the drive used is a liteon. Good luck finding any specs any it! I've tried. The bezel may or may not be an issue. The best pics I've seen look as if the bezel is recseed a bit from the case. My concern re: an optical, whether for the Uniwill or the M5n, was if there is a custom bezel for the case and whether or not the case comes w/ said bezel so you can just latch it onto your drive. i.e.-I can pop the bezel off my Compaq, custom for the case, and put it on another drive.

Hope this helps. =)
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post #9 of 47
8/30/04 at 8:27pm
Anyone have any alternative places to buy the Uniwill n233II besides ProNETsale.com? I've heard some pretty bad stuff about them. Ekm.com is down.
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post #10 of 47
8/30/04 at 9:06pm
not to hijack this thread or anything but did u check out the ACI PowerNote? Not bad for a wide screen ati 9700m base model @ $999. Does anyone know what OEM makes that notbook? is it ACI or do they get it from somewhere else. Also not a bad price on the Asus @ $965 i believe....if only that lappy had 128meg GPU, id be all over it like a fat kid on a snickers bar
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post #11 of 47
8/30/04 at 9:19pm
It's a Sager 3790. More accurately it the Clevo system upon which the Sager 3790 is based.
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post #12 of 47
8/30/04 at 9:28pm
werd! thought it looked familiar...thanks


hahaha nice avatar by the way...lol
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post #13 of 47
8/30/04 at 10:20pm
EKM I called EKM and they told me they will post the add to cart button on thursday, They took it out because they were out of stock. I think EKM is the best deal if you think about it, and Pronetsale doesnt have any good reviews, and EKM doesnt have any but at least someone bought computers from them and he recomended it (Cisco), so I dont know I'm going with EKM.
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post #14 of 47
8/31/04 at 12:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by triadone
It shoulnd't be an issue. Virtually all of these drives are made per a standard, much like hard drives, etc. i.e.- u order a 3.5" or 2.5" hard drive and don't think twice about whether or not it will fit into the hard drive bay. The standard optical drive size is 12.7mm (i misquoted earlier @ 12.5) thick. The depth is also uniform. I called the guy at ekm to ask about the drive in their system, said that the drive used is a liteon. Good luck finding any specs any it! I've tried. The bezel may or may not be an issue. The best pics I've seen look as if the bezel is recseed a bit from the case. My concern re: an optical, whether for the Uniwill or the M5n, was if there is a custom bezel for the case and whether or not the case comes w/ said bezel so you can just latch it onto your drive. i.e.-I can pop the bezel off my Compaq, custom for the case, and put it on another drive.

Hope this helps. =)
thanks again for the info triadone, i think the dvdrw drives ekm uses is the same model number as the one kevin mentioned in this thread (he mentioned it was a liteon in another forum, if i recall it was in leo-g) he wrote down the model number here http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php? Model#SOSW-852S
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post #15 of 47
8/31/04 at 1:43am
OMG, check out the reseller ratings for pronetsale:

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2374.html

Yikes.
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post #16 of 47
8/31/04 at 2:05am
alright, so i've been just kinda lurking on this site for a little while, checking things out while i'm thinking about buying a new laptop. first off, let me say, This site Kicks ass. you guys freakin rock, and the people here are super knowledgeable. by far this is one of the best forums i've ever come across.

ok, enough of that.
now, on topic.

i've been looking into buying a 12.1" laptop, and i keep coming across the ones we're talking about. triadone you're info is really helpful too, as i've been trying to figure out what's best, putting together the pieces from a barebones box from ekm.com and assorted pieces from newegg and the like, or just buying it all in one place. that led me to IBuyPower.com's Battalion 101 slim series:

configured through the website i came to this:
Case ( Battalion-Slim 12.1" Wide Screen WXGA 1280x800 LCD TFT Notebook w/Li-Ion Battery, Universal AC Power Adapter, Deluxe Carrying Case Original Metallic Silver/Black 2-Tone Color )
Processor ( Intel® Pentium M Processor 735 [1.7GHz, 2MB Cache] )
Memory ( 512MB DDR-333 PC-2700 [Notebook Memory] Major Brand )
Video Card ( Integrated Xtreme Graphic AGP Video w/ 64MB Shared Memory )
Hard Drive ( 60 GB 5400rpm ATA-100 Super Slim Notebook Hard Drive )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( 8x DVD-ROM & 24X16X24 CD-RW Combo Drive [Slim-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 )
USB Port ( Build-in 2x USB 2.0 Ports [Slim-Series] )
IEEE-1394 Fire Wire Card ( Build-in 1x IEEE-1394 Firewire Port [Notebook] )
TV Tuner ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Wireless Network Adapter ( Wireless LAN Wi-Fi 802.11g 54Mbps Mini-PCI Module )
Operation System ( None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard One(1) Year Limited Warranty )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

for: 1,193.00 not including shipping.

my next contender is from Cyberpower.com: Xplorer U3-1000
# *BASE_PRICE: [+959]
# ADAPTER: Universal AC-DC Adapter
# BATTERY: Li-Ion Battery Pack 2000mAH
# CPU: Intel® Pentium® M Processor 735 @ 1.7GHz 2MB CACHE ~ CNB963 [+90]
# CDRW: 16X/2X CD-RW/DVD-RW COMBO DRIVE [+113]
# HDD: 60GB 5400RPM ULTRA ATA 100 HARD DRIVE [+51]
# INVERTER: NONE
# IEEE_CARD: BUILT-IN 1394 IEEE FIREWIRE PORT
# KEYBOARD: BUILT-IN KEYBOARD
# MOUSE: BUILT-IN TOUCHPAD
# MODEM: BUILT-IN 56K V.92 FAX MODEM
# MONITOR: 12.1" WXGA TFT LCD DISPLAY 1280X800
# MOTHERBOARD: Intel® CHIPSET Mainboard W/ Centrino™ TECHNOLOGY
# MEMORY: 512 MB PC2700 333MHz DDR MEMORY [+56] (Standard Major Brand)
# NOTEBOOK_COVER: CYBERPOWER U3-1000 NOTEBOOK COVER (ORIGINAL BLACK COLOR)
# NETWORK: BUILT-IN 10/100 NETWORK CARD
# OS: NONE - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY [-60]

# PCMCIA: (1)Type II PCMCIA 32-Bit PC Card Bus
# RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
# SOUND: BUILT-IN AC 97 SOUND
# SPEAKERS: BUILT-IN STEREO SPEAKERS SYSTEM
# VIDEO: INTEGRATED XTREME GRAPHIC AGP VIDEO W/ 64MB SHARE MEMORY
# WIRELESSCARD: Wireless 802.11G 54Mbs MiniPCI Card
# _PRICE: (+1209)

as you see above, with a DVD burner included, this comes to 1209.00 again, without shipping.

so, i guess, my question to everone is: do you think it's really worth it to get the pieces all separate, pay shipping for everything, wait for all the pieces to arrive, run the risk of putting it together wrong, (i know it would be fun to do it myself though) and any other risks, rather than just buying it put together?

i'm still undecided on my choice laptop, but i'm still looking.

i want to be able to say i put it together myself and all that, but i kinda just wanna buy it and get it over with.

**note** in my 2 scenarios above i was using the Dothan 735 processor (1.7Ghz) and the 60Gb 5400RPM because i've decided those are the best choices for the best value/performance.
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post #17 of 47
8/31/04 at 2:07am
wow, sorry about the super long post.. i had no idea.

ha.
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post #18 of 47
8/31/04 at 3:02am
Does anyone know where to find a regular CD or CD-R drive for the 12' Uniwill? It will be just for school/traveling so I don't need a DVD or combo drive and don't need to burn anything either. I've only found a combo drive and DVD-R drives.
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post #19 of 47
8/31/04 at 8:37am
Thread Starter 
Hey folks,

Thanks for the updates! Good to know about the reseller ratings for Pronetsale!-though it does put a dent in the price hunting efforts! Drat!

Joako, nice work on hunting down the model on the Liteon 8x DVD-R/W. It looks to have the same specs as the NEC ND-6500a, which makes me wonder if there's a difference at all between them. Now the only problem is its suspect availability. I found it at these resellers who suspiciously have very similar site designs and none of which show up on resellerrating.com! If anyone know anything about these sites please reply!

http://emax.aiyamicro.com/aiya/detai...item=LT33411NB

http://www.qdtec.com/q-digital/detai...item=LT33411NB

http://www.qualitron.com/qualitron/d...item=LT33411NB

These sites may be irrelevant as ekm seems to do a good job of integrating prices differences into their upgrades. i.e.-8xDVD-RW only $90 more. Ever been to compaq, dell, etc., and see how they gouge you for the next step up?

It looks like Ekm might be a solid option for the case, CPU, memory, wireless, and DVD-RW Optical. The wireless mini-pci card is no longer the bargain it was at buy.com, now includes a shipping fee, so ekm is also the best price for this component. I called and found that they don't carry any 7200rpm 40GB hard drives. =(

Joako did find that Corsair memory for 1 penny cheaper, but since every standard DDR 2700 memory I can find has CL 2.5 I don't know if it's a big difference at all to get the Corsair (also CL 2.5). It's virtually the same price, so it's your call.

Shaving pennies, it seems like the hard drive is significantly cheaper to get elsewhere than ekm, especially for a 7200rpm drive.

Hitachi 40GB 7200rpm Travelstar: $134 (vs. ekm non-availability) Free 2nd Day Air!
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=100526

Hitachi 60GB 7200rpm Travelstar: $177 (vs. ekm @ $205) Free 2nd Day Air!
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=100519

The last questions I have which I'll address w/ ekm via phone, if I don't hear from someone here, regards their return policies. My biggest concern is dead pixels. Call me a prissy little b*tch, but I won't tolerate them, not even one. =P Also, I'm assuming that their shipping rate is included in the base $685 price?-given that there's an option for in store pickup for -$20. I'll also be asking if they can pull the optical all together and take something off the price, if I or anyone else have that interest. I for one am quite pleased with their price and offering of the 8x Liteon DVD+-R/W! =)

So, with a configuration of 1.5Ghz Dothan, 512MB 333Mhz DDR RAM, Wireless
BG, and the 8xDVD+-R/W & Dual Layer (I'll call and double check on the DL per the model they use) the total comes to:

$1111

Plus the 40GB HD @ $134

Total: $1245

Damn that's nice to look at.
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post #20 of 47
8/31/04 at 9:39am
Thread Starter 
Aesoprock_00, I can understand some of your apprehensions and perhaps with my above post it'll alleviate some of your concerns, virtually all of the system would come from Ekm, short of the hard drive. But if you really want the 5400, then Ekm's prices are right on spot with the price search engine values and you could in fact get the whole system from them, w/ the 8x DVD-R/W...for...

$1330.50 Shipping Included

w/ DVD/CD-RW

$1240.50 Shipping Included

BTW...

The Ibuypower Config you mentioned comes to: $1172.35 w/ shipping (That's w/ the 5% discount they have on the site)

The Cyberpower comes to: $1177.55 w/ shipping (also w/ their 5% discount offered at the site.)

Then again, if you drop the DVD-RW from Cyberpower your total w/ shipping comes to $1070.20 + $132 4xDVD+-R/W from Newegg = $1202.2

...if the above mentioned links are legit, tack another ~$28 on for the Liteon 8xDVD+-R/W DL and you got yourself a pumpin' little system there for $1230.2 all shipping included!!! Hot Damn Almighty I'm Good! lol

Looks like the Cyberpower is definitely a good deal. I'm personally stoked about the 8x Drive from ekm as I plan to use it as a desktop drive ala this little number...
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...45-158R&depa=0
That way I don't have to buy 2 drives.

Lastly, call Ekm, IBP, and CP about their return policies to see what's the dealio eh? An by all means read up on them in these forums and at Resellerratings.com.

Ok kids that's all for now. If I haven't helped someone by now I think I'll kill myself. lol jk =P






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