NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › I cant decide what to buy (XPS2 or 9300)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I cant decide what to buy (XPS2 or 9300)

post #1 of 42
3/5/05 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 
I am seriously torn in between the XPS2 and the i9300

The XPS2 Is about $700 more then the 9300 with the coupon, But it has a better GPU and it looks a lot cooler

The 9300 has a plain design, is $700 cheaper, And basically the same specs except a lesser gpu.

Can someone please try to sway me in one way or the other? I cant decide.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 42
3/5/05 at 6:36pm
Go for the XPS2... it's only money and you can always earn/beg/borrow/steal more. You don't want to live with regret, do you?
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 42
3/5/05 at 6:50pm
What would you like to buy with $700? I'm sure you can think of a few things.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 42
3/5/05 at 7:16pm
Here's a trick. Take a coin. Decide which face goes for which system (ie. Heads it's XPS2, Tails its 9300) then flip.

Now, how do you feel about the result? Are you saying "Yippee!!" or "Darn!" That reaction tells you what you really want to do. Go with the reaction, not the coin.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 42
3/5/05 at 7:24pm
Score yourself on the following quiz:

2 points: I play 3D games on my computer more than 10% of the time.
2 points: I am a bad-ass ex-con.
2 points: I go to LAN parties.
2 points: I have money to burn.
2 points: I am an early adopter of gadgets.

OK, now add up your score. If you scored more than 1 point, buy the XPS2.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 42
3/5/05 at 7:38pm
Just this morning I ordered a 9300 and cancelled my XPS2 order. It's configured basically the same except for the "Ultra" part of the graphics card. I am a big 3D gamer, but not on my notebook. To me the extra battery life, and more professional/business look makes the difference, not to mention the big savings using the coupon. I prefer to do my gaming using my desktop machine (bigger monitor, better sound system, full-size keyboard).
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 42
3/5/05 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juice5557
I am seriously torn in between the XPS2 and the i9300

The XPS2 Is about $700 more then the 9300 with the coupon, But it has a better GPU and it looks a lot cooler

The 9300 has a plain design, is $700 cheaper, And basically the same specs except a lesser gpu.

Can someone please try to sway me in one way or the other? I cant decide.
... and the i9300 is also expected to have much better battery life.
We don't know for sure yet, but there are indications that it will be double that of the XPS Gen2. (XPS Gen2 runs for about 2 - 2,5 hours)

To me, that is one of the most important factors when buying a notebook... it also means that the notebook will run much cooler and with less noise than the XPS Gen2.
If battery life means anything to you, I sugest you wait until we have the numbers for the i9300.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 42
3/5/05 at 8:04pm
i saw get the XPS2, if you want to save battery life you can always dim your LCD and (if nvidia has some sort of throttling application for its GPU which i would this it does because ATI has one) you can just lower the speed of the 6800GO Ultra when not playing games... 700 isn't that much when you are talking about an investment like this IMO. Unless you are planning to upgrade later later this year or sometime next year go iXPS2 - just the coolness factor justifies the price. i wish i could get one, but i just got my i9100 back in OCT and there isn't enough in the iXPS2 for me to justify spending more cash.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 42
3/5/05 at 9:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icspeedracer
... 700 isn't that much when you are talking about an investment like this IMO.
Computers aren't investments - they depreciate too quickly.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 42
3/5/05 at 10:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevDA
Computers aren't investments - they depreciate too quickly.
yep thats right, a house is an investment, mutual funds are investments, books for school are investments. I remember when my dad spent $1500 on a good ole P-II 450 MHz, 64 MB Ram 16 MB voodoo3 graphic card!!! Look how that "investment" helped him out
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 42
3/5/05 at 10:58pm
i'm not saying its a major investment, or even one that gives the investor a monetary return, but just like book (even better IMO) computers open the user to a wealth of information and last for years... gaming aside of course, but computers people buy now have so much power that a lot of users don't even take advantage of it all. that's all i'm saying when i said what i did earlier...geez!
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 42
3/5/05 at 10:58pm
It could be thought of as an investment if you are using to further some endeavor such as work or school. People call school and investment in your future. Just a thought. Or it could be an investment in your happiness. "Now that I can play the latest games at the highest settings I am happy." Just a thought.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 42
3/5/05 at 11:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sonicwind
It could be thought of as an investment if you are using to further some endeavor such as work or school. People call school and investment in your future. Just a thought. Or it could be an investment in your happiness. "Now that I can play the latest games at the highest settings I am happy." Just a thought.

Thats right, nothing like having the satisfaction of Playing Half-Life 2 on 1600x1200 @ High settings at a smooth 50 FPS while your friends computer is struggling to run it @ 1024x768
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 42
3/6/05 at 12:31am

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

I have been waiting for months for the XPS2 and 9300 to come out. Now I'm frozen trying to decide! Is the battery life really going to be better on the 9300? I almost never use exterior speakers.

How much cheaper is it to downgrade the RAM and Hard Drive and purchase after I have the machine? I definitely want a 7200 HD, but in something larger than 60GB. I'm looking for 100GB+. I am probably going to go with (2) 1GB RAM sticks for 2 GB total. What am I likely to save by getting the basic 40GB HD and basic 256 RAM?

Thoughts? Suggestions?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 42
3/6/05 at 12:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelPastor
I have been waiting for months for the XPS2 and 9300 to come out. Now I'm frozen trying to decide! Is the battery life really going to be better on the 9300? I almost never use exterior speakers.

How much cheaper is it to downgrade the RAM and Hard Drive and purchase after I have the machine? I definitely want a 7200 HD, but in something larger than 60GB. I'm looking for 100GB+. I am probably going to go with (2) 1GB RAM sticks for 2 GB total. What am I likely to save by getting the basic 40GB HD and basic 256 RAM?

Thoughts? Suggestions?
I would go with the 9300 given the 35% off in SB. Then configure it with as little RAM as possible and with the smallest HD possible since you are going to upgrade to such big stuff. No sense in wasting money on things you are just going to pull out of the laptop anyway.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 42
3/6/05 at 12:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sonicwind
It could be thought of as an investment if you are using to further some endeavor such as work or school. People call school and investment in your future. Just a thought. Or it could be an investment in your happiness. "Now that I can play the latest games at the highest settings I am happy." Just a thought.
you are confusing "utility" and "investment".

but in all honesty, I don't see how the XPS2 can be so much more expensive.
The only real advantage I see the is the Ultra level GPU, case and LEDs are cosmetic things. But, in the end if the XPS2 makes you happier then it's worth it to you. I would save the money right now and get the 9300 with the 35% off before Dell changes their mind.

I mean this thing is more powerful than my desktop right now...
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 42
3/6/05 at 2:00am
I personally think the XPS2's design is gaudy and begs to be be stolen, but that's me. Also, I'd feel uncomfortable using something that...bold in a business environment (which, considering I have an internship in my near future, I'll likely do). Yes, I'd like the 6800U, but the battery life issues don't justify the extra performance.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 42
3/6/05 at 2:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hibby
I personally think the XPS2's design is gaudy and begs to be be stolen, but that's me. Also, I'd feel uncomfortable using something that...bold in a business environment (which, considering I have an internship in my near future, I'll likely do). Yes, I'd like the 6800U, but the battery life issues don't justify the extra performance.
i don't think it's that flashy if you turn off the lights, which i think can be controlled...other than the lights, if one gets the clear lcd lid i think it'll look less hardcore and more plain...
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 42
3/6/05 at 2:47am
It's a preference thing. Best all around lappy right now is the 9300 if you are considering battery life as a factor. No doubt that the XPS2 wins in pure performance but only by a hair until you are gaming. Somehow I think the 9300 will more than adequately meet my needs there...
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 42
3/6/05 at 2:54am
depends on what u want to do with the laptop and what comp. u have right now. i have the 8600 (see sig.) and the 9300 isnt that much of a jump in terms of gaming. well it is but the xps2 takes the cake.

dude it beats all desktop cards even the ultra in some cases.
in my case with the coupon the 9300 comes to $1950. the xps2 is $2700 similiarly spec'd except for the ultra. so basically as i dont care for the rest of the extras, ill be paying $750 just for the card.
so now its basically between an xps2 or a desktop for me.
if u want to play games at maximum settings, xps2 is for u. medium settings, heck even the 8600 does a very good job of that.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › I cant decide what to buy (XPS2 or 9300)