So in my constant and on going struggle to convince myself to get the 9300 and clone it instead of dropping 3 grand for a m170, i have a question for the numerous people who have dropped a 7800 into their 9300. I think one of the main reasons i keep sticking to the M170 is that im often times without an outlet for an hour or 2 at work and school. I want to be able to play games without being attached to the wall. So though i know the upgrade is wonderful when you are attached to your 130w power supply and have your 9 cell battery in, I want to know what are the 3d marks in "power save mode" and are they still robust enough to handle games better then that of the 6800 go? Does putting the 7800 basically mean you can’t play games or any graphics intensive applications on the battery? Or am I getting this all wrong and once you have the 9 cell battery and 130w power supply you no longer go into power save mode once you unplug? This is just something I haven’t heard much about and would really make a difference in my decision. Thanks!!

No matter what you wont be able to play games for more than like 45minutes if your not plugged in, also performance won't be nearly as fast on battery.

frankenstein i9300 all the way!

I think you have a misconception about the 2 laptops, you're thinking that the 9300 is not even close to the XPS. In all honesty they share the same motherboard, and almost all the parts are about the same, Almost the only parts I can think of that are differnt are the Ethernet and maybe a processor, although I have myself a dropped in Intel 780 now so I'm right there with the XPS m170. The Mi70 has those lights, that light up like a Christmas Tress, oh so festive, can you guys setup a Green and Red Display for the holidays? If so please post an image, I want to see this, lol. Anyways I'm thinking the battery life is the same. The main reason to get an XPS is because you want to have the best Dell has to offer as simple as possible. You want to become part of that XPS society with their secret Forums and memberships, I hear they even give you this card. I guess it's how they keep up with Alienware, but if you pick up a 9300, I'm sure many people in these forums would be willing to help you with any problems or questions about the 9300, as many of the users in here have them.

So yeah, the battery is about the same for both computers, just buy 2 9 cells if it's that big of an issue for you. But the laptop is big, I mean I hate moving this thing around I won't bitch about it, cause it could be worse, it could weigh more, but nobody wants to carry this thing with them to class everyday.

Truth be told I don't think the XPS owenrs are bothered about losing a few dollars as compared to the 9300 users, based on the whole. Meaning when the 7800 card prices dropped the 9300 users were all upset as compared to the XPS users, it seems like a few dollars here and there doesn't really bother the XPS users as they know they have the best. The 9300 users (Myself Included) Our scratching themselves all over to save a few bucks here and there. LOL

There was some chatter about nibittor something or other bios hack that would not force power saving mode when on battery, but you going to get like 30minutes of play time...


From what I know the 7800 is more power efficient than the 6800 n/u and the 6800 U but the laptop requires you to use the 130w.

I purchased it because you can't beat 250 dollars for a crad that is 500+ for the desktop version.

I got the kingston contour pro 17 inch, that comes with an internal sleve with shoulder harness attachment that makes taking the 9300 to class a breeze. I also got the bag for free from Dell because I complained loud enough. But I don't see carrying to class as a problem not to order the 9300.

It should boil down this way, do you want to spend 3000 dollars for pretty festive lights? Or would you rather spend 1600 dollars for the exact same laptop minus the lights and the black trim?

I was going though the same process on wednesday.... I was abor to configure an XPS 170 with a 7800 for about 2500 with EPP and all that... but I really love my 9300... so seeing they are pretty much the same laptop I figure upgrade the card/PSU/battery for like 450. Now ill have the same specs I had in the $2500 XPS and saved about $2000. The guides on here for doing the upgrades are numerous and everyone is really really helpful...But if you want all the glitz that comes with an XPS go with it... its a damn good laptop!

Are you saying the M170 runs the 7800 in power save mode when its unplugged? I guess ive gotten the impression that that the M170 is "made" for the 7800 where as the 9300 is "modified" for the 7800 and from there ive simply jumped to conclusions which is why im trying to clarify things. I don’t care about the customer service cause i can replace any and all parts myself, so warranty is all im worried about. And the lights and looks don’t mean a thing to me either. Ive never owned a laptop that could do anything but web browse so I guess im to used to the desktop platform. Ive been living in this fantasy world of being able to play any game I want where I want . So assuming you are not playing games then, does the 7800 in power save mode reduce battery life as compared to the 6800 go by an significant amount?

I commute 30 minutes each way to/from work every day. With the i9300 in my sig and a 9 cell battery fully charged, I can play games like NFS Most Wanted and Home World 2 for the entire trip and my battery shows half used when I get off the bus. Yes the performance will be about the same as a fully powered 6800 Go. Your dream of being able to play 3D games anytime anywhere will be realized.

Apologies 'freak' for drifting off topic.
Darkloki's comment really nailed the appeal for the Dell's high end notebooks. If you're lucky and can afford the cash, the XPS keeps you on the cutting edge of notebook technology. So far, thanks to the efforts of the forum members, you can keep pace on a fairly tight budget with 9300.
It's a lot of effort, but the support offered on these boards is phenomenal.