post from the past!

I personally don't use mine anymore, I gave it to my dad. He still uses it but I think one of the RAM is going bad cause he gets a blue screen every-so-often and its not software related cause it happens on both windows xp and vista. Overall, its a good machine. Runs a little hot sometimes but its good.

Started my 3rd year with my 8600 in February - not a single problem and going strong. Before that I had an 8000 that I used for 4 years with only a couple of problems. I have only had to call Dell Support once in all this time.

My i8600 is used daily ~10hrs / day for the past 3 years as is now being used in an IT industry and she still outpreforms a good portion of my client's computers I work on today. Not to mention she looks like I just bought it yesterday (nice to take care of things). I can't tell you how proud I am of this model and it's going to be real hard to get a new one...

Mine see's a lot of use still. I just reinstalled Vista for a nother try. I'll probably use for another couple of years, as long as it continues to work.

If the 8600 is laid out like the 8500, taking out the fan is real easy - just two screws on the base and it pos out as a unit. I mention this because after mine died, i did take out the fan and there was a huge mat of black, slightly oily compacted fluff between the fan and the heatsink. If I had found and removed that earlier it might have run cooler and lasted longer ...

The 8600c, however, doesn't have an intake on the bottom of the casing. It relys on the top intake next to the keyboard for air, therefore, makes it harder for dust and crap to actually get in. Normally, I can go for about 1/2 year and barely find a dust bunny between the fan and the heatsink.

Sorry to chime in late..

I have had my i8600 since October 2004.. The thing is still running strong! Only thing that is on it's way out if my video card fan, but I just ordered a replacement.. This laptop survived my vacation to Kuwait and Iraq courtesy of uncle sam... it has seen its share of the small dust/sand particles of Iraq/Kuwait and still runs like a champ!

I'm still using my old 8100 as my only computer. But i'll buy a new one as soon as Dell release one with 4-cores-Cpu.

I'm still using my 8600 and recently upgraded to Vista, (yeah I know) but I really like it. And it runs pretty smooth. Would love to upgrade, but the backyard deck needs to be rebuilt

I love mine. Refuses to die, travel everywhere with it. Although, not much left inside that was 'stock'.

Oh, you don't need a Core2 to run Vista fine. Just get 2gb memory and a 7200rpm H/D. I run a quad 6600 o/c to 3.6 ghz w/ 8gb memory for comparison as my desktop, and the 8600 is just fine for beating around and light gaming.

@johnnymo: Did you have to do the heatsink mod on the 9600 when you put it in there?


My I8500 has been going strong for years, but she's only got a gig, plus the video is starting to go; artifacts leading to freezing-maybe it's the fan. So right now I'm deciding, replace and mod the video, plus buy 2 fresh GB of RAM...or buy a new Dell XPS M1530??

Tough decisions. The parts for the 8500 will be $3-400, the new system would be $1400!

3-400 bucks...Huh!? The M10 will only cost you $170 here:

http://www.txcesssurplus.com/servlet...on-9600/Detail

I never did ANY fan or heatsink mod except adding a dash of AS5 to the stock heatsink. Overheating has never been an issue, and I play the Orange Box on it just fine. Oblivion on low. Crysis, uh, no.

Then again, the XPS line can't play Crysis either, so I'd say DEFINITELY go with the video update if your usage follows mine.
If you could use a Chip update, I just posted a very very nice Ebay price on a 2.0 Ghz Dothan (400mhz) FSB chip. These are getting hard to find.

I know this is an old thread, but I just have to add that my Inspiron 8600 is still going strong. I'm about to replace the keyboard, up the RAM from 1 to 2 GB, and upgrade my 1.7 Ghz Banias to a 2.0 Ghz Dothan. I have the max resolution LCD, which is just beautiful. Party on, Inspiron!

are you the ED1955 from penn? if so how is that 8600 working, i'm the one who traded it to you.

I DO love my i8600c. It is still up and running with 2Gb RAM, M60 Mod case, 100Gb HD 7200rpm, 9600 Pro Cooper termal mod, BT. I can watch my movies, surf the internet, and still playing old school games that I like. It has 5 years already, going for 6 but it is AWESOME!!!!