|
|
XPS Dell Laptop
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
XPS Dell Laptop // Roundtable
Post by RichLevy // Apr 4, 2009, 10:09am
|
RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
|
I know that TS is particular to NVidia or ATI graphics cards (I am partial to NVidia) is this laptop something that should perform well with TS 7.6 and other high end programs. I am not expecting break neck speeds but I would like to get something in my price range (and this is) that will run many of Adobe's software (Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop all recent versions), other highend stuff 3D wise and works well with TS.
The main use for this will be school papers, running ectronic simulations and analysis programs (they are far less streefull on the hardware than the programs listed above).
Advise appreciated.
Rich |
Post by prodigy // Apr 4, 2009, 10:22am
|
prodigy
Total Posts: 3029
|
I should recommend buy one with Nvidia graphic card.. my laptop has an intel, GC and works with TS but not with good performance.. my old 6600 is much better.. so go figure. (tested in WS)
with other softwares like premiere, no problems at all.
I tried to find a good laptop with nvidia but was a big jump in cost.. from 800$ to 1600 here in Uruguay..
Spend money on Vga is a good deal.. all depends on your budget. :) |
Post by Jack Edwards // Apr 4, 2009, 11:57am
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
You'll probably get a system that better meets your needs for a lot less money from these guys:
http://www.btotech.com/index.asp
For example:
http://www.btotech.com/_e/15_4_Laptops/product/Asus_G50Vt-X9/Asus_G50Vt_X9.htm
for ~$1500 that's pretty cool, though I imagine even with the 9 cell battery you're probably lucky to get an hour or so... lol :D |
Post by RichLevy // Apr 4, 2009, 3:25pm
|
RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
|
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&oc=DYDOHU1
This is the spec... I have till tomorrow to decide. I just took a look at BestBuy, they had similar systems without the NVidia card, just a tad bit cheaper. This appears to be a good deal... Thanks for the link Jack, and the confirmation Augusto.
Rich |
Post by Jack Edwards // Apr 4, 2009, 4:35pm
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
Couple of things to watch for, Rich:
The video card you want to get a 9800 or better. The 8600 and 9600 are generally in the 7900GS range of performance and relatively weak performers by today's standards. Don't even bother with anything that's less than x6xx series video card.
The screen resolution is a bit low in the Dell you linked. 1440x900 is *ok* if you're not using it as your main system, but 1680x1050 and 1900x1200 are much better for working in trueSpace which needs a high vertical resolution for the panels in the stack view. I'm finding even 1050 vertical resolution is a bit cramped when browsing the web and working in PhotoShop as well.
Harddrive speed is more important than space. Best Buy has 1TB external harddrives for $100 now, lol. Get a 7200 RPM HD if you can.
Overall, for $1000, the Dell system isn't bad, but the limited edition Asus is quite a bit better. It's really a matter of how much money you want to spend.
Here's a slightly cheaper version of the Asus G50:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220483
BlueRay is another option to keep an eye out for incase you want to use it as a BlueRay player. Many of the laptops have HDMI outputs now. ;)
Also make sure you get a cooling pad. I don't know much about the Dell, but the Asus computers are designed to be desktop replacements (high performance) and all run VERY hot. Asus doesn't make motherboard design choices that cripple performance in their laptops (something that I encounted with Toshiba) and they don't come with all the bloatware crap that a lot of the other manufacturers install, so performance out of the box is good.
Good luck with your choice! |
Post by Mr. 3d // Apr 4, 2009, 4:39pm
|
Mr. 3d
Total Posts: 747
|
I could be wrong, but I think the computer you picked has 2GB on C Drive and a separate 2GB on D Drive. I prefer to have all 4GB on one Drive (C Drive) and I'm pretty sure you would too. It makes for easier organization and gives all your desired power on one designated Drive...instead of splitting it apart. Also, I would rather have a processor a little faster than 2.2 GHz (though that's still fast !). Even though the Dell you are thinking about is a good computer, I think you could do better for the price (just my opinion;)). I think you may like this touchscreen from HP much better, as I have found the touchscreen to come in extremely handy when creating art. Also, you can flip the screen around and handwrite text on it like a notepad that will then be coverted to typed text. It comes with 4GB on one Drive (C), has a faster processor, and also comes with Vista 64bit Ultimate.
(http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9168189&st=touchscreen+laptop&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218041998718)
Just something else to think about;) |
Post by Jack Edwards // Apr 4, 2009, 4:53pm
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
Mr. 3D, not sure what you mean by 2GB on the hard drive ( c: )? The hard drive for the Dell is 500GB...
If you mean that the 4GB of RAM is split into 2 2GB DIMMs instead one 4GB DIMM, that's likely true for any 4GB laptop. Unless you get a "Barebones" system and purchase your own ram, or buy from a custom system builder like the BTO guys I linked above, the system manufacturers alway use the smaller sized RAM sticks.
But that does bring up another good point, it might be worth it to get a sytem with 6GB or 8GB of RAM to make sure that it supports 8GB RAM. The Dell Rich listed does have that as an option which is cool. ;) |
Post by Mr. 3d // Apr 4, 2009, 6:24pm
|
Mr. 3d
Total Posts: 747
|
Your right Jack ! I was caught in between this and the NCAA tournament, on top of having a full day, and I confused the point being that some systems split up there Hardrive memories in between two separate drives (C & D). Now that I took a second look, I doubt that is the case with the Dell.
That computer you suggested sounds nice Jack. The HP I shared is geared more for school and business mobility, rather than just as a home based unit. It's good to have options to think about, and it's definitely a plus to desire more Ram and a fast processor ! |
Post by Jack Edwards // Apr 4, 2009, 6:48pm
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
:) No probs!
You'll find that a lot of the PC manufacturers will use C: drive as the main drive and then have a separate D: partition set up for restoring the computer. This is done so that they don't have to provide restore DVDs with the computer. Though I have seen on occasion with large drives that they will partition the drive into 200GB partitions. :shrug:
I agree that picking a laptop is a much more personal choice than picking a desktop, it all depends on what you're going to be using it for. If you fly a lot then battery life and weight may be very important factors to consider as well.
One thing is for certain don't go less than 3GB if you plan to use Vista! My sister's HP had Vista and only came with 1GB of RAM, WTH? She used to have to wait forever for it do things since half the OS was always swapped out to the virtual memory. I upgraded her to 3 GB and a 7200 RPM harddrive after her harddrive failed and the difference is amazing. Instead of a poorly designed barely usable computer, she now has a reasonable zippy one that she uses for pretty much everything.
I've have an old Asus Z71v and my other sister has an Asus C90s, and they've been good performers for us. My Z71v still runs trueSpace fine and only has an nVidia 6600 video card, lol. And my other sister uses her C90s for GIS related stuff. The C90s is a beautiful machine and was quite an upgrade from her old Compaq laptop. ;) |
Post by Mr. 3d // Apr 4, 2009, 7:07pm
|
Mr. 3d
Total Posts: 747
|
... Though I have seen on occasion with large drives that they will partition the drive into 200GB partitions. :shrug:
That's what I was getting at....two separated drives for storing information. What a hassle that must be ! |
Post by RichLevy // Apr 4, 2009, 10:16pm
|
RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
|
Thanks for the pointers Jack. I am not looking for a desktop replacement, just a general purpose allaround lugger Being able to run some 3D software decently would be a big plus though. Right now I think I am going to stay with the 1000 budget. The bigger more powerful machines seem to be less battery friendly than the lesser ones and that is a big consideration. The screen resolution is not a big factor either, the intent is to have a machine that can be used anywhere to write papers, and do circuit analysis for my class work, all the other stuff would be secondary :) The home desktop machines will still be the primary clunkers for now, though that may change over time... I like the specs on some of those ASUS models :)
Good information to churn around in my very tiny, insignificant carpenter brain :D
Thanks
Rich |
Post by Norm // Apr 6, 2009, 11:50am
|
Norm
Total Posts: 862
|
Not sure if this applies or not Rich, but Dell offers at least a 7% discount to students. Search for "student discounts" over at Dell.com and one of the hits is: http://www.delluniversity.com/ |
Post by TomG // Apr 7, 2009, 5:03am
|
TomG
Total Posts: 3397
|
The ASUS G50 is a great machine, my wife has one (though I did the choosing of course!), awesome 3D power for a laptop, and a pretty good price, not that far over $1,000. Of course sometimes anything over a budget limit is just too much, but to be honest in terms of performance per dollar, I've yet to see anything match the ASUS.
HTH!
Tom |
|
