Should I get this laptop?

[honeymustard]

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&kc=NRS15353&l=en&m_30=111789&oc=N0053503&rbc=N0053503&s=dhs

CPU: Intel Pentium T4200 (2.0GHz, 800MHz, 1MB cache)
OS: Vista? Home Premium SP1 (64 BIT)
SCREEN: 15.6in Widescreen High Definition (1366x768) WLED with TrueLife
RAM: 4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
HDD: 320GB (5.400rpm) SATA
GRAPHICS: 512MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4570

Basically I'm just looking for a quality laptop for when I go back to uni, mainly used for 3D modelling programs etc, music, internet, Source games (mainly TF2 and L4D!!).

[sj33]

Upgrade the processor to some kind of Core2 Duo if you want to play L4D and TF2.

The rest looks fine.

[honeymustard]

Yeah I thought the processor might be a bit low. Alternative is:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6500 (2.1GHz, 800MHz, 2MB)

Though that's another £70 which is a bit annoying.

[sj33]

It's a huge upgrade through, worth the extra. The Core2 is in a different league to the Pentium Dual Core, even at lower speeds.

[CMcK]

It's worth the extra money so you don't have the P4 derived dual core burn your legs! They do get mad hot in a laptop sized enclosure.

[honeymustard]

Ok I ordered it, with a Core 2 Duo.

[bash]

So what would this laptop be like for Crysis/Rage?

[sj33]

^It'll run them, perhaps not at native resolution with all the settings pulled up. I can get Crysis running at 30fps on my GeForce 8400m GS, which I'm pretty sure is an inferior GPU to the above.

[NemesiS]

Yeah, you should be able run it without too much loss. Crysis is only a killer at full res.

My Vaio has 4GB, a 8400m GT and a C2D 2.5 cpu and runs it no prob and at a decent rate. Incedently, i upgraded my CPU myself from a 2.0. Much cheaper if you do it yourself rather than get it factory fitted.

[abigsmurf]

Upgrading Laptop CPUs yourself is almost always cheaper but OEM laptop CPUs are hard to reliably source (tend to need to rely on Ebay sellers).

Went from a 1.6 ghz celeron to a 2ghz core2duo on my £100 ex display laptop I nabbed from Staples (no psu, not battery but otherwise perfectly fine). Ended up building myself a pretty powerful laptop for £225-ish.

I've also got a celeron 550 lying around that I can't figure out what to do with now.

Anyhow, that's a great laptop for the price.

Here's a benchmark on the graphics chip: http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI...0.13885.0.html

Crysis is smooth on low and a bit jerky on medium, could probably use a mix of low and medium and get 30fps. Doom 3 runs well and that's probably the closest comparison to Source, could probably max out the settings and run at full or near full resolution and get more than 30fps.

[NemesiS]

Upgrading Laptop CPUs yourself is almost always cheaper but OEM laptop CPUs are hard to reliably source (tend to need to rely on Ebay sellers).

Thats where i got it. Brand new 2.5 c2d OEM for ?35, which was a bargain. But like you say, dealing with ebay for anything can be in the lap of the gods.

I'm actually thinking of maybe (a big maybe), trying to change my GPU to something better as well as it would work out cheaper than selling and buying a new system. Trouble is, the 8400 is part hardwired to the MB and i am loathe to start messing with that and not even sure if its possible even tho some notebook forums say it is.

Don't get me wrong, i'm clued up with laptop surgery but just not sure if this is worthwhile, if its possible. I could just do with some extra grunt.

[sj33]

Even if it's physically possible, the motherboard and/or bios might not accept it.

[NemesiS]

Even if it's physically possible, the motherboard and/or bios might not accept it.

Thats another issue, but like i said, it has been done reading on netbook forums. I just not sure its worth the risk/effort tbh.

Might just be better biting the bullet and flogging my system and buying something similar to an XPS 1730.

[sj33]

You could, though if I was in the market for a new laptop, I'd be looking at the Studio 16. 16:9 1920x1080 LED screen. My existing laptop has an LED screen, and it's impossible to go back to the standard screens

Mind you, I have an XPS m1330. I bought it for portability, but I can run anything from FarCry 2 to the Resi 5 Benchmark to Batman Arkham Asylum on here, so long as I lower the resolution a tad (hardly a big deal on a 13" screen), so I'm quite happy with the gaming capabilities of the 8400.

[abigsmurf]

I believe both ATI and nVidia have a new round of dieshrinked GPUs coming hitting laptops now.