Henry Lubong's Journal

I have to admit, I made a wrong decision when I build my self a Shuttle-like PC last year. I had a monstrous desktop so I thought I’d put together a micro ATX form factor PC for a change. I don’t travel much and never really had any use for a laptop. I have an old 14″ Compaq N600C laptop that I use around the house for browsing and as a guest computer. Well, things has changed and now I need a portable PC. It’s not just for browsing anymore, I need to be able to take all my files with me. I could build myself a NAS to solve my problem but just in case I needed to travel far, I can always bring my laptop with me and not miss my PC at home. (Sounds like a good argument for the wife? hehe)

I’m currently looking at two laptops right now, the 15.4″ Dell XPS M1530 and 17″ HP Pavilion DV9700T. Both are customizable on Dell’s and HP’s websites. Since the XPS M1530 was designed as a gaming machine, it can be had with the powerful NVIDIA 256MB 8600M GT graphics card as oppose to the DV9700T entertainment machine that can only be configured with up to NVIDIA 512MB 8600M GS. When it comes to graphics capability (specially games), processor is more important than memory. The GT comes with 32 stream processors vs 16 for GS. Besides the graphics card, the more obvious difference between my two choices is the screen size. Of course you can’t really compare the two so you’ll end up weighing their features instead and my needs for a laptop. Here is the spec comparison for these two laptops base on my personal configuration:

Dell XPS M1530 – $1,483

• 15.4-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 950) CCFL glossy screen
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
• “Tuxedo” black shell
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 3GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
• 250GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• Slot-loading dual-layer DVD±RW drive
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3
• Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n (Intel 4965), Bluetooth option
• Integrated 2.0 megapixel webcam
• HDMI, VGA, S-Video, Firewire/1394, three USB 2.0 ports, integrated media reader (MS, SD, xD), fingerprint reader
• Media Center remote located in ExpressCard slot
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Dimensions (with 6-cell battery): 14.06″ x 10.34″ x 0.93″ – 1.38″
• Weight starts at 5.9 pounds with 6-cell battery (6.29 pounds with 9-cell)

HP Pavilion DV9700T – $1,456

• 17.0″ diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 3GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS with 512MB
• HP Imprint (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone
• Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth
• 240GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (2 x 120GB)
• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
• High Capacity 8-Cell Lithium Ion Battery

As you can see both are capable for their intended use. Both are good looking laptops and garnered good reviews. The question is, do I need a gaming laptop or an entertainment laptop. I am a casual gamer and I don’t think I need the power of the 8600M GT. I heard that “Crysis,” a high intensity graphics game is playable with 8600M GS on a medium setting. But do I want the heavier 17″ laptop though? It definitely will give me more screen real state, which is good when I’m doing my web development. For portability, the 15″ is clearly the winner. But I’m only gonna use it around the house.

15″ or 17″? GT or GS? portability or bigger screen? I’m leaning towards the XPS M1530 because of its size and weight but I also like the beautiful design of the DV9700T and the bigger screen. Which one?

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