Hmm, what laptop should I get as my first laptop?

wheelhotwheelhot
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Well in a couple of days time I will finish my high school government exam and in a couple of months I will be enrolling in college. Problem is, I dont know what laptop to pick. Yeah yeah its still early but I like to be prepared.



Anyway here are the lists of my choices :

MacBook

XPS M1330

Inspiron 1420



Usage:

Graphic designing

Non high - end gaming (mostly MMORPG)



So here is my story :

I have always been a fan of Mac's and always wanted a mac but then their high price and normal specs makes me think twice. Now the only reason that is pushing me towards a Mac is the OS.



For me, the Dell's GPU is definately better then Mac but what surprises me is the benchmark CNET posted on their review bout Dell's M1330.



URL :http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/dell....html?tag=also



What I dont understand how is the MacBook which has a lower GPU can outperform a GeForce 8 GPU? I usually do a lot of multi tasking and these stuffs are important. Do OS affect benchmark result? cause if they are comparing between Leopard and Vista then I consider that benchmark is biased since its obvious that the Leopard is build for multitasking (spaces and etc).



(So are they saying that the new MacBook will perform faster since it uses Intel latest graphic card?)



Im also looking for a lightweight laptop. The Inspiron is my lowest pick cause although it has a good graphic card (the best between those 3) but it is really bulky and heavy.



I like Apple keyboard and touchpad (2 fingers thing) but that is not enough to justify in me picking a MacBook.



Oh yeah when im talking bout graphic card usage, I guess I need to use the high ram usage vista cuz I'll be using SolidWorks as the graphic design software.



Take note that I will be upgrading the RAM to 4GB which ever system I buy.



And I will post more stuffs once I got more exposure

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Why not a MBP if you need the dedicated GPU? The link you posted for the dell machine was a $2100 machine as tested. You can get a new entry level MBP for $1999, or a refurb for $1699.
  • Reply 2 of 14
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Don't buy a Dell laptop, whatever you do. They are poorly made and, one way or another, will break at ill-opportune times.
  • Reply 3 of 14
    wheelhotwheelhot Posts: 465member
    Quote:

    Don't buy a Dell laptop, whatever you do. They are poorly made and, one way or another, will break at ill-opportune times.



    Yeah I read something bout the quality on the XPS is poor.



    Well I went to check the MBP and it has everything I wanted.



    Its funny though, a XPS M1330 in Malaysia is 2X Cheaper then a MBP: Here are the links for MBP pricing and M1330.:



    Mac Book Pro

    XPS M1330
  • Reply 4 of 14
    buddhabuddha Posts: 386member
    It seems like what you're doing might require processing power just as much or more than graphics. I would recommend getting a Macbook Pro, if you're planning on getting 4GB of ram and a not-so-amazing processor I think the processor MIGHT bottleneck your experience.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wheelhot View Post


    Yeah I read something bout the quality on the XPS is poor.



    Well I went to check the MBP and it has everything I wanted.



    Its funny though, a XPS M1330 in Malaysia is 2X Cheaper then a MBP: Here are the links for MBP pricing and M1330.:



    Mac Book Pro

    XPS M1330



    You're comparison isn't fair. The Dell has a 13 inch screen and integrated graphics. The MBP has a 15 inch screen and a dedicated graphics card. The Dell should be compared to a MacBook.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    wheelhotwheelhot Posts: 465member
    Im not comparing the integrated graphics version, I choose the higher end of the line in the link that is given, it comes with a 8400M while MBP comes with 8600 and MacBook X3100. Make sure you use my link cause in Malaysia a MBP worths RM8 000-RM10 000 while a XPS worth RM4 000 - 5 000 which is around the same price as a MacBook. (I dont know why the US version of XPS worth 2k USD).



    If I compare a 13" MB and XPS, then its pretty obvious which is a better equipped PC, but what surprises me is the benchmark results between XPS and MB
  • Reply 7 of 14
    bg_nycbg_nyc Posts: 189member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wheelhot View Post


    Anyway here are the lists of my choices :

    MacBook

    XPS M1330

    Inspiron 1420



    e



    Seems ridiculous to come to the AI forum and ask this. The answer will be obvious given those three choices.



    But the fact is that its not just about the computer. Its also about the OS. Even if Dell was 3x more powerful and half the price, I would still go with an MB or MBP because XP and Vista suck.
  • Reply 8 of 14
    wheelhotwheelhot Posts: 465member
    I heard something bout Microsoft next OS development is a new kernel since Vista uses soo much memory. So we can see it in like 3-5 years time?
  • Reply 9 of 14
    giantgiant Posts: 6,041member
    This really isn't that difficult. Find out how the games you play perform on the current macbooks. If they play fine, then get that. If not, look elsewhere.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wheelhot View Post


    Im not comparing the integrated graphics version, I choose the higher end of the line in the link that is given, it comes with a 8400M while MBP comes with 8600 and MacBook X3100. Make sure you use my link cause in Malaysia a MBP worths RM8 000-RM10 000 while a XPS worth RM4 000 - 5 000 which is around the same price as a MacBook. (I dont know why the US version of XPS worth 2k USD).



    If I compare a 13" MB and XPS, then its pretty obvious which is a better equipped PC, but what surprises me is the benchmark results between XPS and MB



    Wheelhot, PC manufacturers are blatantly deceiving the public. The 8400M is a very, very underpowered GPU. Just be cause it is 8 series does not mean it is good. A 6600GT would probably demolish the 8400M. When dealing with nVidia 8 series, you must look at 8500GT, 8600MGT, 8600GT, 8800GTS, as decent mid-range cards in this day and age. 128MB VRAM minimum.



    Additionally notice that it is labelled as Nvidia GeForce Go 8400, the "Go" being much poorer classification than "M GT" as in the MacBookPro's 8600M GT



    In my desktop 8500GT 256mb DDR3, I can play FEAR:XP and XP2 (Perseus Mandate) at *Maximum* settings for 1280x1024. Also because it is a "factory overclocked" card.



    The reason why the benchmarks show the MacBook being faster than the XPS is this:



    1. There are no 3D game tests. In which case there needs to be more comprehensive benchmarking of Intel X3100.



    2. A MacBook Core 2 Duo with 1GB RAM running either WinXP2 or Tiger/Leopard will definitely have very good performance in the general "multimedia/multitasking" benchmarks. This is an established trend.



    As for 3D games, do consider the following:







    What this means is that you would need to compare your MMORPG games against the 3D Mark 05 benchmark, compare graphic cards appropriately, and consider whether your 3D needs increase in the next few years.



    By the way, here is the new pricing for MacBooks:

    http://www.machines.com.my/product_macbook.php



    I recommend the RM 4,759 model.



    Based on cost and specifications, MacBook may seem expensive.



    But consider Leopard vs Vista ((please whatever you do please get XP2Pro not Vista).

    Then consider iLife'08.

    Then consider virtually no viruses.



    Then consider you can still run Vista or XP2Pro if you need to.



    I strongly urge you to think carefully and break out of the cheap-and-dirty PC cycle.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Also have a look at this for X3100 gaming benchmarking:

    http://www.barefeats.com/mbook2.html
  • Reply 12 of 14
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Wheelhot, you should also remember that whatever the PC laptop benchmarks are, their performance will reduce by around 10%-30% or more. This is because by the time all the crapware, drivers, utilities, anti-spyware, anti-virus is installed, the performance of the PC will be degraded.



    Please don't be fooled by specifications of PCs. ...I know I list specifications in my signature, because these details are important, but only because I know all the other components, software, operating systems, and games I am running. Particularly overclocking of my desktop PC.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    wheelhotwheelhot Posts: 465member
    Quote:

    ((please whatever you do please get XP2Pro not Vista).



    Thats why I prefer to stay away from Vista equipped PC but nowadays ALL laptop comes with Vista, its hard to find a new non-vista laptop.



    And thanks for the tip nvidia2008, I though its all about specs. I guess Im wrong. Thanks for helping. Oh yeah btw, will upgrading the Ram to 2-4GB help improve a 3D Design software speed?
  • Reply 14 of 14
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wheelhot View Post


    Thats why I prefer to stay away from Vista equipped PC but nowadays ALL laptop comes with Vista, its hard to find a new non-vista laptop.



    And thanks for the tip nvidia2008, I though its all about specs. I guess Im wrong. Thanks for helping. Oh yeah btw, will upgrading the Ram to 2-4GB help improve a 3D Design software speed?



    Hi, sorry it took a while for me to reply. It is hard to find a non-Vista laptop but hopefully some WinXP2 ones are starting to come back around.



    Nope, the RAM will improve the 3D design software speed but more when you are doing the later-stage "rendering" stuff......
Sign In or Register to comment.