Solved! Can you beat this new Dell laptop for $538?

mountie

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Feb 25, 2009
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Hello! I am planning on making a purchase within the next couple days and after several days of research I have rested upon a Dell "New" Inspiron 15R with a 2nd gen core i3-2310 processor at 2.1Ghz, 3GB/320GB w/o any b s "add-ons" for $538 pre tax and pre shipping.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=fncov01&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=inspiron-15r-n5110

Question #1: Is it worth the extra $88 to upgrade over the "old" inspiron 15R with a 1st gen core i3-380 and all other similar specs? I know battery life will be better on the new one.

Question #2: Are there any comparable ASUS or Toshiba laptops with similar specs in this price range (sub $600)? I don't know where to look for a decent ASUS, but I like their quality reputation.... I couldn't find anything remarkable at bestbuy(thedevil) or newegg.

Question # 3: The basic model has integrated "ATI 3000" graphics, do I pay the extra $75 for the discrete graphics AMD6470M? Potentially less battery but that means I don't have any video restrictions. What can't I do with the integrated 3000?

I have a 2 year old custom built desktop that suites all my needs and I just need a portable solution to check mail, surf, and maybe watch a movie on the go.

Thanks in advance
 
Solution
Hello mountie;

1. All the 'other specs' will not be the same. Integrated graphics are different.
Overall CPU performance is close but the i3-380 (#53) is ranked above i3-2310 (#64)
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
Overall GPU performance is quite a bit different with HD 3000 ranked higher.
HD 3000 is ranking close to current entry level discrete cards like NVIDIA GeForce 310M or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

2. The similiar spec'd Asus or Toshiba laptops in the same price range aren't the models that earned them their reputations.
You'd have to move up into the higher priced models to get the higher quality you...
Hello mountie;

1. All the 'other specs' will not be the same. Integrated graphics are different.
Overall CPU performance is close but the i3-380 (#53) is ranked above i3-2310 (#64)
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
Overall GPU performance is quite a bit different with HD 3000 ranked higher.
HD 3000 is ranking close to current entry level discrete cards like NVIDIA GeForce 310M or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

2. The similiar spec'd Asus or Toshiba laptops in the same price range aren't the models that earned them their reputations.
You'd have to move up into the higher priced models to get the higher quality you mention. Same with Dell, moving up to XPS models.

3. Gaming? No = Stick with HD 3000 Graphics. Yes = Maybe, depending on the games you want to play.

Only you can decide if the new model is worth the extra $88.
If you've accurately described your requirements (check mail, surf, watch a movie on the go) it seems to me you don't need to spend $88 more to get that done.



 
Solution

mountie

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Feb 25, 2009
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You win WR2! thanks for the response!

I almost bought that Toshiba for $399 last week... Should have pulled the trigger! That would have been the winner for sure. Maybe i'll use the lack of an HDMI as a reason for not getting it...

You pretty much set me straight with my misconception about reputations with a majority of it residing with the higher end devices... I would have just hoped that it would have trickled down the line to the lower end models.

I really like that Asus from newegg although I'm still not completely sold on the processor... I thought that going with the latest processor corei3-2310 would help the longevity of the computer, as my last lappy lasted for 7 years...

Thank you again for providing me with some competition for this Dell, I'll have to mash this one out with the ol' ball and chain.
 

geekapproved

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Dec 10, 2010
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I definitely would take the i3 over a pentium dual core.

I would not pay extra $88 for the other i3. Performance and wattage are similiar.

The 2310 is much faster clock for clock, but runs at a slower clock speed.
 

dabspalalabs

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Apr 7, 2011
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why not give the new AMD's a try. for example the MSI X370. the IGP on this machine is really cool plus its not a power hog.

http://minilaptopzone.com/2011/04/msi-x370-slim-finally-out/