Solved! Laptop Suggestion

[mortalinstincts]

Hello Everyone

While I've been a regular visitor to Tom's Hardware, I just joined the forums

So I just need your help in recommending a laptop for me. I'll be going to university soon and I have a budget of around US$2000 or less. I want to use the laptop for Gaming, Multimedia and general everyday use.

I have been considering the Dell Studio XPS 16 with the following specs:

1080p High Definition Screen
Intel® Core™ i5-540M Processor (2.53Ghz, 4 Thread, turbo boost up to 3.06 GHz, 3M cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64bit (English)
8GB (4GBx2) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Slot Load Fixed Blu-ray BD-ROM / DVD + /-RW Combo Drive
1GB DDR3 ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730

or

1080p High Definition Screen
Intel® Core™ i7-740QM (1.73GHz, 4Core/8Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 6M cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64bit (English)
6GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (1 x 2GB + 1 x 4GB)
640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Slot Load Fixed Blu-ray BD-ROM / DVD + /-RW Combo Drive
1GB DDR3 ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730

Can you tell me if this laptop has heating issues? and should i go for 6GB RAM with a core i7 or 8GB RAM with a core i5?

Or if there is any other good laptop with my budget and with the same kind of specs?

 

[Maziar]

Hello and welcome to the forums
There are much better laptops in that price range, but let me answer your questions about XPS 16 first.
As for the heating issue,yes XPS 16 runs noticeably hotter than most laptops(even in idle mode).
Between 6GB and 8GB,i would go with 6GB and i7,because the difference between 6GB and 8GB isn't noticeable, but some games/apps benefit from multi-core CPUs.
If you don't care about battery life,then have a look at Sager NP8690,it has much better specs/cooling than XPS 16
http/www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8690-built-clevo-w860cu-custom-gaming-laptop-p-2659.html

 

[mortalinstincts]

Hey, thanks for the reply.

Actually, I'll be buying this laptop in Singapore. So I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get the Sager laptop there, and if I do decide to order it from the United States, I guess warranty will be something to worry about?

While my laptop is going to be on the table for most of the time, or inside my bag, so as long as it has bearable temperatures and doesn't melt itself, I'm fine.

What do you think are the chances of the XPS series getting a 3D ready graphic card and screen? And when will that be in terms of time of the year?

Is there any other brand I should consider? But please do bear in mind, that I want a sleek looking laptop (Asus laptops and even Aleinware for that matter look very bulky and so I'm ruling them out).

 

[Maziar]

Then,if you order from US,it will cost much higher(due to taxes) and yes if something happens to your notebook,then you may need to wait a long time in order to get it fixed.
Check this for the nearest Clevo(Sager) reseller near you
http/forum.notebookreview.com/sager-clevo/264311-clevo-guide-v2-0-faq-reseller-info-read-before-posting.html
According to that link, A*Note is a sager reseller in Singapore
http/www.a-note.com/