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Veteran Poster
Joined: 27 Mar 2010
Posts: 192
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 Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:45 pm Post subject: In the market for a new pc or laptop? |
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If you are in the market for a new pc or laptop, and you are not sure which processor to go with, here are a couple of sites which may help you:
chip processor benchmark ranking: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
once you get past the ads this site is really helpful, in that you can see the ranking and benchmark scores which will give you a clue as to what kind of horsepower your prospective processor has.
if you are looking at Intel chips and want to see more specs. on a comparison basis, you can go here: http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyID=43129&MarketSegment=DT
select your chips and compare away.
I went with the Dell Vostro with the i3 370M chip. The reviews on Dell's site for the various models were very helpful in my selection. Initially I was looking at the Vostro V13 & V130 because I wanted something lighter weight. Although the V13 & V130 were well designed (pretty and thin) and light weight, even the highest available i3 380UM processor for the V130 was not enough horsepower for my taste. Though thicker and about 1 lb heavier the Vostro 3400 with the i3 370M chip ranked about 53 on that 1st link above, much better than the V130 chip ranked at #233.
Using task manager (get there by ctrl+alt+delete) and selecting performance I was able to see I made the right choice. Both processor and Ram have more than enough headroom for what I am doing.
Fan comes on after about 10 minutes and stays on but it does not bother me (low purr) since general noise around me drowns out any fan noise. Reading the reviews, and doing some searching I was able to determine this was not an issue for me. Fan vents (small) at the bottom is probably the cause for the fan being on. Elevating the lap a bit may increase air flow and thus reduce fan time. Laptop temp is good probably as a result of the fan being on dissipating any buildup of heat. In the Dell customer reviews on this Vostro 3400, someone mentioned the possibility of a Dell bios fix to lower the fan speed. Not sure about that possibility but who knows - still not an issue for me.
you may run across a review which talks of flex screen, but the aluminum cover and surrounding screen were well built and this was not an issue unless you force it to be one thru abuse. No screen flex on opening and closing which is all you should be doing.
Vostro 3400 - Looks good, performs well, anti-glare screen is great. Good choice for me at a good price point (less than $600 including tax and delivered next business day free).
I looked at HPQ, Gateway and Apple on a comparative basis with performance, and price being primary. Style was also part of the decision but not primary.
tip: if you are patient, shop around and wait for the special pricing sales around the holidays.
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Also when you get your system all set up, if you want to do a speed test you can go here: http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
I clocked in at about 18+ Mbps down and 2+ Mbps up. |
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