Dell Vostro 1320 Screen Upgrade and Gaming Capabilities

Hi everyone,

I am currently considering to purchase the new Vostro 1320 with the following config:

- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
- 3 GB RAM
- GeForce 9300M GS 256MB

And before commiting, I have 2 questions that I was hoping someone could help me with.

Question #1:
What is the difference between the 13.3 inch WXGA Anti-Glare Display and the 13.3 inch UltraSharp™ WXGA LCD Display w/TrueLife™ (upgrade). Is it worth the extra CAD$150 and is this the famous glossy vs non-glossy display? I have previously owned a Dell 600m which had a non-glossy matte screen; will this Anti-Glare Display be the same quality (low brightness)?

Question #2:
I would like to do some light gaming on this laptop. I was wondering if Team Fortress 2 would run OK with this 9300M GS 256MB with a 2.4Gig Core 2 Dual CPU. If so, what setting would I be looking at and at what frame rate?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

Cheers,
PolarFrog

 

I was actually thinking of buying one as well (my post is right below yours). I was also curious about the differences in screen choices; the default appears to be the standard business-type "matte finish" screen while the $150 option leads me to be believe the upgrade will give you the "glossy finish" screen with slightly brighter colours and contrast.

I guess it comes down to personal preference. My desktop monitor has a matte finish so I'm used to it; my old Toshiba notebook had the glossy screen and in certain lighting conditions made me crazy with the glare.

With respect to the 9300M GS as a viable gaming card, expect to play most newer games at low-medium detail settings but otherwise you'll be fine.

9300M GS Info

My 2 cents...

 

Just ordered this system from Dell as part of their sale without the card and got it for a grand total $449 because of an error on their site with warranty....waiting for confirmation as this would be a great deal for that price.

 

Thanks Iggiepop and Les for the replies.

I just looked at a dell with the glossy screen, and must say that it also drives me crazy when there is a lightsource behind me. But on the other hand, it does provide sharper/brighter contrasts. Although I probably won't dish the extra 150$ for gloss.

As for the 9300M GS; I was wondering if it is comparable to what the MacBook has (the 9400M). I was on YouTube and found the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPT5xp5GdqM which shows the MacBook playing Team Fortress 2 seemingly at very good FPS.

Was wondering if the Vostro 1320 with the video card upgrade would offer similar performance.

Cheers,
PolarFrog

 

I think the 9300M GS is slower, but definitely not by much. They should indeed offer about the same performance.

 

The 9300M GS is most likely DDR2 but has its own dedicated 256MB of memory; the 9400M of the MacBook uses the systems DDR3 RAM (no dedicated in this case).

The edge would most likely go to the 9400M due to the memory speeds but as the previous poster said, the difference would not be great.

If you intend to do any gaming on the 1320 then the 9300M GS is a must over the Intel 4500MHD, no question.