E4310 Owner's Lounge

talked to my coworker with the e4300 and 3 cell battery. He said he gets 3 to 4 hours of normal use on a charge. I think he is running our enterprise XP build. My guess is that the e4310 will be similar.

Also talked to a Dell contact about the weight gain. He said it was mostly due to the chassis being beefed up. He was going to check and see if any new options might be coming soon.

 

Well I measured my E4300 and here's the breakdown in weight:

E4310: 4lbs 5.8oz
E4300: 3lbs 14.8oz

so a difference in 7oz. These 2 units are about as closely specced as you can get:

E4310: Core i5-520m (2.4GHz), 4GB DDR3, 250GB HDD, webcam, bluetooth, wifi, DVDRW, 6cell

E4300: Core 2 Duo SP9400 (2.4GHz), 4GB DDR3, 160GB HDD, webcam, bluetooth, wifi, DVDRW, 6cell

As others have said the LCD lid does seem more sturdier than on the E4300.

 

I would say I "like" the E4310 better simply since I'm a stickler for new tech/new models (hence why I change laptops so much!). Going from the Core 2 Duo SP9400 -> Core i5-520m (from E4300 -> E4310) should be a decent boost. However, the increased 7oz (not much it would seem but still 7oz more) and going from a 16:10 (1280x800 res) screen to a 16:9 (1366x768) stinks. It's pretty noticable to me how "short" the screen is with just 768 vertical pixels. If you're OK with that then I'd get the E4310. Both are about the same price nowadays.

For the moment I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between keeping my E6410 or E4310. The difference in weight is 13oz (a bit over a can of 12oz soda) but for that 13oz I get:

- 13.3" 1366x768 screen to 14.1" 1440x900 screen
- Core i5-520m -> Core i7-620m CPU
- Intel HD Graphics -> nVidia Quadro FX 3100m
- 2 more USB 2.0 ports
- 34mm -> 54mm Expresscard slot (admittedly I never used this but its there)
- Displayport for digital out (VS just VGA on the E4310)
- dedicated mic + headphone ports (VS 1 combo mic/headphone port on the E4310)

At this time all that seems to be worth more than 13oz. But I can increase the weight difference by "downgrading" my E4310 battery from the 6cell to 3cell. Can someone with a E4300/E4310 3cell battery weigh it real quick so I can see how many more ounces I can shave off the E4310?

 

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/late4310/en/SFITS/sfits_en.pdf

According to the E4310 datasheet, the difference is 0.33 lb, or 5.28 oz. With the 6-cell battery, the system is a lot easier to hold as the battery is a good place to grip.

For me, the decision between the two was very easy. I don't mind the extra weight of the 14" model, and I need every vertical pixel out of the 1440x900 screen. My dad got his E4300 before I got my E6400, and I'm glad I didn't go that route. If you don't need to use the system often, or only use it for travel, the 13" model will be preferable. However, if the system is your primary machine, the extra pixels will be nice to have, as well as the extra ports.

 

Oh yea totally if this were my only computer I'd without a doubt just keep the E6410 and "call it a day". I feel that the 14.1" size is just about as "best compromise" as you can get for portability yet still feeling good viewing the screen when you set it down on a desk to "get work done".

Unfortunately, the nVidia Quadro FX 3100m in the E6410 is not powerful enough to play some of the latest games I'm interested in (Starcraft 2 and FFXIV) so I already built a gaming PC just for games. So the laptop will be for daily commute + internet/music/videos basic stuff; and the E4310 can handle those tasks just fine.

If someone can get a real-world 3cell E4310/E4300 battery weight measure I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

Sadly, I have both, but not a scale.

I guess it probably boils down to the 1366x768 screen. For me, that is just too short for productivity. The port selection can be fixed with a docking station, unless you have a frequent need for them.

 

Yeah the screen resolution is frustrating, there should definitely be a higher resolution option. I have mine docked most of the time and I have a 24" monitor so I only have to deal with the it if I take the notebook out of my office or when I am traveling.

 

I have got the E4300 P9400.

Considering that This (is not/would not be ) my main system (... I am waiting patiently to purchase an XPS 16 in near future....after heat issues sorted..or newer model.... or ... we get new GPU card in the UK.....)

I am currently using the 4300 with a few vmware PC's (linux, oracle..products) BUT NOT concurrently runing multiple sessions in 1 go

I bought my dell outlet E4300 from the US, and i recorn I can sell my E4300 and buy an outlet E4310 for just about the same price.

Would the E4310 with 540M be a noticeable boost compared to my existing E4300 ? or should i just wait till i get my XPS?

Will the change in screen resolution from 1280x800 to 1366x768 be noticeable?.


Just one other question, does all postages from the USA to the UK carry a tax charge? Even if my cousin is posting it?. She brought the E4300 into the UK for me bcos she was on holiday. The E4310 will on the other hand have to be posted

cheers

 

The Core i5 might make a difference depending on your usage patterns, but it probably won't be worth it. I would keep the E4300 and upgrade to the E4320 later.

The screen resolution will be a noticeable difference as the screen is quite short. If you work with documents or pictures, you will enjoy the extra height in the E4300 and may end up scrolling even more than before.

 

The turbo mode and the multi-threading of the 540M should enable it to pull ahead of the SP9400 but this difference may be limited by the need for the CPU to work within the thermal envelope and, if multitasking, the HDD may be the bottleneck. The CPU in my E4300 is undervolted to 1.05V and stays cool and quiet under sustained full load.

How much of the time is the CPU actually under full load? You may find that investment in an SSD may provide a better boost to overall performance.

Read the previous couple of pages of this thread. Personally, I wouldn't like any loss in display height.

You will be liable to pay VAT (currently 17.5%) on import. You would also be wise to have the computer insured and shipped with a tracking number. Otherwise it may never arrive.

John