Laptop dilema: Help me decide between Dell or Lenovo

Which downsides of the M4400 exactly are you talking about?

 

Heat build up and lack of smart system cooling especially for the GPU. Weak GPU that has issues depending on what you are doing with it. The quadro isnt really looked well upon, considering anyone can softmod a cheap 9600 into whats in the M4400.

I consider a work machine still using ddr2 to be a con as well. There are lots of cases of ill fitting keyboards, screens or other pieces on the notebook. Loud fan..ect

In other words the note book while a nice size is using one of dells older cases which isnt really designed for whats in the notebook itself. It just wouldnt have been good for what we are trying to do.

The M4400 has some good points too though, it just didnt seem justifiable for the price and problems seen in the notebook, especially when the M6400 was also on the market.

Thats just the impression I have after some research though.

 

Well, my GPU is about half as powerful as the M4400's Of course it depends on the use. However, I think all the M4400's rivals (Lenovo and HP) have similarly powered GPUs.

People in these forums have noted that there is little difference between DDR2 and DDR3, except in graphics memory.

No comments there, I haven't followed those threads.

 

ehm....old case!? The M4400 was released around the same time as all the other laptops (latitudes) using this case. All the other "issues" you mention are either isolated cases of something not fitting or issues that have been long solved.
It is rock solid for all the apps you mention. If you need something slightly mobile i'd pick the M4400 over the M6400 anytime. You REALLY need to take the power brick (literally a brick) into consideration for the total weight. Also, don't expect the weight on the Dell site to be the same as the actual weight of a loaded M6400.

 

This sounds like you don't really know the difference. I can install 9600 drivers to effictively making it a 9600 but the other way around is a no no.

 

yea, the softmodding of consumer cards to workstation cards dosent work anymore, and hasnt for several generations of cards now.

 

thnx for all the advice, some helpful, some not...

I've just ordered a Lenovo W500 ... damn u Dell for trying to rip me off and not giving much of a discount

 

Congratulations! I am sure you will love it. I tortured myself over going Lenovo/Thinkpad after years and years of Dells (a Dell Precision, and 3 other Dell laptops before that), but have loved the W500. It will be interesting to hear how you find it. Most annoying things has not been hardware-related but rather the number of Thinkpad-specific software preloaded. But they are easily removed if not wanted. Thermally/acoustically, these machines are fabulous.

 

i'll report back for sure... I'm planning to do a clean install of Windows when I get the unit. hopefully it won't be too complicating and i don't miss out any drivers that i need to run the laptop to full potential

 

Lenovo don't provide a "clean-install" OS DVD - just a set of "recovery" disks that you have to create yourself. I guess you have your own OS disk(s) then? All drivers can be downloaded from the Lenovo site, of course.
With Windows 7, there are going to be fewer Lenovo extras, which will be a relief - http://lenovoblogs.com/insidethebox/?p=270.