Latitude E6400 Owner's Lounge, Part 2

you misunderstood my point. other than resolution (which is all that is -- in this case, PPI - since you have a set moniitor size), there is no difference in color, screen quality, etc.

 

Ah ok I get it.

 

wat do u mean real estate? im looking at the e4300 too but it doesnt have switchable graphics which the ul30vt has. and i heard the su7300 or watever the ul30vt has is comparable to the t6600 area so it cant be that slow can it? plus it has like a real time of 8-10 hour battery life. but i am worried about the screen quality. i hear its a little better than the studio 14z which is decent for me.

 

ratsey means there is more space to fit things on because the resolution is higher, and thus you can fit more things per 14.1 inch.

 

Hi guys!

This forum and your support is yet another reason to buy E6400
I've read most of both parts, and you can bet it took some time

I am planning to buy E6400 with this configuration:

CPU P9700
WXGA+
4 GB RAM (2+2)
8xDVD RW
HDD 250 GB 7200, FFS
Nvidia GPU
Wifi Link 5300
Bluetooth
WWAN 5530
9 cell battery
Integrated camera
Backlit keyboard
Touchpad with UPEK fingerprint reader
Win7 Pro
3 year NBD + Complete care accidental cover

I will be using it as my only computer, usually with desktop monitors. AutoCAD 2D is a must for me, hence nvidia GPU.

I have some questions:

1. Is extended 3 year battery service worth the money ? I suppose it would be, if DELL replaces the battery that goes flat, like 50% of its capacity. But if it only works for dead ones - well, I am not a betting person.

2. I can't make my mind as to the HDD. I am planning to wait a little longer for prices of SSD to drop, buy 64 or 128 GB, and put the original 250 GB in mediabay (in IBM adapter). If the noise/vibrations and energy usage of 5400 drive are significantly lower I would now go for the slower 5400. I plan to use SSD for system and current projects and a second one for backup and extra storage. BTW, is it possible to disable that drive during the system startup and then start it manually from time to time?

3. How about 65W slim AC adapter, does it still underclock the CPU, or was it changed in the BIOS?

4. And at last, what is the difference between Win7 Pro and Ultimate, is it worth to upgrade?

I am not going further with my purchase until reading your opinions

 

If your AutoCAD is only 2D then the Intel GPU is fine. The extra pipelines in the nVidia GPU help with 3D rendering. I do some 2D CAD and GIS work and the Intel GPU is fine for that.

You get the entitlement to one replacement battery within the 3 years. Dell doesn't state the threshold which triggers replacement but I would have expected them to not quibble about 50%. I opted for the extended battery warranty but, so far (15 months) my battery has kept within 90% of the nominal capacity.

I bought one of the cheaper HDD options and immediately cloned it onto a bigger HDD which I purchased separately and then kept the original HDD for re-cloning when necessary. That way I could choose the specific HDD (something fast, cool and quiet).

The 65W PSU works fine with the Intel GPU E6400 but I suspect that the BIOS will throttle the CPU if the nVidia GPU is on board.

See Microsoft's comparison table. Do you need the bitlocker or multi-language support?

John

 

You have quiet a computer there! Make sure you pick Win7 64-bit though.

The Nvidia GPU is a great solution. Intel with 2D graphics is hard sell.. not until it they go dedicated with they own memory (like: Intel's Larrabee project that got canceled). I THINK that it should handle small and medium size projects.. but anything bigger (very high level rending visuals) would be pushing it. The better news is that you may be able to overclock your GPU for better performance on demand using Nvidia own tool (see my signature for a guide for all information). But I think it should be fine.. I'll doubt you need more power.

Just to try and help you position yourself. This GPU is actually a Geforce 9400M, but has 256MB of dedicated memory instead of using only shared, which greatly helps. If you believe it's not good enough for your purpose.. than perhaps you should have a look at the Dell Precision M series system (same laptop, different lid design, and more powerful GPU solution exists (less portable as well))

Also, you must remember, that when you are on battery, your GPU and CPU goes by default, at minimum speed.. so it won't be great to do some serious CAD'ing. You can change that, of course, but it would cost battery life.

About the battery question, when I asked Dell about it, they said it only covers the battery if it's has a charging problem or manufacture problem... NOT normal wear of battery. You only have 1 replacement. Battery life stays for a bout a year to a year and half. The more you use it, the longer it lasts (yea it's the contrary as you might think.. that is Lithium batteries for you) It's been about a year I have my system, and form 9 hours I am down to 5 hours of battery life.. I can push it down to 3 hours.. after that it isn't sufficient for me, and requires to buy a new one.

3 year warranty is great. Normally I say no to extended warranties.. but:
1- You do affairs with Dell directly, ensuring proper part and installation is used/done and fastest of service.
2- Based on my experience, Dell has excellent service.

The life span of a laptop is of about 3-4 years. by then, it would be too slow for your needs, or break. So 3 years warranty is what I find the best path.
I also recommend Next Business Day On site service.. this ensure that any hardware level problem you face is done the next business day at the time you want (during operational hours), and that the problem is fixed in front of you, and you can be sure the problem is solved. No need to ship the system and wait a week or two to get it back, and see that the problem was not fixed because the technician at Dell's didn't understand you properly. Also, (well in Dell Canada), any damages done, including scratches done by the technician at your place is covered.

5400RPM HDD that Dell uses (Hitachi in the case of Dell Canada) for this laptop is very fast... you will rarely noticed that the HDD is slower than 7200RPM one. You will basically only notice it at big loading times. Such as loading a game or big projects.. else than that it won't be greatly visible. Takes me ~35-38sec to start Windows 7 64-bit from boot (after BIOS loaded).. which is about the same speed as my desktop SATA-II 7200RPM HDD.

I believe that Windows 7 64-bit should be 50GB big, as you need free space for Service packs, current and future updates, software required library files, codecs, and other system level files that software may use. Plus, you need free space for defragmentation, oh and your essential software. And some level of free space for some of your documents and stuff. I think 80GB HDD should be your pure minimum.. 120 or 160GB is what I recommend to be comfortable.

Nvidia GPU consumes more power than the Intel one.. you need to get a 90W PSU (default one for this laptop). The 90W PSU is pretty slim.. a little wide... but slim. I like it personally. way better than the old 90W one.. now that was a brick.

Basically Ultimate edition is exactly Pro but has Bit-drive encryption.. it has a other things but they ONLY concern domain systems (meaning you need to setup your account and everything on a Windows 2008 server, which you can access from your laptop.. the same system used at school, on how you can access all your files at any computers you choose within your school). Here is the full comparison sheet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions#cite_note-rdteamblog2-37

 

Thanks for your comments.

I am using AutoCAD 2010, which is rather on the heavy side. And sometimes I get 10 GB dwg files from architects, these can plug any card. I will feel safer with Nvidia GPU. Besides, maybe I will find some time for light gaming?

As for the battery, I will think some more about it. I intend to use it quite a lot, and keep the system for entire 3yr of the warranty (same as the last one).

2. When choosing HDD on DELL website, the basic HDD is 160 GB 5400rpm. To get 250 GB 7200rpm FFS I have to pay additional 20$, compared to 80$ for similar drive on free market. 250 GB is fine for me, I now have 80 GB in my laptop, Win7 64bit, all my apps and 10 GB free (and mildly-strict policy on junk files). And three external drives for backup and extra storage. I will probably go for 128 or 160 SSD when the time comes.

But again, putting the price and the speed aside, would you go for 5400 or 7200 as a second drive in mediabay? (both 250 GB).

3. I will get standard 90W PSU as well, I just thought that I can tow around the lighter 65W and leave the other one in the office. I can even sacrifice charging the battery when on the go, but if the system goes slow on 65W it is out of the question. I plan to work it hard all the time.

4. I am not using any corporate networks, and won't be, I reckon W7 Pro is enough for me.

GB, I indeed plan to get 3yr NBD warranty, also with accidental damage. I don't know if works as good in Poland as 'across the pond', but I am ready to test it.

Just for the record, the battery in my current laptop has over 3 years. It is plugged most of the time, sth like 8 hrs a day, without bothering to remove it or anything. I am using it on battery whenever convenient, going down to 10-20% at last once a week.
After three years I can hardly see any practical loss of capacity. It have definitely gone below 3 hrs, maybe 2.45, but I recall it was about 3.15 when new. When I read about 1,5yr lifespan of battery on Dell, I am a little worried.

 

The NBD warranty in Europe (at least Finland and Portugal) is great. It still is not Poland, but it's closer to extrapolate than the US

The 90W PSU is already quite slim and light (I am amazed really). It is definitely not a brick, I recommend you wait until you get it before you order a 65W PSU.

The newmodeus.com HDD caddy is better than the Lenovo one because the latch mechanism of the Lenovo one doesn't work with the Dell models. The other one works flawlessly and people here have described that it looks, feels and works like an original Dell part.

 

can we please combine the windows 7 on Latitude e6400 forum into this one? Neither forum is active enough anymore, and I would guess that a large number of our contributors are using windows 7 on those systems anyway, negating the difference between the forums that existed prior to release.