A few XPS M1530 config questions

Ive currently been messing with a few different configurations for my new 1530 and due to the way the 4th of July sale works, my only options for a screen are the 1920x1200 Full HD, but i keep hearing its not a good screen and im better off downgrading.

A similar problem im having involved one of my EPP special discounts. I configured one with it and am able to get the LED LCD screen, but its got some Verizon Wireless add-on thing that costs $150 by itself, and I dont want it at all, but its the only option I have.

#1 My first question is, can certain parts be downgraded by talking to a sales Rep even if they arent listed as options on the customization?

#2 If im not able to fix those problems, which is a better deal.

1920x1200 Full HD Screen($130 less)
or
1400x900 LED LCD, Adobe Premier and Photoshop

 

First off, I think talking to a Rep might just solve your options issue.

Secondly, for a 15" laptop I think 1920X1200 is a bit too much. I have a 17" @ 1920X1200 but I don't think I would like that resolution in a smaller screen (it is small enough with a 17" widescreen lol)...

So if I were you I would try to vie for the 1440X900 LED...

 

1. Parts cannot be downgraded unless it is listed in the promotion. If you ask to downgrade, the sales rep will tell you that it voids the promotion.
   
2. Personally, I would go for the LED Screen with Photoshop and Premier unless you find a need for that much screen space. The LED is beautiful, and if you plan on doing some light gaming, will give you a better (see: smooth) frames per second number on most games.

 

Honestly I was pretty weary of getting the 1920x1200 screen myself but I've gotten used to it quite quickly and I love the amount of space available. If font size is that big of an issue for you, you can always adjust the DPI to make fonts more readable.

 

i would take the 1400*900. better for your screen size.

 

thanks for the help, Im still leaning towards paying the extra money as I also get an extra years coverage in the LED + Photoshop package.

I still may talk to a sales rep just to see what they say, even if it is for nothing.

 

Not to be a devil's advocate, but I have the 1920X1200 HD LCD and I wouldn't say its a bad screen at all. In fact, I'm quite satisfied with it. Buuuut I think most people probably would opt for the LED what with the power efficiency and the resolution. Personally I like having a ton of screen real estate, and batter isn't that important to me, so I went for the higher res. As Entropic said, its a shock at first how tiny everything is, but it grows on you real fast, and I wouldn't much like the adjustment back to a standard resolution much. But yeah. I would say get what suits your needs. Although I will say anything from Adobe CS3 looks very nice in the 1920X1200 res, and it is nice to have the extra space with those APPs.

 

I am pretty sure that a higher resolution will not give you a decreased frame rate when playing games. I read that in another thread.

 

Really, I would tend to disagree.

1920 x 1200 = 2,304,000
1440 x 900 = 1,296,000

The 8600M GT will have a harder time rendering an extra million pixels.

 

Yes, but the actual screen refresh rate is extremely similar between the two, so it isn't actually the screen resolution that effects screen lag...

 

I really don't know that much about it, but I do know that I read in a different thread that it doesn't really affect FPS.

 

Link?

Oh, by the way, I am not trying to be a smart Alec, just spewing out what bit of knowledge I know, or at least I think I know

 

Here ya go: LINK

 

I have the LED screen, but tbh, I would have much rather purchased earlier and gotten the WSXGA+. Granted, I'd be pissed if I got Samsung, but it's a risk I would've taken if given the chance. 1440x900 is an alright size, but I wouldn't mind a bit higher resolution. Not full 1920x1200 HD though.

WSXGA+ LED would have been utterly perfect... too bad it's not an option.

 

the higher resolution will most certainly give you a reduced frame rate. do a quick test yourself on any computer. this is the exact reason why SLI exists, to maintain high framerates at high resolutions.

i can play crysis on my laptop with low medium settings at 1280x800 with 20-25 fps (except for that damn spider boss as the end, that dude lags me to sh!t). while 1440x900 gives me frame rates of 10-15 fps. thats an extra 272000 pixels that need to be rendered

however, there is no reason that you cannot run games in 1440x900 resolution on the 1920x1200 display. the only downside is that the display will look slightly fuzzy since it is not running in its native resolution. ( its actually not that bad on my 1440x900 whenever i run in 1280x800. it looks a like poor mans antialiasing )

personally, I prefer the 1440x900 simply because I want to have my 20/20 vision in 10 years. I had a 17" vostro with 1920x1200 for a few months and my eyes hurt after a couple of hours of writing code on it. also, the video card will simply not hang with newer graphics at 1920x1200.

 

The resolution you run the game at will affect performance. If you run it at 1440x900, whether the panel's native resolution is 1440x900 or 1920x1200 won't matter--the frame rate will be the same.

I've spent some time with both panels. I like the WUXGA but it strikes me as a niche screen. If you NEED *mobile* 1920x1200 for office or productivity purposes, then it's not even a question: get the WUXGA. If you think you need mobile 1920x1200 for video or gaming, then remember that the human visual system has limited spatiotemporal resolution; the more the video moves, the less you can make out fine details, so 1920x1200 full motion video on a 15.4" screen isn't going to buy your eyes a great deal of extra fidelity unless you're eyeballs are glued to the panel. If you need WUXGA but not necessarily mobile WUXGA, then get a standalone WUXGA display and plug it in--the video card can drive an external display at 1920x1200 without problems.

The LED screen is a gorgeous panel. It feels a solid 50% brighter than the WUXGA screen (which is no different from my 2003 Latitude WUXGA and doesn't seem to have changed much over the years) and the color is amazing. The LED screen will shock and awe from a distance and I find it amazingly useful even in bright sunlight. It's the best general purpose flat panel display I've ever used so far. The WUXGA is the best panel for its niche, but think carefully about whether you're part of that niche market.

WUXGA: niche panel for people who need high mobile resolution for web, office productivity and possibly design applications.
WSXGA+ LED: sneak preview of the prevailing laptop display technology of the next 5 years

 

thanks pal. i couldn't find it.