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    Dell XPS 1730 is this a good deal?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by double07, Mar 23, 2008.

  1. double07

    double07 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi,

    I am in the market for 17" laptop. I have ASUS G1 now. I am looking at Gateway 171XL FX, after 3yrs warranty + accidental and tax is about: $3200.

    I am looking at the Dell XPS 1730:
    X9000 CPU
    2GB RAM
    SLI Dual 8800 GTX
    320GB drive
    4 yrs warranty + accidental

    it came down to $500 more than the Gateway before tax on this system (this is with special discount from my company). My question is: is it worth for that extra cost? is this a good deal?

    Thanks,
     
    double07, Mar 23, 2008
    #1
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Kind of hard to say when you don't say anything about your needs. When you're spending $3k, I don't know you're getting into the deal territory. Nice machine though.
     
    ZaZ, Mar 23, 2008
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  3. double07

    double07 Notebook Enthusiast

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    You're right, over $3k is hardly a deal. How about is it a good price consider the original price is closed to $5k ($4870.00)? I am not really a gamer. I do need good processing power. I do a lot of HD video editing and raw digital processing. I know I can get cheaper and powerful desktop. But, I like laptop now a day. I got the same price on Dell system with only single 8700 GPU and it is only $300 different. That's why I went all the way with dual 8800 GPU.

    Comparing this to the Gateway I mentioned, do you thing is it worth the extra $500?
     
    double07, Mar 23, 2008
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  4. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Do you need any mobility? At over 10 pounds, the XPS won't be much more mobile than a desktop though point to point won't be too bad. If you prefer a 17", the HP 8710p might be worth a look. Or if you want to go smaller, the 15.4" ThinkPad T61 could work out as well.

    As always when you get the best CPU, you pay a large premium for a modest increase in performance. In this case the X9000 cost $600 more than the T9300 while only offering .3GHz more CPU power. The T9300 will work fine just a bit slower. Is that worth it? I don't know, that's a hard question for me to answer for you.

    I would also point out, the better the graphics card, the more heat it generates which means the fan will run more and it will have less battery life if you care.
     
    ZaZ, Mar 23, 2008
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  5. scythie

    scythie I died for your sins.

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    What? You're not a gamer and you're choosing between these two? For your needs, what you need is a top CPU, not GPU.

    What are the specs of the Gateway?
     
    scythie, Mar 23, 2008
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