Thinking about purchasing a Studio XPS 16

Hi, I've been thinking about purchasing a Dell Studio XPS 16. So far the specs of the notebook are:

SYSTEM COLOR: Obsidian Black with Leather Accent
PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9550 (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1
WARRANTY AND SERVICE: 2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
HD DISPLAY: Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
MEMORY: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)
HARD DRIVE: 500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE: BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive
VIDEO CARD: ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 3670 - 512MB
WIRELESS CARDS: Intel® 5100 WLAN Wireless-N (1x2) Half Mini Card
SOUND OPTIONS: Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
BLUETOOTH: Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)


To anyone who owns this notebook, my questions are:
-Is the T9550 processor (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB) worth the extra $125 usd over the P8700 (3MB cache/2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB)? is it a significant difference? 125 isn't much, and i would like this notebook to last a while.
-Does the video card handle games pretty smoothly, there isn't really an option as it's the only one dell offers with this, but do you think it'll handle Diablo3/Starcraft 2 on high settings when they come out?
-Is the HD Display worth the extra $250 usd? would blu rays look significantly better than on the default display?
-Is heat a problem in the Studio XPS 16?
-There was no option for an accidental damage plan, any comments on that?


So far i'm pretty close to purchasing this, but these are the only doubts/questions that are causing me to hesitate. I qualify for the no interest dell card, and can get an extra 7% with the dell university thing. Any comments regarding performance, problems, or recommendations on anything would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time,
tcMonstruo

 

I have the T9550 and its a good chip. The extra Cache and speed makes a bit of difference but nothing special. I was going for longevity and thought that the T9550 would be a better bet, but its all a personal choice.

So far the Video card in the 1640 has handled most games I have thrown at it pretty well. Meaning I can play the games with little compromises. Now I don't know how intensive D3 or Starcraft 3 will be, but judging from their other games I would think the 3670 should play them fine. (there is a history there for their games to be more scalable to different speeds of hardware)

I would say I was on the fence about the HD display but ordered it anyway. Now I can't use any other laptop display for more than a few minutes without commenting how bland it is. the RGB display is that good. Great colors, contrast is okay, good brightness. The best display I have ever used hands down.

As to the heat, this isn't an issue at all idle temps are around 34C and load temps are 61-64C. That is not that hot when compared to other laptops I have owned. The 1640 does not have a overheating problem, but some people do find it gets too hot for their likes. Its just very subjective.

Hmmm no accidental plan? Thats weird I purchased a complete care package with accidental included. It should be an option, where do you live?

The 1640 is not perfect but its the most perfect laptop I have used to date.

 

- The T9550 is a better CPU yes, but it all depends what you're doing. Unless you're fond of CPU heavy tasks such as calculations or rendering, a P8700 can last you quite a while

- The HD3670 is a good GPU for the mid-range category. It palys just about anything you can throw at it with the exception of Crysis & GTA4. Everything else can be played depending on the resolution & settings. As for SC2 & D3, Blizzard has a habit of making games which aren't hugely hardware demanding so I'd say they should run fine

- the HD display is worth it if you're going to use it. The screen I've heard is really really nice on the 1080p display, but I've heard both screens are really nice regardless Blu Ray will play more crisp on a fullHD display, but 720p should work just fine regardless(720p is still considered HD).

- I'm pretty sure there's an option for accidental warranty

- It does get hot. However, it doesn't overheat as performance is not affected. It depends on your tolerance for heat really. I wouldn't suggest using it on your lap directly however.

Hope that helps a bit

 

Returning mine... Dell support is a nightmare... When you need support, and you will, remember this canned Dell support line saying.... "No sir, that's the way it's supposed to work"

 

just to balance the scales abit...ive had nothing but pleasurible experiences with Dell support, granted i havent had any issues with the notebook but all my dealing has been positive.
@ OP i took the 720p screen over the full HD one, im not a huge movie fan and felt for my needs it was over kill spending the extra cash when i might not appreciate it, im very impressed with the 720p LCD screen, all my friends say its amazing to look at, so think about what you most need and go with it, im sure either way you will be happy.
Goodluck

 

And to balance them more. I've had a horrible experience as a whole with Dell support, but I kept my SXPS 1640 because it's that nice.

 

I went with the full 1080p because I wanted the extra real estate (it was one of the major reasons why I started looking for a new laptop in the first place). This is the best laptop I've ever used...that includes my gf's Macbook. I hate that thing, though.

One thing I would consider is going to a SSD. It's very affordable with Dell (you and I have about the same setup, actually...the only big difference is the SSD). It's amazing and it's really weird to have no noise (though I'm used to it now).

 

And to balance them even more, Dell has had the best support I have ever had (including Apple and their geniuses). My 1st XPS 16 came with ONE spec of dust under the screen and they sent me a brand new computer, no questions asked. Fantastic support IMO.

 

Unfortunately, it depends on who you talk to and what mood they're in. It wasnt about them wanting to fix mine, it was about no one showing up after my HDD died. After a week of being told they'd be at my house tomorrow, I told them to pick it up. I had a new computer a week later. I haven't even mentioned how they couldn't find the extra 750 bucks I sent them because I was purchasing a 1730 before switching to the 1640. That took a month to get back. But, after all that, the 1640 is STILL worth it.

 

i think rgb led is a must have , but t series processor runs slightly hotter than p series, so p8700 is a better option. ati cards not as bad as they used to be.
and last i recommend buying from dell outlet.