A question for the experts :)

Hi everyone, I just joined the forum and I'm pretty excited!

I'm another college student itching to pull the trigger on an almost-maxed out Dell E1705 with 2ghz, 2gb RAM and the beautiful Geforce Go 7900 GS for around $1300. The thought that I can have a laptop with a better GPU than my current desktop GeForce 6600 GT is mind-bending. Primary ammunition: the $750 off coupon using 6VAFF-E1705s3. Thanks SouthernGirl!

The Big Question: My trigger finger is slowed by the impending release of the Merom Core 2 Duo, hopefully in a couple weeks. Will this amazing $1300 deal be available for a Merom-equipped E1705? Or will the 64-bit Laptop chips push the price of an E1705 through the roof until 2007?

My dream scenario is to have a powerful Merom E1705 for less than $1400. IS this a pipe dream, like Mike McDermott winning the WSOP?

 

You can upgrade to Merom as long as Dell decides to release a new bios for the E1705.

 

So, get the best possible deal on the last run of Yonah Core Duos and upgrade to Merom if and when it is necessary? How does that sound?

 

^or if your willing to be patient since the end of the month is near.

 

I guess my real concern is how expensive a 2Ghz Merom will be. Maybe a 100to 150 dollar upgrade from the Core Duo 2ghz?

 

I would just get one now. The price will probably be more for core 2 duo. You would probably not notice a huge difference anyways especially if you get a high end core duo processor.

 

Unless you're doing any really processor strenuous activities such as rendering a whole bunch of video, you really don't have to worry. I actually waited until Merom came so the price would drop. I noticed that on the 27th (the day Merom was set to ship) Dell Outlet prices were lower than usual, which got me my deal.

I always say go for the second best. Especially in terms of processors. It's just not worth the premium/wait for normal people.

 

I would say get one now. I pulled the trigger not too long ago and got an E1505 for a great price. I dont know if there will still be coupons this thursday...because I heard that dell are removing their coupons for augest.

You may want to rethink the E1705, which I did. The GPU is awesome, but keep in mind that it is one bohemeeth. For me, it seemed too big to bring home. It's totally up to you.

 

I don't think it is worth it to wait for the Merom either. High-resolution gaming tests don't show any difference in performance between the Yonah and the Merom. You won't notice the difference between the two unless you are a heavy number-cruncher, or do a lot of rendering/encoding as posted.

 

Excellent, a big thanks to everyone for the advice. I think I'll take the second-best strategy, and maybe go to E1505 for some more mobili-tay.

 

Just be aware that the x1400, while a good card, is no 7900 gs.