Battery Upgrade for E1505

I'm in the market for a notebook and so far, I'm eyeing the E1505 as it is 15", Core Duo, and Ati X1400 for under $1,000. If there are better notebooks out there like having an X1600, don't mind suggesting them.

However, I want to know the battery life if I use it for mainly taking notes in college and when playing games or listening to music if I have the 53WHr 6 cell battery. If I upgrade to the 85WHr 9 cell battery, will it take up extra space in which I mean that the battery compartment will bulge out of the case design?

Also, is TrueLife necessary? How much does it improve indoors. And if I use it outdoor, will the glare be terrible to the point that I can't see anything on my notebook anymore? Also, does indoor lighting become noticeable/produce annoying glares with the TrueLife? How about without?

Thanks very much.

 

Wifi1,

For less than $1000 stick with the E1505. I'm fairly sure your budget needs to be a little higher to reach the lowest priced X1600 models, except for maybe the MSI-1039 which uses a Turion64 rather than Core Duo.

The battery compartment on the E1505 is in the front right of the notebook. The six and nine cell batties are the same size roughtly. The 9 cell is just denser. It doesn't stick out. You can get atleast 3:50 on the six cell and probably over 4:00 with the nine cell.

Truelife is the name of Dell's glossy screen. It enhances color but comes with the price of glare. It's a bit of person preference with screens. I would suggest taking a look at the E1505 at your local Mall's Dell Kiosk and seeing it and the screen in person granted glossy screens do look worse in these display areas. If you can't make it to a kiosk. You can always check out a local store like Bestbuy, CircuitCity, Staples, OfficeMax/ Depot, CompUSA and just look at some different screen. If you've seen one glossy finish you've seen them all.

your welcome,
Niki

 

Thank you for the quick and informative reply. I highly appreciate it. I have some more questions if you don't mind. How well will this build below run Oblivion, on what settings and what FPS can I except? I'm aiming for 1024x768 (or its widescreen equivalent), medium settings, and 30fps. Consistent FPS is more important to me.

CPU: Intel Core Duo T2300E 1.67Ghz (Should I upgrade?)
OS: Windows XP Media Center 2005 (Is Professional worth it?)
RAM: 1GB shared dual channel at 553Mhz
Video Card: 256MB ATi Radeon X1400 (How much dedicated memory is on this? 128?)
Hard Drive: 80GB 5400rpm SATA (What brand does Dell use for the Hard Drive? Is it reliable and won't die early?)
Sound: Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio (It's only $20 extra, but will it improve audio in game? Shave off some CPU time? I plan to use headphones)

I know I'm asking a lot, but I just want to know what I'm getting or perhaps I should shop around some more. I'm hoping I can get a laptop that last for 3 years. Again, thanks.

 

don't know about anyone else, but after a full night charging i only get 1 hour 30 mins max out of my 6 cell...

should i be worried about this?

[edit: just found this thread about battery life http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=47170&highlight=battery+life+e1505 - this might expain why it drained so quickly, i was running network pretty much at full speed throught the 90 minutes... still that's pretty poor performance, isn't it?]

 

I get about 4 and a half set on performance ,brightness two levels from max, and wifi/blutooth on, on max batt, with default brightness, and wifi on, I get almost 5 and a half, thats with the 9 cell, its pretty easy to find new dell brand 9 cell batteries for the 1505 on ebay for around $75 shipped

 

hey wifi1, i ordered just about the same laptop as you have there. I'm still waiting for it to come. I would suggest removing the Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD Audio. If i'm correct, this only provides software, and no actual hardware upgrade. Save yourself the money in my opinion. I got mine shipped and everything for 950 so you should have no problem staying under $1000. Good Luck

 

It seems you're right, Andrew4540. This saves me about $20. I will definitely go with a 9-cell battery. Does anyone know if Dell might start offering a X1600 for the E1505? That would be perfect. I don't know how big of an effect on battery will be but the extra performance is great. I wouldn't mind going a bit above my budget for one.

And should I worry about getting a warranty upgrade or accidental damage coverage? I'm pretty careful with my stuff, but should I worry about my Dell breaking down all of a sudden like the Hard Drive or some random component failing? I keep getting mixed responses from people who have owned a Dell before. Thanks for all your replies.

 

How many more hours will you get?