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    D800 vs 8600

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by nilsande, Aug 16, 2004.

  1. nilsande

    nilsande Newbie

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    I am planning to buy a new laptop, preferrably DELL. I want to use it for gaming. What is the difference between lat D800 and insp 8600? What are the best graphic cards available today?
     
  2. mathlete2001

    mathlete2001 Notebook Deity

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    The differences are the warranties and build quality, in which the D800 wins. The 8600 comes with the radeon 9600 pro turbo 128mb ddr

    GPU cooling (100°C->75°C)* Inspiron 8600 * 1.8ghz Pentium M * 128 MB Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo (337/242 -> 400/300) * 2x256 MB DDR2700 SDRAM * Aquamark 3: 24058 * 3DMark'03: 3404 * 3DMark'01 SE: 13120
     
  3. jfdsadcnsjza

    jfdsadcnsjza Notebook Enthusiast

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    Look also at the ports available on the two systems. The 8600 does not have the serial and paralel ports the D800 has. I also noticed that Dell offers better hard drive options on the Inspiron line. This is due to the specific principles that drive the two different lines. Latitudes are specifically desigend to have a longer life cycle and will only utilize the most thoroughly tested components. This is to appeal to the IT departments of large companies. They also do not change the specs of them very often. The Inspiron line is designed to try to compete with other consumer oriented laptops and changes more often and usually offers a broader spectrum of component chioces. The chasis and general construction of the D800 is considerably sturdier than the Inspiron line. The D800 has a composite metal internal chasis which equates to less overall flex in the body of the laptop. I use a D800 for my job and I like it quite well. You will pay a lot more for the Latitude for similar specs. They do not have nearly as many good promotional offers or discounts on the Latitude line. As far as video adapters goes it is partially a matter of personal preference. It seems like different GPUs run different games better than others. So it depends also on which types of games you prefer. I am not much of a gamer or an expert on the subtle differences in GPUs. I play Doom 3 on my D800 with a Pentium M 1.4ghz, 1GB RAM and the 32mb GeForce 4 4200 card and it plays pretty decently.

    Good luck on your laptop purchases, let us know how it turns out. You may also want to look at the Dell outlet store. Their inventory achanges a lot but if you keep an eye out sometimes they have good deals. I find it especailly helpful to look early in the morning.



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