Dell Precision M70: Thoughts, comments, etc.

Hello to all.

I was just wondering if anyone here owns this Dell notebook. For those who do, do you like it?

How is it's gaming performance in BF2, CS:S, and Oblivion at WUXGA resolution?

Do you like it's build quality?

Do you feel that the Pentium M can compare with today's processors?

Ultimately, would it be smart to drop cash on this notebook? Or would a Vostro 1500 be a better choice? (Kind of leary with Vostro - build seems shoddy, and it is supposedly a fingerprint magnet, which I severely dislike)

 

What specs are you looking at on the M70? I assume it will have the Quadro FX Go1400, which is based on the Geforce Go6800, not a bad card, if fairly outdated now. It should give you performance in modern games similar to Go7600 or an x1600, I believe. It would be advisable to install the Geforce drivers on it if you plan to do any gaming, however.

The Pentium M processors can't really compare to a modern dual core processor, though if you get at least a 2.0GHz Dothan, you shouldn't feel too much of a hit in normal tasks. Any newer programs optimized for dual-cores, however, (like photoshop, and some newer games), will feel a noticeable performance drop over modern Turion X2's or Core (2) Duo's.

Overall I wouldn't spend money on this machine unless it's fairly cheap (1k or less), as the Dell Vostro would give you much more for your money.

 

I was looking at a 2.13 GHz model, with 2 GB of RAM and of course the Go1400. Can be had on eBay for $900 - $1000.

The Vostro seems pretty mediocre right now - battery is loose, keyboard is lackluster, runs hot, and those fingerprints (not confirmed?).

I may have to go for it - there is a rumor of a $550 off coupon tomorrow.