Dell 4150 eBay good deal?

[Gorrillasnot]

I know it's a little to late now, but I placed a bid and won This laptop on eBay. I was wondering if this was a good price for it and was also wondering if anyone knows whats the fastest CPU I can upgrade it to. Also was wondering if it was possible to upgrade the graphics card?

thanks

 

[Abhi]

Its a decent deal you got, and no.. you cant upgrade the graphic card as far as i know...

 

[mrweirdo]

I dont believe you can upgrade a graphic card on any modern laptop as there are almost allways built into the logic board these days and you would have to replace the entire board just to upgrade something that is not posible because a newer one most likely wont fit into the case

 

[Gorrillasnot]

I didnt think the grapics could be upgraded, but was hoping
"bright pixels above the start button" as metioned in the ebay description..is that the same thing as dead pixels?

thanks

 

[axemanxt40]

The only laptop that I know of with an easy graphics update, is the Alienware Area 51m. Which is kind of a nice feature, I mean if they made a Pentium M or AMD 64 laptop with that I'd be thrilled. As the major bottleneck in a laptop is not the processor (for any modern day one anyway) but the graphics chip, and with Alienware's deal you could constantly keep your laptop's graphics on the edge (depending on your wallet)!

 

[mrweirdo]

Originally posted by: axemanxt40
The only laptop that I know of with an easy graphics update, is the Alienware Area 51m. Which is kind of a nice feature, I mean if they made a Pentium M or AMD 64 laptop with that I'd be thrilled. As the major bottleneck in a laptop is not the processor (for any modern day one anyway) but the graphics chip, and with Alienware's deal you could constantly keep your laptop's graphics on the edge (depending on your wallet)!

funny I just got a copy off Maximum PC and read about the same thing and was about to come back and post about it lol.

 

[ShellGuy]

The *ell XPS has upgradeable Video but upon reading more its not so good.

Here is the Q & A from the *ell website.



With the Graphics Card Upgrade Program, every customer who purchases the InspironTM XPS with the ATI TM RadeonTM 9700 Pro will have an opportunity to have their graphics card upgraded by Dell once a new graphics card is launched.

Customers who purchase the Inspiron XPS will be notified by email once the new graphics card is available. At that time, customer can choose to purchase the upgraded graphics card or continue with the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro.




Frequently Asked Questions

Q What does the Graphics Card Upgrade Program provide me with?
A Customers who purchase an Inspiron XPS with the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card are eligible for a ONE TIME ONLY graphics card upgrade in the future for an additional fee.

Q How do I purchase the upgraded graphics card for the Inspiron XPS?
A Inspiron XPS customers will be notified via email once the new card becomes available. Customers can also periodically check the Dell Home and Home Office website for updates. At that time, customers will be prompted to call a Dell sales representative to purchase the upgrade kit.


Q Will I need to install the new graphics card on my own?
A No. Customers who purchase the upgraded graphics card will be contacted by a Dell-certified technician to install the graphics card. This technician at-home visit is free to the customer. Dell does not recommend that customers install the card on their own. Failure to follow the instructions outlined with the receipt of the new card may void the notebook warranty.


Q When will the new graphics card become available?
A While new product launches are susceptible to change due to supply/demand issues, we anticipate the new card will become available in May or June 2004.


Q How much will the Graphics Card Upgrade Program cost?
A Exact pricing will be determined at product launch.


Q How long will I have to upgrade my Inspiron XPS graphics card?
A Customers will have one year from the date of purchase to take advantage of this special graphics card upgrade program.


Q How many graphics card upgrades am I eligible for?
A The Graphics Card Upgrade Program is available One Time Only and only to those customers who purchase an Inspiron XPS with the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card. Once the new graphics card becomes available, all new Inspiron XPS models will ship with the upgraded card.

 

[axemanxt40]

Originally posted by: ShellGuy


Q When will the new graphics card become available?
A While new product launches are susceptible to change due to supply/demand issues, we anticipate the new card will become available in May or June 2004.

I found this particularly interesting as it implies that there will be a new graphics chipset for laptops available in May or June, or am I reading this wrong? I think a new graphics chipset in May or June might be worth holding off on the laptop even longer .

 

[Gorrillasnot]

Back to my original question....The Inspiron 5100/5150 took the place of the older 4100/4150 series right? Anyways I noticed in an auction on eBay a 32MB Radeon 7500 Video card that according to the seller can be used to upgrade an Inspiron 5100 with the 16MB version of the Radeon 7500 to the 32MB version.
If this is true then why wouldn't Dell release newer graphics boards to allow people to upgrade their older, but still viable laptops? I guess I know why. They want to sell you/me a new $900+ laptop. If that's the case it doesn't make much sense to me. Not everyone can afford $900+ every other year to get a new laptop with a graphics chip able to keep up with the latest games. However lots more people would be more likely to afford a $200-$400 graphics upgrade card and I'm sure Dell would make a (more of a) killing in the mobile upgrades segment.
I like to game and I know allot of people would tell me to use a desktop. I do, but I also travel allot and when I'm away from home I'd like to be able to play some of the later titles.

sorry if I'm ranting

thanks

 

[win32asmguy]

The Inspiron 600m was to replace the 4150. The screen size (14.1") and system weight much more match these than the 5100. Most of these graphics card upgrades are available from Dell's spare parts dept. Sometimes it can be a hassle to get them to order one for you, but it definitely is available. I know if I ever get the Inspiron 8200 I bought from the guy off the forums here, I will be purchasing a 64MB Radeon 9000 to replace its 32MB Geforce2. Its going to be better for the whole market if people buy completely new systems every year so ofcourse that is what dell is going to recommend.. this is probably why dell is only offering one upgrade for people who even do get the XPS.
Oh, and your 4150 IS compatible with dell's B/G Truemobile minipci cards, incase you will be getting wifi with it.

 

[Gorrillasnot]

so a graphics card for a 600m should fit the 4150?
yep already searching eBay for a deal on a truemobile 1300.


thanks

 

[Spicedaddy]

Originally posted by: phatTweaker
so a graphics card for a 600m should fit the 4150?
yep already searching eBay for a deal on a truemobile 1300.


thanks

Nope, the vid card in the 4150 is soldered to the motherboard, you couldn't even upgrade from a 16MB Radeon 7500 to a 32MB one. (well, you could if you changed the motherboard...)


It seems about the same as my laptop. Best upgrades would be another 256MB of ram, and get a faster hard drive.

 

[Gorrillasnot]

Nope, the vid card in the 4150 is soldered to the motherboard, you couldn't even upgrade from a 16MB Radeon 7500 to a 32MB one. (well, you could if you changed the motherboard...)

I'm pretty sure it isn't soldered on....I found a 32MB Radeon 7500 for I4150s here.