doing graphics on notebook. which video card should i choose?

[larciel]

I've decided to get Dell 9300 for my mobile graphic needs (photoshop, illustrator, flash.. )
decided to get 100gb HD, and 1.5Gb Memory. but I can't decide on 3 things


1. Pentium M 2.0ghz costs $100 more than 1.83ghz which cost $100 more than 1.7ghz.. which CPU will have best perf/price ratio?

2. Radeon X300 64mb w/ Hyper Memory. or $100 more for X300 128mb or $200 more for GF 6800 GO 256mb ?

and Dell TrueLife screen.. is it worth $125upgrade ?

i was thinking 1.83ghz pentium M plus x300 64mb (since i have 1.5gb mem.. which will be little more than enough for apps)

thanks in adv

 

[andrewbabcock]

Get what i got. You'll like it.

 

[SLCentral]

Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash do not rely much on the GPU, therefore the x300 should be fine (don't plan on gaming too much, though). The more RAM, the better, and 1.5GB seems like a good amount, though you should be open to upgrading in the future.

 

[larciel]

thanks for reply.

I thought those program doesn't rely much on GPU, but a friend of mine who has ati 7500 video on his laptop says, it's crawling...

so you think i should spend more on CPU rather than GPU ?

 

[cheesehead]

I would go with the 1.83ghz CPU, and the 6800. The 6800 graphics card is roughly four to five times as powerful as the x300. (This is a conservative estimate.) Although PhotoShop, Illustrator, and Flash do not rely on the video card overmuch, running a super-high-resolution monitor such as those offered on the 9300 (WSXGA or the like) can tax a video card, and it's always nice to have something that leaves you some extra power. It's also nice to have if you plug in a second monitor, and if you play any games or end up using some more graphics-intensive software (3DSmax, Inventor, and the like) you'll be happy you have it.

 

[pkme2]

I have a I600M and it has 1.6 Centrino, 1GB RAM and a 64MB video card. It is quite enough to run my Adobe programs. I do digital video so a 7K60 is a necessity.

My students just took advantage to buy the I6000 last month for $1304. They took advantage of the 30% + other upgrade discounts, to buy this laptop. The 6000 is just a little bigger with a 15.4" screen and a 6.8# weight.

What made it ideal was the 128MB ATI card and 60gb high speed hdd. It also had a 2.0 Centrino M, DVD burner, 1GB RAM & Win XP Pro.
The laptop came with Anti-virus and Spysweeper + extras.

It pays to wait for the 30% deals. Its your choice......

 

[IlllI]

X300 is ok for basic tasks. but if you ever, ever, ever want to play games on it in the future, then it is not a good option.

 

[Insane3D]

Just an FYI...not sure if the code is still working, but I just ordered the following 9300 for $1100 shipped...

Inspiron 9300 - Intel? Pentium? M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)

Operating System - Genuine Windows XP Professional

LCD Panel - 17 inch UltraSharp? Wide Screen XGA+ Display

Memory - 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm

Video Card - 128MB ATIs? Mobility Radeon? X300

Hard Drive - 80GB Hard Drive

Network Card - Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem

Optical Drives - 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability

Wireless Networking Cards - Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)

Primary Battery - 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (53 WHr)

Oh, and on the 9300, you can drop in a 6800 Go down the line if you get the ATI, or even a 6800 Ultra or 7800GTX with some extra parts and bios flashing...

 

[Soccerman06]

 

[cheesehead]

For the record, buying Dell is risky. I'd avoid it.

 

[*kjm]

Originally posted by: larciel
I've decided to get Dell 9300 for my mobile graphic needs (photoshop, illustrator, flash.. )
decided to get 100gb HD, and 1.5Gb Memory. but I can't decide on 3 things


1. Pentium M 2.0ghz costs $100 more than 1.83ghz which cost $100 more than 1.7ghz.. which CPU will have best perf/price ratio?

2. Radeon X300 64mb w/ Hyper Memory. or $100 more for X300 128mb or $200 more for GF 6800 GO 256mb ?

and Dell TrueLife screen.. is it worth $125upgrade ?

i was thinking 1.83ghz pentium M plus x300 64mb (since i have 1.5gb mem.. which will be little more than enough for apps)

thanks in adv

All this input is thinking you want the most for your graphic needs.

1. 2.0 if it fits your budget or 1.83 if you can?t (remember you can?t over clock the 9300 CPU).

2. The X300 64meg is plenty for your graphics needs unless you do heavy 3d then go with the X300 128meg. I have the 6800go in mine but I game.
a. You can always upgrade to the 6800go in the 9300.
b. The 6800go will shorten your battery life quite a bit and you did say mobile.
c. The X300 is a lot better than most people will give it credit for.

3. For your needs the TrueLife will be worth it if you don?t work in the sunlight all the time because of the real estate you gain for your applications.


"thanks for reply.

I thought those program doesn't rely much on GPU, but a friend of mine who has ati 7500 video on his laptop says, it's crawling...

so you think i should spend more on CPU rather than GPU ?"

Your friend could have any number of things going on that would slow it down. We would have to know his system specs and what programs he is running...

Yes for your needs more on a CPU is the most important thing.

 

[larciel]

thanks for reply.

one last question to 9300 owner.. how many DIMM slot does it have? (accessible and non-accessible)

 

[trikster2]

Also need to consider battery life, heat, sound?

I would imagine the X300 w. the 1.7 would be cooler last longer, esp if undervolted?

OTOH my wifes T43 with the X300 and 2ghz gets just about teh same battery life as my M70 with 6800, and 1.8ghz CPU so maybe not that much of a difference?

 

[mparr1708]

Originally posted by: larciel
thanks for reply.

one last question to 9300 owner.. how many DIMM slot does it have? (accessible and non-accessible)

2 slots...both accessible.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Let me clarify a couple things, as I'm not sure what everyone has said all coincides.

You do NOT need a special GPU for Photoshop, Flash, etc. The only non-game apps that a high end GPU will help are 3D rendering programs used for CAD and such.

If you ever upgrade to Windows Vista on this machine, 128MB VRAM will be useful from what I read. the 64MB X300 will work okay, but the 128MB will be a better assurance at this point.

If you plan on gaming at all, get the 6800. If you can't afford the 6800 with the 1.86 CPU, get the 1.73 or 1.6 CPU. CPU speed makes a very small difference in gaming performance these days. It will however make a noticeable difference in the applications you mentioned.

The 1.86 CPU is the best bang for the buck, but you won't notice a huge difference between the 1.73 and 1.86. The general rule of thumb is to plan out every other config you need (GPU, HDD, screen, etc) and put the rest of the money into the CPU.

Another option is to get the 1.6 CPU, sell it, and buy a 1.6-1.7GHz 400MHz FSB chip. People are able to perform a pin-mod on the chip that changes it to a 533MHz FSB chip. I believe if you do this trick on a 1.6GHz 400MHz FSB chip that it turns into a 2.26GHz chip :Q Google for pentium m pin mod, it should show up quickly there.