Gaming Laptop: Dell Insperion 8200 or Alienware AREA 51m?

[overturfa]

OK, here is the comparison breakdown, the way I would order each machine.

Alienware AREA 51:.....$2621.00

Processor: P4 (Desktop) 400mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB IBM Travelstar (5400rpm ATA-100)
Memory: 512MB DDR PC2100
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 64MB DDR (Only Option)
Sound: SB Extigy 5.1
Bay 1: 8xDVD / 8x4x24CDRW Combo Drive w/swappable floppy
Bay 2: Additional Li-ION battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and v.92 56K Modem

Insperion 8200:.....$2526.00

Processor: P4 (Mobile) 400Mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB ATA-100
Memory: 384MB DDR PC2100
Video: nVidia GeForce4 440 64MB DDR w/ "Dell UltraSharp" 15 in. UXGA Display
Integrated 8x DVD-ROM
Modular Bay: 24xCDRW w/swappable floppy
Additional Li-ION Battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and 56k modem

To me the DELL seems like the better deal because....

a) It's $100 Cheaper.
b) Larger company which means more places to get it fixed if I break something.
c) You gotta come better than an ATI 7500 to lay the smack down on a GF4.
d) Does 200MHZ additional processing power really mean that much above 2Ghz (it's less than a 10% difference) and the mobile should go easier on the batteries.
e) I hate combo drives, and I can have my cake and eat it too with the Dell.
f) I can always get more memory later if I really need the extra 128M THAT bad.

Any reasons I should reconsider, or is there another laptop I havn't considered yet (I'm pretty sure that Dell is the only one offering nVidia graphics)?

 

[tweakmm]

What are the weights of these beasts?
That would be a huge factor for me

 

[PsychoAndy]

Originally posted by: overturfa
OK, here is the comparison breakdown, the way I would order each machine.

Alienware AREA 51:.....$2621.00

Processor: P4 (Desktop) 400mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB IBM Travelstar (5400rpm ATA-100)
Memory: 512MB DDR PC2100
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 64MB DDR (Only Option)
Sound: SB Extigy 5.1
Bay 1: 8xDVD / 8x4x24CDRW Combo Drive w/swappable floppy
Bay 2: Additional Li-ION battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and v.92 56K Modem

Insperion 8200:.....$2526.00

Processor: P4 (Mobile) 400Mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB ATA-100
Memory: 384MB DDR PC2100
Video: nVidia GeForce4 440 64MB DDR w/ "Dell UltraSharp" 15 in. UXGA Display
Integrated 8x DVD-ROM
Modular Bay: 24xCDRW w/swappable floppy
Additional Li-ION Battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and 56k modem

To me the DELL seems like the better deal because....

a) It's $100 Cheaper.
b) Larger company which means more places to get it fixed if I break something.
c) You gotta come better than an ATI 7500 to lay the smack down on a GF4.
d) Does 200MHZ additional processing power really mean that much above 2Ghz (it's less than a 10% difference) and the mobile should go easier on the batteries.
e) I hate combo drives, and I can have my cake and eat it too with the Dell.
f) I can always get more memory later if I really need the extra 128M THAT bad.

Any reasons I should reconsider, or is there another laptop I havn't considered yet (I'm pretty sure that Dell is the only one offering nVidia graphics)?

What does Dells size have to do with repairs? They dont have combined retail/repair centers like gateway (thankfully) and your stuff goes to a central repair center.

I havent had any problems with my dell machines. My periperhal orders on the other hand....

-PAB

 

[Utterman]

Originally posted by: overturfa
OK, here is the comparison breakdown, the way I would order each machine.

Alienware AREA 51:.....$2621.00

Processor: P4 (Desktop) 400mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB IBM Travelstar (5400rpm ATA-100)
Memory: 512MB DDR PC2100
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 64MB DDR (Only Option)
Sound: SB Extigy 5.1
Bay 1: 8xDVD / 8x4x24CDRW Combo Drive w/swappable floppy
Bay 2: Additional Li-ION battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and v.92 56K Modem

Insperion 8200:.....$2526.00

Processor: P4 (Mobile) 400Mhz (Fastest Option)
MOBO: Intel 845MP (Only Option)
HD: 40GB ATA-100
Memory: 384MB DDR PC2100
Video: nVidia GeForce4 440 64MB DDR w/ "Dell UltraSharp" 15 in. UXGA Display
Integrated 8x DVD-ROM
Modular Bay: 24xCDRW w/swappable floppy
Additional Li-ION Battery
Integrated NIC 10/100 and 56k modem

To me the DELL seems like the better deal because....

a) It's $100 Cheaper.
b) Larger company which means more places to get it fixed if I break something.
c) You gotta come better than an ATI 7500 to lay the smack down on a GF4.
d) Does 200MHZ additional processing power really mean that much above 2Ghz (it's less than a 10% difference) and the mobile should go easier on the batteries.
e) I hate combo drives, and I can have my cake and eat it too with the Dell.
f) I can always get more memory later if I really need the extra 128M THAT bad.

Any reasons I should reconsider, or is there another laptop I havn't considered yet (I'm pretty sure that Dell is the only one offering nVidia graphics)?

The Area 51 lappy doesn't even have a batter AFAIK, but it it does, it will drain it before it starts up. IMO, the dell on would be better

 

[brxndxn]

hahahahahahah... gaming laptop.. you mean gaming brick! might as well shove a cinder block in my backpack with my laptop to equal the weight of those monsters..


Compac 2800T series if you want a serious gaming laptop - in a real package
Also, try the Toshiba 5005-S507.. It's only like 1.37 inches thick and it looks awesome - and has awesome speakers for a laptop

 

[overturfa]

The Alienware machine weighs in at 9.6lbs, w/battery
The Dell weighs 7.64lbs and doesn't specify if that's with or without the battery.

Both machines are 1.7" thin when they're closed.

 

[overturfa]

No, I mean gaming I can pack it on a plane and take it half way around the world when I get deployed, not heff it around campus all day long, and 7-9 pounds isn't shhyt compared to a ruck sack. I'm not as concerned with weight as I am with raw performance.


A friend of mine has a Compaq 2800T, and it games real nice. Eats batteries like nothing I've ever seen with the AthlonXP. I'm not even interested in looking at a Toshiba though, we made quick work of a pretty nice Satellite over here in the "sand-box" when I deployed last year. I just wasn't real impressed with their durability. On the other hand....we beat the lineback tar out of the Dells and they just keep truckin.

 

[Oscar1613]

Originally posted by: overturfa
No, I mean gaming I can pack it on a plane and take it half way around the world when I get deployed, not heff it around campus all day long, and 7-9 pounds isn't shhyt compared to a ruck sack. I'm not as concerned with weight as I am with raw performance.


A friend of mine has a Compaq 2800T, and it games real nice. Eats batteries like nothing I've ever seen with the AthlonXP. I'm not even interested in looking at a Toshiba though, we made quick work of a pretty nice Satellite over here in the "sand-box" when I deployed last year. I just wasn't real impressed with their durability. On the other hand....we beat the lineback tar out of the Dells and they just keep truckin.

compaq 2800 has a p4... battery life is about 2 hours under full load (running fold@home non-stop) or 3 to 3.5 hours with minimal usage (i.e. browsing internet, playing solitare, etc). these are times you will get with ANY P4-m laptop... the desktop P4 will probably range from 1.5 hours full load to 2.5 hours min load. if you want longer battery life you will have to get an older model with a slower p3 or celeron.

if it was up to me, my 2 choices would be the compaq and a sager from powernotebooks.com. reason being, 1)compaq has about the same advantages as the dell, except it can be ordered with the new mobility radeon 9000 (mobility 7500 performed on par with the 8200 with gf4, so the 9000 should have at very least a slight advantage over it) and 2)sager note books are the same exact ones alienware uses, except with alienware you get a ~$200 coat of paint

also, the sagers (and alienwares) should be getting a new model with the mobility radeon 9000 soon. the main question is battery life and weight... if you want longer battery and lighter, go for the compaq/dell. if you want a little more performance and dont mind the extra weight or shortened battery life, go for the sager/alienware.

 

[Ryan]

For only $2400 you could get a gateway laptop that has a 15.7 inch screen, and all the same options:

Processor: p4 2ghz
ram: 512mb ddr
HD 40gb 5400rpm
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 64MB DDR
screen: 15.7 inch sxga active matrix
sound: integrated
bay 1: combo drive
integrated nic, 802.11b wireless, and modem.

 

[Derango]

I'd stay away from the alienware. My friend has one...the thing weighs about 11 pounds, and puts out enough heat to keep a small room warm when its cold outside. The dual batteries only last about 2 hours. The thing is also very thick. coupled with a powersupply fan that won't turn off as long as you have the AC adapter plug in...its not really a notebook at all. My recomendation is to get a lower powered laptop for light gaming/work on the go, and get a nice desktop for the gaming. It works better

 

[Ladies Man]

i love my dell 8200

 

[Mutilator]

*Updated*
Go to PowerNotebooks.com and look at the Sager NP8882 Supra configuration. That's the same laptop (or newer version now) that Alienware uses. Here's how I had mine configured... now if I only had the $$ to buy it.
15.7" SXGA TFT Active Matrix w/ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 w/64MB DDR
2.8GHz Intel Pentium® 4 Processor w/512k L2 Cache - 533MHz System Bus Speed
40.0GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive 5,400RPM
1,024MB (2 DIMMS) PC2100 DDR Memory
Detachable MP3 Player w/32MB SD Memory
Combo 8X DVD/16x10x24 CD-RW w/Softwares
Built-in 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
Built-in 56k V.90 Data/Fax Modem
Built-in 10/100BaseT Ethernet w/RJ-45 Jack
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Smart Li-ion Battery
Windows XP Pro
Productivity Software Bundle
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter
Standard Carrying Case
1-Year Parts and Labor, Lifetime Telephone Technical Support
$2625.00 ($2480.00 without XP)
BTW powernotebooks is the #1 reseller on resellerratings.com

 

[Derango]

Originally posted by: Mutilator
*Updated*
Go to PowerNotebooks.com and look at the Sager NP8882 Supra configuration. That's the same laptop (or newer version now) that Alienware uses. Here's how I had mine configured... now if I only had the $$ to buy it.
15.7" SXGA TFT Active Matrix w/ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 w/64MB DDR
2.8GHz Intel Pentium® 4 Processor w/512k L2 Cache - 533MHz System Bus Speed
40.0GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive 5,400RPM
1,024MB (2 DIMMS) PC2100 DDR Memory
Detachable MP3 Player w/32MB SD Memory
Combo 8X DVD/16x10x24 CD-RW w/Softwares
Built-in 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
Built-in 56k V.90 Data/Fax Modem
Built-in 10/100BaseT Ethernet w/RJ-45 Jack
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Smart Li-ion Battery
Windows XP Pro
Productivity Software Bundle
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter
Standard Carrying Case
1-Year Parts and Labor, Lifetime Telephone Technical Support
$2625.00 ($2480.00 without XP)
BTW powernotebooks is the #1 reseller on resellerratings.com

Ok, if you get this one, then its only going to last an hour and a half on batteries and put out enough heat to keep a medium sized room warm Desktop Processor in notebook = bad.

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: Mutilator
*Updated*
Go to PowerNotebooks.com and look at the Sager NP8882 Supra configuration. That's the same laptop (or newer version now) that Alienware uses. Here's how I had mine configured... now if I only had the $$ to buy it.
15.7" SXGA TFT Active Matrix w/ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 w/64MB DDR
2.8GHz Intel Pentium® 4 Processor w/512k L2 Cache - 533MHz System Bus Speed
40.0GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive 5,400RPM
1,024MB (2 DIMMS) PC2100 DDR Memory
Detachable MP3 Player w/32MB SD Memory
Combo 8X DVD/16x10x24 CD-RW w/Softwares
Built-in 3.5" 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
Built-in 56k V.90 Data/Fax Modem
Built-in 10/100BaseT Ethernet w/RJ-45 Jack
Built-in IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Smart Li-ion Battery
Windows XP Pro
Productivity Software Bundle
Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter
Standard Carrying Case
1-Year Parts and Labor, Lifetime Telephone Technical Support
$2625.00 ($2480.00 without XP)
BTW powernotebooks is the #1 reseller on resellerratings.com

yea i got some news for ya... alienware's are sagers... painted purty colors. if you really want a alienware, buy a sager then pay me 300 bucks and i'll paint it green. i'm running a sager, from pchertz.com... top of the line, pm me if you want specs and pics

 

[Mutilator]

Originally posted by: Derango
Ok, if you get this one, then its only going to last an hour and a half on batteries and put out enough heat to keep a medium sized room warm Desktop Processor in notebook = bad.

P4 Truth.
If someone is looking for a "gaming laptop" then only the best will do... and that means the fastest processor possible. Most laptops will die in an hour and 1/2 when you're playing a graphic game. They aren't called "Desktop Replacements" for nothing... and for the most part they are supposed to remain plugged in.

But it is a well established fact that 80% of all laptop users say they "...rarely or never..." use their batteries. They are instead after the portability of a laptop, and are almost always plugged into either AC power, or use a 12V Auto or Airplane adapter.

 

[GizmoFreak]

I think Dell now offers the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 in their Dell 8200s now.

Check out the Sony Vaio GRX series or Gateway 600 or Toshiba 1955 series for their large screens!

 

[Insomnium]

I have the Dell 8200 and now that I finally got vid driver issues resolved, I'm happy with it. The thing is Dell isn't too keen on releasing the latest drivers and nVidia doesn't offer mobile drivers through themselves, so your hardware may not always be at 100% performance. You can however get hacked detonators running. I would also look into the highest end Toshiba for the best gaming, but it's ridiculously big. If you want something lighter/less space consuming, look at the Compaq 2800. Personally, I'd go with the Mobile Radeon 9000, esp. since Carmack implied it mite run Doom 3 :Q

 

[MWink]

I recommend the Inspiron 8200. I have one and I love it. I have yet to find a game it can not run well.

Also, try the Toshiba 5005-S507.. It's only like 1.37 inches thick and it looks awesome - and has awesome speakers for a laptop

I've had the displeasure of working with that laptop. That is one of the worst laptops I've worked with. I got to work with it when it was brand new (I took it out of the box). It was very obvious they cut corners in the design. The battery life was pitiful coming in at 1:10 and that was not even at max load. It would never come out of sleep mode. The battery would self discharge over 50% in less than a week. That's just some of the flaws.

I could also rant about Sager/Alienware but I'm sick of repeating myself. If you want to see my complaints just search "Sager".

 

[SithSolo1]

A little article on the mobile radeon 9000 here