I bought the new model this week and I LOVE it.
runs fine on the stock CPU, but I'm probably going to upgrade it anyways.
I was going to buy the laptop in the OP when I was first looking for a new notebook a couple months ago, but decided to put it on the backburner. glad I waited, the 4GB ram is nice -- even though it's mildly annoying that I have to go with a 64-bit OS to take advantage of it since it means I can't run my cisco vpn client on my laptop anymore.
runs fine on the stock CPU, but I'm probably going to upgrade it anyways.
I was going to buy the laptop in the OP when I was first looking for a new notebook a couple months ago, but decided to put it on the backburner. glad I waited, the 4GB ram is nice -- even though it's mildly annoying that I have to go with a 64-bit OS to take advantage of it since it means I can't run my cisco vpn client on my laptop anymore.
Zap
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
- 7
- 81
Awesome! Man, this is almost as good as my dedicated gaming rig, except for the CPU (I have an overclocked Wolfdale).
EDIT: Was looking into this a bit more. I know the chassis has two HDD bays. Does anyone know for sure if the HDD is a single 320GB or dual 160GB? I know single 320GB drives are out, but previously at Gateway's site they were configuring these FX notebooks with dual drives. Being a single drive would of course be much better because you can get a separate drive and have huge amounts of internal storage (for a notebook).
I was also thinking... the CPU is a Core 2 Duo on FSB667 with an 11x multiplier and 2MB cache. Hmmm, can it be BSEL modded to become a 2.2GHz chip? I know the notebook supports (and is elsewhere sold with) a 2.2GHz FSB800 Core 2 Duo with 2MB cache. This makes me want this notebook even more, just to try overclocking it!!! I've actually BSEL modded a notebook before, a Toshiba unit that used desktop chips. BSEL modded a Northwood Celeron 2.0 into 2.66GHz. Worked great!
EDIT #2: Info page on Gateway's site states "320GB 5400RPM Serial ATA II hard drive with 8MB cache (1-320GB)" so it is a single 320GB drive AFAIK.
bryanW1995
Lifer
- May 22, 2007
- 11,144
- 32
- 91
I just got my inspiron 1525 in the mail the other day. It has a T7250 but I'm itching to upgrade it. Can I bsel mod that (has santa rosa p965 chipset) to fsb 266?
I bought this about a month ago and love it. I also bought an Inspiron 1520 from Dell outlet for $660 + tax/ship (T8300 2.4Ghz c2d, 250GB HD, 3GB Memory, DVD RW, 15.4 screen, webcam). I since exchanged the processors (so the 1520 has a 1.83 T5550) and paired up the memory (2x2GB in the Gateway, and 2x1GB in the Dell). The new WEI numbers are excellent for a laptop(old): 5.4(4.8) CPU, 5.1(4.5) Memory, 5.9/5.8 graphics, 5.2 HD. 3DMark increased only 100 points.
The Gateway was a cinch to upgrade; all you needed was a few minutes and some artic silver. The Dell required a full dismantle: hd, dvd, wireless card, screen, keyboard... I wouldn't recommend it without the full detailed instructions from their website.
The Gateway was a cinch to upgrade; all you needed was a few minutes and some artic silver. The Dell required a full dismantle: hd, dvd, wireless card, screen, keyboard... I wouldn't recommend it without the full detailed instructions from their website.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1204332501169
So... Can I just install a copy of WinXP on here or do I need a special copy with Gateway specific drivers, etc?
So... Can I just install a copy of WinXP on here or do I need a special copy with Gateway specific drivers, etc?
I know this post is kinda old and I don't want to thread dump either, but is someone is still
looking for a good deal on a 17" laptop who's reading this, then...
HP Pavilion dv9700t notebook w/ Core 2 Duo T8300 2.4GHz +$175, 17in WSXGA+ BrightView +$50, 3GB DDR2 +$25, 320GB SATA +$30, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, DVD+-RW lightscribe, HP Imprint + fingerprint reader + webcam +$25, 802.11abgn wireless, 5-in-1 card reader, remote, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, MS works 8.0, Vista Home Premium, 1yr limited warranty for only $1405 - 30% off HP coupon = $983 w/ free shipping. Free HP Deskjet D1560 Printer after rebate.
Choose HP dv9700t. Choose all free upgrades and upgrades mentioned above, add to cart and apply HP coupon code: xpbargains
thanks xpbargains!
looking for a good deal on a 17" laptop who's reading this, then...
HP Pavilion dv9700t notebook w/ Core 2 Duo T8300 2.4GHz +$175, 17in WSXGA+ BrightView +$50, 3GB DDR2 +$25, 320GB SATA +$30, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, DVD+-RW lightscribe, HP Imprint + fingerprint reader + webcam +$25, 802.11abgn wireless, 5-in-1 card reader, remote, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, MS works 8.0, Vista Home Premium, 1yr limited warranty for only $1405 - 30% off HP coupon = $983 w/ free shipping. Free HP Deskjet D1560 Printer after rebate.
Choose HP dv9700t. Choose all free upgrades and upgrades mentioned above, add to cart and apply HP coupon code: xpbargains
thanks xpbargains!
I'm looking for a LT for my elder one to take for his first year of college. I've semi-convinced him to go 17" rather than 15" on the assumption it would spend a lot more time on his desk in the dorm than being carried around campus, and (from my own experience) a 15" screen is sort of small to use day in and day out as your only "tube".
First question: is my push for the 17" a good one, or are most "kids" happier with the smaller machine?
Second question: his grandfather is paying for this as a graduation present, so my thought is to overbuy what he needs right now, and try to get through as much of college with this same machine as possible (ideally, 4 years...) Though I haven't really been told this, I think I need to keep it under $2K, and would like to keep it under $1.5K. Does this seem reasonable, or is trying to stretch a LT that far unreasonable? (I've done it before, but not for a machine used for much beyond office type apps.)
The college is pushing Dells (they are a reseller and offer "big" discounts), but even with the school discount, the Dells seem expensive for what you get - though they have the side benefit that the school is also a registered Dell service center, and (assuming an extended warranty with the accident, etc. coverage) the school will handle any issues on site. I don't know how good GW or HP "on-site" or "send back" support is - does anyone have experience with them?
He is a gamer, but obviously the machine isn't dedicated (or even specifically targeted) at that - it just needs to be good enough that he can do some gaming (he had better be doing more schoolwork than gaming
). It needs to be good at normal usage (whatever that is) as well as DVD playback and such. The reviews of the Gateway were pretty much purely from the point of view of gaming, so any CPU performance beyond what was required to fully drive the GPU when gaming was viewed as largely wasted, and therefore the T5550 is good enough. For this usage, that's not necessarily a valid call. Thoughts about how much CPU he might need? (I'm a SW developer, so I might tend to go bigger here than he really needs...)
I looked at the HP - which has the big advantage of configurability. I set it up with a better processor, the better screen, the better graphics (of the 2 choices), otherwise comparable to the Gateway (so the HP ends up with a much better CPU, better screen, worse graphics proc), and it ends up several hundred $ more than the GW (some of which is the additional warranty I included).
For a comparison, the school option Dell (1730) configured as closely as I could to the HP was ~600-800 more than the HP, even with the school discount. It included 3 year full warranty rather than 2, a 1900x1200 LCD rather than 1650x1050, a physics processor, an 8700M rather than an 8600M, and 3 year AV, but I didn't have the option to leave out any of these (which I'd be more than happy to do...)
What is the general feeling, both of the 2 (GW vs HP) machines (quality, reliability, etc.) and the tradeoffs for this application. Is the 8600M/512 adequate for most gaming? (For comparison, he currently plays Oblivion on a machine with an X1900GT and does not express unhappiness with the performance.) I am going to try to actually see both (with him...) to compare screens, keyboards, etc., but if I can't find them, is there any feedback from people who have actually used these?
Thanks for any info - my wife is pushing hard to get something bought, claiming she will buy something if I don't do so shortly, and the idea of her selecting technology is scary enough that I need to do this...
First question: is my push for the 17" a good one, or are most "kids" happier with the smaller machine?
Second question: his grandfather is paying for this as a graduation present, so my thought is to overbuy what he needs right now, and try to get through as much of college with this same machine as possible (ideally, 4 years...) Though I haven't really been told this, I think I need to keep it under $2K, and would like to keep it under $1.5K. Does this seem reasonable, or is trying to stretch a LT that far unreasonable? (I've done it before, but not for a machine used for much beyond office type apps.)
The college is pushing Dells (they are a reseller and offer "big" discounts), but even with the school discount, the Dells seem expensive for what you get - though they have the side benefit that the school is also a registered Dell service center, and (assuming an extended warranty with the accident, etc. coverage) the school will handle any issues on site. I don't know how good GW or HP "on-site" or "send back" support is - does anyone have experience with them?
He is a gamer, but obviously the machine isn't dedicated (or even specifically targeted) at that - it just needs to be good enough that he can do some gaming (he had better be doing more schoolwork than gaming
). It needs to be good at normal usage (whatever that is) as well as DVD playback and such. The reviews of the Gateway were pretty much purely from the point of view of gaming, so any CPU performance beyond what was required to fully drive the GPU when gaming was viewed as largely wasted, and therefore the T5550 is good enough. For this usage, that's not necessarily a valid call. Thoughts about how much CPU he might need? (I'm a SW developer, so I might tend to go bigger here than he really needs...)I looked at the HP - which has the big advantage of configurability. I set it up with a better processor, the better screen, the better graphics (of the 2 choices), otherwise comparable to the Gateway (so the HP ends up with a much better CPU, better screen, worse graphics proc), and it ends up several hundred $ more than the GW (some of which is the additional warranty I included).
For a comparison, the school option Dell (1730) configured as closely as I could to the HP was ~600-800 more than the HP, even with the school discount. It included 3 year full warranty rather than 2, a 1900x1200 LCD rather than 1650x1050, a physics processor, an 8700M rather than an 8600M, and 3 year AV, but I didn't have the option to leave out any of these (which I'd be more than happy to do...)
What is the general feeling, both of the 2 (GW vs HP) machines (quality, reliability, etc.) and the tradeoffs for this application. Is the 8600M/512 adequate for most gaming? (For comparison, he currently plays Oblivion on a machine with an X1900GT and does not express unhappiness with the performance.) I am going to try to actually see both (with him...) to compare screens, keyboards, etc., but if I can't find them, is there any feedback from people who have actually used these?
Thanks for any info - my wife is pushing hard to get something bought, claiming she will buy something if I don't do so shortly, and the idea of her selecting technology is scary enough that I need to do this...
I dont think anyone would argue that the hps are built better than gateways. (and better than dells for that matter)
If its just between the dell and this gateway, i would go gw, simply for its awesome vid card.
Personally i would take the gateway over the hp as well. I replace my laptops pretty regularly, so the longevity factor of the hp is not much of an issue with me.
good luck.
If its just between the dell and this gateway, i would go gw, simply for its awesome vid card.
Personally i would take the gateway over the hp as well. I replace my laptops pretty regularly, so the longevity factor of the hp is not much of an issue with me.
good luck.
i own a GateWay MX6454 (black friday 2006 - Turion64 X2 2gig DDR2 ATi x1150, etc). One of my Ram modules took a dive within the first 3 months. Gateway sent a prepaid box to RMA the bad module (my one gripe was I had to return the bad module and it had to GET BACK to them within 15 days using ground shipping - i was a bit worried). However, I have ZERO problems.
This laptop is a solid build, and comes apart easily. My father owns a gateway laptop that is going on 3 years old, and has zero issues with it, and it survived 2 milk spills ad a 3 foot drop.
My laptop gets a bit hot, but I'm betting the FX chassis is set up a bit differently. Now... I could tell you stories about how many DC jacks I've had fail on Dells and HP's. My Gateway also only had a 1 year warranty, which still scares me, but she's going strong.
This laptop is a solid build, and comes apart easily. My father owns a gateway laptop that is going on 3 years old, and has zero issues with it, and it survived 2 milk spills ad a 3 foot drop.
My laptop gets a bit hot, but I'm betting the FX chassis is set up a bit differently. Now... I could tell you stories about how many DC jacks I've had fail on Dells and HP's. My Gateway also only had a 1 year warranty, which still scares me, but she's going strong.
Zap
Elite Member
- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
- 7
- 81
Why don't you ask him? That way if it turned out to be a bad choice, it's his fault and not yours.
You can go to Dell.com and configure a comparable system and see if there's a difference. I've noticed that sometimes the special deals (such as through school/work) aren't all that... and indeed the best deals are whatever special they are running at any given time.
Those GPUs aren't going to be able to push full resolution on 1900x1200 in recent (let alone future) games.
I think gaming will be the biggest issue here, if your son can't take his normal computer with him. If he CAN take his current PC, then I'd suggest just a really cheap notebook that's on the smallish side. If he CAN'T take his current PC and intends to game, then this Gateway is probably the best bet.
As for anything else, if a system is good enough for gaming then chances are it can do other stuff fine.
i picked up the 6860FX and noticed a strange issue with mine - the audio through my headphones - gives feedback / hiss. Anyone else have this issue? I have 14 more days to swap it for another one at Best buy.
Model: P-6860FX SKU: 8780198 on sale for $1,349.99 is that decent for this laptop?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1204332501169
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1204332501169
Considering the 8800m GTS, yes, it is. I have the P-6831FX and love it.
You may want to consider eventually upgrading to a better CPU (T9300?) after your warranty is up.
Also, the HDDs in these models seem to be a bit on the crappy side. A lot of people notice problems with them, and mine has a lot of bad sectors. So, you may need to put in a more reliable HDD (not saying you'll have to, but you might eventually).
Other than that, it's completely worth the money. Best laptop for the price.
my understanding from reading posts on notebookreviews.com is that no one's been able to get XP running, at least not to the point where it could be considered a really workable environment. could have changed in the last couple months, though.
funny, I actually noticed the same thing last night. didn't think much about it since I use headphones on my laptop rarely enough, and I thought it might have been from a fan I had going in the background.
My audio noise went away when I changes Outlets and used a diff pair of earphones. I'm betting the problem was a "grounding issue" from the outlet, not the headphones. Similarly, my Xponent Torq mixing station picks up a TON of noise from dirty power sources.
P-6860FX is back down to 1249 (1349-100) + a free game. I need to take my receipt in today and get it price-matched.
The 6860FX is back at $1350 now, but BB seems to have an HP with almost identical specs for $999.99 this week. Unfortunately, it has a Geforce 8600M GS card rather than the 8800M GTS. I'm pretty much unlearned in the notebook area-- is it possible to swap out the 8600M for an 8800M, or are they integrated? I'm wondering, because if the 8800M is priced like the desktop 8800 series, it'd probably still be cheaper to buy the HP and swap out the cards.
ETA: Here's the HP notebook link.
ETA: Here's the HP notebook link.
Vonkhan
Diamond Member
- Feb 27, 2003
- 8,198
- 0
- 71
BB @ 43rd/5th in NYC were total idiots about it. The flunkey AND the manager insisted that I'd have to return the laptop and repurchase it to get the free game (price match wasn't an issue) and that would be the only way I could get the game. So the money would be credited back to my card in a few days but I'd have to pay the $1250 instantly ... ? f'n morons
I refused to go thru any of that BS and at the verge of losing my temper, the manager finally zapped the game down to a price of $0.00 and price matched the laptop
I hate BB with a passion - a good deal, but a serious pita
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