Home office laptop - Compaq Presario 750US vs. Dell Vostro 1500

[dlk9s1]

I saw that someone asked about an HP versus Dell earlier, but my requirements aren't as heavy as his, so I wanted to get some input.

This laptop would be for my home office. Doesn't have to be crazy light.

My needs are fairly basic, but I don't want something so low-budget that it will choke up as soon as I have a couple applications and some streaming music going. I'll primarily be using Microsoft Office products, Firefox, Thunderbird, and online poker software. I'm not a professional player - 4 poker tables would be the max. Poker software can be a bit of a resource hog, depending on the poker room. I may stream some music (Seeqpod or Rhapsody), and of course there's the usual video that I may watch on websites like YouTube. Of course, it would be nice if it won't be obsolete come 2010.

I won't be doing any heavy gaming or movie watching. I have a desktop computer for that stuff.

Here's a Compaq Presario 750US I found at Microcenter for $500 after rebate:

Vista Home Premium
AMD® Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor TK-57 (1.9 Ghz)
512KB Level 2 Cache, 1600MHz Frontside Bus
1024MB DDR2 RAM (Expandable to 3GB)
120GB 5,400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
SuperMulti 8x DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
15.4" Widescreen XGA High-Definition BrightView Display (1280 x 800)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7000M Video Chipset
Up to 287MB Total Available Graphics Memory
High Definition Audio Chipset
Wireless b/g, etc.

For comparison, here's a Dell Vostro 1500 I configured for $628:

Intel® Core? 2 Duo T5270 (1.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA LCD Display with TrueLife?
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
120GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
8X CD/DVD+RW Read and Burn CD and DVD
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce? 8400M GS
Dell Exclusive MediaDirect? Instant Play Software Application
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card
etc., etc.

I have a $100 Dell GC, which would take it down to $528. If I bought the Compaq, I would use the GC to buy more RAM to bring it to at least 2GB, plus I'd have money left over to play with.

I do have an LCD monitor that I currently use, mainly to play poker. Typically, I'll have my work/internet browser on the laptop screen and the poker tables on the second monitor. I believe the Dell video card comes with a DVI connection, while the Compaq does not.

My big conundrum is how the two CPU's compare. The AMD is 500 Mhz faster, but I read an article at notebookreview.com that said slower Intel's outperformed or matched AMD. They were comparing an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58 (1.9GHz) and an Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz). Of course, the video cards may play into the equation, too.

If I went with the 2.0Ghz Intel chip, I would tack $130 onto the Dell.

So for my needs (basic, but with some flexibility to multi-task a couple resource-intensive programs), which do you all think would be the best choice?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[dlk9s1]

Update: Office Depot has the Compaq for $450 after rebate.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Even being 500MHz slower, the Intel is the faster processor. Why? Core 2 Technology is better, and it also has 4 times the L2 cache. But since your not doing anything CPU intensive, either option should be plenty for your needs. If you get the HP, you can get a 2GB kit of RAM for as low as $20 AR these days, so it will still cost less than the Dell. However if you want the most "future-proof" laptop, the Dell will be much better in the long run with the faster processor and standalone graphics card.

 

[dlk9s1]

I ended up choosing the Vostro 1500. I will report back after I receive it to let everyone know my thoughts.

Thanks for the input, rockin.

 

[Rottie]

Oh well you should have bought Compaq instead of Vostro 1500...but you already choose Vostro then there is nothing I can tell you more about my Compaq

 

[PClark99]

I got my wife the Compaq 730US for XMas.

It has the TK55 processor which is slightly slower than the CPU in the 750US.

Right out of the box I upgraded the RAM to 2GB in order to make the vista experience better. I also removed most of the crapware they install on it.

With 1GB of RAM it doesn't run so hot. With 2GB its definitely decent for most applications.

For $449 after MIR plus another $50 for 2GB of RAM its not a bad machine.