iBuypower notebook?

[Rockinacoustic]

I've sulked around Anandtech forums for quite some time, and I hope I could get some opinions on this notebook:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16834227004
Now granted, iBuypower doesn't exactly have the name recognition of Dell, HP, etc. when it comes to the notebook market, but the specs are deff. great for the price with the mail-in rebate (I understand most of you are wary about mail-in rebates).

Basically what i'm looking for is a laptop for college that offers enough for me to do my word processing/internet givens, but also to do some photoshop/strata 3D as well as light gaming on the side if i want to. Granted the video card (mobility x1400) isn't top shelf, but it makes no sense to me to buy a laptop more graphics capable than my desktop. Plus the lower profile card should yield more battery life. I've configured laptops from Dell, HP, Toshiba, you name it, and for the price this really caught my eye. Should I give this laptop a try?

Thanks in advance for your replies

 

[DaveSimmons]

That is about $100 less than a comparable Dell, or the same price as a Dell with 1.83 GHz CPU, as long as you really do get the $200 rebate. But that's because Dell has cut back on good deals to gouge you during the back to school rush. Give them a few weeks and the Dell will probably be much cheaper.

You might checkwww.ResellerRatings for iBuyPower to see what their service is like. Dell will make you call India but you will be helped eventually.

 

[densha]

go to their site and you can find something with nvidia 7600 or ati x1600 for the same price or less, i'm in the market right now for something similar, so also check out cyberpowerpc.com 'cause they have similar deals, though if you do buy from newegg at least you wont have to wait for them to put the laptop together

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
That is about $100 less than a comparable Dell, or the same price as a Dell with 1.83 GHz CPU, as long as you really do get the $200 rebate. But that's because Dell has cut back on good deals to gouge you during the back to school rush. Give them a few weeks and the Dell will probably be much cheaper.

You might checkwww.ResellerRatings for iBuyPower to see what their service is like. Dell will make you call India but you will be helped eventually.

it is also heavier and more bulky than Dell E1505, and doesn't come with 1680x1050 screen.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

I took another look at dell and was able to configure a system similar to yours postmortemIA, except with the MR x1400, and a 120gb 5400rpm HD. After applying a 20% off coupon the Laptop came roughy under $1100, excellent deal no?

But! I had to let my mind wander. I decided to chat with online tech and the battery problems dell has been plagued by crossed my mind. I asked if dell has done anything to ensure that i will not be shipped a faulty or recalled battery with my current order (citing dell's current problems, since there's always a chance for error). She then proceeded to tell me the list of affected notebooks, clearly not understanding my qustion. I then restated "Will my current order be affected by the recall, or has dell done anything to ensure current purchases are recieving safer and more efficient batteries". She told me yes, I will be affected, and then prompted me to buy an extended service warranty for that matter. heh.

I would have saved this convo, but the chat connection was so bad my computer froze :roll:. I understand dell can only do so much, but they aren't making customers like me very eager to purchase their products at this time.

 

[postmortemIA]

No, every laptop bought after middle July is not affected with battery recall. Mine isn't, I have checked.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Good to know. I'll deff. look into dell now if this is the case. At least if there's a problem with it i'm guaranteed a techie to go off on 24/7

Thanks for your help guys!

Edit: postmortemIA, what made you go with the 7300go over the ATI alternative? The x1400 is clearly better, not to mention cheaper too.

 

[postmortemIA]

I don't trust ATi at all, after my 9700 pro died and drivers problem with it in Windows and Linux, I'm not buying their hardware again. I think driver support isn't going to be great for x1400. And 7300 isn't that slower- if at all. Another thing is that I'm sure X1400 produces too much heat baased on its clock speed.

Basically I needed card that has hardware support for all fancy stuff, without worrying too much about speed. Both are going to be obsolete in matter of months.

 

[Chris27]

well I just put together a z96j for a bit over $1200 with

wsxga+ 15.4" glossy screen
2.13ghz core duo
256mb ati x1600
1x1gb ddr2 667 ram
100gb 7200rpm hitachi travelstar
8x dvd supermulti drive
intel wireless
bluetooth
6 cell battery (~2.5 hours of battery life)

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Well I bit the bullet on the dell, when it came down to it the price was hard to beat. Here's the specs:

Inspiron E1505
Intel Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz
1 GB 533MHz DDR2 Ram
120GB 5,400rpm HD
ATI x1400 128mb
SXGA+ Widescreen w/ truelife
8x cd/dvd burner
Integrated Sound Blaster
Windows XP Media Center

I'm praying I get a good battery. And hopeing for ~ 3 hours shouldn't be out of the question for a 6 cell right?


After applying a coupon the build came down to approx $1060 (without tax). Not bad for the orginal >$1300 price tag. Thanks so much for your help once again guys. I'll give an update when i recieve the notebook, and maybe post a mini review if I find the time for others in the same market as me.