Should I keep the 8600 or the r3000z ?

[DT4K]

I bought a Compaq R3000z a few weeks ago. I made a mistake when I opted to stick with the standard XGA display. I was very disappointed with the very limited viewing angle.

So I decided I would return it and order another one with the brightview widescreen display. But right when I was about to order one, the $700 off Dell deal came up. So I bought an 8600.

So far, it seems pretty nice. The WXGA display on the Dell is much nicer than the XGA display on the Compaq. But I'm disappointed with the speakers on the 8600. Even at full volume, they don't get very loud. I think I was spoiled by the great speakers on the r3000z. I put the two side by side and tried playing the same DVD and the r3000z was much louder and richer sound.

Maybe this is normal for a laptop, I just don't understand why they make this nice widescreen display, put a Radeon 9600 Pro in there, then put in crappy quiet speakers. It just seems like they want this to be a multimedia / gaming machine but they skimp on the sound.

So I'm leaning towards keeping the Dell, because this seems to be the only issue where the Compaq has an advantage, but I'm not 100% decided yet. I still keep thinking maybe I should send them both back and get another R3000z with the BrightView WXGA screen.

Looking at the comparison below, I should probably keep the dell, but I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. Oh, the main use of this computer will be email, word processing, etc. But it would also be used for games and DVD's occasionally.

EDIT: I'm definitely returning the Compaq I already bought because I'm not happy with the screen. I'm just trying to decide if I should keep the Dell or order another Compaq with a better screen (the one listed below is what I would order, not what I already have.

Dell Inspiron 8600:
Pentium M 715 (1.5Ghz)
15.4" WXGA
Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo
Much smaller ac adapter
Runs cooler
1 lb lighter
Slightly smaller footprint and thinner
crappy speakers
Total Cost: $976 w/ 3 year warranty


Compaq R3000Z:
Athlon XP 3000+
15.4" WXGA w/ BrightView
GeForce 4 440
Much larger heavier ac adapter
Runs hotter
1 lb heavier
slightly larger footprint and thicker
Much better speakers
Total Cost: about $1200 w/ 3 year warranty

 

[ThaPerculator]

Is the 15.4 wxga on the compaq really that bad? I just ordered one off amazon, cuz I got a $500 gift card to there from my work. Was hoping that it wasn't going to be an issue. damn.

How is the Geforce4 go 440? Have you tested it on any games to see if it's playable? Just curious.

 

[Mermaidman]

Regarding the speakers--I think the rationale is that even good laptop speakers can't compare to decent headphones or external speakers, so why bother. IMO, keep the Dell. It's easier to improve your aural experience than the visual.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: ThaPerculator
Is the 15.4 wxga on the compaq really that bad? I just ordered one off amazon, cuz I got a $500 gift card to there from my work. Was hoping that it wasn't going to be an issue. damn.

How is the Geforce4 go 440? Have you tested it on any games to see if it's playable? Just curious.

No no, I originally bought the compaq with just the 15" XGA, not the 15.4 WXGA. So that's the one I wasn't happy with. I've seen the 15.4 WXGA on the Compaq at a local store and it is better. The standard XGA just doesn't have a very wide viewable angle so when the top is bright and clear, the bottom looks washed out. Both the standard and the BrightView 15.4 WXGA screens that I saw looked much better than the XGA screen I ended up with. BrightView looked really good, but it's a glossy surface so there is more glare.

I'm definitely sending back the Compaq I got. The decision I need to make is whether I should keep the Dell or reorder another Compaq r3000z with the WXGA (probably with BrightView). The details I listed for the Compaq are for the one I would order, not the one I already got.

I haven't tried any games on either machine. Maybe I'll dl the Doom 3 demo tonight and see how they handle it. Gaming really isn't the purpose of this computer but it would be nice to be able to keep that option open. I can see myself occasionally taking my wireless router and laptop to my friends house for some gaming.

I agree that just getting some headphones is probably the best idea, especially considering the price I got on the Dell. I was just spoiled because the Compaq's speakers sound really good. The only real downside to the dell speakers would be something like trying to watch a DVD in the car.

On the heat issue, my wife said that the Dell got very hot when she had it on the bed today. I know you aren't supposed to block the vents by doing that, but she did that with the Compaq and didn't complain of any heat issues. I assumed the Dell would run cooler due to the Pentium M chip, but maybe the Compaq makes up for it with more airflow. Or maybe it's the Radeon that is running warm as well.

 

[vegetation]

Well don't even bother running Doom 3 on the R3000z. Its 440go graphic set is a joke compared to the Radeon in the Dell. If gaming has even a tiny priority, then you'll want to stick with the Dell. That was one of the reasons I returned my R3000z -- even though it had a very powerful cpu in it, it was totally useless for gaming since the 440go is too old and slow plus had compatibility issues with some older games -- really no better than integrated graphics. Considering the heft of the R3000z, it's just embarassing. Also, if you're not getting the UXGA screen on the R3000z, then you really are missing a big selling point of that huge machine.

 

[ThaPerculator]

I've gotta wait till next week to get my r3000z series, but I'll let you guys know what I think about it when it arrives... I got a $500 gift card to Amazon from my work, so I had to buy one there, which sucked all in istelf. I was looking at the emachines ones, but unfortunately amazon doesn't sell them direct, so my gc wouldn't work (go figure).

Here's what is on order...

The whole downfall of that thing seems to be the video card, which blows cuz I really wanted a a64 system. Hopefully it'll be good enough to play at least games like painkiller, etc. on lower gfx settings. It's a shame: such a fast cpu, with such a old vid card. Compaq really needs to throw the A64 in a different line of laptops.

I'll update once I get it, though.

 

[cbehnken]

Originally posted by: ThaPerculator
I've gotta wait till next week to get my r3000z series, but I'll let you guys know what I think about it when it arrives... I got a $300 gift card to Amazon from my work, so I had to buy one there, which sucked all in istelf. I was looking at the emachines ones, but unfortunately amazon doesn't sell them direct, so my gc wouldn't work (go figure).

Here's what is on order...

The whole downfall of that thing seems to be the video card, which blows cuz I really wanted a a64 system. Hopefully it'll be good enough to play at least games like painkiller, etc. on lower gfx settings. It's a shame: such a fast cpu, with such a old vid card. Compaq really needs to throw the A64 in a different line of laptops.

I'll update once I get it, though.

Man that price is high. My system isn't quite that good, but it was cheaper than that even after the gift card:

- Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
- AMD Athlon(TM) XP-M 2800+ (1.60 GHz/128K L2 cache)
- 15.4" WXGA Widescreen (1280x800)
- 32MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(TM) 4 420 Go
- 256MB DDR SDRAM (1x256MB)
- FREE Upgrade from 40GB to 60GB 4200 RPM Hard Drive
- DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
- FREE Upgrade to 54g(TM) Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN !!
- Microsoft(R) Works/Money
- 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- hpshopping in-box envelope

DP533AV $978.00 $978.00
discount -$97.80
subtotal $880.20
shipping FREE
tax $0.00
grand total $880.20

-$100 rebate and total was $780.20

Not meaning to knock your deal, as your machine is better in all respects, I just think Amazon was high on that.

 

[ThaPerculator]

Yeah I know, I wasn't claiming it a deal, basically I got screwed into buying a lappie on Amazon, cuz of the gc's. Trust me, I wish I coulda bought it anywhere else. But when you have $500 to spend somewhere, it makes ya want to get rid of it on something big.

 

[cbehnken]

Agreed. Amazon is soooo cheap on books though