[DanG]

My almost-3-year-old Dell Inspiron 9300 is getting a bit old and I want to buy something newer and snazzier. I'm particularly tired of how loud it is and its loud noises have me hearing "send me to a PC retirement home!"

I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions? Here's what I'm looking for:

1. I'm willing to spend around $1000... maybe a bit more if I'm convinced it's worth it.

2. 15.4" widescreen monitor, preferably with a built-in webcam.

3. I don't want a Mac and I won't buy Compaq or Gateway computers.

4. I'd want a hard drive that's at least 120GB, probably, at 7200RPM.

5. I'm not sure which OS I'd like... I'm still unsure about whether to get a 64-bit Vista or XP Pro again.

6. It needs to be QUIET! I've read that there are programs that will keep the fan off unless the HDD reaches a
certain temperature... I'd be willing to use one of those if you guys think it's not dangerous.

7. I have an external DVD burner and use it rarely, so I just need a drive that plays DVDs and writes CDs.

8. Preferably at least 4 USB2 ports. I don't need Firewire.

9. Decent graphics -- mostly for watching movies, but I do play a few games (right now it's Civilization 4, but I'll
probably buy Starcraft2 when it comes out and maybe some other games).

10. I don't need a lot of RAM as I'd probably just buy and install it myself.

11. Internal speakers that can get fairly loud (preferably).

12. Something reliable, of course.

13. Overall, I want something that I can continue to use for at least 2 years without really needing to upgrade.

Last question: how likely is it that we'll start seeing reasonably priced computers with 128GB solid-state drives in the next several months? I'm planning on buying within the next month or two but I might hold out longer and pay a little more if I could get a solid-state drive. My understanding is that read times should drop drastically with them and that they should run cooler and quieter.

I know it's a long post with a lot of things I'm looking for, but I would appreciate any suggestions you might have!

 

[mark_h]

T series IBM are really quiet (IBM provide 3 years warranty) Solid state drives are going to be so, so expensive, I have a hybrid system on my Vaio sz6 and it cost the earth! I would recomend the vaio but you specify the 15" screen.

 

[nysulli]

I've had good luck with my dell vostro that work bought me, fits all those criteria other then the webcam, not sure if you can get one on it or not

 

[srozzman]

A dell inspiron 1525.

 

[BetaLyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_h /img/forum/go_quote.gif T series IBM are really quiet (IBM provide 3 years warranty) Solid state drives are going to be so, so expensive, I have a hybrid system on my Vaio sz6 and it cost the earth! I would recomend the vaio but you specify the 15" screen.

Not the T series in particular. All ThinkPads are quiet. I can't hear the fan on my R61 at all right now, and it's been running for about two hours. I've had it running for about 14 hours before, and it was still dead quiet. (It runs pretty cool too.)
They're definitely reliable with the roll cage and spill-proof keyboards.
I don't know what the warranty was before, with IBM, but with Lenovo, the base configuration warranty is only one year.
A ThinkPad T61 15.4" meets most, if not all of your requirements. Whether or not you want the T61p is up to you. (T61p has higher screen resolution choices and nVidia FX 570.)
However, ThinkPads aren't exactly "snazzy" though they're very classy, IMO. And the built-in speakers and on-board sound card have mediocre sound quality, at best. Screen quality is questionable, and whether or not you get the "good" screen (two different screens on ThinkPads--LG and Samsung, with LG being the better of the two) is a toss-up. Some people wait up to months for their laptops to ship, and it has been suggested that this is because of the 9-cell battery shortage. Speaking about the battery, it tends to stick out from the back, with the exception of 4-cell batteries, and I believe, 6-cell battery on the 15" laptops.

Also, there have been many recent Lenovo ThinkPad deals, so check NBR forums and Slickdeals.

And with the new Montevina platform coming out this summer, you might want to wait a bit longer to get a new laptop.
But as some people say, if you're satisfied with what you can get now, then get it, because technology won't stop improving and there'll always be something that's better than what you have or will have.

Btw, a 64GB SSD is available on the T61's, but it adds about $1,000 to your order. I don't know about when the price of a 128GB SSD will drop, but I highly doubt that it'll be <$1,000 within the next year.

 

[milkpowder]

I also have a 9300. Have you tried opening it up and cleaning the insides (fans, heatsinks, etc)? It's pretty easy to do. If you can be bothered, undervolting the processor and using a fan control utility will keep noises to the minimum.

 

[PerformanceFirst]

I don't know if you can meet all those specific requirements for your price, especially the 7200 rpm drive, and perhaps the discrete graphics. There are 3 Sonys in my household and they are all quieter than my Toshiba. The Toshiba also broke all sorts of things in 2 years. The oldest is about 8 months, so reliability is still up in the air. I suppose you'd get the best deal by customizing a build since you want to pick and choose components. There are some Dell promotions you could look at here:

GotApex? Deals & Coupon Codes

 

[DanG]

Thanks for the advice, especially BetaLyr and milkpowder -- anyone who helps me spend less money is great!

I looked up Montevina (and saw Calpella as well) and was reminded yet again why I should run my laptop into the ground before getting a new one. I'm just planning to move to Europe in a month or two and thought it would be cool to take a new computer with me... but of course I can always have my parents ship me the computer that I buy from the States.

So maybe I will just clean out my computer's insides and wait a few more months.

 

[Trippytiger]

I8kfanGUI. Works on Inspiron 9300 laptops; should give you all the temperature monitoring and fan control functionality you need to keep things quiet on your current laptop.

 

[milkpowder]

That's exactly what I use. There used to be a newer I9kfanGUI but I can't seem to be able to find it anymore. Tweak the fan on/off thresholds and you got yourself a quiet laptop.

Use Centrino Hardware Control to undervolt. It makes a huge difference to the temperatures (up to -10 degrees Celsius).

 

[DanG]

Thanks again, guys.

Where can I find the Centrino Hardware Control?

 

[xnothingpoetic]

I have had my T61 on since 7:00am- 12 hours later and I can't hear the fan. In fact I just had to put my ear right up against it to see if it was on.

 

[Wilson]

Yes, the Thinkpads T6x are very quiet. Consider it seriously.

 

[feh1325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanG /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll probably buy Starcraft2 when it comes out and maybe some other games

you'll probably need a new laptop by the time starcraft comes out