Help me decide on new laptop, i'm down to the final 2 contenders.

November 29, 2006 1:29 PM

Hp Pavillion dv9000t vs Dell Inspiron 1705 Help me make a final choice for a new laptop. These last two contenders are almost too similar and I wonder if I am overlooking anything significant that might set one apart.

My digital activities are:
bit torrenting
backing up dvd movies
ripping, mixing and editing mp3/audio
standard to light photoshopping, video editing, MS office apps
Lots of reading comics in (cbr format), ebooks and pdf's
web surfing, blogging/journaling
gaming is running HL2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Battlefield 1942 etc. asking for too much?

Both are priced the same @ about $1500 after coupons/promo codes etc.

hp pavillion dv9000t

* – Genuine Windows XP Media Center/with vista upgrade
* – Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
* – 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
* – 512MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 760
* – 2048MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* – 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
* – LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
* – Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* – High Capacity 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Dell Inspiron 1705

* – Genuine Windows XP Media Center/with vista upgrade
* – Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 (1.60GHz)
* – 17"UltraSharp Wide Screen UXGA Display w/ TrueLife
* – 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory
* – 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
* – 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
* – 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/Double Layer DVD+R


The main difference between the two that I see is the screen type and the Video card. I'm inclined to assume the 512 of Nvidia is more gooder than the 256 ATI, but what do I know.

Newegg has a Fujitsu Lifebook N Series N6420 NoteBook for $1349 that came in 3rd place due to it being out of stock until next week and only having 1gb of memory and a hard drive that runs @ 4200rpm.


I am also willing to start the research from scratch an AM more than open to recommendations of other laptops that pack the same or better bang for my buck.
thanx in advance.

posted by stavx to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I've got the HP Pavillion dv2000 with much the same spec as the one listed up there *points* and is absolutely great. I've treated it quite roughly: it's been in a shoulder bag that isn't a laptop bag virtually everyday, and been dropped from my knee height to concrete and is fine: not a scratch.

Only thing I will say is that the glossy screen is a bit of a nightmare for dust, and the glossy case shows up ALL the fingerprints.

But apart from that I say go for the HP one.
posted by philsi at 1:58 PM on November 29, 2006

My input is purely anectdotal, but I think the HP is more reliable. I have heard of several Dell owners whose computers just stop working prematurely for various reasons while the HPs (and I've owned a couple) just keep running.

Again, that's just my personal experience. YMMV
posted by Doohickie at 2:03 PM on November 29, 2006

I'm typing this on the e1705 with the exact same specs as yours (except ram--I only have 1gb) and perform similar activities and it's been working great (I bought it in late July). My brother has the same model and hasn't had any problems.

The screen and feel of the 1705 is excellent.

Laptops can have lots of problems. My brother's old computer was a Dell laptop that chugged along for 8 years, but other people have had problems. Make sure you get a good service plan regardless of the laptop you buy.
posted by null terminated at 2:39 PM on November 29, 2006

Just to voice a contrary opinion about HP reliability - I've had my HP dv4000 for less than year, and had to send it in to be repaired about a month ago. The battery wasn't charging, and after they've sent me a new adapter (to no avail), I had to send the whole thing in. They replaced the motherboard, which fixed the battery charging problem, but the new problem is that whenever I start a game or anything that has 3D acceleration, the laptop shuts down (after the CPU temperature goes up to about 70C). After looking online, it appears that there is a considerable number of people who have experienced similar defects due to a faulty power plug in the laptop. That problem does span several product lines, and while I don't know if it affects dv9000, it's certainly worth checking into.

(After brief googling, I found this, which appears to describe a similar problem where the user's dv9000 shuts down abruptly when he runs a PC game or runs Photoshop.)

I will say that HP warranty is very good - everything is shipped overnight, quick turn-around times, etc. - assuming that they agree that the defect should be covered by warranty. I am currently going through ten rounds with technical support because they keep trying to tell me that since my problem occurs only when playing games, I need to contact the game manufacturer and not bother HP. Sigh.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 3:04 PM on November 29, 2006

Since a videocard is generally the hardest thing to upgrade, go for the HP.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 11:04 PM on November 29, 2006