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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

New Dell laptops for Adobe work

Tom Lowe

Tom Lowe

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Dell updated its website about a week ago with new laptops, using the new Intel redesigned i7 CPUs. I ordered this:

XPS 17

2nd generation Intel Core i7-2720QM processor
16GB DDR3 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 3GB CUDA graphics
256GB SSD + 640GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
17.3in FHD WLED TL (1920x1080) 3D
Bluray player
eSATA, USB 3.0 x2

Not too shabby for $2,800.

Only thing I wish is that it had two eSATA ports, maybe maybe more options for the screen.

BTW, I wonder if it might be useful to have a "Computers" forum here? Some posts like these sort of fall between OT and maybe Workflow?
 
Tom Lowe said:
Dell updated its website about a week ago with new laptops, using the new Intel redesigned i7 CPUs. I ordered this:

XPS 17

2nd generation Intel Core i7-2720QM processor
16GB DDR3 RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 3GB CUDA graphics
256GB SSD + 640GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
17.3in FHD WLED TL (1920x1080) 3D
Bluray player
eSATA, USB 3.0 x2

Not too shabby for $2,800.

Only thing I wish is that it had two eSATA ports, maybe maybe more options for the screen.

BTW, I wonder if it might be useful to have a "Computers" forum here? Some posts like these sort of fall between OT and maybe Workflow?
Click to expand...
Another vote for a computer forum.

Looks like a screamer, Tom.
 
Yes, a Computers forum will be great. I have counted no less than 7 of the 20 threads currently in the OT first page being directly Hardware/Software oriented.

The XPS 17 sounds like a pretty good deal, given the functionality. A no-brainer addition would be the Blu-ray Writer, which costs just $75 more.

On a budget, if you can do without 3D, SSD and only (!) 8GB RAM, a similar config otherwise will be less than $1500.
 
Dell have discontinued Expresscard port (like many manufacturers) on their notebooks so I ended up going with a Sony F series Vaio. Similar spec's, 1xeSATA, 2x USB3 but with express card to add FW800 for old Red Drives and additional eSATA for the new SSD and Flashcard readers.
 
Sven Seynaeve said:
Would be great if you could hook up a 3d monitor, or even edit on that screen in 3d, but we might need adobe update ppro enabling 3d native and including such a feature.
Click to expand...

With Cineform NeoHD/Neo3D, you can already edit S3D in Premiere Pro very easily.
 
The Dell specs are pretty impressive for the price. On the down side, their build quality seems to have reached a new low. I got a new XPS with 2.3GHz i7 2820QM about a week and a half ago. It died just a few days later. After spending over an hour on and off of hold, talking to Dell, they finally agreed to ship out a replacement. Unfortunately, they told me 2-3 weeks. Watching my order progress, nothing has happened yet, been a week, so we'll see... Judging by 4/1/11 being the estimated ship dates for new systems, I don't have very high hopes. I don't really want to ask for a refund at this point -- what else would I buy instead?

I did not buy the 3D version... Maybe I should have, it was only about $120 more. I don't know if I would use it though. I went with 2 x 640GB 7200rpm HDDs. No SSD...
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
The Dell specs are pretty impressive for the price. On the down side, their build quality seems to have reached a new low. I got a new XPS with 2.3GHz i7 2820QM about a week and a half ago. It died just a few days later. After spending over an hour on and off of hold, talking to Dell, they finally agreed to ship out a replacement. Unfortunately, they told me 2-3 weeks. Watching my order progress, nothing has happened yet, been a week, so we'll see... Judging by 4/1/11 being the estimated ship dates for new systems, I don't have very high hopes. I don't really want to ask for a refund at this point -- what else would I buy instead?

I did not buy the 3D version... Maybe I should have, it was only about $120 more. I don't know if I would use it though. I went with 2 x 640GB 7200rpm HDDs. No SSD...
Click to expand...


Ditto about build quality. After spending some time back and forth between netbooks and larger laptops, I traded in my quadcore 17" for an Alienware M11X to edit and do other materials on.

The screen's hinges began to wear after one month, then they broke completely.

I've gone through THREE AC Adapters, having downtime for several days because of the quality control.

I love the M11X, it's a serious little workhorse, after seeing another version released three months after this iteration hit shelves, and the quality control of the actual products, I probably won't buy Dell anymore. Although they fixed all the issues, the downtime costs.

I wish MSI would do a super powered netbook.
 
Peter, the Alienware 17 look kinda weak compared to the XPS.. how can this be? Much weaker video cards options, no dual drives?
 
Sony F-series are rockin'. You can hot rod 'em up with SSD drive, full HD display, big CPU, nVida GPU (adobe MPE hack should work) eSATA, USB3 and most importantly, EXPRESSCARD. Not sure about dual internal drives as I'm using for data transfer and hooking up to eSATA RAID.
 
Tom Lowe said:
Peter, the Alienware 17 look kinda weak compared to the XPS.. how can this be? Much weaker video cards options, no dual drives?
Click to expand...

The video cards are impressive - the GTX 460M is a good deal faster than the GT 555M. The drive config is a bit of a bummer. They do offer dual drives, but in RAID0 only. Which makes perfect sense for its target base - gaming. The HD 6970M is pretty amazing, but once again, more of a gaming card than a CS5 card.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
The Dell specs are pretty impressive for the price. On the down side, their build quality seems to have reached a new low. I got a new XPS with 2.3GHz i7 2820QM about a week and a half ago. It died just a few days later. After spending over an hour on and off of hold, talking to Dell, they finally agreed to ship out a replacement. Unfortunately, they told me 2-3 weeks. Watching my order progress, nothing has happened yet, been a week, so we'll see... Judging by 4/1/11 being the estimated ship dates for new systems, I don't have very high hopes. I don't really want to ask for a refund at this point -- what else would I buy instead?

I did not buy the 3D version... Maybe I should have, it was only about $120 more. I don't know if I would use it though. I went with 2 x 640GB 7200rpm HDDs. No SSD...
Click to expand...

I'm with Jeff, I trust the build quality of dell towers and notebooks as far as I can kick them. The specs may be there, but dell has always been notorious for breaking down in a relatively short amount of time. It's almost like they have a timer in there, second the warranty runs out it's game over. The best thing dell makes are their monitors. I wouldn't go for it just for the specs, anybody who's ever own a dell computer can vouch after awhile they turn into a POS. There are a lot of competing companies you can look for that have much higher build quality, though for a premium, you get what you pay for.
 
I agree that the build quality sucks. I just get the Dell Complete Care warranty for like 3 years. After a couple years, when it breaks, they send you a NEW computer. I still have a computer now that I bought back in 2006. It's been "replaced" twice. But they don't just replace it, they upgrade it. If you bought a top-of-line PC at the time, they will replace it with a modern top-of-the-line PC. That's been my experience anyway.
 
Same experience here with Dell, mostly anyway. Their warranties are kinda pricey, but worth it as they tend to replace with the equivalently-priced current hardware. Sometimes it takes some arguing. I've had a few instances where they wanted to stick me with a refurbished unit or such. In the case of my latest system, I had only had it a few days when it died. They wanted to send an on-site tech to evaluate and screw with it. I guess that's fine, but after arguing and escalating the call to several "managers" they skipped that step. Ultimately it was the 2~3 week lead time on new systems and I needed one now. They started the "rush order" for the new system, which still took 2 weeks. Fast by Dell standards. They offered to send the onsite tech anyway, but I declined.

That XPS system's replacement arrived the other day and is working OK. I've had it shut down on me twice while rendering and it seems to be overheating when it happens. And that's not a Dell thing it seems. Lots of reports of new i7 SB notebooks from various manufacturers that are having overheating issues. HP, Apple, Dell, etc.. I haven't had it happen with my new Macbook Pro <knock wood> and I have pushed that system pretty hard so far.

I'm expecting BIOS/EFI updates in the near future for SandyBridge systems to adjust the turbo-boost abilities and keep this from happening. On the other hand, it could just be that manufacturers are trying to put too much into notebook space and there isn't adequate cooling. The new i7 2720/2820QM for SB run HOT with all cores grinding away under load.
 
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Tom Lowe said:
I agree that the build quality sucks. I just get the Dell Complete Care warranty for like 3 years. After a couple years, when it breaks, they send you a NEW computer. I still have a computer now that I bought back in 2006. It's been "replaced" twice. But they don't just replace it, they upgrade it. If you bought a top-of-line PC at the time, they will replace it with a modern top-of-the-line PC. That's been my experience anyway.
Click to expand...

not bad if you can keep that system going and working for you. Personally, I'd just be too paranoid for that one random day where it's mission critical I need this notebook to work, and work right and it just epic fails to kingdom come. and then you have to wait 2 weeks for a new one.
 
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