how to compare spec between laptop and desktop

[yellow_cloud]

I am hunting for a laptop. That will be my first one. The Acer model below is what I am thinking from Newegg:

Acer Ferrari 4005WLMi NoteBook AMD Turion 64 2GHz 15.4" Wide SXGA+ 1GB DDR333 100GB DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility RADEON X700 - Retail

I heard laptop components usually do not perform as good as in a desktop system. My concerns go to
1. AMD Turion 64 2GHz
2. ATI Mobility RADEON X700
How these two compare to AMD XP2500+ and Nvidia 6600GT in the desktop world? Performance-wise, am I downgrading or upgrading going from the desktop to laptop?

[Tuttle]

I'll let someone more AMD-ish answer the CPU question, but the video is going backwards. The Radeon X700 tends to be a little slower than the 6600GT in the benchmarks I've seen, and the Radeon X700 Mobility is just a lower-speed version of the X700.

The benchmarks here do a direct comparison between a desktop 6600GT and an X700 Mobility.


In general, a laptop will never perform as well as a similarly-specced desktop. Laptop parts are built for (relative) power-economy and low-heat, desktop parts are built for performance grunt. The one you're looking at should be fine for basic gaming though I'd expect.

[Shinma]

... Performance-wise, am I downgrading or upgrading going from the desktop to laptop?

As Tuttle already hinted,
I would say downgrade.

I was fiddling around with a Dell Inspiron 6400 just a few hours ago.
1.83 HGz Intel Duo, ATi x1400, 1.0 GB DDR2, 100 GB HDD, DVD burner...

[jankerson]

I agree with the others above unless you go with something like a Top end Dell XPS M170 with a GF 7800 GTX and one of the CPU upgrades.

[Justintime]

And prepare to pay out the nose for it.

[jankerson]

And prepare to pay out the nose for it.

Well they didn't say anything about cost.

For that kinda money though you could build one heck a desktop machine.

[yellow_cloud]

Thanks to all.

That laptop model costs ~$2k.

Overall, it is disappointing.

[glussier]

Thanks to all.

That laptop model costs ~$2k.

Overall, it is disappointing.

For the same price you could get a core duo which would run circles around a Turion 2ghz even at 1.83ghz.

[Shinma]

... That laptop model costs ~$2k.

Overall, it is disappointing.

Ditto.
With stated specifications, sounds overpriced.

For value,
Wait around for when Dell has their sales on laptops.
A good sale, pops around every few months.
You do have to be careful with Dell,
They use the term sale quite frequently. Justified or not.

[yellow_cloud]

Thanks, Shinma, for the warning.

I am now tracking Dell XPS M170 (Pentium-M 2GHz and Nvidia 7800), for $1900. I noticed Dell had a big sale in the week of April the 6th and dropped the price down to $1350. I just missed it

They now offer 10%-off coupon. And maybe free shipping, too. I will wait for a better deal.

[Shinma]

They tend to have a good sale once every three/four months.

Inspect it very carefully when you receive it and run it off the battery as well.
Do NOT discard a single piece of packaging until you're sure that it is fine.

I had a friend receive a dud of an Ispiron 6400 with multiple upgrade options.
Spent an hour on the phone to make arrangements for them to ship a new one.
Bounced around to four? five? different customer service divisions.
Female tech appeared to have an attitude, until I said the magic words,
"What is Dell's phone number for refund process?"
Things moved at a decent pace after that sentence.

[davide]

I came across this thread when searching Google for help on whether to buy a laptop or desktop computer but I have just found www.pcchecker.co.uk which might help others in the UK?