Time for a new laptop

APoc184

APoc184

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My Sony Vaio is starting to lose the battle after a few years of extensive usage and I'm rather going to buy a new laptop now before I find myself in trouble later.

I really fancy the new Dell XPS 15.

Please help with recommendations of laptops with specs similar to that of the Dell.
I would prefer to buy locally but have no problem importing something from ebay. I've done it numerous times before.

Dell XPS 15:

  • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-480M Processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost to 2.93GHz, 3M cache
  • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
  • 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs) expandable to 8GB
  • 500 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
  • 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 420M with Optimus
  • 8X DVD +/- RW Drive
  • 15.6 inch HD (720p) WLED Display with 2.0 MP webcam and integrated digital microphone
_________________________________________________________________

That is pretty much what I am looking for. If I can;t find anything similar in South Africa I will have to import this from the States.

PS: Lately I've been a bit out of touch with the latest and greatest processors (i3,i5,i7) so not exactly sure how good this processor is. I know it is not top of the range but it's also not scraping the bottom of the barrel either.
 
I also find Processor speed doesn't matter nearly as much as HDD speed these days, I put an SSD in my laptop and it's the fastest thing ever.
 
Synaesthesia said:
It's a very fast processor. The only thing faster is Sandy Bridge, which only the Macbook Pro's have.

I have an XPS 15", with 4gb RAM and a Core 2 Duo, it's very nice. Got nVidia graphics and a 1680x1050 display. It still has warranty on it if you wanna buy it.

http://mybroadband.co.za/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=20321&title=xps-m1530-black&cat=3
Click to expand...

I prefer buying new but thanks for the offer and especially for the info on the processor.

Other laptops I have seen is the HP Envy range but they seem a bit overpriced when compared to the Dell.
 
APoc84 said:
I prefer buying new but thanks for the offer and especially for the info on the processor.

Other laptops I have seen is the HP Envy range but they seem a bit overpriced when compared to the Dell.
Click to expand...

Dell currently best value for money. What is your budget though? Go with the i range of processors...not DC...that's old hat. Also worth looking at the Vostro range...you get a nice 3 year onsite warranty thrown in as well...
 
HP's quality sucks these days. Can't beat a Dell, go with it. Their warranty is also second to none.
 
The XPS15 L501X is available locally.. but the CPU is slightly slower i5 460M 2.53GHz...Win 7 Pro 64bit & Integrated 3G, HD 15.6" TLF Display...4GB DDR3..500GB HDD..GT420M 1GB.. with HDMI output also JBL Stereo Speakers...3year onsite warranty

price is around 12k.... I'm thinking of getting one..
 
For that price I'd rather have the new Macbook Pro 13". Battery life of 10 hours. The display resolution is on that 15" is only 1336x768 I hope you realize.
 
MightyQuin said:
Dell currently best value for money. What is your budget though? Go with the i range of processors...not DC...that's old hat. Also worth looking at the Vostro range...you get a nice 3 year onsite warranty thrown in as well...
Click to expand...

Thanks will have a look at the Vostro range as well. Certainly going for i range in processors as I currently have C2D in my Sony. I would say budget is around R10'000 max. Can get the XPS 15 imported for around R8'000 but willing to push to R10'000 if I get a real good deal on something even better.

mh348 said:
The XPS15 L501X is available locally.. but the CPU is slightly slower i5 460M 2.53GHz...Win 7 Pro 64bit & Integrated 3G, HD 15.6" TLF Display...4GB DDR3..500GB HDD..GT420M 1GB.. with HDMI output also JBL Stereo Speakers...3year onsite warranty

price is around 12k.... I'm thinking of getting one..
Click to expand...

See above. I will be able to get the XPS 15 as mentioned in my original post for R8'000. But just for interest sake. Where did you see this deal?
 
I can most certainly vouch for the XPS 15, its a brilliant machine.

If we lived in the US we could order it direct from Dell's site for less than R6000. But what do you know, it is such a monumental endeavour to ship a batch of laptops to another continent, that the price doubles.
 
Synaesthesia said:
I also find Processor speed doesn't matter nearly as much as HDD speed these days, I put an SSD in my laptop and it's the fastest thing ever.
Click to expand...

I won't settle for an HDD lower than 7200rpm but still need decent processor power as I sometimes need to run 6 to 7 apps at once and also do some photo editing at times.
 
Ebay.
Won't be the first laptop I import so shipping and VAT and all that jazz is already included. Got two HP laptops from Ebay before I bought my Sony locally.
 
oooh of course, I never even thought about that. I know people who order from Ebay all the time, its quite safe.
 
Consider the Asus range of notebooks as well.
For a little over R8K you can get a Asus K53SJ Intel Core i5 2410QM 2.3GHz 15.6'' 4GB 500GB HDD nVidia GeForce GT 520M.
This is Sandy Bridge i5 2.3GHz (with revised SATA controller fix), 1366x768 LED screen and a nice amount of RAM.

I've always been a big fan of Dell but with Asus's build quality and price/performance ratio they are a force to contend with.

We're expecting these units to arrive on Friday 11/03/11.
 
APoc84 said:
Ebay.
Won't be the first laptop I import so shipping and VAT and all that jazz is already included. Got two HP laptops from Ebay before I bought my Sony locally.
Click to expand...

What about the warranty? I only ever purchased 1 notebook overseas, but that was from a store in a Mall, it came with an International warranty (1 year).. But never had problems so far.. I lent it to someone so now I need to get a new notebook. Do you mind sharing the ebay link.. I might go that route if I can get it with an international warranty.

APoc84 said:
But just for interest sake. Where did you see this deal?
Click to expand...

I'm a dealer, thats just an estimated retail price... Once of the suppliers currently have it on special..
 
It is very safe if you buy from Power Sellers only and pay by Paypal.

Bit off topic but I even imported diamonds for my wife's engagement ring a few years ago. That is how much I trust Ebay.
 
Landmark Computers said:
Consider the Asus range of notebooks as well.
For a little over R8K you can get a Asus K53SJ Intel Core i5 2410QM 2.3GHz 15.6'' 4GB 500GB HDD nVidia GeForce GT 520M.
This is Sandy Bridge i5 2.3GHz (with revised SATA controller fix), 1366x768 LED screen and a nice amount of RAM.

I've always been a big fan of Dell but with Asus's build quality and price/performance ratio they are a force to contend with.

We're expecting these units to arrive on Friday 11/03/11.
Click to expand...

That looks decent. I've worked on older ASUS models before and they did not disappoint. Please PM me once you've got these in stock and priced. Otherwise get my email via PM and let me know.
 
APoc84 said:
It is very safe if you buy from Power Sellers only and pay by Paypal.

Bit off topic but I even imported diamonds for my wife's engagement ring a few years ago. That is how much I trust Ebay.
Click to expand...

What about shipping, do you use DHL/FedEx etc and what are the costs..

I've used ebay a few times for low priced items, and used usps which was a bit expensive but didnt mind paying as the item it's self was much cheaper and the total cost (incl shipping) was much cheaper than buying locally..
 
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