Hi, My wife is looking at new laptops – mainly Dell Inspiron 1720 or 1721. A few questions about the processors, graphics cards and sound cards options. If the upgrade prices for the processors are worth it, and if the upgrade choices in video / sound cards are worth having, or be better to just wait for sales at retail stores on video / sound cards.

I’d like to use her laptop for converting music from old vinyl / reel to reel. Would like to convert, edit & clean up a fair # of VHS tapes. Also concerned about the ‘standard’ processor / video / sound card becoming obsolete too quickly.

The std AMD processor is Turion 64 x 2 TL 56 (1MB cache / 1.8GHz). It can be upgraded to the TL 60 1MB / 2GHz) - $75 more; or TL 64 (1MB / 2.2 GHz) - $150 more, but regardless the only video card option w/ any AMD processor seems to be Integrated ATI Radeon Xpress1270 (64MB dedicated local frame buffer).

The std Intel processor is Core 2 Duo T5450 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 667 FSB).
Upgrades are T7100 (1.8GHz, 2MB, 800 FSB) for $50 more; T7300 (2GHz, 4MB, 800 FSB) - $125 more; T7500 - $225 more; and the T7700.

With Intel processors, std video is Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accel. X3100.
Available upgrades are NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS w/ 128 MB dedicated – for $100 more, or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT w/ 256 MB dedicated – for $200 more.

With both Intel & AMD processors, the std sound card is Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0.
Upgrades are Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Ed ($ 25 more), and Express Card SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Card ($75 more).

Also, the std battery is 56 Whr Lithium Ion (6 cell). Can upgrade to 85 Whr (9 cell) for $79, but I've heard some of these laptop batteries can be really expensive to replace. No experience w/ how long they last.

Thanks for all the input.

How much is your budget?

If you are going to have this laptop longer then 3 years you miles well get the best that you can afford.

Well considering you are going to do a lot of video editing and sound editing then you prob want to go with the Core 2 Duo T7300 Series or higher, the Nvidia 8600M GT and the Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD. As for the battery it isn't going to make a diff the standard one will do fine.

My advice to anyone is to stay away from Dell. I don't know why, but anyone I've known that has had/has one has had nothing but trouble with it. And then they would have trouble with support...all sorts of problems.

But that's just my experience.

Desktop
HP Pavillion a1540n
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200/2GB RAM
Windows XP Media Center 2005
nVidia GeForce 7900GS
Norcent 19" widescreen monitor with DVI

Laptop
HP Pavillion dv2000

Thanks for the replies.

Interesting Jedimario, Dell is typically rated very high for quality & support, but I don't know specifically about their laptops on that. Don't see why it'd be any different.

My daughter's company uses lots of Dell laptops and she doesn't hear much about trouble w/ them at all.

Which models did the people you knew have and what sorts of problems? Hardware, software, peripherals?

I think using a portable for these appli cations is a bad idea,why not use a tower,its psysically more stable,remember laptop sockets where there is undue movement fail like anything,thick cableing and spaghetti are my reasons for not useing a laptop

I agree, Dave,

But she is getting a free computer through a grant & she wants to be able to use it at work & home, w/o carrying CDs / DVDs around.

I'd only be using it on a very limited basis. Still, I know millions use laptops as their only computer w/ seemingly few problems.