- Dec 29, 1999
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I know some of you folks have ordered this beast, and some are just wondering what the Mobility Radeon 7500 can do. So here's my experience so far:
The Machine Specs.:
Dell Inspiron 8100
Intel Pentium III 1.0GHz-M
15" UXGA TFT
256MB RAM
30GB hd UDMA 5 (sorry, not sure of brand & speed)
8X DVD
64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
ESS Maestro PCI Audio
Intel 815 Chipset (sigh)
133MHz FSB
(Total: $1,683.00 - bunch of free upgrades, free shipping + $75 worth of coupons)
The Caveats:
1. I've had exactly 3 hours to play with this thing, so don't expect too much.
2. Apparently I'm not bright enough to figure out how to disable speed stepping (yet), so 3D Mark would report crazy CPU speeds like 838MHz etc. prior to running the test. I can't guarantee that the proc was doing 1GHz at ALL times, but I assume that under a load like 3D Mark or Q3A it would "step-up" to full speed. Someone please point out if this is incorrect and how I can cure myself of this painful speed step disabling disability.
3. This is not Lab quality testing. It's not even Walk-In Clinic quality testing. What it is is down and dirty cramped New York City apartment testing after work.
The OS:
WinXP
The Driver:
ATI Driver Rev.: 6.13.10.6006 dated 12/5/01 (DL'ed from DELL. Shipped with the 10/2/01 ATI drivers)
VSYNC: disabled
Antialiasing: disabled
Q3A (OpenGL) "DEMO001":
All "GAME OPTIONS" set to "OFF".
Sound off.
First the old standards:
640x480 ("NORMAL" w/ all default graphic settings) = 163 FPS
800x600 ("HIGH QUALITY" w/ all default graphic settings) = 135 FPS
Now max quality (all graphic settings at max. & trilinear filtering):
640x480 = 147 FPS
800x600 = 116 FPS
1024x768 = 77 FPS
1600x1200 = 36 FPS
3D Mark (D3D):
3D Mark 2000 Shareware (DirectX 7):
Default (1024x768, 16 bit color, 16 bit textures, 16 bit Z-buffer, Triple frame buffer, T&L optimizations, no antialiasing) = 5404
3D Mark 2001 Shareware (DirectX 8):
Default (1024x768, 32 bit color, compressed textures, T&L optimizations, no antialiasing) = 3637
Other Stuff:
By way of comparison, the only thing this machine is slower at than my P!!!933/GF2 64MB/256 MB rig is 3D Mark 2000 (7309 vs. 5404). The 8100 is about 10% faster at all the Q3A settings and equal at 3D Mark 2001.
The software DVD playback is VERY nice with great resolution and colors. Smooth with no blockiness.
The screen is very nice, but has a pretty narrow viewing angle, particularly at normal light levels. My screen doesn't exhibit any of the defects others have reported, but then again it's brand new. The 1600x1200 native res is tolerable to my eyes with extra large fonts and large icons. Some text is still small, but clear. 2D color and graphics are very nice.
Sound is okay, but kind of tinny with inadequate bass. Two fans at the rear are LOUD when they kick on and may annoy the unpublished author sitting next to you at Starbucks.
The case is pretty fragile and kind of cheap looking, especially compared to some of the titanium ones out there. This is NOT a sexy rig unless your breath gets taken away by monster trucks and rhinoceroses.
This thing is a beast. A 15" screen + 2 internal device bays + full size keyboard = +8 lbs with ONE battery. My boss got an IBM Thinkpad X today that weighs 3.4 lbs and is 9" x 12" x 3/4". It's very cool but doesn't have any internal bays, only a 20GB HD, P!!! 800MHz, 8MB Radeon Mobility, 12" screen, and it cost about $500 more. Highly mobile, but not for serious gaming or multimedia. We sat the 8100 next to it and you could almost literally close the Thinkpad inside the 8100. If you don't want to lug a big notebook, this is not the machine for you. This is a big, strapping desktop replacement, with all the I/O ports of a standard desktop, and a real mobile gaming/multimedia rig, in my opinion.
The Machine Specs.:
Dell Inspiron 8100
Intel Pentium III 1.0GHz-M
15" UXGA TFT
256MB RAM
30GB hd UDMA 5 (sorry, not sure of brand & speed)
8X DVD
64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
ESS Maestro PCI Audio
Intel 815 Chipset (sigh)
133MHz FSB
(Total: $1,683.00 - bunch of free upgrades, free shipping + $75 worth of coupons)
The Caveats:
1. I've had exactly 3 hours to play with this thing, so don't expect too much.
2. Apparently I'm not bright enough to figure out how to disable speed stepping (yet), so 3D Mark would report crazy CPU speeds like 838MHz etc. prior to running the test. I can't guarantee that the proc was doing 1GHz at ALL times, but I assume that under a load like 3D Mark or Q3A it would "step-up" to full speed. Someone please point out if this is incorrect and how I can cure myself of this painful speed step disabling disability.
3. This is not Lab quality testing. It's not even Walk-In Clinic quality testing. What it is is down and dirty cramped New York City apartment testing after work.
The OS:
WinXP
The Driver:
ATI Driver Rev.: 6.13.10.6006 dated 12/5/01 (DL'ed from DELL. Shipped with the 10/2/01 ATI drivers)
VSYNC: disabled
Antialiasing: disabled
Q3A (OpenGL) "DEMO001":
All "GAME OPTIONS" set to "OFF".
Sound off.
First the old standards:
640x480 ("NORMAL" w/ all default graphic settings) = 163 FPS
800x600 ("HIGH QUALITY" w/ all default graphic settings) = 135 FPS
Now max quality (all graphic settings at max. & trilinear filtering):
640x480 = 147 FPS
800x600 = 116 FPS
1024x768 = 77 FPS
1600x1200 = 36 FPS
3D Mark (D3D):
3D Mark 2000 Shareware (DirectX 7):
Default (1024x768, 16 bit color, 16 bit textures, 16 bit Z-buffer, Triple frame buffer, T&L optimizations, no antialiasing) = 5404
3D Mark 2001 Shareware (DirectX 8):
Default (1024x768, 32 bit color, compressed textures, T&L optimizations, no antialiasing) = 3637
Other Stuff:
By way of comparison, the only thing this machine is slower at than my P!!!933/GF2 64MB/256 MB rig is 3D Mark 2000 (7309 vs. 5404). The 8100 is about 10% faster at all the Q3A settings and equal at 3D Mark 2001.
The software DVD playback is VERY nice with great resolution and colors. Smooth with no blockiness.
The screen is very nice, but has a pretty narrow viewing angle, particularly at normal light levels. My screen doesn't exhibit any of the defects others have reported, but then again it's brand new. The 1600x1200 native res is tolerable to my eyes with extra large fonts and large icons. Some text is still small, but clear. 2D color and graphics are very nice.
Sound is okay, but kind of tinny with inadequate bass. Two fans at the rear are LOUD when they kick on and may annoy the unpublished author sitting next to you at Starbucks.
The case is pretty fragile and kind of cheap looking, especially compared to some of the titanium ones out there. This is NOT a sexy rig unless your breath gets taken away by monster trucks and rhinoceroses.
This thing is a beast. A 15" screen + 2 internal device bays + full size keyboard = +8 lbs with ONE battery. My boss got an IBM Thinkpad X today that weighs 3.4 lbs and is 9" x 12" x 3/4". It's very cool but doesn't have any internal bays, only a 20GB HD, P!!! 800MHz, 8MB Radeon Mobility, 12" screen, and it cost about $500 more. Highly mobile, but not for serious gaming or multimedia. We sat the 8100 next to it and you could almost literally close the Thinkpad inside the 8100. If you don't want to lug a big notebook, this is not the machine for you. This is a big, strapping desktop replacement, with all the I/O ports of a standard desktop, and a real mobile gaming/multimedia rig, in my opinion.