Ridiculously noob questions concerning laptops...

[jakobkraft]

Recently got a laptop as a gift from someone who owed me money (although I'd rather have gotten the money). I don't have it yet but it's on the way.

This is it:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/product....aspx/xpsnb_m140?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

It's nice, I think, and just wanted a general opinion from experienced users with regards to its specs. I know if all I wanted it for was word processing and net browsing, than it'd be more than okay, but my home system can handle gaming very well, and I was wondering what kind of gaming power can I expect from this?

Also, is a laptop harddrive upgradeable?

Thanks in advance...!

 

[Green Man]

It Should be great for surfing and word processing.
With Intel integrated video it will have little to no gaming capability unless you are willing to game at craptastic settings.
The hard drive is easily upgradable.

 

[jakobkraft]

Originally posted by: Green Man

The hard drive is easily upgradable.

Well, at least there's that. Thanks for the info...!

 

[Maximilian]

It dosent really tell us the specs, just what the specs could be. A pentium M of an undetermined speed, 512mb RAM upgradeable to 2GB, and the real kick in the teeth, Intel Integrated Graphics! Apart from the integrated graphics is a pretty decent laptop, not for gaming on though, but you have your home system for that

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: jakobkraft

Originally posted by: Green Man

The hard drive is easily upgradable.

Well, at least there's that. Thanks for the info...!

On the Inspiron 8500 all you have to do is remove the two screws holding PCMCIA slot in place, slide the PCMCIA adapter out like a Nintendo Cartridge and the hard drive will pop right out.

 

[kd2777]

My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

 

[jakobkraft]

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Possibly...I was actually hoping to put a pretty old game, Undying (one of the best horror FPS ever, IMHO), which I haven't played in a long time, primarily because it never ran right on any ATI cards I've had (weird polygons in the sky, etc.) which I stuck with because I love the image quality on them. I figured, it's just one game, I can live without it.

But it'd be awesome if this laptop could handle that, at least.
I guess I'll find out soon enough - thanks for the feedback

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: jakobkraft

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Possibly...I was actually hoping to put a pretty old game, Undying (one of the best horror FPS ever, IMHO), which I haven't played in a long time, primarily because it never ran right on any ATI cards I've had (weird polygons in the sky, etc.) which I stuck with because I love the image quality on them. I figured, it's just one game, I can live without it.

But it'd be awesome if this laptop could handle that, at least.
I guess I'll find out soon enough - thanks for the feedback

If you were playing an EA game and had the Polygon problem you are not alone. EA has an agreement with nVIDIA to be their exclusive Video Provider. It is part of nVIDIA's "The Way it's Meant to be Played Conspiricy".

I suspect that EA is writing software that intentional does this on ATI hardware becasue no other game software from any other maker does this. nVIDIA is turning it's self in to a rotten apple with these exclusive deals, agreements, and chipsets. Does anyone remember a few years ago when nVIDIA would forbid companies from selling or making products that ATi's chips on them? I hope the justice department is paying close attention to these anti-competitive practices. The purcase of ULi just adds to the list of things that make them look suspect.

 

[kd2777]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

WTF are you talking about?

kd

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: kd2777

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

WTF are you talking about?

kd

Maybe I did not get it, how was that comment in any way related to the opening thread?

 

[thecolorifix]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

WTF are you talking about?

kd

Maybe I did not get it, how was that comment in any way related to the opening thread?

lol, reading is fundamental

 

[kd2777]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

WTF are you talking about?

kd

Maybe I did not get it, how was that comment in any way related to the opening thread?

Yeah you didn't read his whole OP, understandable I guess, but here is the line you missed, " I was wondering what kind of gaming power can I expect from this? " It was the last line in the "big" paragraph I guess it was to much to ask for you to read all 61 words.

kd

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: kd2777

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: kd2777
My wife has the same lappy, and as far as gaming goes, Ghost recon was about the best game I could get it to play well. It would do Raven Shield at minamal playablity, and CS:S was a no go.

I like FPS, can you tell .

Hope that helps

kd

Wrong thread prehaps?

WTF are you talking about?

kd

Maybe I did not get it, how was that comment in any way related to the opening thread?

Yeah you didn't read his whole OP, understandable I guess, but here is the line you missed, " I was wondering what kind of gaming power can I expect from this? " It was the last line in the "big" paragraph I guess it was to much to ask for you to read all 61 words.

kd

pwned! j/k

 

[jakobkraft]

I guess the OTHER stupid question I'd meant to ask was is it possible to upgrade the crappy integrated video? Or is there a way to install a better mobile video card?

 

[kd2777]

The answer to that is, no you can not.

kd