Need some help in customizing a Dell Studio 15

[pushkaraj]

I am planning to buy a Dell Studio 15. I have the following queries:

1) Is it worth selecting an
Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor (2.26GHz, 4 Threads, turbo boost up to 2.53GHz, 3M cache)
rather than an
Intel® Core™ i3-350M Processor (2.26Ghz, 4 Threads, 3M cache)
?

2) If i select
15.6 " 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™
i will still be able to play full HD videos right? Then what is the benefit of opting for
15.6 " Full HD(1080p)WLED (1920 x 1080)Display with TrueLife™
?

3) Is there a significant increase in battery life if i select the 9-cell battery over? Also, will there be any significant increase in the overall weight of the laptop?

4) I wish to install Linux which means i may need to format and repartition the hard disk. Does Dell provide the windows 7 disc so that i may install the OS again later?

[ankushkool]

basically it all depends on ur budget!

1) Is it worth selecting an
Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor (2.26GHz, 4 Threads, turbo boost up to 2.53GHz, 3M cache)
rather than an
Intel® Core™ i3-350M Processor (2.26Ghz, 4 Threads, 3M cache)
?

@ 2800/- i doubt it...

2) If i select
15.6 " 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™
i will still be able to play full HD videos right? Then what is the benefit of opting for
15.6 " Full HD(1080p)WLED (1920 x 1080)Display with TrueLife™
?

i think 1366x768 will be enough for a 15" screen, and yes u can watch HD videos on it...

3) Is there a significant increase in battery life if i select the 9-cell battery over? Also, will there be any significant increase in the overall weight of the laptop?

yes there definately is... if u planning 2 use de laptop while travelling... u have 2 get 9cell as dell studio series does not have that great battery life!

4) I wish to install Linux which means i may need to format and repartition the hard disk. Does Dell provide the windows 7 disc so that i may install the OS again later?

if you order it directly 4m there site u should... as i got one, still just confirm with them

wait 4 suggestions 4m some more experienced users...

cheers!

---------- Post added at 09:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 AM ----------

yeah! my 500th post

[sriharsha_madineni]

Originally Posted by pushkaraj

I am planning to buy a Dell Studio 15. I have the following queries:

1) Is it worth selecting an
Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor (2.26GHz, 4 Threads, turbo boost up to 2.53GHz, 3M cache)
rather than an
Intel® Core™ i3-350M Processor (2.26Ghz, 4 Threads, 3M cache)
?

2) If i select
15.6 " 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™
i will still be able to play full HD videos right? Then what is the benefit of opting for
15.6 " Full HD(1080p)WLED (1920 x 1080)Display with TrueLife™
?

3) Is there a significant increase in battery life if i select the 9-cell battery over? Also, will there be any significant increase in the overall weight of the laptop?

4) I wish to install Linux which means i may need to format and repartition the hard disk. Does Dell provide the windows 7 disc so that i may install the OS again later?

I would say go for i5 considering the price diff & turbo boost capability, saves you from upgrading woes later IMO

If you are a movie buff then full HD matters if not then stick to the default one.

[ankushkool]

i am not sure but is there much performance diff in i3 and i5?

[sriharsha_madineni]

Hmmm yeah according to the links below, i3 & i5 have the same intel GMA HD graphics solution integrated in both, but it is clocked higher in i5 and also these benchmarks show a considerable difference keeping in mind the 2.8K extra

i5 430

i3 350

benchmarks of both

[pushkaraj]

hey, thanx fr the replies guys. one more question:
is there a difference in performance of 5200 rpm and 7200 rpm drives?

[sriharsha_madineni]

^^
not much for average user
If you are fanatical about performance and gaming, then you might consider 7200rpm

[ankushkool]

again... if it fits ur budget go for 7200rpm

[Chetan1991]

Go for 7200 rpm one. It might produce a bit more heat, but it'll perform better. Since HDDs are the slowest components (excluding ODDs) in a comp, they are a bottleneck. A slow hdd will decrease performance even further.

[rags]

of course ...more RPM means ..faster transfer ...but more heat...thats why now-a-days the manufacturers in their "Green drives" are limiting to 5400 RPM ...

[pushkaraj]

Thanx for your replies every1. Finally i have decided to go for i3 processor, 500GB 7200 rpm hard disk and 9-cell battery