A Worthy Warrior!!
Hi guys, I just got this laptop a few days back, now I don't like lengthy reviews, so straight to the pros and cons.
Pros:
1. i3 3110m processor, now, a lot of new laptops are coming with i3xxxxU processors which are clocked at 1.8GHz(they are called ULV or ultra low voltage processor), this laptop has the faster variant, hence faster performance.
2. AMD Radeon 7670m, which is slightly faster than nVidia GT630m while coming in a laptop at least 10k cheaper than laptops containing GT630m, perfect.
I had tried a few games like Assassin's Creed 3 which ran perfectly, you can download modified drivers from here: *bit.ly/14SRBjk (download the 13.1 whql version, its running flawlessly in my laptop and gave a massive boost in FPS in all games, also switchable graphics work better than the default drivers from dell website).
3. 15.6" WLED display for watching HD movies or playing 3D games like Assassin's Creed III
4. The 2GB RAM module runs at 1600MHz by default, now most laptops do not allow memory OC, so you can keep this stick and add another 2GB 1600MHz stick to run dual channel 1600MHz, this will boost your games and overall system performance.
5. The laptop comes with 4xUSB 3.0 ports, which is the highest among any laptop around this range.
6. The build quality and the finish of this laptop are amazing, unless you touch it the surface and palmrest looks like brushed metal which till now has always been the domain of high end XPS laptops, also the screen hinges are solidly built, the top panel is actually replaceable, you can find new panels abroad: *amzn.to/VVaFrA
How awesome is that?
7. The keyboard is chiclet type and has enough spacing to type comfortably. The palmrest is huge and doesn't get very hot during gaming, the touchpad is very responsive and works just like you expect it to, don't play games with it though.
8. And there's the rest, Bluetooth 4.0, wifi, webcam with surprisingly good clarity, LAN, standard dvd writer from samsung, sd card reader etc etc.
Cons:
1. Only 2GB RAM, well its a con only if you're on a tight budget because as stated above adding a ram is very easy and costs just 1.5k for 4GB(Gskill, look in flipkart, 1600MHz, 11-11-11-30 latency).
2. Only 500GB HDD, it's not enough, not enough for a download freak like me, but may be enough for a normal person. Also 5400RPM but one can expect only this much for a 35k laptop.
3. Its really bulky, not slim(not expecting ultrabook but still), and heavy as well. Not a con if you buy this for gaming, but if you travel a lot, like 2-3 hrs everyday with a laptop, you might want to reconsider, though I doubt any gaming laptop will ever be much lighter than this.
4. Though cooling is adequate, during extensive gaming the hard drive tends to get rather hot(~50c, whereas safety limit is 60c), adding a cooling pad is recommended, lets face it, no laptop is designed to play games for prolonged period, but even if you do it, this won't have any issues, but the cooling pad is recommended to prolong the life of the components.
5. Dell warranty extension is really costly, much costlier than competitive brands, but you can extend it during one year any time, but in the past I've had really bad experience with HP customer service so the Dell warranty extension maybe justified.
So what do I think? The perfect laptop under 38k, the i3 3110m CPU is faster than AMD A10(proof: *bit.ly/VVcmp1), the 7670m GPU is faster than GT630m, and while the 2GB Ram may appear as a con but an upgrade costs just 1.5k, amazing screen quality(I run it at lowest brightness), good connectivity, comfortable keyboard and touchpad, this baby really has everything you could wish from a multipurpose gaming oriented laptop, its "Faster Than Light"
