Buying a new laptop

[ashwn_acharya]

Hi,
I am planning to buy a compaq presario v3133au laptop. For some reason, the specification of this model is not listed in the compaq website . The specification as provided by my dealer is:

AMD Turion X2 TL-52 processor with 1.6 GHz.
1X512 MB DDR2 RAM at 667 MHz.
NVidia GeForce Go 6150 GPU with upto 128 MB shared memory.
80 GB SATA HDD at 5400 rpm.
14.1 inch Display.
1 ExpressCard Slot.
5 in 1 media card reader.
Integrated bluetooh.
802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN
Pre-loaded with FreeDOS OS.

The nett. price inclusive of VAT is 44,790/-

Can you please tell me about any other laptops which have a similar specification with a price range of 45000?

Is this configuration vista premium capable? Usually laptops which are vista capable come with a sticker that says so right? I checked the model at the dealer and it didnt have this sticker.

My friends tell me that AMD laptops heat up too much. Is it so?

Also, the notebook features an expresscard slot. Will i be able to upgrade the graphics capablities in future using the expresscard slot?

How much does RAM upgradation cost? I intend to upgrade to 2 GB RAM.

Can anyone please tell me about of the expected power backup of this laptop? The dealer says that this model will give me 3 hours of backup for a full recharge. Is this reasonable enough?

 

[ashish_11]

yes it does heat up quickly & the battery life is also poor

the express card slot is for internet,lan, etc... not for graphics

ram of 2gb will cost u around 7k

better go for dell 640m or 6400

 

[Sourabh]

The config looks decent and should be the cheapest Turion X2 based laptop in India yet. I don't get what Compaq does with their model nos. in India. It is really a mess! They should just stick to what they label it in other countries like v3000z for AMD and v3000t for Intel based laptop. The series actually represents the form-factor and the chassis. For a given series they would be the same, just a difference in the processors which it is based on.

Few months back, there were no WDDM 6150 drivers. I think they would have it for this now. You have to get 1GB of System Memory for this laptop to run Vista in all its glory. Your laptop comes with 256x2 mostly, so both the DIMM are filled up. Best option would be to trash it with the dealer itself and ask for 2 sticks of 512MB DDR2 @ 667 Mhz. If the dealer cannot provide it, get it done from somewhere else. If the laptop has 512MB single stick(chances are very slim), then get similar one. Should cost around 3-4k.

Initial stocks of these laptops don't have the Vista Ready label. As a matter of fact, not all do. So, its ok. Just a sticker, right?

The v3000z series is not known for heating up. Google for the reviews, if you wanna know more about it. Xpress Card Slot is not for graphics.

You can expect 2 hrs of battery life at moderate loads with a 6celled battery pack.

Go ahead with the purchase..

 

[Kiran.dks]

Check out this link:

Vista Capable Laptop

 

[ashwn_acharya]

Thank u all for the suggestions... i never expected i would get replies soo soon....
@Saurabh
The spec sheet given by the dealer mentions it to be 512X1 DDR@ RAM upgradable upto 4 GB.

@aashish_11
Can u please tell me how much will the dell 640M Cost? I want to go for a 64 bit processor.


And i think i got the answer regarding the sticker. Only those laptops that come pre loaded with Windows XP carry the Vista premium capable sticker
__________
And Based Saurabh's info that this notebook comes under v3000z series, i found a decent review of this,although there is a slight variation in the config. looks good though.....

 

[krazyfrog]

Check out Digit October '06. It has a great comparison test of all the current laptops.

 

[aryayush]

Are they sure it supports 4GB of RAM? It sounds pretty much impossible to me. Most laptops costing in excess of one lac also do not support more than three gigabytes of RAM. And if they it supports such high-end configuration, why doesn't it come pre-loaded with Windows XP, the OS of choice for mose laptop manufacturers and specially Hewlett-Packard, the parent company of Compaq?

 

[Sourabh]

It is so because a single 2GB DDR2 RAM even at 533Mhz costs more than 500$ for laptops. This is like nearly 4 times the cost of a 1GB stick of the same configuration. Since only 2 DIMM slots are supported by current day core logic chipsets, 2GB is the standard RAM quantum even in flag-ship notebooks from almost all manufacturers. Isn't 4GB RAM an overkill for the laptops? Of course hi-end can mean going to the extreme, but 4 times the cost is just insane enough, even for considering it as of now for laptop manufacturers. Prices are expected to fall down by the end of this year.

 

[kumarmohit]

So assuming that 1GB RAM is 7000 now can it get >5000 by say... next March?

I don't get what Compaq does with their model nos. in India. It is really a mess!

Totally agree man, they had a model V5207TU I got some info abt and after 3 days the seller told me its replaced by C303 or something without Bluetooth and only 256 MB RAM instead of the V5207's 512 MB.

 

[ashwn_acharya]

@Sourabh
I checked with the dealer, and sorry, it is indeed 2X256 MB DDR2 RAM as u said and not 1X512 MB.

And i also clarified the upgrade option, and the fine print said that its upgradable upto 4 GB with discard. .

There are 2 SODIMM slots as saurabh said.
And yeah, by upgradable upto 4 GB, they mean an upgrade of 2 X2048 MB !!???

And yes, the 4GB upgrade would be more expensive than the laptop itself.
I was going through the dell website, where they let us customise the configuration, and a 2X2048 MB upgrade costs an ADDITIONAL 60,437 bucks!!!

And speaking of dell, that paritcular laptop which i provided a link for, had me drooling . Really.. 12.1 inch laptops are cool.....

Pity,.. the laptop of your dreams always costs 25000 more than your budget.... always has... always will.... (sigh)

 

[aryayush]

Pity,.. the laptop of your dreams always costs 25000 more than your budget.... always has... always will.... (sigh)

Mine cost 60,000 more than my budget but I still got it - guess I'm just lucky!

 

[ashwn_acharya]

oooh.... whats upr laptop config...


Guys, air ur views on this. What would be the configuration of a future proof laptop... I mean, a laptop whixh wont be outdated and obselete in the near future, specifically, 5-8 years....

 

[aryayush]

oooh.... whats upr laptop config...

Display: 17-inch (diagonal), 1680 x 1050 resolution, TFT widescreen
Processor: 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
Memory: 2GB (two SO-DIMMs) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
PCI Express graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM and dual-link DVI
Hard disk drive: 120GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm
Slot-loading optical drive: 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Expansion: One FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, three USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard/34 slot
Video: Built-in iSight camera, DVI, VGA (DVI to VGA adapter included)
Audio: Combined optical digital input/audio line in, combined optical digital output/headphone out, stereo speakers, microphone
Ethernet: Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit)
Wireless: Built-in 54-Mbps AirPort Extreme (802.11g); built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Input: Apple Remote; full-size, illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor; scrolling trackpad
Weight: 6.8 pounds
Footprint: 15.4 x 10.4 inches
Thickness: 1.0 inch
Video accessories: DVI to VGA adapter included
Hardware accessories: 85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, lithium-polymer battery
Limited warranty and service: 90 days of telephone support and a one-year limited warranty.

It's a little monster!

 

[Sourabh]

Hey ashwin, get the laptop. It is a steal at that price. Get hold of two 512MB sticks from the local market and ask your dealer to replace them. So, there are no warranty issues later. You can sell it to the dealer or in the Bazaar here. Wont be much of an issue. If you can really stretch your budget to 60k, get the xps m1210 - the stock config.

 

[ashwn_acharya]

Thanx saurabh....I am indeed goin for compaq... The specs suit me fine, as i am not a serious gamer. I only needed to clarify about the battery backup. An unbiased personal opinion was all i was waiting for... Thnx again...

 

[hackers2005.3721]

hii dude saw your post ashim u wil be surprised but i have the same lappy and the same confi reeand it rocks ree amd procerrs r vry good and no heating in my lappy this piece is like a girl frd really i brought it to make jelous my frd and about your ram problem dude see u buy one 512 or 1 gb card and let the 256 ram crd be there i have put 512 ram extra plus the 256 there it became almost 750 i dont know the exact as i am not writing frm my lappy but i think 1 gb is more than enough reee as 1 gb stic plus 256 is vry much and u can upgrade it after the price falls to one more gb and taking out the 256 card and about the prce i gt the same price 1 motnh ago frm hyper city in mumbai it is super storeee

 

[Sourabh]

hackers: What is the battery life you get under moderate work?

 

[CINTEL ENTRINO]

wats this topic doin in mobile sec. ????

 

[aryayush]

mobile
adjective |ˈmōbəl; -ˌbēl; -ˌbīl|
able to move or be moved freely or easily

Laptops fit the description, don't they?
Mobile does not mean only cellular phones, it includes everything that has mobility or can easily be mobilised, including laptops.

 

[hackers2005.3721]

dude it is decent lst about 1.2 hours reee it also depend upon the software u r using but i mst tell u due to wde screen this laptop looks vry cool u should buy this laptop


but what ru doing for the ram problem i think u should go for 1 gb if u r buying in the new year as the prices will falll dude i may request to buy in nxt year if u can as the thge prices will slash to 20 %
so if u can they wait jt till nxt year buy in jan bst time bc it is the year of closing book for ac and giving to gov dude so plzz wait and if u want to buy now then buy it bc the prices as same frm 2 month and will decrese the xnt year
only