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[Smoking!] Dell 15r SE, i7-3632QM, 1080p(!), 8GB, 750GB HD, Radeon 7730M (2GB) - $747

S

SubtleOne

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
291
This is a really hot deal.

There is a very important caveat: the deal is good for 12 hours only as of this post!

Dell Link

Apply coupon code J9ZR64?V1WQ2S0 at checkout.

I'll just add that this is the machine in my sig which I bought during Black Friday, and am still completely in love with.

Specs:

Intel i7 3632QM CPU
8GB DDR3
750GB HDD
15" 1920X1080
DVDRW
2GB Radeon HD 7730M Video
4x USB 3.0, HDMI
Intel Centrino Wireless 2230, 2x2 bgn + Bluetooth
6 Cell Battery
Windows 8 64-bit
Backlit Keyboard
 
Not bad, though there has been better lately such as ones with a GeForce GTX 660M + faster CPU + blu-ray drive etc. for around $800-900, which is far faster than the Radeon 7730m.

Example: http://slickdeals.net/f/5782324-Len...GB-DDR3-RAM-15-6-1920x1080-1TB-HD-Blu-ray-900

I'd wait for something like that to come up again, if I were in the market for a laptop of this type. Just my two cents... may as well get the best you can for the price range.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Not bad, though there has been better lately such as ones with a GeForce GTX 660M + faster CPU + blu-ray drive etc. for around $800-900, which is far faster than the Radeon 7730m.

Example: http://slickdeals.net/f/5782324-Len...GB-DDR3-RAM-15-6-1920x1080-1TB-HD-Blu-ray-900

I'd wait for something like that to come up again, if I were in the market for a laptop of this type. Just my two cents... may as well get the best you can for the price range.
Click to expand...

I agree the Lenovo is a better specced machine, but at $150 more, I don't consider it in the same price range. For a quad i7 laptop, 1080p screen and discrete GPU, this is the best deal around ATM. For many, those $150 could be the make or break argument.
 
csshih said:
inspiron :(, pass
Click to expand...

Some Inspiron's (like the older 9200's) are really good while others are just mediocre. Depends on the model.

But yeah, I agree. Dell makes the workstation Precision models mostly superior to the Inspiron's.

Got a Precision M6300 myself.
 
SubtleOne said:
I agree the Lenovo is a better specced machine, but at $150 more, I don't consider it in the same price range. For a quad i7 laptop, 1080p screen and discrete GPU, this is the best deal around ATM. For many, those $150 could be the make or break argument.
Click to expand...

If you're already spending $750, saving an extra 150 to get a machine FAR FAR faster for the discrete GPU and other goodies makes sense if one couldn't swing it right away. It's not like laptops are disposable devices you toss out every few months... it's more of a long-term purchase. Just giving a comparison as to better deals as far as bang for the buck goes.... this isn't bad for its price, but for 20% more you get a lot more than 20% in gains ;). This isn't bad, as I said.
 
GoldenTiger said:
If you're already spending $750, saving an extra 150 to get a machine FAR FAR faster for the discrete GPU and other goodies makes sense if one couldn't swing it right away. It's not like laptops are disposable devices you toss out every few months... it's more of a long-term purchase. Just giving a comparison as to better deals as far as bang for the buck goes.... this isn't bad for its price, but for 20% more you get a lot more than 20% in gains ;). This isn't bad, as I said.
Click to expand...

Well, bear in mind I paid $647 during Black Friday so the diff was considerably more.... ;)

Still, it is what it is, and $150 can easily be the difference. For this amount you get a lot of laptop. I certainly haven't seen anything remotely comparable at this price point. Also, the difference you depict is mostly the GPU. Is the improved GPU worth $150 more? It is highly debatable. You can get a nice video card for your desktop for that much alone.
 
johnnydoe said:
Some Inspiron's (like the older 9200's) are really good while others are just mediocre. Depends on the model.

But yeah, I agree. Dell makes the workstation Precision models mostly superior to the Inspiron's.

Got a Precision M6300 myself.
Click to expand...

yeah, checked out one of their newer inspirons. it was disappointing.

latitudes and precisions on the other hand.. :)
 
GoldenTiger said:
If you're already spending $750, saving an extra 150 to get a machine FAR FAR faster for the discrete GPU and other goodies makes sense if one couldn't swing it right away. It's not like laptops are disposable devices you toss out every few months... it's more of a long-term purchase. Just giving a comparison as to better deals as far as bang for the buck goes.... this isn't bad for its price, but for 20% more you get a lot more than 20% in gains ;). This isn't bad, as I said.
Click to expand...

Though not meant as a genuine followup, I got curious about OCing the laptop GPU and after installing MSI found I could not as the values were maxxed out. I then ran across a YouTube video showing the only insance I found of anyone succeeding in OCing it and how. I am sharing it here as the procedure is just insane.

How to OC an AMD Mobility 7730M. According to him he has it set at roughly +18% regularly.
 
SubtleOne said:
Though not meant as a genuine followup, I got curious about OCing the laptop GPU and after installing MSI found I could not as the values were maxxed out. I then ran across a YouTube video showing the only insance I found of anyone succeeding in OCing it and how. I am sharing it here as the procedure is just insane.

How to OC an AMD Mobility 7730M. According to him he has it set at roughly +18% regularly.
Click to expand...

That method does work, I'm using the same method on a 7850m in an HP Envy 17t-3200. It runs fine at 800/1200 core/ram over the stock 625/1000. It will probably go even higher, gpu temps are still sub 70c even at 900/1200 but I haven't had time to do stability testing at that speed.
 
Make sure you get a 3 year with Dell. They seem to be designed to break in exactly over 2 years.
 
I've always loved Dell Latitude series notebooks. My old work place use them and still do. I have owned a couple inspirions in the past and to be honest, they felt cheap.. Like all of em -.-
 
A15G said:
I've always loved Dell Latitude series notebooks. My old work place use them and still do. I have owned a couple inspirions in the past and to be honest, they felt cheap.. Like all of em -.-
Click to expand...

This one does not.
 
Would the lenovo y400 or y500 be a better deal?

No 1080 screen for the <$800 price range, but for someone like me it would live on an external monitor 95% of the time.
 
Briguyatx said:
That method does work, I'm using the same method on a 7850m in an HP Envy 17t-3200. It runs fine at 800/1200 core/ram over the stock 625/1000. It will probably go even higher, gpu temps are still sub 70c even at 900/1200 but I haven't had time to do stability testing at that speed.
Click to expand...

My OC window was not that generous. I managed to run 3DMark Vantage and 11 at 650/950 (up from 575/900), but it is barely stable (660/950 crashes as does 650/990), so I reduced it to 620/950, ran a few benchmarks (such as Batman Arkham at 1080p) and got a 10% increase.
 
I'm actually looking at laptops so this thread was helpful. Doesn't the 5400 rpm on the hard drive kill the speed of the machine?
 
DarrisBard said:
I'm actually looking at laptops so this thread was helpful. Doesn't the 5400 rpm on the hard drive kill the speed of the machine?
Click to expand...

Only things that require the HD. Boot times suffer, long searches for files, etc. Running programs will not be affected.
 
i went w/ a sony refurb s15 instead... the 640m le can be unlocked into a 650m via bios mod (w7 version only)
 
GoldenTiger said:
If you're already spending $750, saving an extra 150 to get a machine FAR FAR faster for the discrete GPU and other goodies makes sense if one couldn't swing it right away. It's not like laptops are disposable devices you toss out every few months... it's more of a long-term purchase. Just giving a comparison as to better deals as far as bang for the buck goes.... this isn't bad for its price, but for 20% more you get a lot more than 20% in gains ;). This isn't bad, as I said.
Click to expand...

The GPU is not much faster, just fyi .... ;)

plus, 7700M series is known to OC like a champ....
The only downside of 7730M is that it does not use GDDR5 like the rest of them.

Overall, I wouldn't justify that extra $150 just to squeeze out few fps on stock setting...
On the side note, it's a Lenovo laptop.....
 
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