New HP Laptop

BCE

BCE

Hi, Guys
Going to be buying a new laptop and after a lot of research and hands on sampling I decided to buy a 17" HP 9700 series. I'm trying to decide between two different models. One is the new dv9700t with the specs shown below. And actually they had a $400 off coupon a couple of weeks ago and I was going to buy it. Had it all configured as below. But I waited one day too long (it only lasted 3 days before it was gone - Snooze you lose). Now Staples has an AMD one available for $699, specs below also. Just wondering about the realities of these 2 laptops for trading, running multiple monitors, etc. One has the Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.20 GHz and the other an AMD Dual Core 2.0 GHz. One has a dedicated NVidia card and the other an integrated one but a higher end integrated one if there is such a thing. Ha. One will be about $1350 and the other $700. Any thoughts on whether the extra $$ is worth it for trading or should I use it for some flat panels or whatever. I plan on adding 4 GB of RAM one way or the other. And BTW HP has a coupon for the better one that expires today so I may look to see if they have a new one in the morning. I'm having Staples save me one of the cheaper ones until tomorrow if I want it. Thanks for your help.

Here are the specs for the dv9700t:
Your dv9700t series
Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.20 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB) edit
Display 17.0" WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050) edit
Memory 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Graphics Card 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS edit
Personalization FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!! edit
Networking FREE Upgrade to Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and BluetoothTM!! edit
Hard Drive 240GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2) edit
Primary CD/DVD Drive LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support edit
TV & Entertainment Experience No TV Tuner w/remote control edit
Primary Battery High Capacity 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery edit
Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Works 9.0

And here are the specs for the dv9720us:
• HP Pavilion notebook includes AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-60
• 2GB RAM
• 160GB hard drive
• Nvidia GeForce Go 7150M with up to 799MB total available graphics memory
• SuperMulti DVD drive with LightScribe™
• Integrated Webcam and microphone
• 802.11b/g wireless LAN
• 5-in-1 card reader
• Windows Vista™ Home Premium
• $899.98 - $150 instant savings - $50 easy rebate = $699.98
DV9720US
 
imho:

the t7500 is a far superior processor
the GeForce Go is a shared memory toy

The second model is cheaper, but you get exactly what you pay for. There is no bargain.
 
Quote from Tums:

imho:

the t7500 is a far superior processor
the GeForce Go is a shared memory toy

The second model is cheaper, but you get exactly what you pay for. There is no bargain.
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How will this play out while trading, running multiple monitors, etc.? The integrated card won't run them well? And will the AMD chip not work well either? thx. I'm not a gamer but eventually I may do some 3D work but would get a better computer for that. This is just for trading and watching a few DVD's etc.
 
Quote from BCE:

How will this play out while trading, running multiple monitors, etc.? The integrated card won't run them well? And will the AMD chip not work well either? thx. I'm not a gamer but eventually I may do some 3D work but would get a better computer for that. This is just for trading and watching a few DVD's etc.
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the AMD chip is a very powerful processor. It can more than handle your trading needs. My comment regarding T7500 is a better chip did not mean to say AMD is inadequate.

If you are to do 3D work, then the shared memory graphic will not meet your need for sure. But for current generation of trading software, it should be adequate.
 
Quote from Tums:

the AMD chip is a very powerful processor. It can more than handle your trading needs. My comment regarding T7500 is a better chip did not mean to say AMD is inadequate.

If you are to do 3D work, then the shared memory graphic will not meet your need for sure. But for current generation of trading software, it should be adequate.
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Thanks. That's the kind of thing I was wondering about. Do you think the video card would work okay with these multiple monitor expansion modules from Matrox? http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/home.php
 
Quote from Tums:

Matrox has a System Compatibility Wizard

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/corpo/support/compatibility/compatibility.php
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Thanks. That's very useful and it would work at
Windows® Vista
TripleHead2Go Digital Edition
GPU model - NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 or 7300
Maximum resolutions
DualHead Modes
2D Windows Applications 3840x1200 (2x 1920x1200) 3840x1200 (2x 1920x1200)
TripleHead Modes
3D Fullscreen Applications
3840x1024 (3x 1280x1024) 3840x1024 (3x 1280x1024)
Or I may use XP Pro. I'll probably try Vista and see if I like it and how it goes. I know everyone mostly hated XP when it first came out too. I remember everyone here mostly saying stick with Win 2000 Pro. :)
 
One other thing is Staples is very good with returns. No questions asked and no restocking fee. I'd have 14 days to check it out and see if a great deal comes up using hp coupons. Plus I'd have it now and wouldn't have to wait 2 weeks to get it built and shipped. I'll think about it overnight. If I get the cheaper one I could maybe sell it in 6 months and upgrade to one with the new Penryn chip which I think is just coming out, but is about a $225 upgrade at this point. Maybe I'll build my own desktop in a bit. :)
http://www.cio.com/article/104352/
Interested in other comments from anyone else in the meantime. Thanks guys.
 
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