Which laptop...? (long)

random · Post by **random** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:44 am

Hi,

Have been lurking around here for quite a while. Since I can't really find the right (silent) system, I'd thought, I'd asked for advice here.

First, I was looking for a silent SFF system, but now I'm considering a laptop. Main objective is to get a quiet (doesn't have to be silent) system and reduce the cable clutter under my desk (very noisy desktop is sitting there).

Processing power is not really an issue, as I'm doing fine with my 1 GHz Athlon. So, any Pentium M should do fine.

I'm doing a lot of image processing and thus need a lot of RAM and a big screen. Thus, I'd like to have a nice 17" (possibly non-glare-type) display or keep my current LCD and use it together with the laptop in a dual-monitor configuration (hence requiring something like the Ati 700M video card).

Also, I'd really like to have an integrated TV-tuner, to set up a DVR.

I've been looking at discountlaptops.com, but the ideal system is somewhat elusive. E.g. the Sager top model (9880) is an impressive machine (somewhat expensive), but I doubt that it's terribly quiet. Other systems don't have an integrated TV-tuner or their GPU is not suited for a dual-monitor setup etc.

Any suggestions as to what laptop might fit the bill?

Thanks,
J.

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:49 am

Consider getting a Dell. Their systems are fairly custimizable. A lot of other places (Alienware, Voodoo) will charge out the nose. Get a Pentium M procecssor, they use less battey power and run cooler so the laptop fan shouldn't kick in as much.

m0biusAce · Post by **m0biusAce** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:58 am

Your not going to find a quiet laptop with an ATI X700. Really any graphics card, integrated or not has a monitor out port. Most are VGA out though, so you cant connect a DVI flat panel (some flat panels, especially budget ones are VGA though).

Sagers are the wrong way to go if your looking for any type of quiet. They all pack Pentium 4 desktop processors (the prescotts no less!) that generate in excess of 80 watts of heat! Couple that with high speed GPUs, all that heat has to go somewhere, and its driven out of the laptop via multiple, loud, fans.

Your best bet for something even remotly quiet with that big of a screen is the dell insprion 9300. I think it has the glare type screen though. It DOES have a DVI port though. It can even be equipped with a GeForce6800, but im pretty sure that would make the fans run louder. But the default X300 it has runs very cool and works just fine with passive cooling.

And you say your doing image processing? How about a powerbook 17". Expensive, but I heard they are quiet.

I have a dell inspiron 700m. It has the glare type screen and it is only 12 inch, but the ONE fan never turns on. The HD is the loudest part in the system and that is VERY quiet. 5 hour battery life with the extended battery and yes, it has a VGA out port. Very good laptop, and I got it for 960 on eBay with a Pentium M 1.6ghz, 512mb ram, DVD+RW, and a 60gb 5400 rpm HD.

And about the intergrated TV tuner. Almost no laptops except the sagers have that feature. You can instead get an external USB TV tuner like the ATi TV Wonder USB 2.0.

Oh, you say you need a lot of RAM. DONT buy RAM from dell. They rape you in prices. Go for the lowest you can get (256mb I think) and just buy your RAM from newegg.com for hundreds cheaper and install it yourself.

Hope this helps

Artagra · Post by **Artagra** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:55 am

Gateway also has a 17" system with a Pentium M and a X700.... however, if you are not going to move the machine around, do not go for a laptop - rather build a Pentium M based desktop system with a big slow cooler - much better option.

Artag