stupid laptop vid question

[Lex]

Ok, if you have an XGA or SXGA display, what does that mean in terms of pixel resolution? Both are TFT now, I presume.

Also, if you have a 32 mb or 64 mb ddr NVIDIA GeForce Go5200 AGP 4x Graphics option, will it make any difference to have 64 mb option with XGA? Or will you only realize a difference with SXGA?

I'm looking at a Dell 5150 laptop, and trying to determine what the option differences make on video. I don't want to drive the price up, but I'd still like to have a decent machine.

Lex

[Kevin P]

XGA is 640x480 or 1024x768 with up to 65,535 colors (IBM standard, I'm sure newer XGA laptops support 16.7 million colors).

SXGA is 1280x1024. I'd go SXGA over XGA.

To display 1024x768 w/16.7 million colors (XGA), you need approximately 2.4 megabytes of video RAM. In SXGA, you need approximately 4 megabytes. 32 or 64 MB video RAM allows multiple video pages or layers to be loaded simultaneously, which improves performance in gaming and other motion-video intensive operations.

My 3 year old Dell has SXGA and (I think) 32 MB on an ATI card. It works great and looks great, but I'm not a gamer.

[aud19]

Doesn't Dell only do Pentium processors?! :naughty:

Jason

[Kevin P]

Doesn't Dell only do Pentium processors?! :naughty:

What does that have to do with video specs? :

[JonMarsh]

Hey, let's hear it for WIDE XGA (1280X768/800) and AMD processors!


Wooooooo Woooooooo!


~Jon


Hmmmm, someone must have spiked my soda at lunch time....

[aud19]

Hey, let's hear it for WIDE XGA (1280X768/800) and AMD processors!


Wooooooo Woooooooo!


~Jon


Hmmmm, someone must have spiked my soda at lunch time....

Hell ya :T (on both comments ) :lol:

Jason

[Andrew Pratt]

Doug for what its worth I have the Dell 5100 with the 1024 screen and like it a lot. Sure higher resolution and widescreen would be cool but for me they aren't needed since i just plug in my CRT display and run it as an extended desktop at any resolution I like (which is handy for testing websites)

The 5150 is more or less the same laptop as mine only with the upgraded video card. I'd recomend buying a single stick of 256 ram and then adding some 3rd party 512 meg stick afterwards to keep costs down. Also spring for the internal Wi-Fi card and you'll be good to go.

[Chris D]

Doug, Dell's website has pixel specs for resolutions if you look at the details. I just bought my 9100 with WSXGA+, which is 1280 by 1050, or something like that. It's plenty fine for resolution, even though I could have gone one step higher to WUXGA and ensured full 1080i/1080p compatability. But on a small screen like that (15.4" for me) that's not completely necessary.

For me, the important thing is that the 9100 has a DVI output, and the ATI video card can support two monitors, so I can set the resolution to WHATEVER I want on the DVI to send to my theater projector, even more than the laptop screen capabilities.

[Lex]

Doh, well, I don't even try to keep up anymore, that's pretty obvious. I think I had a brain fart, about XGA, SXGA, but at any rate, am really only looking for a decent laptop for casual use. I don't plan to launch any rockets, or even look at any blastoffs in HGTV. I have a Plasma HD capable set, and 2 projectors, and don't do much traveling, so I'm really good on portable DVD. I have a Sony Picturebook that does a just fine job with DVD, and has the advantage of a separate DVD unit for holding heat down.

Anyway, I just need a surfing machine, as my daughter it seems is taking over my Sony I bought a year or so ago. Sigh, lol.

Well, for a laptop, as long as it's a good processor, It's fine. a Pentium 4 is just fine with me for a laptop. Dell has the advantage that I get 5% off their higher ed sales prices, or 10% off sale prices with 3-4 year warranty. Not to bad really. I've never owned a Dell, but am not really all that hip on any other brand anyway. Sony is ok to me, not an HP fan anymore really.

Andrew, I am not even certain if the internal wireless are all compatible with each other. I have linksys, and don't plan to change the base unit.

Lex

[aud19]

...am really only looking for a decent laptop for casual use. I don't plan to launch any rockets, or even look at any blastoffs in HGTV

Blah, blah, blah. Nevermind all that... :B

Doug, this is your laptop buddy!

http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_M6809

The Road Warrior
Slim, trim, stylish and gloriously mobile, the M6809 notebook has a passion for excellence and goes above and beyond the basics. Featuring the most advanced, fastest PC processor for notebook computing, the Mobile AMD Athlon™ 64 processor, it's built with your current needs in mind: personal computing, DVD movies, games, digital photography and other demanding 32-bit multimedia applications. And it's ready for the next generation of 64-bit software applications. eMachines is proud to be the first major PC company to offer this leading-edge technology. You'll also be able to access the Web at all the hotspots worldwide with 54g™ wireless LAN. Other features include: 512 MB memory, 80 GB hard drive, ATi 9600 Graphics card, 6-in-1 digital media manager, DVD +/- RW drive and an ultra-wide 15.4" screen - all backed by eMachine's world-class support. For the ultimate in power, performance, graphics and connectivity, choose the road-ready M6809. Take it anywhere and everywhere

Jason

[Lex]

That is a nice box for the money Jason. Hmmm, e-machines. I remember the el cheapo pos machines they made, that sticks in my mind. Not sure I could get past that to buy one of their products now. Maybe. They do put on a good presentation for the web site. Very professional, and the laptop certainly a contender for power and capability with that box. Just about any Dell you add anything onto at all is 12-1500.


Lex