i9300 vs. XPS Gen 2 (deciding to buy either)

[CecilMcDude]

Okay, I'm trying to figure out whether I want an i9300 or an XPS. I went on the dell website to customize the i9300 to match the default specs of the XPS from the website.
XPS: $2337
i9300: $2083
So, they're pretty much the same thing, except for the case and a few ports or some nonsense, which I'm not even concerned with. So is there really any difference between these two? Is there any reason I should pay approx. $250 more for an XPS?
Money isn't really that much of a concern, I'm taking a loan out to pay for the notebook, and I could buy two with what I've already got in the bank, so I was thinking if they're pretty much the same difference, I could use about $250 more to make the i9300 even better, if I were willing to pay that much.
Anyway, I don't really have any experience with notebooks or building computers, so I wouldn't know if there was that big of a difference between the two if they pretty much have the same things inside.
Thanks!
-CMD

[SupraSkylineSTI]

I heard a lot of bad reviews about the XPS with sparkles on the screen.

[Howdogg74]

I recently had the choice of choosing between the 9300 and the XPS2 when they released the 35% coupon. The price difference was about $400 b/w the two. I had tried out the 9300 and it was a great laptop. Nice design, powerful, and portable. Now that the price range was within striking range of each other, I decided on the XPS2. Normally this laptop is way too expensive, but I was able to land a deal and get it for $2100 with the coupon. Since I like high end hardware, the deal breaker was the affordability plus the better graphics card. Downside is the shorter batter life (~2 hours) and the increased weight.

If longer battery life and portability matter, choose the 9300. If you like the coolness factor, or play a lot of games, choose the XPS2. Both will handle a heavy workload or most games.

[65bowtie]

They were so close in price to me I went with the Xps 2. I read to many reviews with sparkles on the 9300, there were some reviews showing the XPS with sparkles too but the 9300 had way more so that was a big factor.

Not to mention just a few bucks more for a top of the line, I couldn't pass it up. Mine just shipped out last night, should be here by the end of next week.

[yassarian]

With coupons, the difference will be a lot bigger than $300 -- the i9300 will be quite a bit cheaper than the xps2.

The only reason why you'd buy the xps2 over the i9300 is for the graphics card -- the Go6800 ultra the xps2 has is roughly 30% faster than the Go6800 in the i9300, who by its own right is no sloth either. Even if you OC the i9300's Go6800 to very high levels, you are still looking at about a 15% speed difference. There really isn't a laptop that can outperform the xps2 in terms of gaming within its price range.

The LCD on both of these machines are *EXACTLY* the same -- from the exact same manufacturers. As far as I know only 2 manufacturers make a 17" WUXGA LCD panel -- LG and Samsung. The majority of compliants regarding sparkle is from the LG panel, but then again, I have an LG panel and try as I may I don't see this effect. Or maybe it just doesn't bother me. You hear more complaints from the i9300 crowd probably simply because there are WAY more 9300 out in the market than xps2.

Like I said, the main difference IS the graphics card -- if you play a lot of games, you'd be better off getting the xps2, if you don't plan on playing any games -- even the i9300 is somewhat overkill -- unless you REALLY like a 17" monster. hehe

cheers,

yass

Okay, I'm trying to figure out whether I want an i9300 or an XPS. I went on the dell website to customize the i9300 to match the default specs of the XPS from the website.
XPS: $2337
i9300: $2083
So, they're pretty much the same thing, except for the case and a few ports or some nonsense, which I'm not even concerned with. So is there really any difference between these two? Is there any reason I should pay approx. $250 more for an XPS?
Money isn't really that much of a concern, I'm taking a loan out to pay for the notebook, and I could buy two with what I've already got in the bank, so I was thinking if they're pretty much the same difference, I could use about $250 more to make the i9300 even better, if I were willing to pay that much.
Anyway, I don't really have any experience with notebooks or building computers, so I wouldn't know if there was that big of a difference between the two if they pretty much have the same things inside.
Thanks!
-CMD

[ericwithac]

I was considering the same two laptops for a long period of time. While I liked the better graphics card in the XPS2, the 9300 is not that far behind, and is leaps and bounds above the other laptops. What it came down to me was the weight and the battery life. If you need to use the laptop away from a power connection for any period of time, then the ~2 hours of battery life on the XPS2 is a truly negative thing. Just remember that with either laptop you are getting the best hardware on the market. Best of luck in your decision.

[CecilMcDude]

Thank you very much for your input. I'm thinking I'll be getting the i9300. I really don't play that many games (pretty much just the baldur's gate series and UT2004 are the extent of my gaming), and being in the navy, portability and battery life are somewhat important.

[ekka_t]

the Go6800 ultra the xps2 has is roughly 30% faster than the Go6800 in the i9300,

Does anyone who owns the XPS2 can confirm it's a real 6800ultra with DDR3? Coz from the Dell site, the only different I can see between the 2 Video card is the word Ultra, I can't find DDR3, Ultra chipset or speed/resolution difference in anywhere..

[antskip]

Thank you very much for your input. I'm thinking I'll be getting the i9300. I really don't play that many games (pretty much just the baldur's gate series and UT2004 are the extent of my gaming), and being in the navy, portability and battery life are somewhat important.

If you are not a "serious" gamer, treasure portability and battery life, then maybe neither the XPS Gen 2 nor the i9300 is what you need? For casual gaming the X300 version of the i9300 is ample. For portability, you could consider a smaller notebook entirely: like the i6000, the D810 or even D610 (the Latitudes are probably tougher built and more suitable for navy conditions). Unless you really have to have the big widescreen 17" of the i9300 and the XPS Gen 2, or the 15.4" of the i6000 and the D810, maybe you might look at the much more portable D610 with a 14.1" screen - yet not sacrificing quality or size of keyboard etc? In weight alone, you are looking at 8.60 lbs (XPS):7.85 lbs (i9300): 6.65 lbs (i6000): 4.67 lbs (D610); plus bigger adaptors for the bigger notebooks. Even the D610 has a competent gpu (other than the integrated gpu option which enhances battery life but lacks grunt) for everything but the latest and most demanding games. If you insist on the 17" screen, go for the X300 gpu option: it will save you money, heat, and battery life. If you want serious gpu grunt, but would consider a widescreen 15.4" notebook, superior build and greater portability than the i9300, maybe check out the M70? The down side is its gpu, close to the performance of the 6800 option on the i9300, reduces battery life compared to the X600-powered D810 and the X300-powered i6000.

[ericwithac]

If you care about gaming in the near future, then I strongly recommend the i9300 to equipped with the 6800. For the extra money, you will forsure be able to play the newest and most graphic heavy games for the next several years. I for one don't find the portability to be that much of a problem. I am a college student, so I will be moving around a lot, yet I still went witht the i9300. The weight is not that bad compared to some gaming notebooks that weigh in over 10 pounds. Plus too, anyone who is a recent graduate of our nation's public education system should already know what it feels like to carry around large amounts of weight on your back, because most high school text books weigh about 5 to 10 pounds. On battery life, with the 9-cell battery, I get over 3 hours of battery life. Granted, that is not 3 hours of playing Half-Life 2, but then again, no laptop will allow you to game for long unless you are plugged in. On that note, I did not find the AC adaptor to be that large and heavy, and it easily fits into any bag. I hope that this is helpful, please ask any questions that you may have.