The KGB Oracle Forums General Public Discussion (PUBLIC) The Pub Opinions on a build for a laptop.

I'm looking to buy an XG Action 8000 Notebook from buyxg.com

the parts are:

XG ACTION 8000 NOTEBOOK

* *BASE_PRICE: [+1335]
* ADAPTER: Universal AC-DC Adapter
* BLUETOOTH: Built-in MS-6837D Bluetooth 2.0
* BATTERY: Li-Ion 6 Cell Battery Pack, 4400mAH (MS171944)
* BAGS: Free Deluxe Carrying Bag for 17 Inch Notebook
* CPU: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Mobile T7500 Dual-Core Processor @ 2.20GHz 800FSB 4MB L2 Cache 64-bit [+80]
* CD: 8X DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE
* FREEBIE_CU: FREE! 1GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive
* FLASHMEDIA: Built-In 4in1 Media Reader
* FLOPPY: NONE
* HDD: 160GB 7200RPM SATA150 HARD DRIVE [+95]
* IEEE_CARD: BUILT-IN 1394 IEEE FIREWIRE PORT
* INVERTER: NONE
* KEYBOARD: BUILT-IN KEYBOARD
* MOUSE: BUILT-IN TOUCHPAD
* MODEM: BUILT-IN 56K V.92 FAX MODEM
* MOTHERBOARD: Mobile Intel PM965 + ICH-8M Chipset Mainboard
* MEMORY: 2GB (2x1GB) PC5300 DDR2-667 SODIMM Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
* NOTEBOOK: MSI MS-1719 Notebook 17" Widescreen WSXGA+ 1680x1050 Pixels w/ NVIDIA GeForce GO 8600M-GT 512MB Video, 1.3 Mega Pixels CMOS Camera, Mobile Core 2 Duo, & 802.11g Wireless
* NOTEBOOK_COVER: XG Action 8000 Notebook Cover (Original Color)
* NB_LCD: 17" WSXGA+ Widescreen TFT Display 1680x1050 Pixels
* NETWORK: Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Network Card
* NB_TRAVELKIT: NONE
* OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2 [+31]
* PRINTER: None
* PRINTER_CABLE: None
* RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
* SOFT: Microsoft® OFFICE® 2007 BASIC EDITION [+159]
* SERVICE: STANDARD 1-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY AND 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
* SOUND: BUILT-IN AC 97 SOUND
* SPEAKERS: BUILT-IN STEREO SPEAKERS SYSTEM
* TVRC: None
* USB: 4 x USB2.0 Port Connectors
* UPS: None
* USBHD: NONE
* VIDEO: Built-in NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600M GT 512MB with Turbo Cache Technology Video
* VIDEOCAMERA: Built-in 240° Rotational 1.3 Mega Pixels
* WNC: Intel 4965AGN Wireless 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N 54Mbps MiniPCI Card [+5]
* _PRICE: (+1705)
* _view_: detail

Any thoughts? You guys know of any other cheap brands or something? Or are there any parts where I might be able to save some money (for example the processor... how does core duo scale compared to single-core CPUs, is a 2.2 core duo like a 4.4 single? In that case I could probably drop down to like a 1.6 or something) ?

Also, at the moment I'm getting XP Pro, is there a particular reason to switch to Vista yet? I'm weary of all the dread stories I hear of performance in games, as well as its anti-piracy features.

I started using Vista about a month ago, and I'm liking it. I don't know exactly how to do everything I could do in XP, but its all just a matter of looking it up anyways. Vista is very pretty, and I like it for that -- it makes my computer feel fast again. My room mate uses the 64bit version and its really just plain sexy. If you're going to actually spend money on an OS, don't spend it on something Microsoft won't have full support for in a year.

Thanks sling. What's different about the 64bit by the way? And which vista do you have? Home Premium? Business? That crazy black ultra one?

Any other advice on the computer?

I have 32 bit Ultimate, my room mate has 64 bit Ultimate. The only real difference so far is performance. Vista is a bit of a memory hog, but if you're equipped for it it's great. As far as everything that's in your computer, Microsoft has this nifty little thing called the Windows Experience Index that rates each of your components on a scale of 1-6 (it may be higher now, but I doubt it) and your overall score is your lowest on all of your major components, grading your system based on it's bottleneck. I suggest looking into that and seeing if you can run tests on hypothetical builds for a new computer, that might give you more insight on where you can save a few bucks and where you should invest more.

Just some food for thought (not sure how true it is)
Vista XP