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- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
5.0 stars
"BEST BANG FOR BUCK"
Pros: Major Brand, excellent price, excellent quality
Cons: Doesn't offer better video card & too much in load up
Summary: Recently (May 07) I decided to take a closer look at my NX860XL and compare apples to apples to all that matters "Hardware? to a similar Toshiba and Dell XPS and included those finding too. All prices were taken directly from the respective web sites.
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Gateway NX860XL (as I got mine)
CPU 2.16GHz, 667MHz, 4MB L2
2048MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 7200rpm Serial ATA HDrive
17.1" WUXGA TFT Active Matrix (1920x 1200)
nVidia 7900 GS 256MB Graphics Card (for Sonic-C)
8x Multi-Format Double Layer DVD
Warranty Total Protection
4yr Parts/Labor/Onsite
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DELL, XPS-M1710
(Configured same as my Gateway)
But did offer a graphics card upgrade to 7950GTX for $400
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TOSHIBA -P100-S9772----- $ value difference in what was different
CPU (2.0 GHz)-----Minus 170.00
Mem 2048MB-----SAME memory
160 GB 5400rpm HD-----About equal value, I rather have speed
Widescreen SXGA
1680x1050 -----Minus 25.00
nVidia 7900 GTX
512MB Graphics-----Plus 300.00
8x Multi-Format Double Layer DVD ------SAME
1-Yr basic-----Minus 325.00
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BOTTOM LINE PRICE---------$$$$$$$$$$$$
Gateway NX860XL Price-----------$2,451.81
Toshiba P100-S9772----------------$3,125.13
Toshiba after Apple to Apple Price-$3,345.13
Dell XPS Apple to Apple Price----$3,270.22
Net price difference Toshiba--------$ 893.32
Net price difference Dell------------$ 818.41
Sure, I wish Gateway offered a higher end video card, but the 7900 GS is still pretty good, AND once you take all the factors into consideration, the better video is not worth the $8-900 price difference or even $6-700 if you do not want the extended warranty (Crazy to have anything less than a 2 year full warranty on a laptop, I can fix my Desktop, but not a laptop)
To me, the bottom line is you are going to pay around $800 more for a cool looking Dell or $900 more for a Toshiba with a better video card. So if a better video card means that much to you to pay the extra BIG BUCKS go ahead, but there was no way I was going to pay $1,200 more for a Dell or the $900 more for the Toshiba, JUST for the better video card and cooler looking case.
I would like to give this laptop a 9.5 instead of a 10 for the two cons I mentioned. The 7900GS is the best card Gateway offers and the laptop come with too much crap that auto starts when you get it. Put most of the crap is easy to get rid of and once you compare what a great price the gateway is, apples to apples, I rather give it a 10 than a 9....
