I'm getting ready to open the box now and take the new notebook for a test drive.
w00t!
w00t!
My replacement notebook has arrived
- Thread starter Tek7
- Start date
Okay, so the notebook isn't so much a replacement as an entirely new notebook.
...Which might be good.
So, GeForce Go 7800 v. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650. Which one is more powerful?
...Which might be good.
So, GeForce Go 7800 v. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650. Which one is more powerful?
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The video card in my new notebook is a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650, which isn't listed on the site you linked.
I can't even find official drivers for the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650. What gives?
XionTawa
New Member
My laptop has a nice GPU in it with 512MBs of graphic memory...however, the only place the driver exsists is on HPs website and only for Vista, tried going to XP...no way, and I tried everything, even all the user created drivers and open source ones...nothing...
Odale
Active Member
http://ati.amd.com/products/mobilityradeonhd3600/index.htmlOther people have had the same problem.
I googled like those people and found the same drivers they linked in the second post.
I googled like those people and found the same drivers they linked in the second post.
Well, I've spent the afternoon with my new notebook and I'm still not sure what to think.
I have a few new ports, but I lost a few, too. I now have a HDMI port and an eSATA port, but I went from 6 USB ports to 4 and no longer have a S-Video Out or DVI port. I won't be able to hook my new notebook up to my standard-def TV and I won't be able to afford a HDTV for the foreseeable future.
I like the addition of a built-in numpad, but I prefer the hard media keys (play, stop, forward, back, etc.) of the old notebook over the "touch" keys of the new notebook. The viewing angle is significantly better.
I do prefer the glossy (but not reflective) screen on the new notebook over the old LCD of the previous notebook.
I also like that I went from a Duo Core 1.66GHz to a Duo Core 2.0GHz processor.
I haven't checked out the battery life yet, though I imagine it's probably better than my old notebook. The new notebook also seems to not heat up as quickly or as severely.
There's also the matter of Dell only sending one battery (installed in the new notebook) and one AC adapter, when I ordered 2 of each with the original notebook purchase. I don't know how ready they're going to be to replace that extra battery and AC adapter after shipping me a new system.
But, ultimately, it all comes down to the video card. If I can't play Left 4 Dead or Team Fortress 2, then I lose a key function of the system as I originally specced it out. If I had just wanted a system that could check e-mail and browse the web, I could have specced that out for half the cost. (My original notebook was a graduation gift from my parents, so I made it as beefy as my budget allowed.)
There's also the issue of adapting to Vista. Ugh.
When I talked with Dell tech support and they said they were sending out a new system, they said it would use the same hardware so I could just swap my old hard drive into the new system. That, obviously, is not the case, so I'm going to have to start over with a fresh install of Vista rather than just pop in the hard drive I had loaded with Windows XP Pro.
Oy. I still don't know what to think.
I guess all that's left to do is install Steam, Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2 and see how they run. If the frame rate is equal to or greater than on my old notebook, then I'll stick with the new one. If not, well, then I'll call Dell and try to figure out an alternative.
I have a few new ports, but I lost a few, too. I now have a HDMI port and an eSATA port, but I went from 6 USB ports to 4 and no longer have a S-Video Out or DVI port. I won't be able to hook my new notebook up to my standard-def TV and I won't be able to afford a HDTV for the foreseeable future.
I like the addition of a built-in numpad, but I prefer the hard media keys (play, stop, forward, back, etc.) of the old notebook over the "touch" keys of the new notebook. The viewing angle is significantly better.
I do prefer the glossy (but not reflective) screen on the new notebook over the old LCD of the previous notebook.
I also like that I went from a Duo Core 1.66GHz to a Duo Core 2.0GHz processor.
I haven't checked out the battery life yet, though I imagine it's probably better than my old notebook. The new notebook also seems to not heat up as quickly or as severely.
There's also the matter of Dell only sending one battery (installed in the new notebook) and one AC adapter, when I ordered 2 of each with the original notebook purchase. I don't know how ready they're going to be to replace that extra battery and AC adapter after shipping me a new system.
But, ultimately, it all comes down to the video card. If I can't play Left 4 Dead or Team Fortress 2, then I lose a key function of the system as I originally specced it out. If I had just wanted a system that could check e-mail and browse the web, I could have specced that out for half the cost. (My original notebook was a graduation gift from my parents, so I made it as beefy as my budget allowed.)
There's also the issue of adapting to Vista. Ugh.
When I talked with Dell tech support and they said they were sending out a new system, they said it would use the same hardware so I could just swap my old hard drive into the new system. That, obviously, is not the case, so I'm going to have to start over with a fresh install of Vista rather than just pop in the hard drive I had loaded with Windows XP Pro.
Oy. I still don't know what to think.
I guess all that's left to do is install Steam, Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2 and see how they run. If the frame rate is equal to or greater than on my old notebook, then I'll stick with the new one. If not, well, then I'll call Dell and try to figure out an alternative.
Hescominsoon
CGA\TOJ Hosting Manager
basically go to driverheaven.net and get mobilitymodder.
Then go to their "network" link, select downloads or whatever, and get the latest catalyst, or grab it straight from ATI. Use MobilityModder to mod the drivers for MobilityRadeon, install, and GO.
Then go to their "network" link, select downloads or whatever, and get the latest catalyst, or grab it straight from ATI. Use MobilityModder to mod the drivers for MobilityRadeon, install, and GO.
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BassMan449
Moderator
Check here...
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile...sional=0&search=&sort=3dmark06&vantage3dmark=
The 7800 Go is listed higher, but all of the 3DMark benchmarks show the Radeon as better. I tend to take synthetic benchmarks with a grain of salt, but they are worth something.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile...sional=0&search=&sort=3dmark06&vantage3dmark=
The 7800 Go is listed higher, but all of the 3DMark benchmarks show the Radeon as better. I tend to take synthetic benchmarks with a grain of salt, but they are worth something.
XionTawa
New Member
If you would've stayed away from Dell in the first place, you wouldn't have this problem...lolz... 
I took Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, and Unreal Tournament 3 for a "real world" test drive earlier tonight.
And it looks as though the Mobility Radeon HD 3650 most definitely has an edge on the GeForce Go 7800.
I'm downloading Bioshock right now to see how my new notebook handles it.
I only have two concerns:
I'll try out the Mobility Modder tomorrow and see if there's any improvement in frame rates.
And it looks as though the Mobility Radeon HD 3650 most definitely has an edge on the GeForce Go 7800.
I'm downloading Bioshock right now to see how my new notebook handles it.
I only have two concerns:
- Video tends to stutter for a fraction of a second, just often enough to annoy me. It looks like something for which there should be a driver fix.
- The color in TF2 looks washed out, but that might just be a matter of having the brightness set too high.
I'll try out the Mobility Modder tomorrow and see if there's any improvement in frame rates.
Okay, I downloaded and played the first few minutes of Bioshock and WOW what a difference. The game is not only playable on my new notebook; it looks great!
I still need to figure out how to fix the problem where video stutters. (For example, the whale that appears in the Rapture reveal during the first few minutes of Bioshock seemed to swim smoothly then "jump" small distances.) Once I fix that and figure out how to keep colors from appearing washed out, I'm good to go.
I still need to figure out how to fix the problem where video stutters. (For example, the whale that appears in the Rapture reveal during the first few minutes of Bioshock seemed to swim smoothly then "jump" small distances.) Once I fix that and figure out how to keep colors from appearing washed out, I'm good to go.
Keero
Tribe of Judah Membership Administrator
Hmm, this may make him become a better Pyro-killing medic. I should switch to Sniper now methinks. 
Glad you got it another one Tek. I know my videocard did have some weird tearing issues in Bioshock (top half had animation, bottom half was a split second behind), I think Vsync fixed that... or toning down the settings... but would Color Correction in TF2 fix the other problem? Or also try your ATI control panel and adjust the colors there.
And Vista isn't THAT bad, I <3 it tons more than XP.
Glad you got it another one Tek. I know my videocard did have some weird tearing issues in Bioshock (top half had animation, bottom half was a split second behind), I think Vsync fixed that... or toning down the settings... but would Color Correction in TF2 fix the other problem? Or also try your ATI control panel and adjust the colors there.
And Vista isn't THAT bad, I <3 it tons more than XP.
Oy. I want to cry.
I did a quick Google search to try and figure out why the display looked so awful and washed out when playing games and I stumbled across information that leads me to believe the problem isn't a driver or software setting, but rather a limitation of the display.
/me takes a deep breath
So I'm on the phone with Dell technical support (yes, at 2 a.m. Central; I couldn't sleep anyway) to try to figure out where we go from here.
Next notebook I get is a HP.
I did a quick Google search to try and figure out why the display looked so awful and washed out when playing games and I stumbled across information that leads me to believe the problem isn't a driver or software setting, but rather a limitation of the display.
/me takes a deep breath
So I'm on the phone with Dell technical support (yes, at 2 a.m. Central; I couldn't sleep anyway) to try to figure out where we go from here.
Next notebook I get is a HP.
Oh, for the love of Benji, I just had to sit through a Dell tech telling me that outdated drivers might be the issue. And for some reason, the download dated 1/4/2009 didn't update the date of the drivers as recorded in Device Manager.
Yeh. Not getting a Dell next time, unless their support is in the US and speaks English natively.
I am so tired of dealing with this crap. I just want a machine that works as advertised and CONTINUES to work as advertised.
Yeh. Not getting a Dell next time, unless their support is in the US and speaks English natively.
I am so tired of dealing with this crap. I just want a machine that works as advertised and CONTINUES to work as advertised.
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I consider myself an understanding person. A patient person. A nice person. At least, when it comes to tech support.
But I am about to throw my phone across the room.
The tech keeps trying to tell me that the issue is software-related when I KNOW for a fact that it's not. It's not a driver issue. It's not a game issue. It's a "Dell used a cheap, crappy WLED display" issue.
Oh. My. Crap. Now he's telling me I can cancel the invoice and ship the new notebook back, get a partial refund, and keep my old broken notebook?
WHAT THE HECK?
My only other alternative is to talk with the "advanced" tech support team to try to find some setting I overlooked in the games I play that make them look like faded trash.
Unless this "advanced" team is based here in the US and is comprised of native English speakers, I don't see that doing much good.
But I am about to throw my phone across the room.
The tech keeps trying to tell me that the issue is software-related when I KNOW for a fact that it's not. It's not a driver issue. It's not a game issue. It's a "Dell used a cheap, crappy WLED display" issue.
Oh. My. Crap. Now he's telling me I can cancel the invoice and ship the new notebook back, get a partial refund, and keep my old broken notebook?
WHAT THE HECK?
My only other alternative is to talk with the "advanced" tech support team to try to find some setting I overlooked in the games I play that make them look like faded trash.
Unless this "advanced" team is based here in the US and is comprised of native English speakers, I don't see that doing much good.
XD XD XD . I see the computer company/tech support experience is alive and well. Savor the experience Tek you will only have it whatever system you get T_T owie .
.
vibrokatana
New Member
I just sent in my macbook because I was having issues with the bluetooth (specifically it would cause it to wake prematurely).
It came back with a new motherboard, new display, new keyboard/trackpad and a new hard drive (I swapped back in the 120GB that was failing smart). The only thing that is really from the old laptop is the cdrom and the battery... Considering the machine was nearly 2 and a half years old it is pretty much like new now, all without costing me a cent (well aside from the gas spent driving a few miles).
You might want to try bumping up the contrast and lowering the gamma, that tends to make things really saturated. If you have the full catalyst panel then it will have all of those settings.
It came back with a new motherboard, new display, new keyboard/trackpad and a new hard drive (I swapped back in the 120GB that was failing smart). The only thing that is really from the old laptop is the cdrom and the battery... Considering the machine was nearly 2 and a half years old it is pretty much like new now, all without costing me a cent (well aside from the gas spent driving a few miles).
You might want to try bumping up the contrast and lowering the gamma, that tends to make things really saturated. If you have the full catalyst panel then it will have all of those settings.
Those were the first things I checked.
Okay. I can breathe easy again.
I got on the line with someone in Dell's hardware support department. I explained the problem, he asked if I had an external display, I explained I did, I hooked my new notebook up to the monitor, and WOW what a difference.
The tech set up a dispatch for a technician to come to my apartment and replace the screen with the highest quality screen they have available for this model. The tech will likely be out Tuesday.
So, the first part of my tech support experience tonight? Utter frustration.
The second part? Resolution.
Total call time: 2 hours and 20 minutes. Wow.
I think I can sleep now.
Sometimes there's a world of difference between tier 1 and tier 2.
As long as replacing the screen fixes the problem with colors being washed out, I'll be thrilled.