[Review] Dell Inspiron 6000D

[kl33per]

So Here’s My Story…
In September of 2005, my sister travelled across Europe for a couple of weeks. While she was away, I decided I would borrow her Dell 8600 laptop. Prior to this experience, I was a notebook user’s worst enemy. I disliked laptops in all their underpowered glory. However, after spending two weeks with my sister’s laptop, I was hooked. The convenience of having a computer that could be setup and used anywhere was something I hadn’t given a lot of thought to. It’s one of those things where you don’t realise how good things are until you loose it, and loose it I did when she returned from her holiday.

Well at this point you may be thinking this is a review for a Dell 8600, or you could have read the title and not thought that. In any case, this is actually a review for a Dell Inspiron 6000D, which I have had for exactly one week today. Before I jump into the review, I’ll get the specifications out of the way.

Specifications
- Intel Pentium M 760 Processor (2.0GHz, Dothan Core)
- 1GB of DDR2 RAM at 533MHZ,
- 15.4” Wide Screen XGA TFT LCD Screen (1280x800 Native Resolution)
- 128MB ATi X300 Mobility Radeon
- 80GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Combination Drive
- Intel® PRO/Wireless 2915 Dual Band 802.11a/b/g
- 9-Cell 80Whr Lithium Ion Battery
- Windows XP Professional

Price: AUS $2,100

So with the specs out of the way, onto the review.


We’re Not In Kansas Anymore
Unlike Dorothy however, I don’t come from Kansas, but the land of desktop computers. In fact, I have an absurdly powerful desktop computer (AMD Athlon 64 3500+, 1GB DDR400 RAM, X800 XTPE 256MB), so the transition to a portable computing system is measured against my own little (actually it’s in a huge tower) beast machine.

I’m quite happy to report though that the machine is fast, very fast. The whole system zooms along seemingly as fast as my desktop. Because of the 5400rpm hard drive, file access is somewhat slow (my desktop has a 10,000rpm drive), but this is made up for by the (slightly) increased battery life. It’s not a huge not against the system, as even booting is quite snappy. As yet I have not done any system benchmarks. Hopefully I’ll update this review to include them.

Considering the lineage of the Intel Pentium M Processor, it’s amazing how good it is. Based on the old Pentium III line, the processor is designed from the ground up for notebooks, and it shows. It runs cool, with system fans running fairly quietly compared to the Pentium IV based notebooks I’ve seen. Even under full load, the air coming out the back is only warm. I should point out that I’m using a utility called RMClock to control the voltage powering the processor. I’m using a technique called under-volting, which by lowering the voltage driving the processor helps to reduce heat and increase battery time. I’ll talk more about this later in the review.

Multi-tasking performance is excellent considering it is a single core processor. With 100% of the CPU being used, switching between applications didn’t produce any major stalls or long periods of waiting. This could also be helped by the 1GB of DDR2 RAM, which certainly ensures that running lots of processes (47 as I’m typing this) is a non-event.

Still, considering how cool the processor is running, it is amazing that it performs as well as it does.


From Overachiever to Underperformer
For all the power coming out of the CPU, there is one component that just doesn’t pull its weight. The ATi X300 Mobility Radeon is pretty much rubbish, although I’m sure it is totally and utterly superior to the integrated Intel graphics that come as standard. At High Details, basic shadows, no AA or AF filtering, and a resolution of 1024x768, the card only just manages Half-Life 2 at about 38fps. It’s playable, but not hugely enjoyable.

This is the largest disappointment with the Inspiron 6000 line. An nVIDIA 6800 Go, or an ATi X700 would be a much more appropriate companion for this super-computer in a box, especially considering the AUS $2100 price tag. I would have happily paid a further $100 dollars for a superior graphics card. The good news is that the card is upgradeable, so if Dell decides in the future to offer an upgrade, it is a very simple task of installing a new card.

Another slight let down is in the sound department. Obviously the inbuilt laptop speakers sound rather poor, but there was another disturbing problem. The platform that this notebook is built on supports the next-generation Intel HD Audio, but the laptop is stuck with AC’97 based audio; an old and antiquated standard by any measure.

Now this assessment is most certainly subjective, but I find the integrated sound card’s quality to be lacking. The high frequencies seem to be non-existent when connected to external speakers. It does certainly call for further testing, but the lack of hardware mixing (meaning there is a CPU hit whenever your playing sound) combined with the poor sound quality has pretty much guaranteed that I will at some point get another sound card (be it PCMIA or USB).

It should also be noted that as a semi-professional musician, sound fidelity is a rather important point to me, and the problems with this laptop’s sound are probably not going to affect the average user.

Is There Any More Bad News? Ah, Yes
There is one other annoyance that I have to get out of the way, and unlike the video and sound card issues, I wasn’t expecting it. That issue is the LCD screen. Now don’t get me wrong, the screen works, it has no dead pixels, and I’m generally pretty happy with it, but their some problems.

Firstly, its viewing angle is poor. You can’t even look at it straight on without very slight, but noticeable inconsistencies in brightness. A friend of mine has a high gloss LCD screen on his Acer Notebook, and it is quite possibly the best screen I have ever seen. Whilst the screen on his Acer may be brilliant, that is not to say the screen on the Inspiron 6000D is terrible, because it’s not. It’s certainly bright, much brighter than the LCD screen on my desktop. It’s also very sharp and clear, even at low brightness settings, meaning that whilst on battery it’s still possible to do work and see what you’re doing. The brightness comes at a cost though, with some light leakage from the bottom of the LCD screen. It’s not overly distracting, but it is noticeable when watching movies.

The Joys of a Disconnected Reality
Welcome to the best part of owning a laptop, the freedom you get from being able to get up from your desk, pick up your computer, and move to a couch to watch Cricket (Americans may prefer NFL, Baseball, or NBA; Canadians may prefer NHL; Europe may prefer Soccer/Football). If the couch gets uncomfortable, no worried, just lie in bed and do your work. I can move to every corner of my house totally disconnected from any wires without losing power, without losing network access, and no reduced functionality.

As I briefly mentioned before, I’m using a utility called RMClock to adjust the power driving my CPU. Be warned that this program adjusts the voltage to your CPU, and you could permanently and irreversibly damage your computer. The makers of RMClock and the author of this article accept no responsibility if you damage your computer (or yourselves) whilst using RMClock. That being said, the under-volting is done in software (so permanent damage is unlikely) and is much safer than over-clocking in general.

Using RMClock, I’ve forced my computer to run constantly at 800MHz whilst on battery power. Even at this low speed, most programs still run fairly speedily and the system is still quite responsive, which is a testament to how good the Pentium M really is. I also manage to get well over 5 hours out of the 9-Cell battery now, when doing basic tasks such as web browsing and email. Obviously, more processor intensive tasks will reduce battery power quicker.


Fit and Finish
Dell have obviously wizened up to what’s now hip and cool with the kiddies, because the Inspiron 6000 and 9300 lines both sport brushed metallic cases with iPod white trim. Can anyone say Dell loves Apple’s styling? Whoops… Just Did! Anyway, it does look quite good. There are also plenty of indicator lights just above the keyboard to tell you what’s going on. You have your standard Caps, Scroll, and Num Locks, a Wi-Fi telling you if the Wi-Fi card is on or off, AC and battery lights, and a hard drive light. There are wireless keyboard combo’s that don’t even offer proper Caps/Scroll/Num Lock lights.

The unit itself is fairly solid, and it shows in the weight at 3.1Kg (6.8lb for you Americans), it’s not the lightest laptop on the market. The case has a tendency to make creaking noises, although it feels more solid than my sister’s 8600. There appears to be little to no keyboard flex, which is excellent. Another excellent item is the touchpad. It’s wide, which matches the dimensions of the screen. It also features many areas for gestures, so you can instantly access programs. Finally, it’s setup by default to use the right and bottom sides of the pad for vertical and horizontal scrolling, which is absolutely brilliant.

The Dell Factor
Sometimes you have to wonder how Dell has managed to capture the largest piece of the PC market pie. Could it be their brilliant online store which allows easy comparison of models and individual customization? Is it their reputation for having the most affordable PCs? It’s certainly not because of the way they configure the system out of the box. The amount of rubbish that was installed on my brand new machine when I first booted it up was astounding. Not only that, but they’d changed some of Windows XP’s default settings. For example, Explorer was configured to not show the address bar. Welcome to Windows 95 ladies and gentlemen. If you want to buy a Dell and you are a power user, don’t even let it boot into Windows; just format it.

You can’t knock Dell for their customer service though, and their warranty options are fantastic. They will even perform major hardware servicing (like replacing a dead LCD screen) on site, at your home or office. Now that’s service. If every business was that dedicated to customer support, I’d be a happy man. There are also many user upgrades that don’t void your warranty. Unlike most PC manufactures (Desktop of Laptop), Dell allows you to upgrade many of the components yourself (such as RAM and the hard drive) without voiding your warranty; a great boon for power users.


Have I Mentioned Yet That This Is A Good Notebook?
Despite the mentioned flaws, I don’t want you to walk away from this review thinking you shouldn’t buy this laptop, because that would be the wrong impression. This laptop is fantastic… for the right person. If your looking for a full on desktop replacement and are a heavy gamer, this is not for you. You’ll probably want to look at a Dell Inspiron 9300, which offers an nVIDIA 7800GTX and 17” LCD screen. If your looking for a student laptop, this is again probably not right for you, as most students probably can’t afford (or don’t want to pay) the asking price.

However, if your looking a reasonably portable, speedy, desktop replacement, with a bit of gaming thrown in every once in a while, then is laptop is just about perfect. It straddles the middle ground between business and play, creating the perfect one-size-fits-all kind of laptop. The Dell Inspiron 6000D is a high quality, high performing laptop that whilst let down by minor flaws, is one of the best value laptops currently available.

Pros
- Fast, Efficient Design
- Excellent Value for Money
- Fantastic Battery Life
- Sturdy Build
- Sleek Looks

Cons
- Video Card Underperforms
- Minor Flaws with Sound Card and Display

Rating: 9/10

[PogiPinoy]

great review..you remind me of a giddy ole me when first dabbed into the centrino notebooks several years ago..and to this day i still have delayed my purchase of a tablet pc (only until 'decent' dedicated graphics cards are released)

as you, i too have a 15.4" notebook..i still hate the size of the laptop..not mobile at all...but it depends on the use ofcourse...

welcome to the notebook world

[ksama]

Originally Posted by kl33per

[SIZE="3"]The good news is that the card is upgradeable, so if Dell decides in the future to offer an upgrade, it is a very simple task of installing a new card.

Another slight let down is in the sound department.

Rating: 9/10

Very nice review.

Though there's few things I want to mention.
1. Upgrading a new video card may sound like a good idea. But then you'll have problem with heating. A 6800 or x800 would create more heat in 3D application. And unfortunately, Inspiron 6000 isn't designed for that. There's a reason for not having a relatively high performance video card in that laptop.

2. I think you'll find most laptops still use AC97 codec for sound. Sound quality really comes down to design. HP/Compaq has much better sound because they use BOSS speakers.

3. 9/10?? Very big call there. But I guess if you're happy, that's all it matters.

[kl33per]

Big Call... Maybe.
You've got to way in all the factors. I tried to point out in the conclusion that despite the little issues, it is an excellent laptop. It's not designed to be a portable gaming machine and my rating takes that into account. It is one of the best value for money laptop's on the market today. Perhaps I talked up the problems to much, but I am truly very satisfied with the end product. It is pretty much everything I hoped and doesn't get 10/10 because of the small issues, but they are only small.