Toshiba V120 laptop VERSUS Dell T4500 laptop

[Built_Well]

Hi, I can't decide between the following 2 laptops.

A Toshiba with AMD V120 processor.
It's on sale at Office Depot for $350, regularly $470.

Here's a link:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/543417/Toshiba-Satellite-C655D-S5041-156-Widescreen/#reviewTab

OR

A Dell Inspiron with Pentium T4500 processor.
It's at Best Buy for $400.

The link:
+2GB+Memory+/+250GB+Hard+Drive+-+Obsidian+Black/9947136.p?skuId=9947136&id=1218199527666#tabbed-customerreviews" title="httpwwwbestbuycomsiteDellInspironLaptopIntel26231743BPentium26231743BProcessor156quotDisplay2GBMemory250GBHardDriveObsidianBlack9947136pskuId9947136ampid1218199527666tabbedcustomerreviews" target="_blank">http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+Inspi...customerreviews

I'm not a gamer. I'll just use the laptop for business purposes, checking email, internet browsing, etc.

They both come with 2 gig of RAM. The Toshiba has DDR3 and is expandable to 8 gigs, whereas the Dell has DDR2 and expandable to 4 gigs.

The Toshiba has wireless-N (or draft N) and the Dell wireless b/g.

The Toshiba has a bus speed of 3200 MHz. The Dell has a system bus speed of 800 MHz.

The CPUs both operate at 2.2 or 2.3 GHz.

The Toshiba's AMD V120 cpu has about 500 kb cache whereas the Dell has about 1MB cache.

Which do you think is the better CPU and which is the better laptop in general?

Thanks

 

[Bill in Utah]

If it was between those 2 ONLY I'd go with the dell. Like the Intel processors over the AMD in laptop units (better battery life I've found)

Batteries will be easier and cheaper for the Dell.

I'd look at Newegg and see what they have going on. I got a nice ASUS for under $400. Its a good unit but the speakers stink and the power cube buzzes like no end. They have a few brands.

I also got a net book for just here and there browsing and some on line gaming for $200. Got a 6 cell battery for it @ $37 and it lasts 7-8 hours. My wife has the same unit but they made the newer ones thinner and hers has EXCELLENT speakers, mine in the new thinner unit stink too...

Bill

 

[beast3300]

+1 on Bill's comments. Intel > AMD in laptops.

 

[GMBoy]

Simple for me - ANYTHING but a Dell. Also, I've had extremely good experiences with both Gateway and Toshiba's. Just got a new Toshiba laptop for travel (my 3rd).

 

[Bill in Utah]

And I've had excellent Dell units both at work and personal units.

My Mom bought my 14" Dell and its about 6-7 years old and everything works like new.

The Toshiba I had (long time ago though) lasted 1.5 hours if you were lucky.

Bill

 

[SLCraig]

Any brand but Toshiba for me.. Never known anyone to have a laptop that didn't have problems.

I always whole heartedly recommend Lenovo/IBM for notebooks.

 

[stranger706]

I just bought a Toshiba laptop over the weekend from Best Buy. It is very similar to the one in your link.

Here we go:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Satellite+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174%3B+Celeron%26%23174%3B+Processor+/+15.6%22+Display+/+2GB+Memory+/+250GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/9988402.p?id=1218205766215&skuId=9988402

It seems like a good computer. Although I can't really tell much difference in computers these days other than cosmetics. Its our first non-HP computer and so far so good. I've used it on battery power a few times already mainly just playing on the internet and it seems to average around 2.5 hours. I think the battery life is slowly getting longer as the battery breaks in a little, if they even do that.

 

[chad8]

dell+ Intel = good
Toshiba+ amd = mediocre

amd's wear out quicker and have more problems. Toshiba makes a pretty decent unit overall. Just between those 2 chose dell. Just for the fact of better customer service and cheap add on parts availability later on.

 

[SnPb]

The Intel T4500 is a dual core Processor whereas the AMD
V120 is a single core. All else being equal, the dual core should have better performance.

I wouldn't shy away from a laptop just because it has an AMD Processor. Last weekend I bought a HP DV4 with an AMD M520 Processor (great deal at Best Buy) and it has similar performance to another HP DV4 that I have with an Intel T6600. I was surprised to see that the AMD integrated graphics has better performance than the Intel integrated graphics, at least according to the Windows experience index. I do expect however, that the AMD machine will have shorter battery life.

 

[StevieC]

We have 5 current model Toshiba laptops in the family and 4 older generation ones that still work but have been replaced because they are too slow.

Honestly I would buy Toshiba hands down for a PC based laptop because they can outlive my mom and my sister which are hard on everything they own.

These women have dropped them down stairs, spilled stuff in the keyboards, left them in the car in the freezing temperatures and the sweltering heat.

They carry them in their trunks like cargo and I'm sure they flop around with the way they drive.

The plastic casings are all broken and cracked and have been re-glued in spots.

The screens have dead pixel groups from where they have picked them up with a finger and thumb griping just the screen part and carrying it like that.

You name it they have had it done to it and they are still humming along without even a hard drive replacement!

The batteries for the most part have held up well even though they spend most of the time plugged in and not used or completely dead for weeks at a time.

Seriously... Toshiba stood the real world test of the women in my family and that says a lot!!!!!!!

 

[wallyuwl]

Dell does not currenty make a good computer. Now days Acer makes a much better computer than Dell.

Toshiba makes a good computer. We have a two year old Toshiba laptop and it runs like the day it was new. I've replaced the keyboard for forty-five dollars, and got a new AC adapter because I broke the plug on the original.

We got a new i5 Toshiba laptop a couple weeks ago after trying two Samsungs that both had problems within the return period. I'm actually typing on it right now. Very happy with it. AMD processors in laptops are not as good as Intel (run a bit hotter and don't get as much battery life), but they aren't horrible, either.

Why don't you put up in price a hundred dollars and get an i3 processor? You'll be much better off. Office Depot a few weeks ago had an Acer for $500. If you are stuck at $400 max you can do better than either of those options. But I'd take the Toshiba between the two you listed.

 

[Built_Well]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
If you are stuck at $400 max you can do better than either of those options.

I'm definitely open to helpful suggestions. For $400, what is the laptop you would buy and at what store? Thanks.

 

[Built_Well]

And by the way, thanks to everyone for all the helpful suggestions. I'm mulling everything over.

Last Thursday I bought a used Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop through Craig's List for $100. The seller honestly told me the screen had a reddish tint, but I didn't understand the significance of the red. Two days later, the screen went super-dark. Images and text are still displayed but so faintly, they're unreadable/unviewable. A new backlight is probably needed, but that's a complicated installation and easy to go wrong. I would attempt it if I could find backlight replacement instructions on the net. The Dell service manual only goes as far as taking apart the display and showing where the inverter is. Dell doesn't consider the backlight a replaceable part, even though many do replace it successfully.

It would be simpler to buy a new screen. If anyone wants to sell one, please message me.

After that used lemon experience, I'm ready to buy a new laptop. I've bought several used desktops over the years that have performed fantastically, but this used laptop was disastro.

 

[wallyuwl]

Sticking with Office Depot, they actually have several pretty good deals right now if you have a trade in (the link below is to their online ad - not sure if it will work or not). If you "traded in" your lemon, you would only lose out on $25. Of course you could fix it, and have two computers.

http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/officed...officedepot.com


The MSI Core i3 on the page is a good deal. MSI is newer into the laptop market, but they've made motherboards, optical drives, etc. forever and have good quality usually.

The T4500 processor Toshiba is also decent for $480 (before the $75 trade in savings).

 

[Bill in Utah]

$399 IBM

Not the greatest battery life (I had a G530) but built well, excellent screen and ran well. Great keyboard.

These do sell out quickly when Newegg gets them in and they are on sale.

$399 delivered is not bad.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Built_Well
A new backlight is probably needed, but that's a complicated installation and easy to go wrong. I would attempt it if I could find backlight replacement instructions on the net. The Dell service manual only goes as far as taking apart the display and showing where the inverter is. Dell doesn't consider the backlight a replaceable part, even though many do replace it successfully.

It would be simpler to buy a new screen. If anyone wants to sell one, please message me.



I tried doing the replacement myself. I won't try that again, all I did was waste my time and a backlight.

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Originally Posted By: Built_Well
A new backlight is probably needed, but that's a complicated installation and easy to go wrong. I would attempt it if I could find backlight replacement instructions on the net. The Dell service manual only goes as far as taking apart the display and showing where the inverter is. Dell doesn't consider the backlight a replaceable part, even though many do replace it successfully.

It would be simpler to buy a new screen. If anyone wants to sell one, please message me.



I tried doing the replacement myself. I won't try that again, all I did was waste my time and a backlight.


Really?
I replaced a CFL on an older Dell laptop and it has been working fine for a few months.
I should see if I can find the prelim for the screen disassemble.. I used that for a baseline to get the LCD apart and it all went back together smoothly.

 

[BearZDefect]

That Lenovo G550 Bill linked above at Newegg for $399 is a good deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146772

I've never owned a Toshiba laptop, but know a number of people who have had no trouble with them.

 

[OVERKILL]

Just did a backlight on a T42p. No problem. "borrowed" the replacement from an older Compaq that was ready for the dumpster. Not a difficult install if you are mechanically inclined and patient.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: StevieC


Seriously... Toshiba stood the real world test of the women in my family and that says a lot!!!!!!!

I've got this old Toshiba Tecra 740CDT. It's a Pentium 166. It's about the same size and weight as the Itronix Gobook III (Pentium M 1.8GHz) that I have. The Gobook III is a ruggedized laptop, like a Toughbook.

The Tecra 740CDT still works, I was last using it for the OBDScan software but since I figured out what the trick is to use that software with a USB serial cable, no need for it anymore.