Most likely not - at least for some time. The reasoning is this:
The Inspiron XPS is being marketed as a gamer's laptop. Completely a high end system. One of its major selling points, if not THE defining point, is the Mobility 9700. By making this card exclusing in the XPS, a consumer would have to spend much more money to recieve the most advanced solution. If Dell offered this card in the 8600, which retails at a much lower price, then most users would flock to this new option - no longer does the XPS have much unique going for it (besides the processor). Also, if you will notice, the XPS comes with the option to upgrade once the new GPU is available, which I believe is in a 2-4 month time frame. Once this option becomes available, I expect it would take at least a few months to move the 9700 to a lesser system - the 8600. No longer is the 8600 the top end laptop, and as a result, it no longer has the best GPU option available.
Also of concern is the fact that GPUs up until now have been form factor, meaning a card might not even physicially fit in certain systems. Dell may have no plans of expanding the 9700's compatablity to the 8600.
Don't hold out - Go for the 9600 in the i8600 now. Great system. Or, if you can stand to wait 6-12 months like myself, wait until a newer model, and newer GPU gen comes out. The end of the year is rumored to be a period of huge mobile GPU revolution.
Hold out for 6 months if you can. By then there'll be mobile GPUs at least twice as fast as the best available today. Also, don't listen to people who say there's always something better around the corner so buy today. The truth is, there are sweetspots when it comes to buying notebooks and you'll hit one if you wait for the next generation of mobile GPUs. In truth, mobile graphics performance has been nearly static since the 4200go appeared around a year ago.
I think the 8600 is the bomb! WUXGA screen, DVD burner, performance comparable to an Athlon 64, 128 MB GPU capable of DX9 gameplay, built-in wireless and bluetooth. Mine arrives by the end of the week.
yea dude go for the 8600 with the 9600 card as the 9700 is not really a big step up. just slightly higher clock speeds. i spent 1 year waiting for a good video card. first it was the ati 9000. then the 5600 and 9600 were announced and i ended up waiting 8 mmonths before they finally ended up on a mainstream comp. although i am satisfied with , and glad i waited for the dell 8600. i dont know the details of the ati 9800 mobility though, might be worth the wait.
Yeah, the 9600 is perfect for any games out or coming out, the 9700 is not that much of an increase maybe 4 or 5 extra frames in game play......Go with the 8600 can't beat it for price and performance, I have the 8600 with the 5650FxGo and even with the inferior performance compared to the 9600 I have yet to find a game that I cannot play great, so go for the 8600 with the 9600 you won't regret it........
Proud owner 8600 1.7 (Owned since November 2003 Zero Crashes Zero Errors Zero Dead Pixels Love this Laptop]
"In truth, mobile graphics performance has been nearly static since the 4200go appeared around a year ago".
When talking about DX8 you're right. The 4200 scored about 10000 3dmark points, the 5650 about 11000 and the 9600 12000. This is fairly constant.
However, in DX9 which more and more games start to use this is not the case. A 4200 gets about 1600 points, a 5650 about 2800 and a 9600 can exceed 3500. Thats more than a doubling in speed!
There are indeed sweetspots when new GPU's come out as the older ones then drop in price considerably. The new GPU will however cost a whole lot more!
The 9700 will only be offered on the 8600 when a new more powerfull model is released for the XPS and 9100.
"In truth, mobile graphics performance has been nearly static since the 4200go appeared around a year ago".
When talking about DX8 you're right. The 4200 scored about 10000 3dmark points, the 5650 about 11000 and the 9600 12000. This is fairly constant.
However, in DX9 which more and more games start to use this is not the case. A 4200 gets about 1600 points, a 5650 about 2800 and a 9600 can exceed 3500. Thats more than a doubling in speed!
There are indeed sweetspots when new GPU's come out as the older ones then drop in price considerably. The new GPU will however cost a whole lot more!
The 9700 will only be offered on the 8600 when a new more powerfull model is released for the XPS and 9100.
Message Edited by godim on 02-25-2004 10:09 AM
No 1, that's not true that a 9600 can score 3,500 in 3dmark03 - a 9700 mobility would do well to score that.
No 2, in games the difference is never anything like that big and here's the reason - the 4200go cannot run most of the tests in 3dmark03, so the low score is more to do with scoring zero in several tests than running tests slower. In real games the 4200go is only slower than the 9600 in some of the latest DX9 games, but even in those games its usually no more 20% slower. At the end of this year there will be GPUs that totally outclass any current mobile GPU by over 100%.
Hmmm, the 4200 is a very good GPU no denying that. But it is much slower compared to the 9600 in DX9. This is indeed not obvious yet in current games but should becomme very noteable in new DX9 games like half life 2 (if it ever comes out). The nvidia chips (both 4200 and 5650) simply can't handle DX9 well.
I agree that within a year a new more powerfull GPU based on a new core architecture will become available. But by that time the 8600 will be too old to be suported. Oh well, at the moment my 5650 plays all current games very well, so why upgrade?
Hmmm, the 4200 is a very good GPU no denying that. But it is much slower compared to the 9600 in DX9. This is indeed not obvious yet in current games but should becomme very noteable in new DX9 games like half life 2 (if it ever comes out). The nvidia chips (both 4200 and 5650) simply can't handle DX9 well.
I agree that within a year a new more powerfull GPU based on a new core architecture will become available. But by that time the 8600 will be too old to be suported. Oh well, at the moment my 5650 plays all current games very well, so why upgrade?
I've run the HL2 leak on a mobility 9600 as well as the 4200go and a desktop 5600 and there's not that much difference. Yes, the 9600 is faster, but nowhere near twice as fast as the 4200go.
kwest2
123 Posts
0
February 24th, 2004 03:00
Most likely not - at least for some time. The reasoning is this:
The Inspiron XPS is being marketed as a gamer's laptop. Completely a high end system. One of its major selling points, if not THE defining point, is the Mobility 9700. By making this card exclusing in the XPS, a consumer would have to spend much more money to recieve the most advanced solution. If Dell offered this card in the 8600, which retails at a much lower price, then most users would flock to this new option - no longer does the XPS have much unique going for it (besides the processor). Also, if you will notice, the XPS comes with the option to upgrade once the new GPU is available, which I believe is in a 2-4 month time frame. Once this option becomes available, I expect it would take at least a few months to move the 9700 to a lesser system - the 8600. No longer is the 8600 the top end laptop, and as a result, it no longer has the best GPU option available.
Also of concern is the fact that GPUs up until now have been form factor, meaning a card might not even physicially fit in certain systems. Dell may have no plans of expanding the 9700's compatablity to the 8600.
Don't hold out - Go for the 9600 in the i8600 now. Great system. Or, if you can stand to wait 6-12 months like myself, wait until a newer model, and newer GPU gen comes out. The end of the year is rumored to be a period of huge mobile GPU revolution.
caboosemoose
240 Posts
0
February 24th, 2004 14:00
IcemanMN
5 Posts
0
February 24th, 2004 15:00
cashrefund
11 Posts
0
February 24th, 2004 16:00
warmonger
179 Posts
0
February 25th, 2004 13:00
Yeah, the 9600 is perfect for any games out or coming out, the 9700 is not that much of an increase maybe 4 or 5 extra frames in game play......Go with the 8600 can't beat it for price and performance, I have the 8600 with the 5650FxGo and even with the inferior performance compared to the 9600 I have yet to find a game that I cannot play great, so go for the 8600 with the 9600 you won't regret it........
Proud owner 8600 1.7 (Owned since November 2003 Zero Crashes Zero Errors Zero Dead Pixels Love this Laptop]
godim
507 Posts
0
February 25th, 2004 14:00
Kaboosemoose :
"In truth, mobile graphics performance has been nearly static since the 4200go appeared around a year ago".
When talking about DX8 you're right. The 4200 scored about 10000 3dmark points, the 5650 about 11000 and the 9600 12000. This is fairly constant.
However, in DX9 which more and more games start to use this is not the case. A 4200 gets about 1600 points, a 5650 about 2800 and a 9600 can exceed 3500. Thats more than a doubling in speed!
There are indeed sweetspots when new GPU's come out as the older ones then drop in price considerably. The new GPU will however cost a whole lot more!
The 9700 will only be offered on the 8600 when a new more powerfull model is released for the XPS and 9100.
Message Edited by godim on 02-25-2004 10:09 AM
caboosemoose
240 Posts
0
February 25th, 2004 14:00
No 1, that's not true that a 9600 can score 3,500 in 3dmark03 - a 9700 mobility would do well to score that.
No 2, in games the difference is never anything like that big and here's the reason - the 4200go cannot run most of the tests in 3dmark03, so the low score is more to do with scoring zero in several tests than running tests slower. In real games the 4200go is only slower than the 9600 in some of the latest DX9 games, but even in those games its usually no more 20% slower. At the end of this year there will be GPUs that totally outclass any current mobile GPU by over 100%.
godim
507 Posts
0
February 26th, 2004 14:00
Hmmm, the 4200 is a very good GPU no denying that. But it is much slower compared to the 9600 in DX9. This is indeed not obvious yet in current games but should becomme very noteable in new DX9 games like half life 2 (if it ever comes out). The nvidia chips (both 4200 and 5650) simply can't handle DX9 well.
I agree that within a year a new more powerfull GPU based on a new core architecture will become available. But by that time the 8600 will be too old to be suported. Oh well, at the moment my 5650 plays all current games very well, so why upgrade?
caboosemoose
240 Posts
0
February 26th, 2004 14:00
I've run the HL2 leak on a mobility 9600 as well as the 4200go and a desktop 5600 and there's not that much difference. Yes, the 9600 is faster, but nowhere near twice as fast as the 4200go.
Infinity04
9 Posts
0
August 15th, 2004 02:00
See my other posts about the 9700 I ordered for my 8600... It seems like it IS possible... No kidding. Do a search for "Radeon 9700 Inspiron 8600".
good luck!