Mobile Processors - Dell desktop performance?

[plehuntl]

I'm about to make my old Dell redundant and replace it. I'm thrown by the many processors available. In the Inspiron range I can choose today from:
Pentium M (1.7ghz - 500M model)
Pentium 4 (2.8ghz, desktop proecssor, 5100 model)
Mob. Pentium 4 (3.06ghz, 5150 model)
Mob. P4 - M (2.6ghz, 8500 model)
Mob. PM (1.7ghz, 8600 model)
What are the differences? Does it come down to newer / older and levels of battery support? Price doesn't seem to bear much relation to model or ghz.
Hm. I'm really after straight grunt (compiling, mostly!), I run plugged in to AC all the time so battery life is *completely* irrelevant to me. Hence I expect the 5150 is likely to be the best fit..? If only they'd put faster drives in.

 

[RaPTuRe]

excuse me for being very frank, but the post I just typed as a reply to you just got *lost* while it was trying to submit.

grr.

Pentium-M = Mobile Pentium-M (no diff, except Dell sales team). Pentium-M 1.7GHz performs roughly same as P4 2.8GHz.
Runs quieter, cooler, more efficiently = longer battery life.

Pentium 4 = Pentium 4-m (identical, except P4-m has speedstep (power Saving) enabled. Performance is the same clock for clock.

There is not "mobile Pentium 4", Dell's website is just stupid. I am quite certain the the 5150's processor is in fact a standard desktop CPU.

Since battery life is irrelevant to you, just go with the 3GHz P4, it is the fastest at the moment. and If you phone Dell and ask nicely, they may sell you a 7200rpm performance notebook HDD. If not, you can purchase it elsewhere and use it in your notebook. It is much faster than standard notebook HDDs.

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[JP5]

I lost a post too, dammit.

Actually the 3.06 is a mobile pentium 4. It is new. It is pretty much the same as the desktop version except 533MHz bus and the speedstepping.

<A HREF="http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/processors/mobilepentium4/index.htm?iid=ipp_note_proc+highlight_mobilepentium4&" target="_new">Intel link</A>

 

[RaPTuRe]

I know there IS a 3066MHz Pentium 4-m, but I don't think they use the "-m" in the 5150. I think it is stuck with a 'desktop' CPU. Dell seem to be quite adamant that it is a "Mobile" Pentium 4, but I can only imagine that they've got it to run at a lower voltage than a regular desktop variant (which also runs at 533MHz, the 3.06GHz doesn't have an 800MHz FSB). It doesn't have speedstep, and P4-m's all use a 100MHz FSB, not 133MHz like this one is.

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[natport]

Yeah youre right
the new 5150 is good........considering it has 4 hours of battery life as reviewed by Cnet!
And the performance n price just blows you away
the only downside is the weight

 

[plehuntl]

Ok 5150 sounds like the one in my case. I already asked about the faster HDD without luck, I *thought* I asked nicely.

"Pentium-M 1.7GHz performs roughly same as P4 2.8GHz."
So it'd be close to the P4 3.06? I don't get it, simple ole me just looked at clock speeds?

5150 3.06 ... does that come with hyperthreading? (Not that I really know if I care, I just read one place it doesn't, and another it does). Does that come down to whether or not its a plain desktop processor or not?

cheers - plehuntl

 

[natport]

3.06 doesnt hav HT
no chipsets support it

 

[RaPTuRe]

I suppose the Pentium-M 1.7 would be close, but not quite at the application/3D performance of a 3GHz P4. Of course it exceeds the Pentium 4 in power saving performance.

I'm not sure about the 5150 and HT, I'm sure the Dell website would tell you whether or not it is. The one that they use is a "mobile" Pentium 4, but not a Pentium 4-m, so it doesn't make use of SpeedStep technology, but one can logically assume that the "mobile" Pentium 4 simply runs at a lower core voltage than it's Desktop counterpart.

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[JP5]

The mobile pentiums do not have HT. HT in notebooks is supposed to come out with Prescott in 2004. Plus they are 533 FSB. I read somewhere that the mobile P4 chips were just desktop 3.06 CPUs that were tested for high heat tolerance. I think they are rated for something rediculous like 90 deg C.

It drives me nuts that the 5150 doesn't come with an ATI 9600. Too bad I have to make a purchase decision within a week or so.

 

[RaPTuRe]

Actually, a "proper" Pentium 4-m, is rated for a maximum junction temperature of 135'C!!

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?