We looked at the first incarnation of the Dell Inspiron 9100 (£1643 inc. VAT) back in May, and found that while it has a lot to recommend it, our overall impression was of a compromised machine. The main concerns were about its size and the overall lack of upgradeability. Such concerns remain, but the improved specification helps sweeten the pill. It’s pitched as Dell’s desktop replacement for those who want the convenience of a laptop’s size, but not its portability. After all, with a weight of 4.1kg, you won’t be inclined to do more than move the 9100 from room to room.

With a battery life, under test and with the monitor running at its lowest setting, of just 91 minutes you won’t be using it on the move for long. As a high-end machine, the latest Inspiron 9100 offers a specification that’s in keeping with those on offer from all gaming enthusiast suppliers, but at a price that’s far more competitive. True, the Inspiron lacks the overall gloss of many such machines, but as a powerhouse gaming laptop it has a lot to offer.

DESKTOP REPLACEMENT

The key selling point of this system is that it takes the best of the desktop PC arena and condenses them into a smaller format. Therefore, the use of a desktop motherboard allows for use of the Intel 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Extreme processor that offers a 800MHz front side bus and supports the 652 chipset. The addition of a 100GB hard drive, with a rotational speed of 7200rpm, will speed up video editing and other disk intensive tasks.

For the serious gamer, all of the above specifications will be of interest, but it’s the addition of the ATi Mobility Radeon 9800 that will be the most important feature. Based on the technology that supports the ATi X800 desktop PC processor, the 9800 is fitted with 256MB of memory on-board. Where the 9800 differs from its predecessor is the use of eight, rather than four, pixel pipes, making it a far more powerful processing solution.

Under test, this adapter scored a 3DMark 2001 score of 17082, which is 60 percent faster than was capable with the previous generation of ATi’s graphic cards. When it comes to playing games, we found that the 9100 produced a gaming experience like no other laptop we have used. While this still lags way behind what can be achieved with a desktop PC, the laptop gamer will find they are no longer a poor relation. On the downside, there is still no way for the user to physically upgrade the graphics sub-system, but this is the case with all mainstream laptops currently available.

A subwoofer is built into the battery-pack on the base of the unit and improves sound quality, but not enough for it to make a great impression – gamers will still wish to add external speakers for the best sound possible. The latest incarnation of the Dell Inspiron 9100 overcomes many of the flaws that were evident in its first appearance. As a gaming machine it runs like a dream and with an asking price that won’t break the bank, the laptop should be high on the wants list of all gamers.

RATING 8
PRICE £1399/£1643 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR Intel Pentium 4 3.4GHz E
MEMORY 1024MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE Fujitsu 100GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 15.4-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1920 x 1200 pixels
GRAPHICS CARD ATi Mobility Radeon 9800
DIMENSIONS 359 x 274 x 57mm
WEIGHT 4.1kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN Dell 1450 dual-band
ETHERNET Gigabit
MODEM Yes
USB PORTS 4
FIREWIRE 1
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr C&R
WARRANTY UPGRADE On request
CONTACT
0870 152 4676
www.dell.co.uk  

VALUE FOR MONEY 8
PERFORMANCE 8
FEATURES 8
MOBILITY 3
BUILD QUALITY 7
OVERALL 8

BATTERY LIFE 91 mins
MOBILEMARK 2002 176
3DMARK 2001 17082