QUT5
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Note: Dell has now told me that they have a part shortage (LCD panel) so I am expiring this deal. I am told that any future orders for this unit will not be fulfilled
My old deal expired but then got better with a different code. $1025 delivered now.
also note that this is "in stock for quick delivery". If you are in Sydney, if you order via chat before 11am and pay with a VISA or MasterCard, you get the laptop on the same business day. if you order after 11am, you get it next business day.
Another hidden gem from Dell
i5-9300H
GTX 1050 3GB
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
FullHD IPS 300nit - DELL says this is 72% NTSC which means close to full sRGB coverage
Thunderbolt 3
magnesium alloy body
alternatively this configuration with 512GB SSD and huge 96Wh battery, thanks to Tzeeman, but in that config forget about 2.5 SATA drive - space taken up by the battery, and it's not ready to ship, lead time is about 2-3 weeks price is $1101.05 delivered
detailed model specs
service manual
I like this model because you can have 2 NVMe drives and not bother with OS reinstall to extend your storage. You can even add a 2.5 SATA drive on top if you feel like doing so.
screen is non-touch
suits people who want a gaming machine that doesn't make you look like a doofus in a meeting room if you also want to do your work on it. Vostro 7000 means and looks business, but you can also fire up a game and spend the time productively if you wish. This is also almost like a poor man's Dell XPS which looks much more business-like as well.
yah yah not that many games released in 2020 you will be able to play comfortably in FullHD, older titles mostly. But hey, it will be enough for some. For half the price of a business laptop you get a magnesium body that still can do much more gaming than built in graphics or MX150/250? I think it's an option.
premium build. also sRGB coverage means you can edit photos on this, and also media consumption will be a joy. photographers rejoice (although photographers should pack a USB3 SD card reader since this laptop only has a microSD slot - why, Dell? anyway who cares, those built in SD card readers are usually dead slow, and I still have my trusty tiny USB3 reader I got years ago, it's lightning fast)
also battery is 56Wh which is bigger than they usually pack in this price range gaming machines.
not for everyone, but still a viable option I think
PS: Received my laptop today. First impressions: really good.
- screen is fantastic. very clear, 8bit color, bright. will require calibration though to do any photo work
- I normally run my laptops on battery power (Better Battery in windows power slider) and I haven't had any thermal problems. runs quiet. on 72% battery remaining windows reports 4 hours 40 minutes to go
- plugged in, on "better performance" and Optimized setting in Dell power manager, runs quiet when doing browsing and office work
- so all in all I haven't experienced thermal issues so far
- build quality is very good and pleasant to the touch
- remember when you get it, plug it in and let it sit for 10-15 minutes charging before you turn it on for the first time
- also don't bother adding a fingerprint until you're done installing all updates and firmware, it works much better after all that
- keyboard is reliable and relatively quiet, 2 levels of backlight
- slim and small for a 15 inch laptop
so far I haven't done any upgrades (RAM or SSD) will do later
RAM I added https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/563584
works perfectly fine, timings match the 8gb that came with it
second SSD I install: good old Kingston A2000
all in all looks very promising.
downside is 8gig RAM and just 256 gig SSD