Hoping new laptop can compare

[Runnerup]

Hi,

Too start out, I know very little about computers, so please bear with me. I've been looking into getting a laptop for some time now and I've picked out one, these are the specs:

Dell Inspiron 1720

Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/4MB cache)
Memory: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
Hard Drive: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)

Now, I'm switching the laptop with my old Dell Dimesion 4600(desktop) with the following specs(detailed as they are in device manager):

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.66 GHz
Memory: 512 MB of Ram
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9250 256MB
Hard Drive: 80GB

So I'm basically wondering if the new laptop will be more powerful than my old desktop. I know the memory on the laptop is better, but the desktop appears to have a better processor(simply going by GHz), and they seem to have similar video cards(both at 256MB). I know that the laptop can handle doing all my web browsing and music downloading, but I was told that laptops have trouble playing games though. I play Final Fantasy XI on my desktop and it runs smoothly, but would the laptop be able to play it?

I'm sorry if I left out any information, once again I don't know much about computers. Thank you in advance.

 

[maroon1]

No the laptop has much faster processor than the desktop

The laptop processor is dual core and it based on core architecture which can do more instructions per clock than P4

The video card in that laptop is much faster, and if Final Fantasy XI runs smoothly in your desktop then it should run smoother in the laptop

 

[Runnerup]

Wow, I didn't know my desktop was so outdated that a thousand dollar laptop could outperform it so badly... I'll definitely be getting the Inspiron then, thanks for the advice.

 

[saltynay]

you would get even more performance if you got a new desktop though.....

 

[Runnerup]

I know, but I need the mobility too, and for only a thousand dollars this seemed like a good deal(compared to the other deals I've seen). I don't intend on playing any up to date games anyway, so the limited performance on the laptop won't hurt me. My new computer is basically going to be doing everything I got my old desktop to do, and the laptop is(as stated by maroon1) much better than my old desktop; so I figure I don't need to go any higher.

 

[muckluck]

Not to put you down or anything, but a 17" notebook is not mobile. They are quite cumbersome.

 

[Runnerup]

I'm not going to be doing cartwheels with it, as long as I can carry it and its self powered, it works for me. I have a bag picked out for it already(capable of carrying a 17'') and the laptop itself is about 9 lbs, which is nothing I'm not capable of.

 

[muckluck]

Alright, I had a 15" notebook at one time in my life and it got real annoying carrying it around.

 

[saltynay]

I have a 15" and its a sensible size. 17 inchers run out of battery really quickly my 15 inch can last 4-5 hours if just doing word processing, a 17" would last around 2-3 hours. if you are just usingit for work then the bigger screen is a deficit rather then a benefit

 

[muckluck]

Meh, I just purchased a 12" Ultra portable with 9 cell battery. I'm hoping to get 8 hours out of it .