I've given this issue a great deal of thought.

I've weighed the expense of repairing the laptop....a few hundred dollars if my nephew can fix it, or probably around $600 if i have to send it to Dell (shipping/handling, labour, parts etc).

I've decided to have my nephew price out the cost of building me a new desktop computer. I figure that is the better avenue to take and instead of putting so much money into repairing the laptop,, which is only "adequate" for my needs,  that I'll put the money into getting a better computer overall.

However, that doesn't mean I won't be butting heads with Dell about them covering my computer under warranty. I'll be all over them like a bad rash until they give in,  LOL  and let me tell you, when it comes to being stepped on by corporations, I can be a really bad rash!!!  hehe

On a good note, I checked my graphic card on my desktop, and while it's 4 years old, it has "OpenGL"....so I may recycle at least the graphic card from the desktop, but we'll see what my nephew can come up with.  Hopefully he can get stuff at a discount through his work or something.

On the slim chance that Dell won't cover my laptop under warranty, are there any parts from a laptop that can be used in a desktop? video card, sound card, memory, cd burner etc?

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi