Topic: laptop sug

Hello,
I own a FF400 and I am in the market for a laptop, I have a few choices because this laptop will use Samplitude, a few vsti's and double as a cad station as well, (Autodesk/Solidworks). I have 2 main choices due to the video cards installed : HP Elite 8740 and Dell M6500, both have mini FW and an express card slot. (I have tested my SIIG FW card in my gf's HP Pavilion DV7-3165DX AMD Turion II Ultra Dual-Core M620 and it worked flawlessly) So I can only guess it will work in the HP Elite. I do like the M6500, I have seen one up close and they seem built very well but with the previous problems posted here with dell I worry about that laptop.

:

HP Elite 8740 : i5 4g mem : mini FW and expresscard slot and usb3
Dell M6500 : i7 720 4g mem : mini FW and expresscard slot and usb3 (refurbished)
SONY VAIO F Series VPCF123FX/H : i7 740 6GB mem : mini FW and expresscard slot
ASUS N71JQ-X1 : i7 720 4GB mem : has expresscard 34 slot and usb3
ASUS G73JH-A1 : i7 720 8GB mem : 2 500gig hd's : expresscard 54 slot (biggest bang for the buck)

I would use either the mini FW with adapter or a SIIG 2 port FW Expresscard. These laptop fw connections would safely use a 6 to 4 pin adapter?

Thanks for any info
Mike