Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

It's been mentioned somewhere that it has Optimus switchable graphics, but given the speed at which the thread was moving earlier, it's not surprising you missed it.

 

Ah, that makes sense.

BTW Bokeh, are you planning on also writing a review? I've been reading some incredibly detailed reviews of the previous XPS 15s to gauge Dell's track record and there seems to be a general consensus that the case was of high quality, That's a good sign! (although that version did have Wi-Fi issues, massive throttling and thermal issues which I'm sure they corrected if they're willing to use the Precision name)

One thing that struck me was

I wonder which version they used this time around and how it compares to the MBP sound. In the end, it's probably wiser to go for 4-watt speakers that perform at 90% of 20w ones.

 

One of the previous XPS, can't remember if it was the Ivy Bridge model or Sandy Bridge model did suffer form glaring issues, so it's no wonder that it got a redesign along the way.

 

Bokeh, can I ask you a simple question?

For the haswell XPS 15, or the M3800 - Do their lids (screen) open with one hand, smoothly like a macbook? Or do I have to use two hands to open the screen, one on the screen, one on the base of the notebook?

Thank you sir!

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong: The cooling only works if the lid is open? In your rear picture the air exhaust is completely blocked.

 

The K1100M only kicks in when you need it to or want it to. You can decide which GPU individual software will use. You can go through the Nvidia setup and pick which programs will use which GPU or just right click on the software icon and change it there.

Yes, you can open with with one hand, but the hinge on the M3800 is stiffer than the one on my 2010 MBP15. The macbook is easier to open with one hand.

Not blocked at all. As the lid closes, the air shifts from being blown upward to being blown down and out the back of the machine. Because the two rubber feet go all the way across the bottom of the machine, the exhaust air is actually blocked from being able to come back into the intakes when you have it sitting on a table.

Below is a pic of the vents with the lid completely closed.

Sorry for the quality of the pic. Will get a better one later.

 

Ah, now I understand the rear picture better. That makes perfect sense now.

However I have another question: When the display is open and the fans are working away under full load, does it get "windy" in your face? Are there any other models that have this kind of airflow (so far my laptops always blew to the side or rear)?

Thank you, really happy you're doing this!

 

Thanks for the very informative clarification, Bokeh.

 

For anyone interested in more information about the display, there's a review of the m4800 online at notebookcheck evaluating the 3200*1800 panel.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

 

is it true that the m3800 doesnt have a num pad? cuz that would totally kill thr deal for me, unfortunately