Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

I agree with you, and I think it is great that Dell is trying to open new markets and expand the reach of the Precision line. I do think they should have put a dedicated Ethernet port on it though. Add ons can break, be forgotten, lost etc and sometimes you just have to be connected by wire. Still hats off to Dell for giving it a go. I will be reading this thread in its entirety despite only really being interested in the M6X00, and possibly the M4X00.

Great to know that! Very much looking forward to that breakdown and review as well.

 

How are viewing angles on the IGZO panel? are they comparable to ips or are they a little worse? Dell only quotes a 160 degree viewing angle online, which seems like what they used to post about crappy TN screens.

 

Less than IPS, but larger than most TN panels. Color, contrast, and brightness are even while shifting your head around. Color is better than any TN screen I have seen.

I would not buy an M3800 or M4800 without the 3200x1800 panel. Just my opinion.

 

Portability isn't an issue. I used to carry an Alienware 18.4" laptop that weighed almost 12lbs to work and back everyday. I'll probably stick with the M4800.

On the M3800, is the K1100M integrated onto the motherboard or is it an actual MXM card? If it's MXM, is it type A or type B?

 

Both the CPU and GPU are soldered onto the board. Tradeoff for thin.

 

Is it easy to open, as in you don't have to be afraid that some things can break/bend because user-upgrading is not intended? I mean when wanting to change RAM/2.5"/mSATA.

For the 4-6 hour battery life, what is the usage - Office, Web, or more demanding things? Say you wanna get maximum battery life on the go and reduce brightness and CPU intensive tasks, do you think it can go more than 6 hours?

 

You need a T5 torx (available in the US at any Lowes hardware) and a phillips screwdriver.

Less drama than removing the keyboard bezel on the M6700.

With the 9 cell battery, I would expect 7-9 hours. Remember, this one came with the small battery.

 

I can't think of any other questions at the moment, so I'll wait for the pictures, etc. If I do think of anymore I'll ask.

I want to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and everyone else's here. Enjoy the computer. :thumbsup:

 

Thanks Bokeh.

Also what are the black levels like - how dark are blacks in a dimly lit or dark room?

Any backlight bleed/clouding on a full black/white screen?

 

Measured black levels depend on the room you are in. In a fairly dark room, I measured 600:1. In a completely black room it was just over 800:1.

The panel will hit 400 nits of brightness. The blacks are very dark. Will get pics for you.