M4700 Owners Thread

Links for M4700 Information, Drivers, and Manuals

Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States] -- Dell Drivers

Documentation -- Dell Manuals

http://partnerdirect.dell.com/sites/channel/Documents/Dell-Precision-M4700-M6700-Mobile-Workstation-Technical-Guidebook.pdf -- Detailed Specs

NBR Threads of Note

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...l-precision-m4700-m6700-preliminary-info.html -- Pre and post launch speculation thread

FAQ
Q. Where can you install the mSATA drive? Can you have mSATA and built in cellular?
A. No. The slot for mSATA is also the slot for built in mobile broadband ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-2.html#post8779302

Q. What model is the IPS RGB Panel?
A. So far the only information we have is LGD0308 ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-3.html#post8780178

Q. Why is my IPS RGB Panel not showing 100% aRGB coverage?
A. Please ensure you have your computer set up properly ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-3.html#post8780446 ftp://ftp.dell.com/FOLDER00586040M/3/

Q. I purchased a dual core system. How many ram slots do I have? Where are these slots?
A. Two. Only quad core systems have four ram slots. Quad core systems have two slots under the keyboard. All systems have two slots under the bottom panel. ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-5.html#post8782519

Q. Can someone show me pictures of the battery slice installed?
A. Sure. Appomo has photos of the battery slice installed. ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-5.html#post8782969

Q. What type of ram should I purchase for upgrading my machine?
A. 1600Mhz DDR3 204 pin SODIMM ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-5.html#post8783392

Q. Where can I purchase the official Dell optical bay hard drive caddy?
A. No one has found this out yet, but we do have a possible part number (PDG96). ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-7.html#post8784340

Q. How are the viewing angles on the standard TN full HD screen?
A. Very good. g1981c was kind enough to take photos of his M4700 next to an IPS panel iMac. ->http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...682758-m4700-owners-thread-9.html#post8786623

Q. I have the IPS panel. Why won't the machine let me install the IvyBridge video card drivers? (Intel HD4000 drivers)
A. The IPS panel can only accept input from the nVidia card.

Q. My RGB IPS panel seems to have a tinting issue?
A. This seems to be a widespread problem, and there are no known current fixes (as of early September 2012)

Q. What is the performance of the various video cards?
A.
M4000 -- http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...n/682758-m4700-owners-thread.html#post8776866
K1000M -- http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...82758-m4700-owners-thread-18.html#post8824219
K2000M -- Test Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation - Notebookcheck.com Tests

Q. How many monitors can the M4000 support?
A. http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...82758-m4700-owners-thread-32.html#post8907447

Please PM me if you'd like a FAQ to go here

User Reviews
Please PM to add your review to this list

Professional Reviews
Notebookcheck.net in German Test Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation - Notebookcheck.com Tests


Please let me know of anything you'd like added to this main post and I'll try to keep up with updates.

 

The Dell M4700 is a 15.6 inch mobile workstation. It is available in numerous configurations to fit just about any needs. In the United States configurations start at $1049.00 with a Core i5-3320M, 2 GB Ram, 320GB HDD, and AMD FirePro M4000. Models with an Intel extreme edition processor, 16 GB, nVidia K2000M, IPS screen, and a SSD can go for well over $3000.

I haven't included tons of pictures that are elsewhere in this thread or on on Dell's website.

System Reviewed
The specs of the system I ordered (with upgrades I made prior to review) are:
CPU – i7 3720QM
RAM – 2 GB (Upgraded to 16 GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz)
HDD – 320 GB 7200 RPM (Upgraded to 256 GB Samsung PM830 mSATA; 512 GB Samsung 830 SSD)
Optical Drive – DVD ROM (Upgraded to UJ232A BD-RE)
GPU – AMD FirePro M4000 1GB GDDR5
Screen – 15.6” 1920 x 1080 Samsung 156HT
Wireless – Dell 1504 (Upgraded to Intel 6300)
Other – Fingerprint Reader, E-Port Plus

Build Quality and Case
I would classify the build quality of the M4700 to several notches above the already excellent Latitude E series. The seams are all perfect, there are no rough edges, and everything just seems to fit perfectly. As other users have already commented, the USB 2.0 ports are slightly stiff, but I’d rather that then they be loose. The design of the system is very plain, but will fit in perfect for any business. The notebook feels well balanced, and despite its weight being over 6 lbs, it doesn’t feel very heavy. I have felt no flex or signs of poor construction.


Warranty
The laptop ships with a three year in home warranty standard. You can upgrade this with “Pro Support” (US Based Tech Support) and “Complete Care” (Accidental Damage Protection) by speaking to a representative on the phone. Complete Care cannot be purchased without upgrading to Pro Support unfortunately. I have used the Dell warranty in the past. They actually do come to your home/business the next business day after they receive the part at the local repair shop.

System Components
WiFi
I installed an Intel 6300 wifi card, but it came with the Dell 1504 Card. The Intel card can easily max out my FIOS connection (25/25) and it gets excellent transfer rates on the internal network. If you order a low end card like the Dell 1504, the system still comes with three antennas for use with better cards.

Security
I ordered the machine with a fingerprint reader. The reader is very large and reliable. It works much better than the readers I have tried on the Latitude and Vostro lines.

Accessories
I purchased the new E-Port plus dock with this machine. The dock features:
Video Out – 2 DP or DVI, 1 VGA,
Storage – eSATA Port
USB – 2 USB 3.0 Ports; 3 USB 2.0 Ports
Legacy – 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 PS/2 Ports
Ethernet port
The system is easy to dock, and this makes it very easy to use the machine as a desktop without having to plug in many accessories everyday.

Here is a picture of the dock with a 2.5 inch hdd for scale


Input Devices
Keyboard -- The keyboard on this machine is excellent. It uses a standard keyboard, not the Chiclet style of keys becoming more popular on the Vostro and consumer lines. The keys have excellent travel, and the machine doesn’t feel mushy in any place. The system also has a number pad.
Touchpad/PointStick -- The touchpad is also top notch. The buttons are soft touch and firm. Multifinger scrolling work easily on this touch pad

Connectivity
2 USB 2.0 ports
2 USB 3.0 ports (one with powershare)
1 eSata+USB2.0 port
1 Firewire Port
1 Memory Card Reader
1 HDMI out
1 gigabit ethernetport
1 DisplayPort
1 ExpressCard Slot

Other Information
Motherboard -- Dell part 0DK7DT
Chipset -- QM77
Screen reports as Samsung 156HT Dell PN GJHY2

Display
Dell offers three display options with this computer. You can order a 1366x768 matte finished WLED backlit screen, a 1920x1080 matte finished WLED screen, or a 1920x1080 matte finished IPS RGB LED screen with 100% aRGB coverage. The system I ordered included the 1920x1080 WLED screen. This screen was only a $50.00 upgrade over the 1366x768 screen, so well worth it.

I performed the following tests using the Spyder4 sensor.
Brightness :


Colors / Gamut


aRGB – 63%

sRGB – 80%

Viewing Angles



Performance
All of these benchmarks were performed with the free or trial versions of the software, and with stock settings. Passmark was the only benchmark I had the full version of.
3D Mark Vantage = P9500; Graphics 7924; CPU 23570
3D Mark 06 = 15233 Marks; SM2.0 5916; HDR/SM3.0 6099; CPU 6628
3D Mark 11 = P2220; Graphics 1940; Physics 8624; Combined 2154
PC Mark 7 = 4898 Marks;
Cinebench 11.5

OpenGL -- 59.22 fps CPU multicore – 6.76 points CPU Single Core – 1.48 pts​

WEI

Processor – 7.6​

RAM – 7.8​

Graphics – 7.3​

Gaming Graphics – 7.3​

Primary Hard Disk – 7.7​

Passmark (results with the mSATA Samsung PM830 and Samsung 830 SATA. The mSATA interface runs at SATA2 speeds)


Furmark
1280x720 1005 points 16 fps
1920x1080 553 points 9 fps

Gaming
I have not had much time for gaming. So far I’ve played:
Counter Strike Source – All settings maxed plays at approximately 60fps. With their suggested settings I get over 200 fps.
SWTOR – With all settings maxed the game plays at 25-35 fps depending on the scene.

Heat / Noise
System Noise
I don’t have a meter to measure noise, however the system is very quiet til the fan kicks in. Once the fan kicks in, it is quite loud, but it keeps the system very cool as you’ll see in the temperatures below.

Temperature (readings taken with 77F ambient temperatures, temperatures taken while running prime and furmark)

CPU – idle 52 C; load peaked at 103 C then settled to mid 90s The CPU initially turbo’d very high, but settled in at about 3100 MHz for the duration of the test and never throttled (I use the base frequency of 2600 MHz as the threshold for throttling)​

GPU – idle 53 C; load 69C The GPU fluctuated between 530 and 675 MHz. The GRAM stayed at 1000 MHz

​

I did not use a professional thermometer for the temperature readings, but I used a Black and Decker IR thermometer. I am not sure of the accuracy of the thermometer, but it gives a general idea. The system was set on max performance and maximum fan.

At idle the keyboard of the computer ranged from 79.8 F in the front to 89.4 F just under the center of the screen. For the most part, temperatures were just above ambient and very comfortable. Under full load the keyboard area measured between 80.0 F at the front to 89 F in the rear. The top of the machine did not seem to get much warmer. The average temperature did rise however.

​

At idle the underside of the computer ranged from 80.2 F in the front under the touchpad to 97.1 near the docking port. Under full load the system had temperatures from 80.7 F near the battery to 102.1 F near the docking port. Shockingly there were some areas of the system where the temperature seemed to drop as the system went under load. I am guessing because the fans aren’t moving at idle. All in all, the system never felt too hot to hold, but I could see it getting uncomfortable on a warm day.

​

Speakers
I have not had a lot of time spent using the system on its own speakers yet.

Battery / Energy Usage
Battery
I have not had time to run battery tests yet.

Power usage (Kill-A-Watt)
Idle – The system fluctuates between 19.8 watts and 21 watts when sitting idle
Full Load – When running Furmark and Prime at the same time the system peaked at 131 watts. After temperatures rose, the system settled down to 119 watts when the turbo was cut back.

Conclusion
I have no complaints about this machine so far. It is easy to open up and work on, and seems durable. Its performance has met all expectations. This is my first review and is a work in progress, so all feedback welcomed by PM. Thanks

 

It would be great if you could compare noise and temperature under 100% CPU and GPU load as well as build quality between M4600 and M4700.

Thanks.

 

I don't have a M4600, and I don't have a noise meter, but I do have a laser thermo.

 

In that case, would you please share your thoughts on the build quality as well as post CPU, GPU, and case temperatures under full load once you receive your workstation? That would be very helpful.

 

decided to post a few pics taken with an old camera. forgot to charge the battery in new one.

this is to get started. we'll get some better pics in here later.

 

What are the specs on your machine?

 

3720QM CPU

K2000M GPU

regular TN display @ 1080p

memory and storage ordered as base configuration ( with intention to upgrade )

before taxes my build was $1900.

before ordering i asked Dell to give me a discount on the Ram and SSD options but they refused. i spent 40 minutes in the online chat with them, but my requests were denied. i wanted them to cut the $450 cost of the SSD to $250, which i thought would have been fair.

so far i have installed a single Crucial 2 x 4GB kit @ 1.35V ( it went under the keyboard ) i have a second kit on order ( for the bottom side of the notebook ). i have removed the original ram - you can see that 2GB dimm in first image in top left corner. it was installed under the keyboard.

i am waiting for Crucial M4 256GB msata delivery. my first chose for msata was Samsung 830 but i couldn't track one down. my second choice was Mushkin Atlas - but it was also out of stock. ended up going with M4 ordered directly from Crucial. this is intended for OS and program files only.

for storage, rather than reformatting the 320GB System drive that came with the machine, i have picked up a 320GB Scorpio Black from Newegg for 70 bucks. this way i hope to have the option of restoring the laptop to original configuration if necessary.

so all together i have so far spent about $450 on upgrades.

in addition to this i have spent another $140 on a Pelican 1495 case ( still waiting for it ).

so system, taxes, upgrades and case all in total is about $2700. this is as much as i spent on my 13" MacBook Pro and 27" iMac combined. on the other hand, compared to what Bokeh must have spent on his M6700 i got mine for peanuts

 

I ordered the base config too, but stuck with the firepro. This is good, maybe we can both run the same benchmarks when I get mine to compare the firepro and K2000. I was able to source a Samsung 830 256GB thats on the way now from someone selling one from a broken machine. I think I'll put the 16 GB I got under the keyboard as well so I can just add later if I decide to. My build came to 1371 before tax (only option besides the screen and i7 was the fingerprint reader). I also ordered the docking station for 199.

 

so the dock was the selling point for you. for me it was the quadro.

i have both M4 and Samsung 830 in my desktops. Samsung is very good, but i'm not crying because ultimately you can't have it all.

i didn't go quadro for performance but rather out of hope that it will have better drivers. if i wanted performance i would have configured an Origin PC with 4GB GTX 680M. it would have been only $2,500 with 256GB Samsung 830 and 16GB ram already included. plus it would have been 17." but i decided i would rather have mid-range Quadro than top of the line Geforce.