Dell 17r N7720 SE - user review

Don't order 3D screen . It is just a gimmick and waste of money . Moreover it is glossy ..
P/S :- Don't ask KSMB for his advice

 

well....well.
ps...i dont which planet SHASHANK_BEST comes from...

......but there is a reason why DELL put their True life screen on their TOP models....such as XPS, Precision....and so on.
(if seen the matte/standard screen on 7720..........its not Bad...but its not as good as the True life).

 

Could you elaborate, please? What about the 3D display is glossy?

Is the True Life is the same display than Alienware?

 

new bios is out. the changelog looks rather minor, maybe some hidden changes?

 

It is glossy indeed. IF you plan to play games in 3D or watch 3D movies then you have to live with the glossy screen.
If not, the (regular) full hd mate screens are very good in both their incarnations (LG or CMI)

 

Fixes & Enhancements
Smooth Brightness support for Windows 8

 

You are wrong again:

Precision M6700 Mobile Workstation Details | Dell UK

Top of the range Precision M6700 IPS RGB screen is matte, not TrueLife, and for a good reason, as you put it. Besides, 7720 is no longer offered with 3D glossy panel.

 

Hi,

Am not able to download .. It says error. Can U help me out by providing me the link??

 

I have error too, did someone test it?

 

same problem here, but it was always like this on dell´s support page as much as i can remember. it does take a while until you are actually able to download the latest drivers there. maybe tomorrow if we are lucky

 

Hi I've got a question about this laptop. Best buy has a 17r SE for $879, core i7, 8gb, 1tb hdd win 8 64. Anybody know if this is a gimped version of the 17r SE? Best buy has been known for that in the past with other brands of laptops. Thanks!

 

Hi all,

Took me 14 days to read all through the thread, and I ordered mine 10 days ago on dell US. It arrived yesterday, and well, my relatives abroad are baby sitting it. They've confirmed its running a-ok. But I need inputs from all folks who've ordered it from Dell US, (new or refurbished from Dell store):

1) How is the spacebar key for the US backlit keyboard, I've heard too many people complain about it for other region keyboards, which is why I'm worried. Any other issues with the backlit keyboard?

2) What panel(s) are fitted in the 3D model in the US?

Well, one of my relatives went to check it personally in the nearby store, and it is the non-3D model with Full-HD (anti-glare) screen. Rest assured, the graphics is 650M, and the RAM is 1600MHz. Processor model and other things are also clearly mentioned, so seems not be gimped. Only thing is, there's no support from DELL directly, so you'll be left to Geek Squad's mercy.

 

I see you're claiming the mSATA is capable of SATA III speeds? Why have I read that it's only capable of SATA II speeds?

 

well....see here: (spec of my 7720)

 

I am using one of these now from Best Buy ($879 model) I picked up in an emergency 2 days ago for traveling after I got caught in a pinch with a Dell Alienware M17x r2 refurb that was in horrible condition (understatement) and died two days after I got it (BAD JOB DELL) that I was planning to take with me. $941 with tax, and it includes a free 3 user Kapersky Internet Security license for one year.

As for the system from Best Buy:

Nvidia 650m 2gb GDDR5
1TB Samsung 5400 rpm HD
8GB 1600mhz memory
Backlit Keyboard
1600x900 screen ( !HD=1920x1080)


The screen is an AU Optronics AU159E. It is not that good to be honest. Very washed out. Bad angles and not even as good as the 1600x900 panels I've seen from LG or Samsung. It had a dead pixel in the middle of the screen, but I was under pressure to get it set up and out the door. I find myself having to adjust the screen numerous times to adjust the vertical viewing angle.

It does not include any original Windows 8 media and just a Drivers and Utilities disc and the ability to make backups to USB or CDs. Lots of Dell additional bloat I was not too fond of to be honest.

I immediately pulled the HD, put in an SSD and installed Windows 7 while I finish evaluating 8 on my desktop.

It reminds me of an over-sized Dell Latitude.

Vantage GPU = 8800, CPU = 22k which is pretty respectable.

 

if you thinking to replace your refurbish screen...(i know a seller in UK who have 7720 True life screens for sale.....(extremely good viewing angles & colours)

send me a PM if you interested.

 

I don't need to apply much preassure and I find the layout very easy to use.

 

The new-BIOS link is now working.

No major changes (and the GPU Boost issue is unchanged).

 

That doesn't mean much to me considering Dell's system specs also state these contain a 10/100/1000 NIC.

Refer to this thread...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-inspiron-dell-studio/691645-inspiron-7720-os-msata-drive.html

"After running some benchmarks on the MSATA install, I noticed slower speeds than I anticipated. After some research, it turns out that MSATA port is only a SATA II device. Therefore, your speeds will be capped to the SATA II maximum ( 300 MB/S ). Not a big deal for me though."

 

Indeed.
Besides that, that config only shows that you get a mSATA3 SSD (Samsung PM830) not that the mSATA slot on the laptop is able to run at SATA3 speeds.

 

well. go inside RST manager and you also see its SATA 3............

did you install the PM830 (msata) in BAY 1, and then run benchmark ?? (or do you use it as cache ???)

 

dude, we're talking about the speed of the msata slot here, not about connecting the PM830 msata device to one of the normal SATA3 ports. I dont even know if you can actually do that.

 

There's no arguing with that guy. He just doesn't get it.

 

well. first of all i understood you meant the card itself..................if the slot is sata 2 or 3 on the motherboard....i dont know

i do know one thing.......you higher capacity you buy/get with Samsung PM830 (256gb, 128gb and so on)...you higher speed you get on the card itself................which is so screwed up.

Performance is variable depending on the msata3 size. a 256GB version rated at 500MB/s read and 260MB/s write with a high of 50,000 IOPS read and 29,ooo IOPS write. As capacity decreases, so does write performance

 

Is someone testing new 310.54 beta nvidia drivers? Is it better than other?

 

i using new Beta 310.54...........its Good.....and its runs even better with new fresh Artic silver 5 applied
i have 9C less on the CPU during 3dmark 11 compared before with stock thermal paste.

the physics scores have also became way higher..............
thats a ( totally) 250 point higher score then a regular 7720....which is pretty great.


no overclocking...stock settings.

 

Do you have problems with the brightness?

 

what screen do you have ????

 

same configuration as yours, but with Windows 8.

I have the problem since a while, but I still couldn't isolate the cause of it (driver, bios, maybe quickset?)
Everything is up to date btw.
It's definitely not hardware related and not os as it occurred on win 7 as well.
Quickset or verde must be the cause

I will take a better look at quickset, I guess.

 

I was having problems with brightness, specifically not being able to adjust it after return from sleep. Bios update seems to have fixed it, but now my gears quickset button does not work. I have tried 20 different ways to install A05 quickest with no luck...

 

Well I have the latest bios and latest quickset (you probably have to update yours cuz your problem was fixed already).

I can adjust my brightness, but it changes automatically to 60% or so when I change monitors or start fullscreen games.
It started with the 306 beta driver, but others aren't complaining about this kind of problem and I updated already to 310 beta.

 

never had issues with the brightness....

anyway..............its pretty wild to get "similar" 3dmark 11 scores as a GTX660 in 3dmark 11.

GT 650 and GTX 660M is 100% identical. They are the exact same card. They both have 384 cores.(the difference is what clock the cores and VRAM runs at).

though......Apple have a GT 650M which runs much faster than other notebook OEMs GT 650M. It is actually on par with the Asus GTX 660M, if not slightly faster. (thats shows how different OEM 650 cards performs)

another fun thing....i got this 3dmark 11 scores with a regular 7200rpm hard-drive cached by the msata3. (so much for plain SSD)

 

...you are aware that 3dmark is a graphics benchmark, not a systems benchmark, right? It makes absolutely no difference what hard disk you run the software from.... but you've proven to be clueless so many times before, this is hardly surprising... it is entertaining though

 

100%? No. GK107 chips are manufactured on the same lines, but then depending on the performance, they get binned. GPUs that pass highest QC standards (N13E-GE) go into GTX 660M and get 50 W TDP. Failing ones (N13P-GT) land on GT 650M with 45 W TDP. The poorest performers (N13P-GS) find their way onto GT 640M with 32 W TDP.

True, GT 650M can be easily overclocked to GTX 660M level, but then the latter can be OCd too. The price difference is probably hard to justify, but claiming that they are exactly the same card is plainly wrong.

 

is there a registry entry from nvidia for brightness? i am not able to fix this issue didn´t install old drivers though

 

Since most of us aren't having any issues with setting brightness, I'd be tempted to rule out drivers as the cause. Just to clarify, how are you setting your brightness to begin with?

In Windows 7, the brightness value gets saved as a part of the power profile. For ex., you can have 60% set as the default on the Balanced power plan, when plugged in, and 30% when on battery. Now when you use the quickset button to open the Mobility center, the brightness slider lets you adjust the brightness, but this does not get saved back into the current power profile. No matter how you adjust the slider, unplugging the PSU will bump you back to 30%, per our example.

Could this be what you're having problems with?

 

unfortunately no. i set everything to 0% just to be sure. it´s a really weird bug.

it doesn´t occur when i start gw2, but games like sleeping dogs, dead island and dota2.
also if i change the monitor, be it dualview or just tv, the screen turns bright. the slider is still on the lowest level, i actually have to increase the level to dim the screen lol

ps. i´m running win8, but the same problem occured on win7 as well. i´ll consult nvidia with this problem, maybe they can fix it. some mac users seem to have a similar problem.

 

realG......read between the lines....why do you think i put a twinkling Smiley after that sentence ???
(you are a real Genius, isn't you ?)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
toruko............have you tried running the Diagnostic test (reboot, press F12...and so on) ?

 

What's the part number / Panel ID for these screens?

 

so....someone wondered how glossy the True life screen really are...(how the reflections are)

anyway, i recorded 3 different light-environments. (im sitting straight in front of the laptop as usual)...recorded with a cellphone (so it no super clear/high video quality).

full darkness (most optimal for all type LCD/TFT screens)
<iframe width='560' height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cTw4ESfdsqU" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

medium lightness (one 60W ceiling lamp + one 30W window lamp)
<iframe width='560' height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Anynu4Tk0g4" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

full lightness......one 45W (halogen) lamp pointed direct at the screen + one 60W ceiling lamp
<iframe width='560' height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wilZ4_gNnuk?rel=0" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

as you see its barely no reflections, even with a 45W halogen lamp pointed direct at the screen
------------------------------------------------------------------

viewing angles True life....(overall...its a very good screen)
<iframe width='560' height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kdcDxYACNgA?rel=0" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

This guy's English is comical to say the least.

 

well, you REALLY are a Genius......my main language is Swedish you know !

i thought you figure that out when it says " Location: Sweden"......under my Avatar ?

 

Please guys try to stay on topic...LOL

 

Hi Boys & Girls,

I write to you from Germany where I am a member in the Hardwareluxx forum. We have a thread there about the 7720: [Sammelthread] Dell Inspiron 17R (SE) - Seite 59

Some users are very angry at the boost-problem which you have also discussed here before and apparently you have found just as little like us here in Germany a solid solution for it, or can reach in contact with DELL.

Now one of us, Sirius86 has set up an e-mail to DELL and refers in it the service-tags of the other 7720-owners who are angry about the boost-problem and who expect DELL to finally put things right!

My question to you: would you take part with your names or service-tags in this action? Then write to me, or come to the Hardwareluxx forum.

Does somebody know a DELL manager responsible for Quality Management in the US? We have the fear that our concern gets stuck in Europe somewhere and never reaches the actually person responsible.

Thanks for your attention and excuse my rotten English!

Greets,

Core

 

hey i have a 17r SE with i7 3610QM 2.3Ghz and a 650m nvidia graphic card.
I have a random shutdown problem when i am playing an game like NFS MW 2012 or MOH warfighter the system automatically shuts down
the left side of the palmrest is quite hot at this time right next to the speaker.
Any help? Anyone having the same issue?

 

Overheating GPU is the most likely cause. The 650m should downclock itself at 90C, that's the standard behaviour. My guess is, your heatsink is not seated correctly, or the thermal paste is not applied properly, causing a part of the GPU chip to overheat and trigger the shutdown. I'd recommend calling DELL, have them send a technician to fix it... If you're feeling brave, have a go at re-seating the heatsink (step-by-step instructions available in the owner's manual), you might as well apply better thermal paste in the process..

 

yeah I have called up dell for the same. also ordered a Tunix Mx-4 just in case
thanks just needed a advice

 

hey i observed the temperatures this time which i did not do before, the CPU seems to be heating up a lot all cores reaching a temperature of 99 degree Celsius!! the GPU is around 85 Degree Celsius.
Anyway i can reduce the CPU temperature? Or can it be the same heat sink issue?

 

CPU in turbo mode heats up very quickly. When all cores are loaded 100%, it draws about 40W - that's quite a lot. However, upon reaching 90C, the turbo should get switched off to let the CPU cool down. GPU boost works in the same way.

BTW, while bashing CPU with Prime95, I found a workaround that enables full CPU turbo without sacrificing GPU boost (or vice versa). Run ThrottleStop and Set Multiplier to 33 (turbo) and enable 'Power Saver'. CPU turbo will be activated when extra computational power is required, but that will not switch GPU boost off. Minor drawbacks seems to be a slightly increased CPU power draw in idle mode (~ 1W). 99% trick has to be enabled first, obviously.

 

Hi guys, I just have a quick question. I read that Dell 7720 does support Sata 3 but when I open intel Rapid Storage Technology application>>manage, the Sata transfer rate of both my internal disks is only 3 gb/s, Internal ATAPI device is 1.5 Gb/s. Is that common?