Dell 17r N7720 SE - user review

I have just updated BIOS to A11 and noticed strange fan behaviour. Quite often, when the laptop is returning from high load to idle, the fan gets stuck at low RPMs. The case is then cold to touch and chips stay in 30 - 35C range. Restarting the laptop or even putting it into stand-by mode for a brief second seems to help, but it is clearly annoying. Anybody else having the same issue?

 

I'm still on A03 but noticed similiar fan behaviour to what you're describing. Usually, going from high load to idle, the fan returns to idle very quickly, within 5-15secs I'd say. However, I've noticed that sometimes it gets stuck in the lower "on" state for about 5-10mins, even when the chip temperatures are well within idle limits...

 

Not sure. It might have been the problem with earlier version as well, but not as bad/noticeable/annoying. And yes, I like how quickly the cooling system responds to load/temperature changes.

 

As promised, here the color profile for the CMN1720 screen : DELL 17RSE CMN1720.zip - UploadHero

The screen capacities vs sRGB is way better than my old Asus G73SW :



It's even better than Apple's MBP from early early / mid 2012 (I calibrated almost 10 of them)

With the Crucial M4 SSD, the computer is totally different than with the stock hard drive.

But i see two drawbacks to this computer :

-The computer keeps fingerprints on it and it's not nice.
-When you have the laptop on your laps, your left lap prevent the fan from having fresh air... A major drawback for me. But i'll deal with it.

So far, i'm really pleased by this computer. It's the cheapest laptops with these specs.

 

I have the same problem with the fan. I'm also on A11 but I'm not sure when it started as I've had the laptop for a short time.

 

Thanks for the color profile. After installing it in Windows, should the display look different, or is this color profile just so photos, etc., look correct on the screen? (sorry if it's a dumb question, I'm not really into calibration and color matching!)

I agree about the fingerprints. The top lid is switchable, and maybe a different color lid would show less fingerprints? I just keep a microfiber cloth handy to wipe it clean and keep it scratch-free.
I also had a handy friend make me some 3/8" bamboo laptop "work surfaces". Just a beautiful square of bamboo veneer with finished edges that you can keep on your notebook on when on your lap or floor or bed, etc.,
that gives you a hard surface and allows proper air flow/cooling. Functional and good looking (and eco-friendly!).

I agree, it is an awesome unit for the price. I grabbed a few at the Outlet a few weeks back when there was a 30% discount, and scored some mint units at a really great price! Cheap but very functional!

 

When you load a color profile, the colors are totally changed on screen for everything, everytime... BUT Nvidia screew it in any Full screen games !

I'm working to find a way to keep it in games but it's not easy. It seems to have a fix with "powerstrip" application but this program only find my HD4000 graphics and not my 650M GT ! (Even if i load the application with "force to use 650m gt")

You can load the color profile with a small application called "Monitor calibration wizard". But use this profile only if you have the same screen as me !

 

Hey Wuinny89, could you possibly upload that ICC profile to a different host? UploadHero is being a real b*tch about downloads for free users. Possibly Dropbox, Google Drive, Mediafire, or some other major cloud/sharing service?

 

Thank you for sharing.

 

Another service that don't need subscription for uploading ?

What is the problem with uploadhero for a file that weight 2Kb ?

 

What is the Hardware ID of your LCD under device manager/monitors? If we have the same device ID, we have the same panel model.

 

I contacted crucial and they guaranteed that Ican add the mSATA SSD...

Although it's the first time i will attempt something like that and I would like ot know if there is any tutorial for this. A video would be extremely helpful.

 

I contacted Crucial after my 256GB mSATA failed to work in the 17R SE. I used chat, and they said that I'd have to call. I knew that would go nowhere.
If you buy that SSD directly from Crucial, then the guarantee is good, otherwise, you better buy it from somewhere that has a good return policy "just in case".

 

They told me that i can return it in case it doesn't work... They told me the same about the 2x8GB RAM Kit...

If i install the SSD by my self, am I gonna lose the guarantee???

 

My 17R SE is still on bios A02, I can confirm that Crucial mSATA 256G SSD works on A02, the bios can detect it as Crucial mSATA 256G SSD, and Win7 boots up fine from the SSD, the SSD is now my primary boot drive, the original 1T hard drive is now my secondary drive. So I am not sure if later bios will cause the problem or not.

 

Thanks for confirming that. It's good information to know! I'm still waiting for my next mSATA 256GB to be delivered. There still isn't any tracking data, so I have no idea.

 

As in the name of the file, it's a CMN1720 (Chi Mei panel) :hi2:

 

I called Dell. Here in Sweden they have two models of Inspiron 17R SE 7720. The only difference between those is that the more expensive one has one more hard disk and 8GB of RAM instead of 6GB that the cheaper has.

My intention was to buy the cheaper and install an mSATA SSD and 16GB RAM.

On the phone they told me that those two models have a different motherboard and I can install mSATA SSD only in the expensive model!!! Can this be true???

I am really disappointed with dell already and I haven't bought the notebook yet!!! They just don't know what is compatible or not with their products!!!

 

It's telling me it's run out of free download slots, so no download for me even with that file size...
oh well, will try again sometime today...

 

I very much doubt they are using two different motherboards.. Back during the A01 BIOS days, you had to order the configuration with the mSATA disk installed by DELL, otherwise the BIOS just did not have the option of configuring your own. This was fixed in a later BIOS version (A08 I think, or A03?) and since then, you should be able to use an mSATA disk with any 7720 configuration you get from DELL.

From my experience with DELL, the support staff on chat and phone are absolutely CLUELESS about the specifics of their products. They actually sometimes get the facts posted on their own website wrong, let alone go into more technical details (when I was ordering my 7720, I called DELL about getting a backlit keyboard, the rep was under the impression that all 7720 had backlit keyboards by default, and I had to point him to their own website to convince him otherwise)... they also continue to claim that the MB can't handle more than 8gigs of RAM, oblivious to the fact that this has been tried/tested/reported as working perfectly well by many...

 

I called them again.

This time they said that there is actually 2 motherboards. The one supports mSATA SSD and the other not. Just now they don't have any motherboard that supports mSATA available and none of the configurations can support it.

I really don't know what to do. The biggest problem I have is that i need it as soon as possible...

Has anyone ever known something about two different mobos???

 

I can upload it on any other website. Just tell me which one is OK for you. I just don't wan't to registrer.

That's bull. If you called a commercial, they'll tell you anything to sell you a more expensive model. If not, they don't know anything about it !

Here in Belgium, i just have bought the less expensive one (6Gb ram instead of 8) and i have the Msata and i had the second hard drive caddy too ! The more expensive model don't worth the 100 extra € asked for it !

 

I've just bought 17R SE, and it has a Chi Mei CMN1720 panel. As I don't have a calibration device at the moment, I've tried a few ICC profiles which I found in the Internet, and here are the results (the default profile has a strong blue tint):

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...4-inspiron-17r-se-photographers-review-2.html
Panel: unknown
Image quality: unacceptable, strong purple tint

Review Dell Inspiron 17R-SE-7720 Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
Panel: unknown
Image quality: good. It looks like Notebookcheck reviewed the model with a Chi Mei panel.

Review MSI GT780R Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
Panel: CMN1720
Image quality: good.

Review Dell Precision M6600 Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
Panel: CMN1720
Image quality: good.

Review Clevo P170EM Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
Panel: CMN1720
Image quality: good.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...675037-dell-17r-n7720-se-user-review-146.html (this thread)
Panel: CMN1720
Image quality: unacceptable, strong red tint.

It looks like there is quite a bit of variation even within the same panel model, so ideally one should use a calibration device. I've ended up using the profile from the 17R SE review http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Inspiron-17R-SE-7720-Notebook.80063.0.html as I like it a bit better than the other "good" ones, but there's not much between them.

 

Procedure for installing the ICC profile:


Download and unpack the attached profile to a temporary folder
Copy the ICC profile to C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color



Procedure for configuring an ICC profile:


Click the Start button
Type "color" and open Color Management
Go to the Advanced tab at the top and click the Change system defaults button
Make sure the Device dropdown list has Intel(R) HD Graphics selected and check the "Use me settings for this device" box
Click the Add button
Scroll down to ICC profiles and locate the m11xR2_xx-xx-xxx.icc profile
The profile is now set as the default ICC profile for the Intel HD Graphics adapter
Go to the Advanced tab
Check the "Use Windows display calibration" check box
Click the Close button
Click the Close button again

 

Flash tool:
Download Flash_Tool.zip from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

Links removed per svl7's request.

Remember to load setup defaults in BIOS after reboot

Original thread can be found here:

Dell Inspiron 7720 650m GDDR5 modded vBIOS

Thanks to svl7

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !
[photo taken by iphone 4S]

 

Hello everyone and Happy Hollydays to all.
First of all, excuse me if I'm typing something wrong, but english is not my first laguage.
Because I allready own an verry old inspiron D630 and I was quite happy with his performance i decided to buy a new one, and here it is. Next week the new W7 or W8 (will see what santa bring's) will be instaled in my PC and want to know as much as I can before the step will be taken, reading your's review from first to last page was the first thing to do. Now, because that is much disscusion about ICC profile, decided to download the files posted here, but all that i see is a txt file that is, at least strange to me. maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, so please be pacient to me, treat me as a newbie, and tell me exactly where i can find the right specs of my screen without dismantaling the laptop and how i can dowload a correct ICC profile (i suspect that the panel is CM but nothing else)
Thx in advance guys for enlightment

 

I have a different panel. It's LGD02DA. I guess made by LG? There must be two suppliers of the 1080p panels Dell uses...

I must say, mine looks spectacular (without any profile) but i've nothing to compare it to !!

After a little research, seems this LG is highly regarded. It was used in the Alienware M17xR3 and most people that have it really like it (as do I).
The CMN1720 has been described by some as "grainy".

 

Hello!

I am planning on getting my Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition in the morning and I have a few questions and its my first laptop. Also sorry if I make typos english is not my native language (French Canadian).

So here's my questions.
1. What should I do first once its out of the box?
2. Should I get a 3 year warranty with Dell?
3. When I want to upgrade, whats the first thing I should update/or change?

My Dell's Specs:
Core i7-3630QM (6MB cache, up to 3.4Ghz)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD + 32GB mSATA SSD
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 2GB

Cant wait to play my favorite game on this!

 

I know what you WON'T be doing first...watching any HOCKEY! (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!)

Not sure of your technical expertise, but you should seriously consider getting a separate SSD (not the 32GB used for caching) and move your Windows to it.
That's the biggest performance improvement you can do. There is room to move your 1TB drive to the 2nd bay and have a big data drive (D .
Crucial or Samsung are good choices. If you can get a good deal, the Kingston HyperX series are a good value and dependable.

Other than that, do updates, uninstall any of the stuff that Dell installed that you don't care for (there really isn't much).

Lastly and most important, ENJOY IT! It's a real nice unit, especially for the price.

 

1) First thing to do after unpacking? Check that everything works (usb ports, wifi, lan, speakers, headphone sockets, webcam etc) and that you're happy with the screen. No point in spending time installing software and setting everything up, if you later find out you need to have the laptop swapped due to some defect..

2) Is the 3 year warranty worth the price? Only you can decide that. We have 2 years warranty as standard thanks to the EU, so I personally did not pay extra for the 3rd year..I figure if the laptop survives that long it's probably gonna be ok for another 3-5 years anyway (except the mechanical disks, but those usually have a separate warranty from the manufacturer).... but again, depends on how you use a laptop. I keep my 7720 at home 95% of the time, using it as a semi-mobile desktop replacement. If you use a laptop as a mobile workhorse, carrying it to school/office every day of the week, the extended warranty may very well be worth the extra cost for you..

3) Not much you can upgrade on laptops to be honest.

You can change the hard disks, add more RAM, add a mSATA disk...that's about it, really.

If I had the setup you ordered, first thing I would do is put in a 250 or 500GB SSD and do a total reinstall of Windows. Keep the OS and all software on the SSD, and have the mechanical disk only for media storage... but hey, that's beneficial to my workflows, you might have different needs.

The 8GB of RAM should be enough to last you for the life of the laptop, again unless you have a very specific need for more (heavy Photoshop usage or something similar comes to mind). I keep 6GB in mine, as I do not do anything memory heavy on my 7720..

 

For all you guys with the 3D screen, here is my calibration. It was done at 50% brightness.


17RSE-3D-Samsung Display.icm (9.29KB)

Download Link
Download 17RSE-3D-Samsung Display.icm from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

Report from calibration
Spyder3Elite 4.0.pdf (135.32KB)

Download Link
Download Spyder3Elite 4.0.pdf from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

 

I am not a big Hockey fan =/

I totally suck in computers and dont know anything about them. I could afford getting a seperate SSD soon but would it be hard to install it? I am thinking of getting either Samsung or Crucial.
I cant wait to get this baby today and try it out!

 

Thanks for the reply! I'll be using Photoshop and Illustration and Dreamweaver a lot. I am going to be studying in Web and Graphic Design in January so I guess I will have to look into that as well.

 

It is very easy to install a SSD - take out power souce, tke out battery, 2 screws at the botom to remove the plastik cover, and you find the bay for SSD. Unscrew the 4 screw that keep in place the soft aluminium suport for the disk, find screw for fixing the ssd ( if they are not suply with SSD) and put the SSD inside the bay . Screw back the plastick cover from the back and that's it. Simple as that

 

Bugger, never bought a monday piece laptop before. Anyone else had problems booting up from usb sticks? The option is visible if legacy booting is allowed but the darn usb sticks just will not boot. System acts as there is no installation media in the usb stick.

Dell Diagnostics test now reports Msg: Video memory - Video memory integrity test discrepancy
Error code: 2000-0332
Validation 95891

Now trying to figure out how to send this system back to dell via mail here in Austria... Apparently the motherboard is miss behaving and thus the problems above with usb not booting.

 

1.
remove bloat-ware.......either you just remove them or do a clean install of windows
then....set your Msata to maximum performance (inside Intel Rapid storage).............pretty much it
2.
i use to get 1 year, then i just buy one more year when the first year start to end...way smarter (you not know if you have it for 3 years)..only time i took 3 year where when i got discount on the warranty
3.
i would go for a big 7200rpm hard drive (why ?? just because you already paid for the msata SSD
(no need to remove a excellent msata/cache function for a expensive, smaller SSD)...............CPU & GPU are still top notch.

 

Okay sorry took me so long to post..

I am finally on my brand new laptop which is AWESOME even though took me 8 hours to be able to do anything on it. When I got my laptop the NVIDIA graphic card was not in my laptop! (Not even kidding..) so I had to drive back to the store to just tell me "Oops we dont have this laptop in store anymore, you will have to go to another store" so I do that, took me almost 4 hours and once I get there the guy pretty much tells me that I am stupid cause the card have to be in there.. After waiting 30 minutes on him to open the laptop he just goes back to me "Oh.. The card was actually not in there!.."

So after 5 hours drive, I finally got to sit back on my couch and decided to fall asleep.. XD but today I finally got to try this baby and damn I am loving it. The only thing I hate is the fact that I have windows 8 but will use Windows 7. Right now I am just enjoying the sound of this laptop and my favorite game running on the highest settings and seeing my FPS at 50-60

Yep I am making my Boyfriend totally jealous right now which is epic!

 

I think they were lying to you. The nvidia gpu is part of the motherboard assembly. Maybe it was a driver that was missing.

Je comprends rien, lol !!

 

Haha wish I understood better as well anyhow I am in love with this awesome laptop right now. :3

 

Hi!!

Can someone suggest a good cooling pad for the 17R S.E... Thanks in advance

 

Logisys NP8BK N8 Aluminum Laptop Cooling Pad with Dual 140mm Fans New | eBay

 

i cleaned my Heat-sink today...........
the laptop run never over 70C during games before.... (after cleaning, 2-3 C more vanished.....(had quite some dust).

40min playing BF3 with all eye-candy enabled im impressed by this build.

 

My old G73SW was a pain in the for the dust.

I had to clean it every two months and the temps was lowering by 10 degres for the GPU.

 

the "issue" here is some people are a bit scared disassembling their laptops, (replacing stock thermal paste, etc......

im not blame them......have you never done it before, it can be slightly appalling.

but, i think you should give it a try.........its a win win situation, (you get a better gaming laptop).

 

If you have enough experience it’s probably great. Personally after I managed to break a graphics card while changing the cooler I’m trying to make use of customer support. I’m used to extending the warranty to 3 years and with my last laptop I had it cleaned several times, they gave me a new adapter (later on I realised I fried it by accident), a new graphics card (before they noticed the adapter is damaged), and a new hard drive and ram after it blue-screened once. All for free as a part of carry-in warranty.

Now, with the NBD warranty, I’ll try to arrange that they use a better cooling paste, either way I expect them to handle the cleaning, hopefully on site or within a couple of days. I don’t like arguing but I’m more comfortable making use of the warranty as it’s my right rather than being liable for some damage.

 

Hi everyone, I would like to clean my fan but it's necessary to remove the keyboard but I can't remove it.
How do you do

 

Have you checked the owner's manual? It shouldn't be too difficult, it helps to have a small flat head screwdriver, or something similar but made of plastic. You just carefully lift a part of the keyboard from the top edge (careful not to scratch the display) and then try to get a grip on the keyboard with your fingers.. Afterwards just gently pull up until the whole top edge of the keyboard snaps free from the palm rest. You need to be extra careful with the screwdriver, should be easy afterwards..

 

It's all in the manual
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...inspiron-17r-se-7720_Owner's Manual_en-us.pdf

 

I just run into a problem and please tell me what to do.
When i tried to install Widi i see that the response from the automatic software detection was: "Intel® Wireless Display was not detected on system. View support for next steps."
What can I do to actually make WiDi work?