Dell XPS M1710 Review (pics, specs)

Hey my take..my wife has the M170 and I have the 9750. Side by side, the Sager screen blows away my wife's LG WUXGA. The colours are deeper and rich and no funny wave diffusion or sparkles. The M1710 has the same screen as the M170, i believe (someone correct me if I am wrong here).

Other than that, once Sager releases the 512mb 7900GTX babies - look out. On the excellent review the M1710 2.16 Duo Core is no slouch but against the FX the PCMark05, the FX is still ahead, mind you the Super Pi is the reverse but the AMD are really bad for the super pi.

Can't go wrong, if you like the Bling Bling return it and get the M1710 but as Chaz said the 9750 with the 7800GTX is no slouch either.

However, judging by your words in that post, I would say your heart is more set on the M1710. Play around and see what you really get for the price.

Tough choices but FUN...

 

Actually, it's improved over the M170 - 30% brighter according to Dell. It looks great to me. Then again, I never saw the WUXGA on the D900K. . .

Yeah, right now, you're going to pay a premium from this notebook. It's gorgeous and a beast, but Dell will probably drop the price a good deal (at least, they have in the past) within a few months of release.

I hope that Nvidia doesn't have too many supply issues with the Go7900 series GPUs as they are having with their desktop counterparts; that could be very bad for shipments.

Chaz

 

Thanks guys - it was your advice and reviews that helped me decide on the Sager and I am actually pretty excited about it. The other factor I guess to consider is just the hassle of returning the Sager. I have been sitting on a copy of Oblivion for almost a month now and avoided reading any reviews or game guides. Not sure how much longer I can wait

But the thought of the 7900 GTX gives me shivers!

 

WOW!! what an amazing review!!! amazing specs, pics, and well written.

Possibly one of the best written reviews that i've read, it was interesting through out!

Good Job!

Thanks,

MysticGolem

 

What are the chances...that if you call Dell and tell them you don't want the 'free' printer that'll they'll give you some money off?

 

Wow...excellent machine and review and 3DMark03 score impressed me. Dell has changed keyboard color from black to grey....imo grey keyboard looks cheaper than black's

 

First , great review , all the things one need to know .

However this is too much for basicly a better gpu + some color and flashy lights . And the card is not even DX10 compatible .

At that price they could've put in a better screen , I'm not impressed by pixel number but by the quality of the lcd meaning nits and contrast , this is a big issue .

The sound system seems like the one in my old 9300 , again its very good ( and one of the reasons why I like it ) but where is the next gen improvment ? a bigger subwoofer ? better front speakers ?

Then we come to the style , they call it xps , I call it a 9200 ( 3 years old ) with some lights and a paint job . One have to admit the inspiron 9xxx was never a really good looker , I'd preffer a sleeker more toned down look with blue leds that have purpose ( indicators ) .

Dell is trying to ride the "premium" market , I for one often consider "premium" as paying much more for only little more , its your choise .

 

There are no DX10 compatable cards out right now, so that point is nil.

It's a gaming behemoth that still gets good battery life. Would you rather it have extremely good speakers that weighs it down more and makes the battery life worse. Who uses notebook speakers on a 17 incher often anyway?

I'm not sure if I'm reading your nit-picking on the screen correctly, you're not impressed with the pixel count, or are you saying that that's fine it's the other parts that you're not impressed with?

I like the style, I'd never buy one myself though, I do think it's pretty unique. How many pale silver notebooks are there out there with alterable LEDs and a red gunmetal finish without modifications?

 

don corazon:
dont it just SUCK when that happens... order a new system, almost here, pop comes out a better one... sometimes at a better price!

find out from dell how long it will take for them to start delivery on the new lappy.

Absterama:
the screen is gorgeous, the glossy is a bit annoying in brightly lit places tho.
but this screen on my lappy which should be same as your 9750, is better and sharper than a CRT i have!

TO BLING OR NOT TO BLING....

 

Oh sorry I forgot all about Andrew...

Andrew you make world's best notebook pictures

Charlie-Peru

 

Great review guys! It really helped with my buying process.

Ironically, I had to cancel an order for the Sager 5950 (7800 GTX SLi) due to a family tragedy and being out of the country (no point having a new sexy laptop arrive the other side of the world to where I am, now is there?).

And then I saw this yesterday on my return. Add to that that I get a 12% discount for working with a Dell partner and I came out very well on my order (highlights listed at the end).

I upgraded all the internals that are awkward to change, such as advanced HD sound, bluetooth and opted for the 7200 rpm HDD. However, I capped the RAM at 1GB because quite frankly I can do better through the Internet. Once Vista comes out I will upgrade to 2 sticks of 2GB 667 SODIMM for 4GB RAM, and be rocking with dual cores, 7900 GTX with 512MB DDR3. 8.8lbs for a DTR is amazing and outclasses ANYTHING out there in the same class for weight. yes, I could get SLi on the Sager 5950, or have gone with the true desktop components of Alienware or voodoo, but quite frankly, I find heat in the summer is enough without sweating onto the keyboard during a game-fest. Plus, 2+ hours of battery life might mean I get a DVD in as well. (sidebar - the SLi notebook solution in the 5950 turns the SLi off on batteries). Besides, the 14lb weight on the 5950 was like swallowing a mental brick - I could rationalize it down, but it would not be pretty.

And all that for $2,900 CANADIAN (which until recently used to be about US$20, but for some reason is probably more like US$2,500 today). Factor in that I live in a province that doesnt charge sales tax (Alberta), and I am coming out with a mobile gaming rig that is as cheap as building a rig myself (assuming I go full out with quality components across the board with a new decent monitor). In addition, this new lappy is about CAN$1,100 cheaper for me than the 5950 was. And all I lost was SLi and 6 lbs, while gaining WUXGA resolution.

I guess my point is, if you can get a discount on this puppy, AND you want mobile gaming, then this is an amazing deal. I am not about to wait until June for AMDs new mobile setup, or Aug for DX10 cards. I want gaming when I visit family this summer

I see the dual core upgrade, FSB speed boost, brighter screen to 250 nits, 7900 GTX video, and the option to go to 4GB of DDR2 667 RAM as coming together to make for one of the better future proofing laptops in recent times. No tech purchase will ever be proofed for more than a few weeks, but hey, this one might make it past a month before it is completely eclipsed!


Order highlights:
1 222-2071 XM1710,CDP T2500(2GHZ)
1 311-5891 1GB,DDR2,667MHZ,2 DIMM,XM1710
1 312-0422 80 WHR,9-CELL,LION,PRIM BATT,XM1710
1 313-4210 DELL RESOURCE CD,BACK-UP,XPS-M1710
1 313-4218 SND BLSTR AUDIGY ADVCD AUDIO,XPS M1710
1 320-4755 LCD,17-INCH,TRUELIFE,WUXGA,BLK,XM1710
1 320-4758 512MB NVIDIA 7900 GTX,XM1710
1 341-3345 80GB HARD DRIVE,7.2K,XM1710
1 420-5591 WINXP MCE 2005,ENG,IXPS,U,FACT
1 430-1210 INT 350 BLUETOOTH WRLESS,I6000
1 430-1660 INTEL PRO/WRLS 3945,A/G,DC,XM1710
1 465-0630 8X DVD+/-RW DRIVE,XPS,NB

 

congrats Carmien! enjoy!

 

A stuuning laptop and a superb review ChazMan, you deserve an award! It's very expensive though, do Dell still make the XPS M170 or have the totally stopped making them? Cause I couldn't find it on the dell website...

 

Excellent review!

But I do have a question ...

Does the docking connector at the bottom of the M1710 exist in the production models? And if so, is it enabled?

It isn't advertised anywhere on the Dell website, but I see it highlighted in your images. I have a D-Series Port Replicator and monitor stand, and the docking port or lack thereof is very important to me.

 

Well, there were some coupons floating around for the M170 that expired on the 17th (I believe). FYI the partner web page of the Dell site in the US and Canada has no mention of the M170s either. Methinks that unless you catch an ebay auction or maybe some refurbished stock (which often fills ebay auctions anyway) you may be out of luck for M170s at this point.

 

Thanx.

On the topic of enjoyment, I suspect you have been having some fun with that very sexy rig of your own.

 

Great review, but I would never put it on the edge of a balcony!!

 

Sorry, but who'd be so stupid as to put their laptop on the edge of a balcony?

 

I believe he was referring to the fashion shots at the end where, if it was tipped over, it'd be splattered all over the streets of New York.

 

he he he...

/rubs sore shoulder from lugging the 13+ pounder ...

 

Yes, you can hook up the M1710 via the Dell docking stations. I'm not sure if you can order them with the notebook or you have to order them seperately.

I tried to get a boot screen pic of that Dell MediaDirect thingy, but it just boots right into Windows. The MediaDirect button launches MCE.

 

I just ordered one of these babies today!!! Dell is extremely negotiable on this too! Heres what I got: XPS M1710, Intel T2500 2Ghz Core Duo, 1 GB Ram, 80 GB SATA 7200 rpm, 7900 GS, 2 Yr Warranty, XPS Backpack... Configured Dell Price: $3351.55 (with tax). My negotiated Price: $2273.78. No coupon codes, just plain 'ol negotiation.

 

What are some ways that you can argue down the price...I talked to one rep and all he would offer was to trade the 'free' printer for 150 off the warranty.
Appreciate any suggestions as I'm pretty set on getting the XPS

 

I spent a lot of time to get mine down to the price I wanted. I had to have the Sales rep call me back, and go to the manager a couple times. Guranteed you can get the price to 2500 shipped though. When you call, phrase your asking price somthing like this: "I was looking at getting the Inspiron e1705, and noticed that the Dual Core XPS just released. The only differences I see is the graphics card and glowing lights. I would prefer to spend a bit more and get an XPS for the better video card, however I cannot justify spending $x more for an XPS. (In my case, the XPS was about 900 more than the e1705 configured). I don't want the video card in the 1705, so my only solution is the XPS. Is there anything we can do to make this priced more reasonably for the difference between the two systems." If they ask what your looking for on price, tell em 2500 shipped, they will bite, guranteed. Oh, and BTW, if the guy that answers the phone for sales is from India, hang up, they dont understand negotiation, everyone else does. I used to be the guy waiting for coupon codes, but I put it this way to the sales rep "I would really like to make a purchase today, If we can come to an agreement on price, I would be more than happy to place the order with you right now." Dell sales reps are not paid on commission, however, they do get points for each computer they sell. You have the power here. If that sales rep needs more computer sales and you need a better price, you will both win. Go get em! Oh, and if anyone beats my deal, let me know, I'm slightly interested to see how people do on price negotiations...

 

I've heard you could haggle with Dell before, but never on an XPS system eek ! What were the specs of the XPS you ordered?

 

XPS M1710, Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 (2GHz/667MHz FSB) Qty: 1 Unit Price: $2,135.00
[222-1711] XPS M1710, Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 (2GHz/667MHz FSB)
[320-4755] 17 inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WUXGA with Black LCD Cover, for XPS M1710
[311-5891] 1GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm, for XPS M1710
[320-4757] 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900, for XPS M1710
[341-3345] 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive for XPS M1710
[420-4768] Microsoft Windows XP Home Service Pack 2, English
[420-4928] Windows Media Player 10
[463-2282] Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
[313-4210] Dell Resource CD with Application Backup,w/Tools for XPS M1710
[420-4830] DELL SUPPORT 3.0
[420-5769] Internet Search and Portal
[420-5477] Dell Direct Download
[430-0493] Integrated 10/100 Network Cardand Modem, for Inspiron
[430-1048] Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0, for Inspiron
[465-2590] 8X DVD+/-RW Drive, for XPS M1710
[420-5783] Sonic Cineplayer
[420-5791] Roxio Creator Basic/MyDVD Basic
[313-4217] Integrated High Definition Audio, for XPS M1710
[430-1660] Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps) for XPS M1710
[412-0850] Network Associates McAfee 7.0,English,90-day Trial
[312-0422] 80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for XPS M1710

 

Everything is negotiable, everything. I walked it to Mc D's once and got a free shake upgrade on my happy meal

 

Reize ,

My point is NOT that you can buy dx10 gpu now but that you spend a lot of money on a notebook that will not be able to run the newest games in a short while , its kind of a gamble how long will it sufice if you know what I mean .

I dont know if you have a 9xxx or xps but I do , my 1 year old review of an 9300 is posted in the site and you'd find it simillar to this new review , meaning not much has changed apart from the core duo and gpu , I'd expect DELL to improve other aspects of the notebook as well , especialy with that price tag .

This is a GREAT notebook , I dare not say otherwise , but its not as refined and flawless to be called "premium" and I'm not sure it would a bad idea to get an E1705 with a 7900 when out at about half the price .

If would to get now a gaming notebook :
A simillar "bare" E1705 2GHZ at about 2000$-750$=1250$
add 2GB mem = 160$
add gpu = 500$
add 7k100 = 200$
Wait for Dell to return the 7900 card option and you'll get it for even less . So you get basicly the same notbook for 2100$ with extra memory and HD to spare , thats is about 1400$ ( 3500$ xps - 2100$ ) for paint and some lights .

I could have the numbers wrong here and there but I hope the idea is clear .

 

That is amazing . I'll have to keep that in mind for all of my future dell orders.

 

Nick, you did pretty good negotiating I also negotiated with my SB rep, having bought A LOT of stuff from her - just received my Latitude D620 AND D820 from her yesterday.

Here's what I got for $2731 (plus tax, free shipping) on my XPS M1710: 1.83 CPU, 1GB DDR2, 80GB 7200RPM HD, 512MB GeForce Go 7900 GTX video, SoundBlaster audio, DVDRW, Intel 3945 wireless, 9 cell battery, Dell 350 Bluetooth module, and 3 years complete care next day warranty.

First time I've ever purchased any extra warranty for a computer (I usually buy Latitudes which comes with 3yr warranty). I plan to use this laptop for at least a year, the complete care warranty really gives you peace of mind. Besides, I figure it would add value when I decide to sell it. This XPS M1710 is to replace my Precision desktop.

Does anyone know what the integrated SoundBlaster is about? It's only a $25 option. Never had a laptop that offered a built-in SoundBlaster.

 

256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900? I thought the GTX was 512MB....

 

WOW!! Great review guys! This looks like quite a killer notebook!

 

You can get it with either the:

- 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS

- 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GTX

 

I know the GTX is better, but, I cannot justify 400 more for a flipin video card. Besides, You know you wont see a 400 difference in performance anyway. Thats also why I utilize the nvidia overclocking utilities Same reason i didnt opt for the 2.16 ghz. Thats 700 bucks between the video and graphics...gimme a break, Id rather take that money and buy another laptop for the garage

 

There is a huge difference...

the 7800GTX beats the 7900GS even, and the 7900GTX has a 30% increase in performance to the 7800GTX

this is now a laptop, im considering

 

Does this mean that my recently purchased M170 makes a better overall gaming machine than the M1710 with the 7900gs. Just curious, as I've been having doubts about not waiting for the M1710 (although I only paid about half the price)

 

The 7900GS is about 12% slower than the Go7800GTX, and it has much lower power consumption (20W). But yes, the Go7800GTX does outperform the Go7900GS.

 

Does it mean that an XPS with 7900GS will have substantially better battery life? Or is it only a peak power consuption in 3D mode that differs?

 

If the 7800GTX is better then the 7900GS then dell shouldn't have offered it as an option! They should have left the 7800GTX and the 7900GTX as the two options. Anyone have a 3dmark05 score for a comparison of the 7800GTX and the 7900GS?

 

Crazy enough, thats all people will need if there just "light" gamers

The M1710 has the 7900GTX, which makes it shine. Put Core duo on top of that, and you have one of the best combo laptop money could buy

 

Nvidia is moving to the GeForce 7900 series over the previous 7800 - that's one reason why the 7900GS is offered in place of the Go7800GTX. They also have to differentiate it from the previous XPS M170 and make it seem newer, and in addition, have to differentiate the high-end XPS from the base model - the GS is on the base, GTX on the premium.

The 7900GS can do a ton more than just "light" gaming - it can run any game out there at maximum settings; not at the resolution of the 7900GTX, but it would be excellent nontheless. I agree with this though:

 

two questions:

1) the Toshiba Satelllite P105-S921 is lighter and cheaper (and is not a dell). it is a slower core dual and is the v9700 ( not GTX). Has anyone had experience with Tohsiba is seems like a nice light and well priced alternative system.

2) OK the not a dell and not a intel thing: I would prefer an AMD. All the bashers of the m1710 - what is the AMD laptop alternative that doesn't cost $4000k and wieghs 15 lbs.

my needs might be different than a gamer, I am a researcher doing 3D realtime systems and need a 7800go or above nvidia for the high end shader tricks we have coded. Battery life is not as much my consideration as carting the thing around and having good over speakers and specs for public presentations.


my quick research shows: ( mostly 17in screens w/ winXP)
Can any one recommend one of these or others.

http://www.voodoopc.com : very expensive, heavy
http://www.falcon-nw.com : very expensive
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com : Gamer Xplorer X64-Ultra Notebook
$2660 for AMD X2 3800+, 1GB RAM ,80GB 7200RPM,7800GTX
http://www.hypersonic-pc.com : Aviator CX7
$2,719. for Pent 2.13 M, 2GB, 100GB 7200RPM, 7800GTX
http://www.sagernotebook.com : NP5720V
$2,530 for Pent M 2.0, 2GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.pro-star.com : PROSTAR 5722
$2,434 for Pent M 2.0, 2GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.malibal.com : Satori
$2,948 for Pent M 2.0, 2GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.velocitymicro.com : NoteMagix™ M57 Ultra
$2605 for Pent M 2.0, 2GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.widowpc.com : Sting 517M
$3149 for Pent M 2.0, 2GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.m-techlaptops.com/
$2615 for Pent M 2.26, 1GB, 80GB 7200rpm, 7800GTX
http://www.amazon.com : tosiba P105-S921
$1,879 for 1.83 Core Dual, 1GB, 160GB 5400rpm, 7900GS
the dell m1710 : as noted

thanks, steve

 

Check out the Dell Precision M90. Around $2000. Basically a XPS M1710 without the bling bling.

What is wrong with Dell anyway? I've owned probably 10 Dell laptops so far, and I am very impressed with all of them, especially the current models. I have had zero problems with any Dells I've owned. I feel Dells are much sturdier than your typical HP and Toshiba and such. Don't know about IBM/Lenovo, seeing that everyone raves about how solid those are.

I currently have a Latitude D620 and D820, and an XPS M170. Just sold my D410. They are all rock solid.

 

I just got wind that I am getting an M1710 and I am excited to say the least! It isn't quite as good as the one reviewed but it is still awesome. It sports the 7900GS and a gig of memory...most the other stuff is similar or identical... how will the GS compare to the GTX ? I know first off that it is 500 bucks less! hah

 

The 7900 GS is a bit worse than the 7800 GTX, by, I believe about 9%.

And the 7900 GTX is about 12% better than the 7800 GTX, so it's about 20% worse than the 7900 GTX, but regardless of that it should do prefectly fine for whatever you want to do.

 

Well, if the 7900GS is that less powerful, I can kinda see how nick1710 got as good a deal with his new XPS 1710.

But he's right though, not everyone can justify shelling out the extra money for the extra power.

Then again, why get a XPS 1710 if you're not gonna get the main reason why it's above the competition right now?

 

The Go7900GS is about 12% slower than the Go7800GTX; the Go7900GTX is about 15% faster than the Go7800GTX, plus or minus. That's all according to 3DMark06 benchmarks.

The M1710 base model has 'just' a Go7900GS, but the advantages over the M170 are that it has a better screen (even though the M170's was very nice), and a Core Duo processor - that's a biggie.

 

I concur with that.

Owned an Inspiron 9100, now have 9300 and loved them both.

Great performance at an aggressive price.

Foresee myself owning only Dell laptops in the future.

Saving up for a gorgeous PRECISION M90.

 

hey i'm new here well we all like the new dell xpsm1710 for sure and there are ahuge competition between dell and ACER TRAVELMATE 8200 guys i am a bit lost because i am gona chose one of them and it will me a presnet of my father , ,,,, well the ACER dont have a real 512mb ATIX1600 vga ,,, but does the DELL XPS have real 512 mb memory ??? later


Double S^S

 

There's no competition between the two. You may want to complete the FAQ in the What Should I Buy forum for recommendations.

Yes, the Go7900GTX does have dedicated memory - all 512MB of it.

Please don't double post.