Dell Precision M6700 Owner's Review

UPDATE: Just found a DVI identification guide online...

The dock's CONNECTORS are DVI-D dual-link, but not DVI-I dual-link. The single-link connector leaves out some of the pins in the rectangular matrix of pins, and that's not the case with the dock's connectors. The DVI cables supplied with the U2713H's are dual-link DVI-D as well.

So maybe this one is a false alarm, but I'm going to make time to test it just the same. I should be able to eliminate one of the DP cables from the current configuration and replace it with DVI, and still run 2560x1440 on the U2713H's I have now. If that doesn't work, I'll start figuring out how to source DP cables.

Thanks, Aaron!

xPat

 

Pretty sure they are single link DVI on the dock.

 

A couple of DVI connectors on Wikipedia:
FileVI Connector Types.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note that just because the receptor accepts all of the pins indicated for a dual-link cable doesn't mean that you'll get dual-link connectivity. They might just be there so that the port can physically accept a cable with those pins. (How crummy would it be to have to find a new cable because the one you have has too many pins?)

Anyway, looks like you should be able to test it with the monitors you already have.

 

Many thanks to all here who offered so many helpful comments. The short story is that after $7k of monitor and accessory purchases from Dell, I've concluded that all your concerns cited here were spot on, Dell was full of crap, and this system can't really support a 3-display configuration in a useful way.

Actually the guys in Dell Support were super to work with, and it's not their fault that their employer gives them crap documentation to work from. But the reality of the situation is you can only run 2 external monitors at decent res with this system. My final e-mail to Dell support (below) describes all the gory details of what works and what doesn't.

xPat

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Craig and Steve:

First, I want to reiterate that you guys have both been great to work with, and I appreciate your professionalism. It’s not your fault that your company sucks at supporting you with accurate information about what really is and isn’t supported by your products. No wonder Carl Icahn has set his sights on Dell…

I’m so frustrated I could scream! Again, I respect that you guys have done all you can to give me the information available to you, but frankly it was all wrong. Had you guys [been able to] give me straight answers when I first inquired about this configuration, I would have bought a Precision desktop workstation with the right video cards to drive (5) U2713’s. What a pity Dell both blew that sale, blew my previously extreme loyalty to Dell, and wasted countless hours of my time by giving you guys B.S. information to work from.

FYI, here is the real scoop on multiple displays with the m6700 and the Eport Plus II dock.

As first I then eventually Craig predicted, 2560x1440 over VGA was a pipe dream. 1920x1200 is the max res supported over VGA. Actually, you can tweak it to get 1152x2048, but even that is flaky and seems unreliable. 19x12 is the best you can make work over VGA reliably with the ePort Plus II. This means my 3rd monitor has to run at markedly reduced res, making the overall configuration of dubious value to me.

But wait, it gets better… Just as the folks on notebookreview.com predicted almost instantly when I described chapter 2 of this saga there, 2560x1440 over the ePort Plus’ DVI outs proved to be yet another pipe dream. As we have discussed previously, when my U2713HM’s arrived today (replacements for the U2713H’s that didn’t have VGA ports), the only option to connect them was using DVI. These monitors do have a DP in, but they don’t come with DP cables, and the DP-to-Mini-DP cables I have on hand from the U2713H’s can’t be used because both the dock and the monitors have DP only – no mini-DP. I asked about this at one point and was assured I didn’t need to order any DP cables with the U2713HM’s because the included cables would support the intended configuration!

The folks on notebookreview.com seem convinced the problem is that the dock doesn’t really support dual-link DVI, even though the connectors and cables supplied do appear to be dual-link. It’s quite frustrating that these users (who have never even tried this before) knew almost instantly that this plan wasn’t really going to work, but based on the crap documentation Dell gives you guys to work from, you assured me it would.

So now I’m really screwed. I spent my Saturday running around Puerto Vallarta trying to source DP cables, and of course nobody in Mexico has ever heard of DisplayPort. I asked you guys whether I should order DP cables when I ordered the U2713HM’s, and was told they were not necessary because 2560x1440 would work fine over DVI.

So right now I’m running on (2) U2713H’s connected with the DP-to-Mini-DP cables that came with them, and (1) U2713HM running at dramatically reduced resolution over VGA, and spending my weekend calling all over Mexico trying to find a DisplayPort cable I can go buy. I’m sure Dell Mexico would be happy to sell me one with 4-6 week lead time, or I could buy them from Dell U.S. and spend ANOTHER $150 in international FedEx and Customs fees to get the stupid things forwarded to me.

This isn’t fun. How’s your weekend going?

Craig, I really hope you will take action to get your management to update the internal documents to reflect reality. It’s now obvious that this “m6700s can drive 3 external hi-res monitors” story is a marketing lie.

Had Dell just been straight with me from Day 1, I would have bought a high end Precision desktop and 5 monitors. All the loyalty you guys earned by taking such great care of me when your contractors botched 5 service calls in a row last fall has been burned up by this experience. I’ll build the desktop that actually solves my problem myself, using parts from NewEgg. That way at least I know where to find the guy responsible for making the damned thing work! Please make sure your management hears that this desktop won’t be the last system I would have bought from Dell, but now realize I’m better off building myself.

Again, you two guys have been fantastic to work with, and I have no complaints with either of you personally. But if you want to know how I feel about Dell as a corporation at the moment, I’m suddenly rooting for Carl Icahn, to be perfectly honest.

Frustratedly yours,

 

So I have 2 M6700's that I could use, One has the RGB IPS LED Screen while the other is the standard LED screen. Now I know with the IPS I cannot use optimus while with the standard LED screen I can. How much battery life difference is there between the both??? For the most part 60-70% off the time it will be connected to a docking station powering 3 monitors. The rest of the specs in terms of graphics (K5000M) and cpu/memory is the same.


Thoughts??

 

They better be low-res monitors, or the whole plan won't work. The issues I've described preventing an m6700 with dock from driving 3 hi-res monitors reflect limitations of the dock, so your K5000m vs. my K3000m won't help. You should assume 1920x1200 is max res on the 3 external monitors.

xPat

 

Both laptops have the K5000M and power 2 24's and a 30 inch just fine. Just want to know should I go with the Better screen/less battery life vs. Better battery life and Standard screen??

 

So I saw this model and thought that it would be a nice laptop for college. For now I'll be using Adobe CS primarily Photoshop and Premiere Pro and personally gaming. I wanted to know 2 things about this:

1: I have a 15 in. Dell and while big, not as big as the Precision and I wanted to know how portable is the laptop?

2: When I home I tend to have my laptop plugged in to my monitor along with my video capture card and the AC Adapter. Should I get a docking station to make it easier to disconnect from my desk setup?

3: If I want my laptop to still be of use throughout my 4 years in college, should I get the M6700 over the M4700?

 

1. It is pretty subjective, the machine with adapter is easily close or over 10lb. It should be fine if you don't carry books though.
2. Dock is awesome, if you don't need usb3 off the dock, you can get them pretty cheap on ebay.
3. both should last through 4 years, depends on how much power you need. M6700 have better gpu and offer wide gamut IPS, but you already have external monitor so it may not matter.

 

They're both laptops? However, if you have to ask....

Its a convenience tool. If you can afford one, by all means get one.

Other than the more powerful k5000m graphics card for the 6700, they are identical.

Incidentally, unless you're a graduate student working on formula for cold fusion, the 6700/4700 are likely overkill for your needs.

These are professional workstations, not leaning tools. Get them to use in your profession once you graduate. Unless of course money is no object. In that case, enjoy!