M17X R2 Purchase - Good Deal/Any Suggestions?

I just purchased from the Dell Outlet a cert refurb M17X R2.

Here are the stats.

NEBULA RED

I7-720QM 1.6GHZ
8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 RAM
256GB SSD
BLUETOOTH MODULE
SLOT LOAD BLURAY PLAYER
17 WXGA+ SCREEN
1GB 5870 GRAPHICS CARD

PAID JUST OVER 1400 TOTAL AFTER A 350 OFF COUPON

Was that a good deal? Any suggestions to things I should upgrade/download when I receive it in the mail?

thanks in advance.

 

That is a great deal!! The only few issues are: you got the 1440 x 900 screen. Which is very dark and to me(IMO) seems washed out compared to the RGB LED(WUXGA) screen I have. The other issue is that you got a single 5870M. And last issue is the 720QM. The 256GB SSD is awesome. For 300.00 more you could have got a maxed out R2 with 920XM, RGB LED, Dual 5870M cards. The good thing is that you could upgrade later but it will be very spendy.

I would return it for a better model if I was you. I hate to sound mean but you are probably gonna want to have a better CPU(400.00), Dual GPU(extra 500.00) and a better screen(699.99 ebay or 1100.00 Dell).<--it's better to spend 300.00 now than alot more later.

 

I would definitely go for SLi and rgb screen.

 

Hey, thanks for the feedback! Since I got a refurb I could only choose from builds available on the site. The only RGB screens were on 23-2400 configurations. My budget was 1400, so I just tried to max out what I could.

Since I do plan on upgrading, what would you recommend I do first? Also, is it possible to add another graphics card? The same one?

Sorry about the dumb questions, old pc gamer getting back into it, been on consoles the past 10 years (miss playing cstrike til 4am before school)

Thanks again.

 

yesterday they had maxed out R2's without the SSD for 1700-1800.0USD

 

Yea, I meant with the SSD, I guess I should have specified that.

 

I see that you made it to the right forum....I really hope that you get another configuration because the RGB LED, 920XM/940XM and another 5870M with Crossfire cable are super expensive to upgrade.

 

Where you able to cancel your order and get a better configuration?

 

Dont pay them for their ssd. get one with a regular hdd andupgrade the ssd yourself. FOr the price you pay for ssd you could have xfire, rgb screen and a better cpu. The ssd is an easy swap. The cpu, xfire and rgb as posted above cost a fortune to upgrade. So why not get the specs that cost so much and do the easy upgrades yourself. The Dell ssd isnt the greatest either.

 

Well I called and was talking to a Dell outlet associate, telling them what features I wanted. They said the cheapest r2 to feature the RGB was 1800. So I asked about any systems with the 920/940 with crossfire, and again the price hovered around 1650. I expressed my concern with the current purchase and possibly just returning all together and they offered an additional 150 off, if I kept my system.


So I kept my current configuration, simply because I don't have any more money to spend (I'll be eating ramen for at least a month), and my final price is now around 1240, after tax. They also upgraded my shipping for free, to overnight, so I should have it Friday.

Also, while I do want the RGB screen since everyone said it is quite great, most of my gaming at home is hooked up to my HD 1080p optoma projector and samsung 7.1 surround.

This laptop is really a 1-2 year temp for me, I may add an additional graphics card, but I'll probably be investing in another m17x or m18x once I secure an industry job.

 

No, it's not the most powerful system configuration. You had a budget to maintain though. You will be very happy with it. Since you got a single GPU, the 1440x900 screen will run games at higher details/resolutions for longer. The screen will be expensive to upgrade later, but it's not hard to find a 920XM and another 5870 in the future if you choose to. Have fun with it man!