-->*OFFICIAL: Dell XPS M1730 Owner's Lounge*<--

Dear Pommie

TnX for your answer

Pet

 

My thoughts precisely.
Im also like you and like to keep things 'neat'! lol

Theres really no point. The RAM speed is limited on the mainboard to 667MHz. Even if you purchase Ram that can run at 800MHz, it will still only operate at 667MHz.

I dont have a clue as to why Dell have done this. This is supposed to be the 'ultimate gaming laptop' so why would you limit the RAM? This RAM limitation is the only thing that holds the entire system back. All my Vista performance scores are 5.6-5.9, and its being held back by the RAM which only scores 5.

Im not sure if they can bring out a BIOs update to solve this or not. If they did, I would probably go for it and upgrade my RAM also. But at the moment theres no point purchaing 800MHz RAM. By all means, purchase an extra 2Gb to get you up to the max, if you really need it, but dont think it will run at 800MHz.

I also had problems with MD. So I also left it. I use it within Vista to watch BluRay movies, since you cant watch BD through Media Centre, and PowerDVD playback kept pausing now and then. on MD it works perfect.

I have just purchased Everest to show my system temperatures. It a really cool little application - shows you everything about you system. You can then set it to display a range of item in the LCD display.
At the moment, I have it displaying the following info through the LCD:

CPU Temp
CPU Core 1 Temp
CPU Core 2 Temp
GPU1 Temp
GPU2 Temp
CPU Utilisation
RAM Utilisation

All the above is being displayed on the one LCD screen. Its perfect - I do highly recommend it.

Trouble is you need to pay for it, which I didnt like doing. Im trying to forget that bit!

Check it out - its called Everest Ultimate Edition and is available on the Lavasys web site.Gimme a shout if you want any screen shots of it, and any photos of the info being displayed on the LCD display.

 

Let us know how it runs etc!

 

Any ideas anyone?

 

8800 GPU is rated for 115C
The one in my P6831FX ran at 80C with no problem under load

It always concerned me that it ran that hot but supposedly that is normal, I would imagine tho that the 8800's in the XPS would run at bit cooler due to the better vent setup than the 6831.

 

I just played Assassins Creed on my beast.. It runs in 1920x1200 with all details maxed BEAUTIFULLY.

 

The 965M chipset only supports 667MHz speed, it is not something Dell has put in, other laptops based on chipset have the same limitation.

It would be possible to change the BIOS to allow for overclocking of the memory, however Dell is not likely to provide this as it could make the system unstable. In any case, performance difference between 667 and 800 MHz is minimal

 

I had an overheating problem, I was playing with SLI conf, and I set power management to maximum performances... I didn't pay attention to the power cable that was disconnected.... after some minutes laptop turn-off and battery led status was blinking orange/blue (overheat alarm).

I solved the battery failure waiting till laptop was cold and then disconnecting a reconnecting the battery... but I really don't know why that happened, I only know that the laptop case (and the air coming from fans grids) was very HOT.

Dell told me they didn't experienced a case like mine..... so.. the only think I can do is keep under control temperatures.

I think to use everest app, activating the plug in to "see" temperatures on LCD game display (TnX to this forum people).

 

Assassins Creed is out??
I didnt think it had been released yet??????

 

Woohoo! I'm in production! Estimated ship date 3-10-08!

And they decided to toss in a free Logitech G9 gaming mouse. Neato!

 

I did and I maintain. There are 2 command lines you can use under DOS command line that allow 4GB on Vista 32 by using a different mapping methodology. This is in every Vista tweaking forum, I picked just one:
http://www.thegeeksweek.com/blog/enabling-pae-on-32-bit-windows-vista.html

 

Has anyone else ordered the X9000?

With everyone discussing heat it will be interesting to measure and see the difference against the X7900...

Laurent

 

This is not entirely true...The score on RAM performance is very CPU dependant. The main reason why you get only 5 is because you don't have a quadcore processor which is the current baseline for obtinaing a score above 5.5.

Many tests have shown that 800Mhz is not providing a huge performance boost because there are other limitations that play a role before the frequence plays a bigger role.

Try overclocking your CPU and rerun the Windows test and see if you get a score above 5.2.

On my XPS 1710 I had the same 4GB ram and my score was 4.6...

 

What do you guys think of that???

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Intel-Core-2-...ageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m122

Looks like a very good price to me...

 

I just placed my order today estimated shipment dates is 3-11 cant wait
I have the X9000 also with the free g9 gaming mouse

 

PAE will allow the OS to use more than 4GB of RAM, but individual applications are still limited to 2GB. Contrast that to 64bit version of Vista (or XP) which gives even 32bit applications access to 4GB of RAM. That means that if you are running an application that needs more than 2GB, it will run out of virtual addresses and Windows will start paging memory in and out - and that happens even if PAE is on.

 

Thx for info, Kermit. Gonna get 4GB kit from OCZ

Poteen, as far as I know, Assasin's Creed (PC) is not out till the end of March...?

Ok, so that nobody will ask and say that it is all Dell's fault with RAM frequences, there we go http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=21429 It is a comparison test of two RAM, but on the first two pages they cover this question.

And as for X9000, in the review, link to which was posted here a few pages ago, they scored less in 3DMark, than some people here with X7900. And also, I don't see much of performance increase in Crysis, like it has been said here a while ago.

P.S. Oh, and something tells me, that that Everst, link to which I posted a few pages ago is free

 

WOW!!! Just checked Irish Dell web site. X7900 is extra 1181 euro over T9300! It used to be 600 a few days ago. Looks like Dell is running short on X7900.

 

Yea i saw that!
Uk site went from 470>770!!

Glad i ordered it 3 weeks ago

x7900 vs x9000 <5% performance depending on app

I think everyone is forgetting the x7900 main advantage over the x9000...In these long winter months it should heat your room/home nicely

Roll on 13th!!!

 

Well veggie since i live in louisiana i dont have to cold of a winter and the summers are really hot

 

In Belgium they even stopped selling the x7900 ... just when I was about to place an order.

 

wow technology really does move fast.
Im really pretty happy with my system and its performance now. The only thing Im waiting for is the new GPU driver thats currently in testing - hopefully it will be released soon, since the performance increase with it seems quite drastic.

 

sorry for silly question but...the ageia phisix processor when exactly work ? I mean does it need a specific applications/game that call it ?

 

Quick update on temps with the cooler....

When Idle in windows doing simple taks such as browsing the net...

Pretty much same as before. When switching the laptop on, the temp when it boots up completely is at around 32c. It then slowly rises to around 74c, after which the fans kick in and reduce the temps to about 58-59c, and the cycle continues. The CPU temp stays between 40-50c. However, the cooler ensures that the temperature rises much slower, and when the laptop fan kicks in (at low speed) the temp drops much quicker.

So basically the temp increases slower, and drops quicker. All round, it seems pretty fair.

When gaming....

I ran BioShock for about 45-50mins. As I played I kept an eye on the temps in the LCD Display. When the game started the CPU was peaking at around 77c, and the GPUs were at around 69.

The laptop fans kicked in, at low speed, so you could hardly hear them. Previously, the fans would kick in, reduce the temps, then turn off, and the temps would increase a lot more before the fan kept them under control.

With the cooler, the CPU temp decreased to around 40, and the GPUs to around 64-65c. Throughout the entire 50 mins while I played the game, the temp stayed exactly where it was. It didnt increase, nor did it decrease, whatsoever. Just stuck at 64c.

Fan noise is minimal. With the cooler on high speed, and the laptop fans on low speed, it really isn enough to bother you or disturb gameplay whatsoever. I actually forgot about the fan noise altogether as I got into the game, since it was so minimal.

Overall, if you are thinking of buying this cooler, Im not going to say its completely essential and that you should rush out and get one straight away. The laptop does a very good job of keeping temperature regulated anyway, but the cooler obviously does help a fair amount. If you are a heavy gamer, I would recommend you seriously consider its purchase.

 

Question to all Zalman 2000 cooler owners. Does it fit into XPS backpack?

 

Yes. At the moment only a few games actually make any use of it. You dont need to switch the processor on or off. If the game supports hardware physics, you will probably see an option in the game that you can switch on. As I said, only very few games will make use of it, which is why most people tend to feel its a component you shouldnt waste money on.

However, since Nvidia have just taken over Ageia, we could be seeing more games that cater for the physics card being produced. Whether this happens or not is yet to be seen. At the current point in time, its pretty useless.

 

Hmm, as Ive sold the backpack I cant check. However I think if it did fit it would be pretty tight. The laptop fit fine, quite snug, but the cooler is slightly bigger then the laptop - not in terms of width, but in terms of height.
You could probably get away with fitting it in, but probably at a squeeze.

Check my videos to see the cooler with the XPS on top, and you'll see what I mean about the slight difference in size...

 

ifti tnx for answer

 

Actually, the problem is when you start modifying the base partitions. If you go with anything but the 2 standard partition layouts they give you it causes tons of issues. Your options are 1 or 2 partitions, you do anything fancy beyond that and it'll crash and burn.

 

Quick pic on the type of info Everest Ultimate can show.......

(had to use the flash at close range to get a clear image of the text, so some of the colour may be a bit off!)

 

I'm having problems to find all the xps m1730 drivers for vista 64-bit.
I can't find the Logitech display driver and the Dell Quickset Tool for vista 64-bit.

Is there somebody ho has also a dell xps m1730 with vista 64-bit and are those 32-bit drivers working on it?

 

Supreme Commander is a game that focuses more on the CPU than anything else. It ran fairly well, had the res set to 1440 x 900, all settings around medium, a couple low like shadows, and no AA. Ran ok, but as usual, as soon as all four players hit 1000 unit limit, and started fighting, the frame rates took a large drop! I reckon you guys with Xtreme processors should have a much better experience. But yeah, I was still impressed with how well it ran.

One problem with the game is it doesn't utilise dual core. You can see this while playing, one CPU goes close to 100% pretty much the whole game, whilst the other sits there doing nothing... Annoying! But games should start coming out more and more that utilise both cores.

XP users, what drivers are you using?

 

ifti, any updates on those shots of your blue m1730?

 

Ok, so the question I have is, if you are running Vista 32bit with 4Gb RAM, is enabling PAE recommended? What effect will this have?

 

I'd like to get an answer to this myself. Anyone got the goods?

 

I'm most likely going to buy an xps 1730 in the near future, but have a few more questions.:

1) Due to my budget, I can't afford the x7900 CPU, so decided to go for the t9300 instead. Is this a wise choice ? And can I upgrade the CPU later on if needed ? (I want to be able to play games like crysis, supreme commander, the witcher, Team fortress 2, ... on max settings)

2) In my post on the "What Notebook Should I Buy?"-sub forum in the 2nd reply, someone said that dell has a really bad reputation when it comes to durability of notebooks. He said that you have a big chance that it will break down during the first 3 years after purchase. Is this true ?

3) People are also advising me not to get an xps 1730, because the drivers can't handle a "8800M GTX sli' setup yet. Is this true ? Will there be driver updates in the near future, to resolve this issue ? (I guess so)


Anyway, I'd like some input of you guys, since it's not every day that I'm spending several thousand € on a notebook, so I want to make sure that I'm making the right choices.

 

Can anyone recommend a good backpack (willing to spend upto £250/$500)?

Currently using a Pelican 1495 hard case.

I use the 1730 for business and take at least 6 flights a week so a backpack should be a better option.

Viewed your videos ifti and ruled out the Dell backpack due to the XPS logo.

 

I responded in your thread that you linked, but i'll put another post in here for good measure.

The sager 9262 is the only equivalent clevo unit to rival the XPS M1730. I priced both systems out with similar configurations and the sager came out roughly 1500 more then the dell (Factoring in my 12% discount).

So not only the clevo unit more expensive the warranty offered by xoticpc is inferior to dells (I think they extend there's, but dell has complete care and next day on site service). You also don't have to pay for stuff like "no dead pixel warranty" with dell. You simply buy the laptop and if there's anything at all that you aren't satisfied with the dell unit you send it back and get a brand new one.

I will admit that the sager unit is attractive, but I've read far too many posts regarding heat problems with clevo units for me to ever purchase one. Also, I just don't trust other laptop companies. Dell prides themselves on customer support and backing their warranties. That's how they've become the computer giant they are today.

I will admit that I've had friends/family that had hardware issues with dells, but they never had any problems at all getting all the parts replaced under warranty.

my 2c, for whatever it's worth.

 

You sure you want a backpack for "business".

 

Your right "business" is misleading, I'm a Programmer and need the extra storage compartments a backpack offers, appearance isn't the main issue. It needs to fit in the overhead storage bins and carry my other gadgets.

 

Depends on the hardware. I am still waiting for my 1730 so I have not had the opportunity to try it, however it will probably work ok. With PAE on, the system will be able to use all 4GB of memory, but, as said before, individual applications are limited to 2GB.

For games which need more than 2GB to run well, or have a memory leak, it is better to increase the virtual address space available to applications using "bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVa" parameter.

 

just to give you another option bamber,

I searched for quite a while for a plain briefcase with space for other gadgets, i went for this one in the end:

http://www.swissarmy.com/TravelGear...tegory=businessgearlaptopready&product=39121&

It comfortably fits the laptop, psu, all my other bits and the zalman cooler as well. Good luck finding something.

btw does anyone know if the 8800 upgrade is publically available yet?

 

Well, maybe not officially but.. you know..

 

Sorry mate, I totally forgot about you!!

lol

Heres the Sapphire Blue.....






Did you want any pics of the Gray as well, or have you already seen that?

 

1. The CPU is pretty easily upgradable, as is much of the rest of the system - a mean reason why I chose this one. Its not like other laptops, and the parts are not all integrated onto the mainborad, hence you can upgrade them easily.

2. I use hundreds of Dell laptops and desktops at work, and they are very reliable IMO. Sure, you do get the odd few that fail, but these are electrical items - thats expected. When they do fail, Dell are quick to respond.

3. I think the stock Dell 167.55 drivers are really good for this system. Im getting good performance out of them. A new driver is currently being tested, and should be released shortly, which does increase performance quite a bit further.

lol. Same here. Its basically saying "come and steal me!"

You lucky git!!!!!!!!

 

Ifti, I gotta admit, the blue looks awesome in those photo's! Very striking.

 

Does anyone like the red one? Is it a bit to much for most people?

I liked the red one and I'll probably re order it.

 

That's fantastic, thanks a bunch.

I used to have a grey one so I know what it looks like, I'm leaning towards the blue one now, looks fab. Red could be considered a bit too garish.

Though there are very few pics of the red one around on the internet so It could be the quality of the few shots there are that's putting me off.

 

^^^^

Yes I think it "bright" with red.

But if I'm spending over €3k I want it to look it!

(Insert: Similarity to Ferrari here! )


72oo

 

Targus TXL617 17 XL Notebook Backpack

Meant that one not the voyager