Dell XPS M1730 Owner's Lounge, *Part 3*

Hi guys. I'm new to the forums.
I got the Dell m1730 as a replacement for an XPS Gen 2 that was out of warranty. I called and got no support, so I decided to write a letter to Michael Dell himself, and got a call within a week.
Long story short, they offered to send me the m1730 for free, even though the Gen2 was out of warranty by 5 months.


So anyways, I have a question.
My m1730 is:
Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme @ 2.8ghz
8700M (not sli)
4GB RAM
200gb HDD
500gb HDD

I'm confused about my Windows Experience Score...
I get the following;
Processor : 6.4
Memory : 6.4
Graphics : 3.1 <---------------------
Gaming Graphics: 6.5 <---------------
Primary hard disk: 5.4

Why is my aero score different than my gaming graphics score, and why is it so low?
I've updated the test, and performed it numerous times.
I'm running Windows 7 x64 Professional.

Another thing, is that I'm thinking of trying to sell this in order to get an Alienware M11x notebook.
I feel that my gaming experience will be alot better on that laptop, and it'd be nice to have something smaller and with much better battery life. Any advice?
Regardless, I think its great that there's a forum for all things M1730 related, and am very appreciative of any feedback i get!
Thanks.

 

Wow, so many replacements for you guys... I`m a little jealous, but I still love my 1730 as it is , so I`ll keep it running strong for as long as I can

 

How much do you think this laptop should sell for ?
In USD
m1730:
Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme @ 2.8ghz
8700M (not sli)
4GB RAM
200gb HDD
500gb HDD
Like new, no warranty though.

 

1000 if your lucky

 

You've still got a very powerful system there, for majority of maxed-out modern games. I have it competing against my M17x and while certain areas favour the Alienware M17x, I still find that XPS M1730 holds its own quite nicely.

 

What's really going to hurt this configuration is the video card... the single 8700M is the lowest-end GPU for the M1730. Still, since you said you actually got this as a replacement for an XPS Gen 2(funny enough, my previous laptop to my M1730 was a Gen 1, haha), you got a very good hardware upgrade from that system.

You could probably sell it for about a grand, tops... and shell out some extra bucks getting your hands on an M17x... however, I think a less expensive solution would be to get a better GPU for the M1730. I'm not sure how rare/available the 8800M and 9800M cards are, but putting one of those into your current system and overclocking your processor would really make things scream. I've got the 8800M GTX SLi setup in mine, and I honestly have no problems running any game with high quality settings at native 1920x1200 resolution.

 

Indeed!

8800m GTX (9800m GT) SLi + X9000 (Overclocked to 3.2 GHz and beyond) + mild overclock = Awesome gaming!

9800m GTX + X9000 (Overclocked to 3.2 Ghz and beyond) + mild overclock = Amazing gaming, capable of competing against the texture processing capabilities of 280m!

 

Hey guys. I know this topic has prolly been beating to death and back, but I am considering installing Win7 on my M17030. I am currently running it on my desktop rig and am extremely pleased with the performance/gaming results. My question is... as far as the M1730 goes, I see that Dell does not have any Win7 drivers posted for it. Where do I get the Win7 drivers for the M1730's?

My specs are:
8800GTX (SLI)
Dell Wireless 1395
Intel T9500
Sigmatel HD audio
RAID 1

I would also like to get rid of the RAID setup when I install Win7 and I would like to have more HDD space available to me. If I can't disable the RAID, how do I go about changing it to RAID 0?

Thanks in advance for the replies!

 

To change your current RAID setup, you need to restart your laptop and on the screen right after the BIOS loading screen, where your hard drives are displayed, press "Cntrl-I". Then the setup screen will come up, which is easy to navigate. (Sorry for a vague explanation, it's been a while since I configured my RAID). Also note, that when you change RAID settings ALL the data on you HDDs will be lost.

As for Win7 drivers, check out BatBoy's blog. When I get home tonight I will upload all the latest drivers for Win7 x64.

P.S. If your biggest concern is speed, I'd recommend switching to RAID0. However, it is the least reliable.

EDIT: Here are drivers for Win7 x64. Wow, didn't realize they take up so much space until now.

 

Hm...
I really wish these Dell laptop GPU's weren't so expensive!
It's like $600......
.. unless i sold my 8700M?
I wonder how much those go for.. ?
I really have a tough time rationalizing putting money into this thing, because i just built a gaming desktop with a i5+5850..
But i do get pretty poor performance in most games with this 8700m. Mass Effect 2 @ 30fps at 1280x800 with multiple lighting options turned off
I can play older games (counterstrike source, WoW ) at good framerates though

 

Unless you specifically need a gaming laptop, I think sticking to PC would be a better choice (I don't think there is a laptop out there, that can outperform you current PC setup). And on the money you get from selling your M1730 you can a get a much more portable laptop

 

Sorry folks. Its been sometime since I updated it and I most likely wont be anymore. Without an M1730 on hand, I can't test new drivers which may apply to the system.

It was fun though. As always, feel free to reach out if you are having an issue with 'The Beast'. I still have all my docs and notes.

 

This is very true as well. If you already have a desktop that performs well at gaming and need a laptop, the M1730 isn't the most practical machine out there. A one-hour battery life, 17" footprint and nearly 15-pound weight with power brick makes it a pain to bring around... which I have before.

Since I haven't had a desktop for years, I ended up getting the M1730 and building it to the specs listed below. Now, it's being used as more of a portable desktop in my house, and rarely comes out with me... I leave my netbook-sized X-series Thinkpad for that kind of stuff.

However, if you do like to do a little bit of gaming and need a laptop that's practical, do some research. Nearly any new laptop out there will give you at least enough performance to play Source(HL2, CSS, DOD:S, TF2) decently, even if you do have to go for integrated graphics in order to do it. You'll also find models that allow you to switch from a discrete card to integrated to give you much better battery life. Will they be the equal of an 8800/9800M M1730, or a decently-specced M17x? Not at all. But, they'll give you the ability to at least do some gaming in a lot more portable format.

 

The third party sites, where you should be getting them anyway, since Dell is pretty bad about updating their drivers.

For RAID, go to downloadcenter.intel.com and get the Intel Matrix Storage Manager 64-bit. There's a "full" version as well as a slimmed down floppy version for install during setup.

The only driver you'll actually need from Dell is the Sigmatel one, and you can use the 64-bit Vista one. Maybe also the wireless, if you use Dell's instead of Intel's. Again, use the 64-bit Vista version.

 

. . .damn it.

Well, there are people on the forum. I think Nm88 is quite knowledgeable on the subject of Win7 and M1730. I assume he's got a machine running Windows 7.

Also, I agree on the subject of a high-spec destop vs. M1730. I use these laptops explicitly as desktop replacements. I don't have the time or practical space to manage a desktop at home. Otherwise, I would be content with a netbook. If you have a good desktop rig, then good advice would be to enjoy the gaming on that desktop.

 

Thanks for all the responses
As for Windows 7, I have the all the drivers for my m1730.
(getting the PPU installed was a PAIN)

Has anyone checked out the alienware M11x? it's an 11" with 8 hours battery life @ normal use, but can switch between integrated and dedicated graphics and is packing a Nvidia GT335M.
Starting at $800.
I'm thinking of selling my m1730 and getting it.. I really wish i didn't have to bother with ebay though.

Anyone want to buy it?

 

. . .I am actually more interested in the M11x than I am in the M17X. Already got the M1730 doing most of the gaming stuff, and the M11x is just dandy.

Yes, it does have an integrated Intel GPU, and then the very decent and powerful GT335M.

http://www.liliputing.com/2010/02/alienware-m11x-gaming-ultraportable-reviewed-loved.html

 

You'll need to post this in the NBR Market Place - selling/advertising items for sale outside of the Market Place is not permitted.

In order to post your ad in the Market Place, you will need to have 20 posts (not one liners ), be a member of NBR for 1 month and use the format specified here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=243273

Best of luck with the sale!

 

Well, got Windows 7 installed on the beast and it's running great. Disabled my RAID config so I could have 2 HDDs with tons of storage. My only other concern is, I see that the Dell Webcam Central software doesn't work under 7. Does anyone know of any software (7 compatible) that I can use to take pictures with the built-in webcam on the beast?

Also, with my processor (T9500), which is the best way to overclock/undervolt it? I'd like to see if I could at least hit 3GHz with it. Thanks in advance!

 

You will not be able to overclock the CPU in the XPS M1730 - the only exception to this is the X7900, X9000 CPUs since the multiplier is unlocked.

 

I'm using the native Windows 7 drivers, and can use any DirectShow application (e.g., VirtualDub) to capture video from it.

You can't overclock, but you should be able to undervolt using RMClock or CPU Genie.

 

@jjohnston12385:

Forgot to add, if you look into undervolting the CPU, check out flipfire's guide:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=235824

 

My first post was kind of bloated, but i'm still trying to figure this out, if anyone has any idea...
I'm confused about my Windows Experience Score...
I get the following;
Processor : 6.4
Memory : 6.4
Graphics : 3.1 <---------------------
Gaming Graphics: 6.5 <---------------
Primary hard disk: 5.4

 

True, so far all games run at native without issues. Were I to have an extreme CPU, I would run GTA at max also
For now, I`m still good with it.

 

It should be at least the same as Gaming Graphics score. How does the laptop perform in the real-world applications (games)? If it performs the way it is supposed to, than just forget about this Windows Experience score.

 

The last time I ran my xps the scores were:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9500 @ 2.60GHz 6.2
Memory (RAM) 6.00 GB 6.2
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GT 6.7
Gaming graphics 3327 MB Total available graphics memory 6.7
Primary hard disk 64GB Free (119GB Total) 7.3

I've found that these WEI scores are worthless as indicators of true performance. What they're good for is trying to help "uninformed" consumers as to the likely performance of the hardware. Yet these scores do not reflect real world application, my xps smoked everything I threw at it.

From what I recall my xps webcam software worked under windows 7.

I've been dragging my feet against taking legal action against dell. I really need to write a letter to my attorney general and BBB. I miss my xps =(

 

I don't know if this has been asked before but...I've been seeing some blocky artifacts for awhile now...they only show up in some games during cutscenes and when the screen is a dark black. I guess im being redundant but I want to mention that they do not appear during normal gameplay.

This is extremely noticeable during cutscenes in mass effect 2 as well as some other games i cant remember atm. Ive been bothered about this since i bought the m1730 last may but havent really looked into it as i was lazy. Is this a common problem, or is it something with my machine?

 

So the Dell tech came on Friday..
Poor guy got rear-ended driving in town and ruined his afternoon but was still very pleasant and easy to talk with.

Keyboard, Motherboard, Ac Adapter were replaced with mostly no problems. During the install of the MB he noticed two of the supports of the palm rest were "blown up" from the last tech stripping the screw holds badly.

Next up was the screen replacement sue to an issue with it, something from the backside permanently pressing against the backlight causing a discoloration ..anyways New screen..hooked up...and........
NOTHING... Blown backlight. Dang it.
So he called in the screen for another replacement and put my damaged one back in...also got a palm rest replacement...
He will be coming back sometime next week when we can schedule.

As he was gathering his stuff I flipped on the computer to check the cpu speeds as this was another problem and I note it was jumping from 6 to 12x (normal) and then on up to 13X (not normal). He said to test it out and let him know whats going on when he comes back. If problems continue he will recommend they replace my complete unit. Over the past day I have kept using it and it is now bouncing between 13, 12.5, and 12x.
Im going to continue to run CPU tests on the system to see how it reacts.

 

I don't recall anyone on this forum having the same problem. Taking in account that you have had this problem for about a year now, we can eliminate software issue. Unless you didn't change video drivers since day 1? Seems like a hardware issue to me, I'd recommend contacting customer support about it.

 

I have 2 9800 gtx running in SLi and ive been experiencing idle temps of 70 degrees. During normal gaming its around 82 or so. Is this a normal range or could I be damaging my system? Thanks.

 

I got this quite a bit with my 9800GT SLI. I am fairly certain I brought this up. I would get blocky artifacts, especially in dark areas in games and in cut scenes. Along with the blocky artifacts I would get strands and bits of the color spectrum.

Changing graphics drivers, turning off sli, etc had no effect. It's probably a flaw with the graphics cards which none of us would be surprised with due to the number of problems users have encountered.

 

Hey guys. About what does everyone's battery life on Power-saving mode or comparable run? With my m1730 on the battery saving mode, I get about an hour tops, and I was wondering if this was at all normal for the m1730.

I am currently using Windows 7, and I've been hearing a lot that Win7 is crippling laptop's battery life, so I was curious if maybe I should roll back to XP or Vista to give this a bit more life on the road.

Here's a related article btw.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...s_7_tarnished_by_notebook_battery_issues.html

 

Those are a bit too high. My idle temps are at 50-55, and max are 75-80C when gaming at native res.
Either you have a dust in the system, or you don`t keep the back raised enough.

 

Is there a definitive guide for M1730 Windows 7 x64 drivers and installers anywhere? I'm installing it later today.

 

I have posted all the latest drivers for Win7 x64 a few pages back Other than need for specific drivers, the installation process is the same as Vista.

 

Cheers will look back now.

EDIT: Found 'em thanks!

 

Downloading at the moment... can I ask what these rar files contain? where were the drivers sourced from?

The website only allows my 100mb every hour so might be here for a while, or might just restart the router!

 

.rar files contain the actual drivers. Drivers are taken from dell's website/hardware vendors websites. All drivers are 100% compatible. Except for Dell Quickset...had some trouble with it. Ended up getting it work for sound/brightness, but you are no longer able to change the LEDS colours in speakers etc.
And network driver there is not a .exe file. You have to install it through the device manager, the old way
If you'll have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.
I'm not sure if restarting the router will let you download files without the timeout. You can use a proxy server to download files...not as fast, but better than nothing.

 

If someone is looking for a fast SSD for your sytem partition, look after SSDNow V+ Drive from Kingston and your M1730 start Win7 64bit with in seconds. I can recommend this SSD.
okay - I'm now addicted and can't go back to HDD
thumbs up
tom

 

I am actually thinking about getting an SSD some time soon. However, read somewhere that when Intel will move to 32nm, which should be the end of this year, their SSDs should drop in price significantly. So, gonna wait till around Christmas time to pick one up.
BTW, how does this Kingston SSD holds up against Intel X25-M series?

 

The X25-M G2 is still considerably faster in read, though it seems to lag more in write.

Given the continuing availability problems and retailer price gouging when it is in stock, I wouldn't hold my breath for any cheap X25-Ms any time soon.

Any decent SSD will blow away a hard drive, though. I've said it before, the main difficulty with SSDs is that once you get one for one system, you'll be forced to upgrade all your systems.

 

if I compare the spec:

SSDNow V+ Drive from Kingston >> 128GB
# Sequential Read Throughput – 230MB/s
# Sequential Write Throughput – 180MB/s

X25-M series
# Sequential Read Throughput – 250MB/s
# Sequential Write Throughput – 70-100MB/s

 

15,298
P-9525
63*C max + ICD7

It has reached. Maximum Performance.

9800M GTX SLI. Free.

 

Congratulations!

I might be getting a similar upgrade.

May I ask you what settings you used for those scores? (GPU OC?)

 

Apparently I can't rep you anymore! Well done!

 

You said it. . . I can't rep him either. Little do-gooder is too helpful around here; always forcing me to max out rep-points on him.

 

Long time reader and first time poster here…

I have a few questions regarding the GPUs ( 2 x 8800M GTX in SLI) for my M1730. I recently installed Windows 7 64 bit on my laptop but have noticed that the GPUs idle at 60C-70C. When I was using Vista 32 bit, the GPUs idle at 50C-52C. Since I have upgraded my hard disks while installing Windows 7, I was able to keep Vista on my old disk and swapping the OS is only a matter of swapping the drives. Anyway, I put Vista back on (with my old drive) and noticed the idle temperature has gone back down to 50C. If I put Windows 7 back on, the idle temperature goes back up to 60C-70C.

I’ve got a feeling that powermizer is not working for me under Windows 7. I use the same drivers (195.62) under the Vista and Windows 7 and yet the idle temperature is significantly lower on Vista. I have also tried the 195.81 beta driver but it is the same.

I have noticed that the powermizer section is no longer available under the Nvidia control panel. But I do notice that under the “Power Management” mode section, I can select “Adaptive” and “Prefer Maximum Performance”. The setting is already on “Adaptive” so I would think this is similar to having powermizer enabled, but the idle temperature remains 60C-70C.

I have found a tool called Powermizer Switch which tweaks the registry to enable (or disable) powermizer. However, when I use this tool, it only works for one of the cards (a known issue actually). The fact that it works on one of the cards still suggest that powermizer is not working under Windows 7, at least for me. I have looked on other forums regarding this issue (including the Nvidia forums) and most people who have powermizer problems actually say they can’t disable powermizer and want to disable it because of throttling issues which is opposite to what I want (i.e. to enable powermizer). I have also noticed that the idle temperature 60C-70C took place when I was on pre-powermizer drivers (pre 185?) which seems to suggest I am having powermizer problems.

I guess it is not like I cannot use Windows 7, but having the lower idle temperature would help in lower the risk of future GPU failures. My GPUs have worked fine for the past two years (touch wood) and would like to keep it that way.

Sorry for the long post and would really appreciate the help from you guys.

 

^^^^
Hey did you intall w7 onto a RAID0?


I did, and wasn't asked for drivers inside w7 for the RAID set-up at any point. Which is great! But was I meant to supply drivers a some stage? Is there a problem with not installing them?

 

I didn't install W7 on RAID so I can't comment on that area. However I didn't run into any trouble with any drivers apart from the video driver, as far as I can tell.

 

Yea, I'm surprised at this too! It seems that w7 just supports a lot of the drivers outta the box. Which is excellent!

As for your video drivers.. which ones are you using?

EDIT: Ah yes I see you mentioned 195.62 drivers in the initial post. TBH I didn't spot that in the text. Anyways I'm using the same drivers and have had no problems with heat, I think PowerMin'r is working. Although I've yet to install Everest Ultimate as that's my way of monitoring those clocks. BTW I was using same drivers in Vista 32bit Utl without prob aswell.