Questions about the new Dell XPS M1730....

Hi.
I am just about to order my M1730 which I have spec'd up as high as possible - so I have all the extras etc.

A few questions:

1. I tend to reformat and reinstall the OS as soon as I receive a new system from Dell - it gets rid of all the added programs that i dont want, like McAfee and the other bits and pieces. I will be installing Vista Ultimate onto the machine. When I do this with the M1730, and add all system drivers etc, do you think I will still have the camera problem (I hear reports of the camera not working properly straight away??)? Are there any software utilities I need to be aware of and make sure I install - like the Quickset utility etc?

2. How do you add a second HDD? Is it similar to installing a new HDD in a regular Dell laptop? - ie. just putting it in a caddy and sliding into place?

3. I was looking to just start with one drive (200GB 7200rpm), and install my current laptop HDD as a secondary drive (160GB 7200rpm), but Im now thinking maybe I should go for the solid state drive.......does the solid state drive work just like a normal HDD? I mean, can you create partitions etc on it as normal?? Does it require any extra drivers?

4. Can I buy the solid state drive and add it later on, just like you add in a normal HDD?

5. Cooling - I will use it for games now and again (like Gears of War, etc), but only occasionally. I hear the cooling fans are under the laptop. Should I invest in a cooling pad for the latop, or should I just raise it from the desk a few mm, in order to ensure a longer life for the laptop?

6. I will be installing Vista Ultimate, how can I get it to recognise the complete 4GB RAM? If I install the 64 bit version, will the laptop come will all drivers that support 64 bit?

7. Is it possible to upgrade the graphics chips at a later date?

Thanks

 

Hi ifti!
FOA: The machine is fantastic! The only problem so far is the driver support for the two 8700mGT's, which is rapidly being improved!

1. I didn't have any camera problems with my install and I didn't reformat. I just uninstalled some bloatware and disable the rest via. msconfig. I like havin Quickset running, and have heard others who do the same
Search the main M1730 thread here on the forum, and you'll be able to learn insane amounts about the machine.

2. Adding the second HDD is easy and there is a guide on how to do it on Dell's site under support.

3.Don't know anything about the SSD.

4. Sorry don't know

5. The cooling system in the M1730 is one of its key features, this is where Dell really shine. They have made heat ducts and placed the fans very strategically, and I have had no problems heatwise just letting the m1730 sit normally on a desk, but ofcourse if you havn't chosen the Accidental Support (which I incidentally would recommend with the top spec version), then investing in a heatramp, or making one youself, would be prudent

6. All the Dell drivers are 64-bit compatible. Get them from Dell support page BEFORE you do an installation of 64-bit. All other hardware and software you baught yourself and is not from Dell, you have to find out if they are 64-bit compatible for each seperate product. Some run great on 64-bit some don't and some won't even work.
In addition, I'd say you shouldn't buy 64-bit just yet, since no real games can utilize that much RAM at the moment, with a few exceptions like Flight Simulator X.
7. There is a lot of speculation as to how Dell will let us upgrade to future graphic cards (e.g. 8800M GTX), and my opinion is that they definantly will let us upgrade to this specific card. Wether the system will be able to uprade to the next graphics card after that, is to difficult to tell.

Hope I was of assistance!

 

Hi ifti!
FOA: The machine is fantastic! The only problem so far is the driver support for the two 8700mGT's, which is rapidly being improved!

1. I didn't have any camera problems with my install and I didn't reformat. I just uninstalled some bloatware and disable the rest via. msconfig. I like havin Quickset running, and have heard others who do the same
Search the main M1730 thread here on the forum, and you'll be able to learn insane amounts about the machine.

2. Adding the second HDD is easy and there is a guide on how to do it on Dell's site under support.

3.Don't know anything about the SSD.

4. Sorry don't know

5. The cooling system in the M1730 is one of its key features, this is where Dell really shine. They have made heat ducts and placed the fans very strategically, and I have had no problems heatwise just letting the m1730 sit normally on a desk, but ofcourse if you havn't chosen the Accidental Support (which I incidentally would recommend with the top spec version), then investing in a heatramp, or making one youself, would be prudent

6. All the Dell drivers are 64-bit compatible. Get them from Dell support page BEFORE you do an installation of 64-bit. All other hardware and software you bought yourself and is not from Dell, you have to find out if they are 64-bit compatible for each seperate product. Some run great on 64-bit some don't and some won't even work.
In addition, I'd say you shouldn't buy 64-bit just yet, since no real games can utilize that much RAM at the moment, with a few exceptions like Flight Simulator X.
7. There is a lot of speculation as to how Dell will let us upgrade to future graphic cards (e.g. 8800M GTX), and my opinion is that they definantly will let us upgrade to this specific card. Wether the system will be able to uprade to the next graphics card after that, is to difficult to tell.

Hope I was of assistance!

 

Ups, sorry, double post.

 

Thanks for your quick answers!!
Much appreciated!

Im all hyped up for this machine! Cant wait!

Hopefully I will be able to run Gears Of War etc on it nicely

 

Oh you will! Have no worries! Should be able to run it at 1920X1200 without too much problem. And you can always OC the cards if you want more juice.

 

Ive never really been much of an overclocker TBH, but I hear its quite easy to do with this system....

Im probably going to be reinstalling with my copy of Vista Ultimate once I get the license transferred from my old laptop, so I will reinstall all drivers etc. However, is it easy to set up the SLI, or does the driver pretty much do it itself?

 

I think my specs are pretty much the same as what you have in your sig, but Im going for the 200GB 7200rpm drive instead, and will move the 160GB 7200rpm drive from my current laptop into it as well

I have to wait a little longer for the build though, since it takes 3 weeks to get the Blu-Ray drive in!!

Another question - what does it play Blu-Ray movies in? Windows Media Player???

 

3. SSD works just like a HDD. Don't worry.
4. Yes...if you can find aftermarket SSD cheap...

 

But I read somewhere that SSD has faster read speeds, but the write speed is the same, if not slightly slower, then a 7200rpm HDD?

There is about a 12 second difference in booting Windows XP between a SSD, and a 5400rpm HDD. That difference will be much smaller with a 7200rpm drive, which is why I decided not to bother with the SSD for now - I guess I could always upgrade at a later date....

 

If you can find a Mtron brand SSD to buy, EVERYTHING will be different...mine Samsung is OK as the 45 sec in total boot up time (Vista Ultimate 32bit) and open programs instantly (This's the main point as I don't like waiting).

Anyway, it's up to you.

 

The SLI is very easy. Go into nVidia Control Panel and turn it on from the SLI page. And remember to do it at first startup and after every video driver update, since it will disable automatically after these.

 

Also, if you don't know this, remember to set the battery to performance. Or the computer runs at ½ speed.

 

Now is not a good time to buy a 1730, you best bet is to wait until a version with 8800 is released. There are many problems with 8700SLI, mostly to do with driver incompatibility. A quick search around this or other laptop forums will show you the problems people have been having. It may be possible to upgrade 8700 SLI to 8800 at a later date, however Dell has not announced anything so far.

The 64 bit version of Ultimate will recognize all 4GB, if you are using 32 bit version you are limited to around 3GB.

Solid state drive works just like a normal hard disk. It is slower for writing than a normal hard disk, but much faster for reading, and much cooler and no noise. The only problems is price and relatively small capacity, however it should suffice if you just install Windows on it.

 

Ah that sounds simple enough! Thanks!

I didnt know that, I always use balanced on my current laptop - Ive just upped it! cheers

Waiting is not really an option - its my Xmas bonus from work so Im not really paying for the laptop out of my own pocket. If I dont go ahead now, I lose out!
I think Ive decided to go for a 7200rpm HDD for now, along with a second 7200rpm HDD which I will put in myself, and leave the SSD for now....

 

Is the M1730 very noisy during normal use?

I read that the fans run constantly at high speed if you overclock the processor at all, so its best to leave the processor at its recommended level?

Other then that is the laptop very noisy in general??

Also, will I be able to run games like Gears of War, Assassins Creed and COD4 on it nicely with maxed out settings??

 

Well it is your money and your decision, but for a good review have a look at http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2007/12/12/Dell-XPS-M1730/p1.

 

That review doesnt make it sound good at all, whereas the review here on this site makes it sound much better!

If that really is true, looks like I'll not be selling my Xbox 360, and will use this laptop as a high end desktop and video editing machine etc......

 

Is there really a major difference between the 8700 and 8800 GPUs??

Are you able to upgrade the GPUs in the M1730? The following video shows the video card from the M1730 - so should current owners be able to just swap out the entire card in the future?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0nIsx9ZwMws

 

I just reinstalled the OS on my M1730. I have (2) 320gb HDD installed. My problem is that I have 4GB of RAM on my computer but the sstem infor says 3070mb and the Dell Support center says I have total memory 3GB and 2GB availiable. Before I reintalled the OS, system info was reading 4Gb. I dont know what happened. Also how do I get the XPS HD screensaver backgrounds back along with all the other content that was in the welcome center?

Thanks for the Help