Should I accept M1730 as a replacement?

I started out with an E1705 that, after some time was clearly frying because of the graphics card. Reading up and discovering that this was an nVidia problem, I demanded from Dell - I have a CC warranty and limited warranty in effect - that I not be given another nVidia card. They then took a month an sent me a Studio 1737.

I complained about this replacement as the resolution on it is inferior to the 1920x1200 that served as the selling point for my purchase of the E1705. I was lied to be customer service about the specs of the E1705, then told that the increased RAM offered offset this resolution, and finally that the 1737 isn't compatible with a WUXGA+ screen. After pointing him to several ebay sales of just such a configuration and shooting down everything else the moron said, the supervisor took over and, I must say, was very polite and helpful.

Now I'm being given the option of an XPS m1730 which is apparently being given to me because of all the inconvenience I've gone through. While its a nice gesture, I am not much of a gamer at all. After reading the posts here, I'm worried that by accepting what is, in fact, a much more powerful computer than the Studio 1737 I have, I'm inviting trouble.

If I am not a gamer, will I be running into the problems you guys have seen? Should I bite the bullet for the significantly more powerful M1730 or hang onto the Studio 1737? The M1730 is absolutely ugly to me, but is apparently more robustly built and I'm willing to live with the looks of it if it is otherwise a good machine.

Any advice?

 

Take it! If you don't like it, sell it for $$$ and buy another. Such 'gestures' by Dell are few and far between, and you'll be getting a much, much, much better computer in every respect minus the "gaming" look of the thing.

 

You think so? It just seems like the M1730 is a trainwreck from the amount and extent of complaints here regarding the graphics cards. Why isn't Dell just swapping ATI cards into the build? How does selling a computer work in the context of a Customer Care Warranty and Regular Warranty, both of which are still running. Are they tied to the laptop or to the customer?

He really was a fantastic supervisor and I'm not going to lose his e-mail address! Here's the build (what kind of GFX card am I getting?):

1 G461C Base,Notebook,CPEN,T9300,M1730 $336.16
1 0293D Module,Cord,Power,120V,6 Ft $.00
1 0797C Customer Kit,Documentation, Airborne $1.99
1 C360K Module,Hard Drive,160GB,Free Fall Sensor,7.2K,WD-MX160 $51.50
1 CW774 Service Install Module Software,Inspiron,M1730 $.00
1 CY416 Module,Software,Dell Media Direct,3.5,Operating System $4.97
1 CY419 Module,Software,Dell Media Direct,3.5,SIBERIA $5.86
1 DW997 Module,Label,Intel,Notebook Centrino Mobile Technology Update $.00
1 DX631 Module,Insert,Plastic,GRAY Liquid Crystal Display,M1730 $7.60
1 FK244 Module,Software,DT-ICLNR Dell Americas Organization $.00
1 FT348 Module,Assembly,Base,M1730 $165.87
1 GT655 Module,Liquid Crystal Display 17WU,W/CMRA,M1730,SHAR $261.41
1 HR105 Module,Card,Graphics IUPGA5D,G84,SLI $370.00
1 J206C Module,Software,Dell Connect 2.1,Dell Americas OrganizationEMEA,Brazil Customer Center $.00
1 JN197 Ship Group,Notebook,United States,M1730,DAO-MDS $5.24
1 JN514 Module,Software,VU32/64 Certificate Of Authenticity $146.86
1 K174C Module,Dual In-line Memory Module,4GB,800MHZ,DDR2,2X2G $82.80
1 K811H Module,Software,VHP64SP1,CNB England,D/B $75.52
1 KJ999 MOD,INFO,MSOFT,VAL $.00
1 KW181 MOD,SW,DSPRT-CTR,2.0 $.00
1 N537F Module,Software,VU32SP1 Digital Video Disk Drive,MUL5 Dao/bcc $.44
1 NW220 Module,Dvd+/-rw,8X,Ide (integrated Drive Electronics),M1730,TSST $36.50
1 P350D Module,Software,Dell Media Direct,3.5,Kit,M1730 $1.06
1 T013C Module,Software,Works,9 English $9.95
1 UW429 Module,Keyboard,101,United States,M1730,Dell Americas Organization $23.70
1 UY392 Module,Information,Liquid Crystal Display,Cover,WCMRA Corsica/Gilligan/Sapporo/Yebis $.00
1 W871N Module,Software,WINDOWS-LIVE Consumer $.00
1 WF825 Ship Group,Notebook,United States,M1710,DAO-MDS $16.05
1 WJ380 Module,Information,NO RAID Inspiron $.00
1 WP008 Module,Accessory,Binder,M1730 England/english,Dell Americas Organization $14.82
1 WW439 Module,Label,Microsoft,WindowsVista Os,Premium,Small $.02
1 WX695 Module,Adapter,Alternating Current,230W,Delta - Ac Adapt World Wide $34.00
1 XG487 Module,Battery,Primary,80WHR 9C,SANYO $50.05
1 XM544 Module,Software,PC-RESTORE Transactional Line Of Business $.00
1 Y573C Module,Software,Roxio,10.2 Dell Edition $.45
1 YY220 Module,Card,Network,4965 Inspiron,Most Of World 1 $.50

 

As a sidenote, why is this build list so unintelligable? With prior purchases, the build lists provided weren't in "inventory speak".

Does this suggest I'm getting one being built or some refurb?

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Video card is 8700M GT SLI.

 

Does that mean mine's on the inevitable road to fryville?

 

Nah the 8700 MGT cards run just fine, and you can even disable one in the device manager if you have to.

Thats a nice upgrade i'd just take it. Can always sell it if you want and cash out of the whole thing, get yourself something smaller with the large £$ from the M1730 sale.

 

To put simply Yes!

 

How do I know if my 1730 is a new build or refurb?

 

New build is doubtful. I mean parts will definitely be refurbished.

 

Does that mean it will be scratched up? Or cosmetically like new?

 

From past experience with System Replacements, almost always it is a Refurbished System. It depends on the circumstances and whether or not you actually verbally discuss a newly built system as a replacement (which has to be approved, of course).

Does this mean its going to be banged up? No, not really. There may be minor cosmetic issues, but if there are any major problems/concerns, just call the person who is handling your System Replacement case and report it and request a tech be dispatched out to replace the parts which are damaged.

Remember, they want you to be satisfied. Dell doesn't want to lose a customer so they will work with you if you have a legit concern/issue (within reason of course).

 

Understood. I was told that this Studio 1737 I'm currently using was a new build, but it has serious keyboard and trackpad issues. I worry about what a refurb will be like. Though I understand that the M1730s are built more sturdily.

I just don't know what they didn't get me a 1747. That seems like the natural successor to the E1705. 1920x1200 screen, subwoofer.

 

Did you already agree to the m1730? I was given a m1730 as a replacement to my e1705 back in august but really wasnt satisfied with the look or size. Other than that honestly it is a great machine. I absolutely needed the portablitly though so after much work they ended up sending me a studio xps16. I brought up my concerns of the m1730 before I actually received the machine though. But honestly, if you arent going to be carrying your laptop around too often I would just keep the m1730. Remember you are still under warranty so that should put you at ease a little about it being refurbished. If your options are studio1737 and m1730, keep the m1730. If you are able to get another build all together then maybe explore that. Only negative I see on your m1730 is that the harddrive(160gb) seems sort of small. Not that expensive to upgrade though if you wanted

 

Thank knlmwq. I brought up my concerns heavily about it. He said that this is one of the best machines they make, and all that, so I told him that I will wait to recieve it and see if it suits my arrangements. It power pack alone looks like an absolute brick.

Can I ask you, what specs did you receive with your XPS16? And how is the build quality with it? I'm not impressed with the build quality of this Studio 1737. There is a flex to the keyboard, and the touchpad is awful compared to the one on my e1705. Apparently this uses an "Alps" brand touchpad versus the Synaptic found on the e1705.

EDIT: Another point of contention I have, is that when they agree to a replacement, they aren't telling me which computer I'm getting, simply that they are putting in for a replacement and that it will take 10 days for an order number to come up. I only find out what the hell I'm getting after periodically checking Dell's site and then finding that an order number has been put up. How are you all finding out what computer you are being given as a replacement so much earlier?