The Dell XPS 17 3D with Sandy Bridge Has Arrived! Recommended Specs?

This is actually a pretty good point. The new 3D could be pretty good, even in 2D mode. Will it be any better than previous generation XPS screens? The jury is still out. Could go either way.

Since most could care less about watching 3D movies on it that is more of an annouance. The fact that it screws up Optimus and WiDi is a net loss.

 

I don't know if it's discouraged to talk about on these forums, but upgrading things like SSD and RAM is obviously much cheaper aftermarket. All computer companies are counting on you to not do your due diligence when using the configuration tools

 

It's nothing more than a 120hz LCD panel. People hear "3D" and assume it's some new type of screen technology that will have sub-par 2D performance. That shouldn't be the case assuming the panel itself is high quality. Has anyone seen the Envy 17 3D first hand? Dell might be using the same screen.

 

I don't know if Dell is using the same display as an Envy 17 3D but, 3D technology aside (the Envy is terrible for 3D gaming and it took a few downloads for most people to get 3D Blu-ray up and running), the display is great in standard 2D mode and looks like any other high quality 1080p 17" displays. In fact, you wouldn't be able to tell it was even 3D capable without the addition of the active shutter glasses.

 

That I have to agree. I don't understand the point of getting Dell to upgrade e.g. RAM when for the same price you might even get double aftermarket... And stuffs sold over amazon/tech companies are still covered, just by another company. Can't understand these logic at all.

 

This is really a side issue to the main one which is comparing apples to apples with the competition.

Of course, if its just RAM anyone can do it. But if the base processor is i3 or i5 and you want i7 you aren't going to do that yourself. And even if you did I doubt you could save $. As far as HD goes it really depends. If you are only getting a larger (350->500 or 640) standard drive, then the upgrade may be the same price as buying a completely different one online.

Either way taking the base model and upgrading the processor (i7-i7) is going to be similar in price to another manufacturer with similar components. In the case of Sager they start with i7. That's really what's important.

 

The strategy of taking the minimum RAM and hard drives has been cheaper by more than enough to make it worthwhile in my buying experience. Usually save over $200 bucks this way.

No one (but you ) was talking about upgrading the processor, but clearly that is only for the brave or the hobbiest who enjoys the challenge.

 

This is a generalization which is not always applicable. It's very dependant on one's requirements. For example in my case I'm upgrading RAM on the base Sager 5170 from 4gb to 8 gb. They have a current discount on this upgrade which is only $70. So its a minor change in cost having them do it. The same is true with the HD. I'm going from the base of 320/7200 RPM -> 750/7200 RPM = $75. Another minor price change.

So in this case at least for the Sager the notion of it always cheaper to do it yourself is really N/A or neglible at best. Of course you miss out on the thrill of doing it yourself. Weeee....

Now in the case of Dell I have noticed that they tend to gouge more for each upgrade. So depending the degree of change then maybe it would be better. Still I think it really depends what's being done.

And yes, if we're going to compare one system with another, it should be with equivalent CPUs which is one of the higher priced items of a system. Of course an i3 or i5 will be cheaper than an i7. I'm just saying compare apples to apples. That said an i3 or i5 may be all that someone needs/wants. Nothing wrong with that. Again it comes back to one's requirements.

When I compared the two, the Dell was no cheaper, plus it has the screen issues with Optimus and WiDi. So for my requirements there is no benefit. For the next person it may be different. And maybe they wouldn't mind swapping the screen out for another FHD screen off of ebay or amazon if need be?

Derek

 

I agree with that. Each manufacturer should essentially charge the same amount for upgrading to the next processor (depending on the company, they could charge more ala Apple, Sony, Alienware, and Lenovo). The main differences are going to be with base configuration prices, RAM upgrade costs, optical drive upgrade, and hard drive upgrade costs (along with various other hardware and software aspects).

In my opinion, starting with the 2GHz Core i7 processor the most important aspect that will be going into my future notebook purchase. I really just want a single 4GB stick of RAM (so I could upgrade it later myself), a 500GB hard drive, Blu-ray drive, and a few other things. All of those (except maybe the Blu-ray drive) should be standard on the models featuring the 2GHz Core i7 SB processor. The additional hardware costs are what is going to set Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, Sony, etc. apart from each other.

 

If you order only 1 hard drive, is the hardware to add the second drive in the other hard drive bay? AW does provide it going back to thre R2 and now the R3, but then, that's another story.

 

For those throwing Dell under the bus for not providing the Optimus technology in some configurations, Sager sales and technical support explained to me that they don't offer the Optimus technology on their 8170. I did not ask about their other models.

 

has anyone read or received any sort of response from Dell (not a sales person) about this whole FHD 17" 3D screen w/o optimus and WiDi mess?

 

You may find this helpfull:

and:

 

Several people have posted to the announcement blog (including me) with no responses that I can find.

 

Agreed, it would be nice if they would. Or not; depends on the prices.

My experiences with Dell have tought me otherwise: they even vary upgrade prices per country, and I'm not talking about small differences. Let's take the upgrade price from th standard i7 2630 to the i7 2740qm on the xps17: in the US of A this will set you back $30,-, in Europe we pay €180,-
I'm not even going to start on RAM prices: You'd better not configure them in your laptop, but buy them seperate (even on the Dell website) for a fraction of the upgrade cost.

 

Hello,

I just ordered the following today from Dell Uk;


XPS L702x : 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2720QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.30 GHz
Display : 17.3in FHD 3D WLED TL (1920X1080) 1080p with 2.0 Mega Pixel Integrated Camera
Memory : 6GB (1X4GB + 1X2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel 1
Hard Drive : 1.2TB (2x640GB) Serial ATA (7200RPM) Dual HDD 1
Optical Drive : Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
Battery : Primary 9-cell 90W/HR LI-ION 1
Graphics : 3GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Graphics Card - 3D Capable 1
TV Tuner : Internal DVB-T TvTuner 1
Wireless : Europe Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 (2x2 b/g/n+ Bluetooth Combo Card) 1
Keyboard : Internal Backlit UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard

I managed to get an upgrade to 2 x 640GB 7200 HDD even though the option was not available online. I spoke to the sales rep and he managed to get the additional HDD added to the order. The additional cost was £125.00 which I thought was OK. I also managed to save £190,00 with an discount voucher with 10% off the total price..
Delivery due 24th March

 

Coming from the L701x that has the Nvidia that is optimus ability if I had the integrated graphics, It makes sense the 3D requires the discrete GPU only since the 3D tech was created before the new Intel Sandy bridge CPU. They haven't caught up yet. give it a 6 months to a year and they will have solved the problem( if the demand is high enough). Other than that, 3D is not what I am looking for anyway. I have been waiting on the WIDI and the optimus options and I personally can do without 3D. It was what I wanted to begin with last year, but Dell sales techs misread the tech and erroneously advertised the i7 was WIDI able and optimus to me was just a bonus. I've made the best out of what I have and have no serious complaints. The "L" series overall to me has done the job.

The Best Nvidia driver for 435M/445M

 

Any infos on Hardware RAID 0 support? the chipset HM67 should be able to support it at hardware level...

 

So did you swap the screen out on the L701x? I'm amazed with how many folks on here have done that. I'm not saying it's necessarily that hard to do. But I wonder how many just accept the screen for what it is and sorta move on.

For me the screen/graphic quality is pretty important. But for some it might not be too big a deal. I think that is the largest question for most here, espcially since we know Optimus and WiDi are out of the the picture for the 1080p screen. Unless of course Dell pulls something out of their ear at the last minute. But I'm not going to hold my breath.

For the ppl who are in no rush and can wait, the 3D FHD screen might end up being pretty good, even in 2D mode. Once reviewed in a month or two we'll all see. And if the quality is good enough then living without Optimus and WiDi may be acceptable to some.

Derek

 

Nope, haven't switched the display yet, waiting to play out my hand with Dell. If that falls thru, then yes I will definitely upgrade to the 1080p display along with RAM and SSD upgrades. But I have no interest in 3D, and I honestly prefer having the WIDI option over 3D just for convince sakes. Until then, I will continue to help with the L701x thread and learn as much as I can and try to return the favor to the true believers of the L701x. To give up the access to the integrated graphics for just what I consider "eye candy"(3D) is a waste of resources, just like the situation I am now. To each his own, and I am sure I am not the only one not swayed by the 3D hype. 3 years down the road, when 3D becomes the industry standard, I will most likely have to accept the the 3D move, but until then, My opinion stands.

The Best Nvidia driver 435M/445M

 

good post. what is so freakin upsetting is there is no reason to force us into this situation. offer BOTH 3D w/o optimus and 1080p w/o 3D idiots!

 

Okay, this still annoys me but here's my latest thinking:

- I don't need 3D. I don't have any content nor do I think it's a useful feature on a screen smaller than 90 degrees of horizontal angle of view (i.e. even a regular movie theater is too small - need an IMAX theater).
- Optimus is nice, but the total energy saved over the life of the device amounts to perhaps $10-$20 or so depending on usage and other things. So it's a battery life issue mostly, and for me this machine will be plugged in most of the time so battery life isn't a big deal. I'll also be purchasing the 56WH 6-cell since I want it to be flat, further indicating that I don't care much about battery life on this particular machine.
- There's an advantage to being on the discrete GPU all the time - the CPU will have its video section shut down all the time, which means it'll consume less power and thus run cooler. Cooler running on Sandy Bridge means higher clock speeds for longer times in Turbo mode. So that might mean a bit more performance. Probably a small amount, but not zero.
- WiDi is also nice but I don't have any compatible devices currently and I don't know when I might if ever. So, I'll treat that one as an "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it" issue.

So, despite the fact that this situation really annoys me, I might go for the 3D version anyway, and who knows, maybe I'll mess with the 3D stuff just for kicks.

 

Agreed. they should offer both. but they won't. they can't. they have an over abundance of 3D tech to sell, this was actually suppose to get the big push the last two fisical quarters, but poor planning and greed lead us where we are now and sadly, the WIDI is the "third wheel" so to speak. and profit is the root for expansion. And what they have on hand is 3D savy and that's what they are going to push. If I had to guess, I would expect a change of options by next fiscial quarter, given part supply availability, which even affects Big Brother Dell.

The Best Nvidia driver435M/445M

 

if we are stuck with the 3d option for now i will likely end up buying it if and only if the screen has good specs for photography, as i have mentioned before. That said, i can't imagine me using the 3d since i don't watch many movies on my notebook - perhaps can get one of those newish 3d digital cameras for the gimmick factor. I'd much rather prefer optimus though.

 

Well, it appears the 702 is not available at the moment.

I ordered a 501 the day before Dell released the 702. I called them up to change the order and got a muted response.
I emailed them over the weekend and they have just called to tell me the 702 has been recalled (again) and they do not have a dispatch date for them.
My 501 has been invoiced so I should be recieving it in a couple of days.

What do you think, is this a ploy from the rep to get me to stick with the initial order or has there been another recall?

I'm seriously fed up with Dell.

 

still waiting for release in china

 

They may be saying that the L702x is canceled but they are misleading you. Dell has a short supply of new H67 motherboards that doesn't have the cougar point issues(USB degrading). given time and supply the L702x will be back up.

The Best Nvidia driver 435M/445M

 

^^ Indeed, I juts ordered a L702x today.

I do not know if I'll be able to live with the 900p screen, we'll see.

 

The 900 screen isn't as bad as scuttlebutt has been saying. It has performed fine. NO it's not 1080. And unless graphics in it's highest form is required for your work or hobbies, it performs quite well, once adjusted of course.
And I am quite sure that the L702x will go the route the L701x users have done and just upgrade and document for other users to learn and use. Dell users, for the most part, are a great community to be a part of. And we like to share.
Looking forward to your review once you get it

The Best Nvidia driver 435M/445M

 

It's not about resolution, it's about screen real-estate. 1600x900 versus 1920x1080 is like shrinking my house from 2345 square feet to 1625 square feet - it would be much more cramped.

 

man, can't ANYONE get a response from a dell person OTHER THAN A SALESMAN about why they are not offering 1080p w/o 3D as an option? Or IF they intend to do so in the near future? If I hear nothing on this its bye bye dell despite having been a loyal dell customer for my entire adult life (only 15 years but so what!).

 

But think of all the 3D lovers they will gain if you leave.

Seriously, I would stay with Dell also if I thought they were going in that direction at a reasonable price. But for personal use I will now most likely switch. At work we have a huge contract with Dell. So I'll continue using Dell desktops and latitudes notebooks.

Derek

 

ha, but it just seems like it would involve so damn little for them to offer a non 3D 1080p. obviously i expect to pay the cost of the upgrade so how much freaking effort would it really take for them to offer it. i honestly think they are just so damn dense in the head these days they overlooked this for no good reason.

 

My only thought on this is that they signed a contract with Nvidea to only produce the 3D screen meaning extra revenue gained from the glasses and considering they use Nvidea graphics then it would make sense that something like this might have happened.

Pure speculation of course.

 

I believe you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Nvidia is in deep with the 3D media, and with their past year, they really need a good year without any major screwups on their part. From what I gather thru the grapevine that Nvidia is on thin ice with Intel to begin with.

 

Hiya folks - in australia I cannot find a decent desktop on the DELL site that suits my needs. Is it just me or do they only come with ATI video cards these days (I'd like an Nvidia with CUDA for Adobe Premier).

So I'm wondering about the 900p version of the XPS17. From what I can see the 2720QM isn't much more cash from the base 2630 but performs very well (better than a i7-950/960 that I was looking at in a desktop).

Although I'd find the mobility of a laptop handy at times I'd mostly be keeping it in one spot. Just have a few questions if anyone could help...

1 - How does the GT 555m compare with desktop vid cards? What might it be equivalent to? The benchmarks I find only seem to compare desktop ones with desktop ones...

2 - What resolution external monitor could I plug into this - would it run a 24" at 1920x1200 no probs?

3- I see its coming with 2 hdds - I assume I could replace one with a SSD later on to get a nice OS speed?

I'd be using this for photoshop/premier (not too serious in premier but lots of photoshop image editing) and some gaming.

Thanks in advance...

 

when you go to the nvidia optimus url:

Optimus Technology

you see there featured notebooks and there you have the Dell XPS and they say "bundled with 3DTV" i guess they don't mean there the 3D LCD that you get? Because then optimus doesn't work right?

 

Does anybody have concern about this "Intel® Anti-Theft Technology".If i understand correctly this is a kill switch to the CPU.I dont know how it can be activated but i dont want it in my CPU.I hope this think will be enable only in the corporate laptops and in the consumers it will be disable.

 

Personally Im not in a hurry to order the SB Envy 17 3D. Im waiting till the smoke clears and I know exactly what Im getting. Never be the first to buy something brand new. Let the guinea pigs feel it out for you first. But thats just me.

 

FWIW, while the 3d option pissed me off, and that was before I knew about widi, I went with the 3D option just to save the money on the extra ram. I don't think optimus matters to me, since I use my laptop as a desktop replacement anyways, and it is always plugged in.

on the widi note, here is an article I found about an hp streaming device:

HP Wireless TV Connect streams 1080p video, hits Intel WiDi where it hurts -- Engadget

And it includes the tv reciever as well. So for a net of $100 you still get the same ability as widi, and it is potentially better. Yeah it's more stuff to carry, but can we ever really get away from a 10 to 12lb bag with a 17" computer?

Hope this helps some of you.

 

On another note. Does anyone know if the new xps 17 has SATA or SATA II 7200 rpm drives? I can't seem to clarify that. I would be dissapointed if they weren't the same as the alienware.

 

When you choise 900 p screen the max ram is 8.I think this mean that without 3d you have only 2 ram slot.With 3d you have 4.This is another sad thing and stupid dell attempt to put over that sucked 3d screen.

 

yes now its for sure no 3d no 16 gb ram.Deaam

 

I suppose i am to blame for rushing but ,when i ordered my Xps 17 3D there was no option for backlit keyboard,so presumed it had one ,in the specs under chassis etc it says control for backlit keyboard.When i visited the site the other day the new xps was not to be found.
On Dell chat i was sent a link to the New XPS ,now there is an option for backlight,together with tv card ,glasses etc i swear they were not there before.
I know its not really a big deal ,but its just that i expected it to be there,btw ,the operator said that one could not be installed at a later date,is this true?

 

have nay gotten an answer from dell -- does the 555m use ddr 3 or gddr5?

 

Ddr 3 No way you got ddr5 and 3gb of it on such price.

 

In terms of chipset interface
XPS L501x and L701x have SATAII (ie SATA 3.0Gb/s)
XPS L502x and L702x have SATAIII (ie SATA 6.0GB/s)

However I think all current notebook harddrives are only SATAII (I don't think any would saturate SATAI (1.5Gb/s) anyway.

If you want a SATAIII drive the only benefit would be from a SATAIII SSD.
(This is mostly true for SATAII also)

 

Wouldn't be so sure of that. I reckon it's DDR3. The review on notebookcheck states the pre sample of the XPS17 they tested used DDR3:

Ddr 3 No way you got ddr5 and 3gb of it on such price.[/QUOTE] Wouldn't be so sure of that. I reckon it's DDR3. The review on notebookcheck states the pre sample of the XPS17 they tested used DDR3: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-555M.41933.0.html"]http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-555M.41933.0.html

 

do people think there is a chance that the XPS 17 3D will actually support optimus and that we are being led astray? obviously i am just dreaming here, but is there any chance when people actually get their lappies in hand and try WiDi that it will work or be preinstalled to work or is dell really the pathetic. falling apart, company it seems to be?