E1705, a mistake?

I just orderd an E1705 the other day...after reading around about it, I'm not sure if I should regret my decision or not. Haven't actually received my laptop yet, but I am apprehensive

What do you guys feel? So many people prefer the E1405 or E1505 because of size, portability, battery consumption and so on. I bought E1705 because I sometimes game and thought I need the nVidia 7800 Go. However, I've been hearing that there are major heat issues? And furthermore, the battery lasts at most 1 to 1 and half hours(with 9 cell)?
If it overheats, I don't even know how to deal with it because for such a big laptop, it is hard to find a decent laptop cooler.

Lastly, I've seen so many posts about how WXGA+ is better than WUXGA. However, I got mine with the WUXGA. Another mistake? Argh!

Can anyone reassure me that the E1705 is ok? Or maybe even tell me that it isn't good for whatever reasons? Thanks!

 

Well, here is the thing. I have a Dell I9300 which has the same chasis of the E1705. To me, it is fine carrying around...battery life is about 2 hours + on my 6-cell and set on Max Battery.

The 7800Go is a great card, it does have some heat issues, but just get a laptop cooler. This is the one I have and it works awesome:

http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/cooling_devices/bytecc/

The WXGA+ is a great monitor, good for gaming on native resolution. The WUXGA is nice too, but cards have a hard time gaming at 1920x1200, but you can turn down the resolution, but it distorts and clouds a little bit.

I think all-in-all it is an awesome computer. If you are concerned about the screen, call dell and get the other screen, it will take a little longer, but at least you will have what you want.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the comment.

Hey by the way, what do you guys think? Should I stick with the WUXGA screen or change to WXGA+ screen? Also when you say clouding, do you just mean a little bit of fuzziness? Is it extremely disturbing? Will it completely kill the purpose of gett the 7800 Go? And also would DVD work okay at native resolutions?

 

Dangit USAFDude! Quit making me think I might regret ordering my e1705 the way I did!

 

If you are worried about size/weight, it's not a reason to cancel the order. True, it's bigger and heavier than your average laptop, but not that much bigger. Previously I had an IBm Thinkpad T42 and its weight is comparable. I haven't lugged the e1705 around much yet (probably will be taking it on a short train trip this weekend) but its not even as cumbersome as I expected.

I guess if you have to carry the thing back and forth from work or school everyday it might be a bit big, but even then the added performance is worth it in my estimation.

As for heat, when running XP with Firefox or equivlent programs the heat is minimal. I haven't done any hard core Doom 3 style gaming yet, but I played Sim City 4 on my lap for a couple of hours and the computer didn't run veyr hot at all.

I can't really comment on Battery life as I have not used it for very long away from an outlet.

Hope that helps you.

 

Wow, awesome. I guess portability isn't a huge issue to me. My major issues are heat and the screen.

I guess i shouldn't concern myself too much over it until I get it? Anyone else have any major comments on heat/screen/overall performance?

For heat, will coke bottle caps under it be sufficient, or should i seriously consider getting a laptop cooler? And if i should get a laptop cooler, are there anymore recommendations?

I just wish i was a less compulsive buyer. I missed the last round of 750$ off 1999 laptops, so when it came around this time, i immediately jumped on it. Maybe too fast=P

 

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about the size. If you plan to game at all, it is a small price to pay for the HUGE performance increase in gaming.

As far as screens go, please don't listen to USAFdude!! No offense to him, but when he should be telling people it is a preference, he states that WXGA is better as if it's a fact!! First of all, unless I am mistaken, the WXGA has no glossy screen, which I don't think looks anywhere near as nice as the glossy. Second, the comment that always gets me is the "WXGA is better for gamning." No. It is better for FPS, that's it. Sure, if you are gamng at native resolution, you will get higher FPS with the lower resolution screen. Unfortunately, it doesn't look near as good. I would NEVER buy anything but WUXGA, and many would agree. It is an OPINION, so you would really have to look at some computers to decide for yourself.

The extra screen realestate is nice too

Anyway, I think you'll be happy with your purchase (you have the option to upgrade the vid card too

 

So i see=)

Do you know how much the resolution affects the FPS? Like is it usually 50% less fps or 80% or 20%? Will it make a huge difference in my FPS(like make my games all laggy?)

Also, i never knew i would have the option of upgrading my video card! Wow, i really should have researched better=/.



Oh and by the way, Sublime, did you paint your laptops yourself? Because if you did, they look nice. And if you didn't they still look very nice=P if only the E1705 looked like that. Anyways, whatever, E1705 is pretty enough for me, just wondering

 

Sublime,

I am not trying to influence him changing the screen. You are right, it is a preference. As I refered to "WXGA+ is better for gaming" most people would agree...due to the fact that it doesn't tax the video card as much and you can turn on more options. The WUXGA is a great screen and looks awesome, but...the fact is you won't be able to have as many options on as the WXGA+ so really if you want to game with all the effects in the game, the WXGA+ screen would be the way to go.

The WUXGA is a great screen no matter what, but I think it is alot better for say...web-browsing, movie watching, things of that sort, the extra space is awesome for Word and Excel...nothing can compare to that.

I was not trying to sway him! If someone asks which is going to be better for gaming...almost anyone would say the WXGA+ because of the fact it doesn't tax the video card as much.

But like he said it is a preference...try to find some screenshots and pix, like the one in my guide of the True-life screen, the brightness and contrast rock.

 

Okay, Ill keep that in deep consideration. Thanks for both of your honest/sincere responses. If there are more arguements for one or another, keep posting them please. I will be away for the rest of the day and so, will not be able to keep close watch of this thread every 5 minutes(as i have been doing for like the past few hours) so, please, by all means, every comment is appreciated.

So, disagree, agree, tell me how i'm going to regret my decision or not. I just want to know if i should quickly change something(call them up) before they ship it to me. thanks guys!

 

Play CS: Source or WOW at 1920X1200....

Then you will be glad you got WUXGA

 

Hey Acolyte,

My setup is very similar to yours. How do you like it? Is it good? Any regrets?


Are there major heat complications? That is another major concern for me.

 

I got my E1705 yesterday with the WXGA display and suffice it to say, I'm not pleased.

My desktop LCD as well as the Macbook Pro I had, the displays are fine. Where the Dell... there's a band of viewable area.. if you move your eyes up and down the screen, there's a shading change.. I should be able to look straight on to the display and see the entire desktop without a problem.. but that's just not the case.

The light bleed at the bottom makes movie watching a pain. Not to mention the poor display of dark colors (again, the 1/3 band being the only clear graphics on the screen).

When I installed a game to try, it started out looking great. Again, you can move the display forward and back and you just cannot find a good display angle.

For what it's worth: the game played smooth... water effects etc (the game was No One Lives Forever 2). I used it because it doesn't require me to be online to register or load some lame online component to proove I paid for it and because it's a beautiful game to use for testing.

I'm considering either returning the laptop or getting the WUXGA replacement.

*sigh*

 

Yeah, I painted it myself. Thanks for the compliment!!

How much the resolution is gonna effect the fps really depends on the game. Remember, you can always turn the resolution down, you can't turn it up if you get a low resolution monitor!! I still disagree with 3167856487 things USAFdude said, but I will leave it alone!!

As far as the GPU upgrade, it has been shown the BIOS supports the 7900GS (dell is probably gonna start offering it as an option), so you can always upgrade to it someday

 

I returned the e1705 last week with the WUXGA. The resolution was too much and surfing the web actually hurt my eyes as I had to really focus in.

I'm going to get the e1505 at 1280x800 with truelife. I checked it out at a local dell outlet and it is sharp and much easier on the eyes...

Now I'm just waiting for dell to offer the 100GB harddrive upgrade for free and I'll buy it...

 

1405 I wouldnt get for gaming... its just a nice laptop period..

1505 is what I got, with the WSXGA+ screen, good battery life in what I am hearing, and the X1400 is performing better then people thought it would. Size is nice, sound is loud, good performance and it has a pcmcia slot still to use! So it really is from my studies a verstable machine that rates from most people a 7-8 out of 10. Just would suggest getting a 1.87GHZ or higher core.
Granted.. cant wait till mine gets in to REALLY confirm the OMGWTFBBQ joy! =D

The 1705 I hear is great for powerhousing, however killing battery life abit more, plus the bulk of it. Having DVI out is a MAJOR plus to it, lacks pcmcia slot so I hear, heard some people need to tighten the screws on the hinge for the LCD screen.. which isnt bad.. but makes me worry that youll have to keep doing that as time goes on. Has a better Gfx card option indeed. Would have to say, getting this would be advised to get it with one of those cooling fan pads to help the heat issues.

So really comes down to your style. I went 1505 for its size and verstable options, even tho I couldve ordered the 1705 for about the same price ranges. Plus I know 1505 will perform gaming. =)

 

I ordered the WXGA+ screen for one purpose; better frame rates!

I have read a lots of complaints about this screen as narrow band of view, light bleed, ect.

My now dead Arima 1280x800 was very good for a 2 year old laptop.

So, are these screens really this bad or just a wide variance in quality and build?

My 1705 should be at the door around the 16th.

TIA

 

Spire Pacific Breeze is a nice cooler to consider;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834996501

 

juniodude, no offense, but when you wish to be reassured about your purchase you cannot but remind me of my ex-girlfriend who seemed to doubt our relationship every single day! Of course, my point is that having ordered the very same laptop as you -- and am due to recieve it on the 24th -- I've got to stick by my decision. Think optimistically because it's going to be hell of a computer. I know this for I have done research on and off these forums. Personally, I cannot wait to get it. I'm excited mostly because it'll be my 1st laptop ever. And since it's a desktop replacement I'm all the more excited. So relax and await the arrival of this great too....though admittedly I'm having a tough time being patient. Understandibly I'm anxious. That's that.

 

Duddets, is the laptop cooler good b/c you heard through reviews or because you own one? Will it hold a 17" laptop? Thanks

Yeah, I think it's half that,...anxiety. I don't know, i feel as if when i get the laptop, it will either be a huge disappointment or a great match. I think by getting what is "good" and "bad" about the laptop will not only let me know if i should quickly reconsider and call Dell for a change, but also, it will let me know what to expect/look out for when i get my E1705. This way, by concentrating on its good points and its bad points, I can weigh the two and see if after that, I should return it. But yes, i think it is a result of anxiety

Oh, and also, I don't remember if i mentioned this or not. But like you, this is also a desktop replacement for me and also my first ever laptop!

 

Sorry, just remember something else I had to add(and since i already edited my previous post and this isn't exactly on the same topic as the rest of the post, I decided to make a new reply post)

I wanted my E1705 to be pretty cheap so this is what i got for about $1220(with tax + shipping):
ntel Core DuoProcessor T2400 (1.83GHz/667MHz FSB)
17 inch UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-screen WUXGA
1GB, DDR2, 533MHz 2 Dimm
256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

Can you guys answer these few questions and continue to answer the question of things I might regret or be happy about?

7200 vs 5400. I will be gaming a little, not TOO much and not TOO little. Would the upgrade to 7200 RPM be noticeable, and moreso, worth it?(considering money and speed and memory space-assuming with 5400RPM i can get a bigger HD)[Games like WoW]

1Gb Vs. 2GB RAM, same question

533Mhz vs 667Mhz for RAM, same question

The wireless card? Should I have updated it? Does it get worse quality or possibly even slower connect speed? Will a "g" card work with "b"?(sorry if this was worded very technically wrong, I'm not good at this part)

And lastly, this is a regret/be happy about question, was the upgrade in battery worth it(6cell to 9cell) Since it's so low anyways, maybe i shouldnt have upgraded it at all?

 

7200 vs 5400. I will be gaming a little, not TOO much and not TOO little. Would the upgrade to 7200 RPM be noticeable, and moreso, worth it?(considering money and speed and memory space-assuming with 5400RPM i can get a bigger HD)[Games like WoW]

No, probably not. It only effects games when your hard drive is being accessed, usually just load times really. Games like Oblivion access the hard drive alot, but if you are trying to save money, it really isn't necessary.

1Gb Vs. 2GB RAM, same question

Yes. I find 2GB is pretty standard now if you really want to get good performance in newer games, and it's the cheapest/easiest upgrade you can do.

533Mhz vs 667Mhz for RAM, same question

I like getting the most out of what I buy, so I would get the 667, instead of forcing my system to run at 533 when it can do better. But realistically, you will probably never notice the difference.

The wireless card? Should I have updated it? Does it get worse quality or possibly even slower connect speed? Will a "g" card work with "b"?(sorry if this was worded very technically wrong, I'm not good at this part)

Your card's fine. And yes, it can work on a b network.

And lastly, this is a regret/be happy about question, was the upgrade in battery worth it(6cell to 9cell) Since it's so low anyways, maybe i shouldnt have upgraded it at all?

I would. The battery life really isn't THAT bad. I get 2.5 hours on my XPS, and I think the m1705 gets better than that (this is with a 9 cell)

 

For me it was a great leap. My 1st PC was a 250mhz, 32mb RAM, onboard 4mb VRAM, onboard sound; 2nd was 2000mhz, 256mb RAM, 64mb VRAM, SB Audigy; the third 2000x2mhz, 1000mb RAM, 256mb VRAM, onboard SB Audigy. The third, of course, will replace all before it as the main and only source of my entertainment and tool of productivity. I've come quite the long way

 

If for WoW, yes, 7200 would help to laod the game faster. Otherwise live with 5400 or, upgrade later by buying a 7200 drive cheapon the net.

1 is good enough for todays games. You can always upgrade to 2. But you ought not cancel your order for the RAM of 1. Upgrading later will be cheaper for you. Upgrade in time as the need arises. It's probly nothing major at this point in time. I ordered 1GB @ 533mhz and plan to play games quite often and I'm not worried!

Not that great a difference, I hear in these forums. Nothing major in way of system performance. Browse the forums on this matter for more...

I'd say! You could've gotten the same battery as a spare extra off the net for fraction of the cost dell made you pay (over $100?) The rule of thumb is that while dell is cheap with rebates, they get your wallet on upgrades like extra RAM, HD, battery. So for dell, it's best to get the base components (motherboard, CPU, GPU) at max and those upgrade-able at lowest (RAM, HD, battery, expansion cards). If someone thinks different I welcome disagreement. Please.

This is how I configured my machine:

2.0ghz CD
1gb 533mhz RAM
256 VRAM
SB Audigy
stndrd. batt.
WUXGA
60gb 5400 HD
MCE 2k5
-that's all for 1300 USD

 

Exactly. It just depends on the power you have to back it up. I have an XPS m1710 (same basic system except for the 7900GTX) and it doesn't even hiccup at full resolution BF2, SW:EaW or WoW. It probably will similarly kick ass with HL2 and Q4. Some of these games have FPS caps, anyway.

When I first got my WUXGA, I was a little disappointed in the washed out colors, but you can ramp those up (just a little, you don't want to blow out the gradient). Just tweak the contrast/brightness/saturation settings in the nvidia control panel. The glossy display is great indoors, not good outdoors or in bright lighting. for example, you don't want to play with your back to a window.

I was VERY concerned hearing some of the input about WUXGA and game performance, but for my XPS at least (and probably most E1705 systems with 7800's), it's a non-issue. I'm very happy to have the screen I picked.

PS - My girlfriend and I ordered her an E1705 with 7800 and 1GB. It'll be interesting to see how it performs (it's arriving tomorrow).

 

7200 vs 5400. I will be gaming a little, not TOO much and not TOO little. Would the upgrade to 7200 RPM be noticeable, and moreso, worth it?(considering money and speed and memory space-assuming with 5400RPM i can get a bigger HD)[Games like WoW]

* The 7200 WOULD be more ideal and in terms of long term access you will notice it. The 7200 you can be always assured you will get decent performance with a occasional speed boost.

The 5400 has the ability to be just as good as the 7200 however can sometimes get its slowdowns, but you wont get the occasional peak speed ups. In general.. you should be ok.

1Gb Vs. 2GB RAM, same question

* 1 GB is standard for a decent system. 2 GB is NICE if you wanna be hardcore gaming or hardcore speed who likes to turnoff a pagefile and run direct from faster memory. Up to youwhat you can afford.

533Mhz vs 667Mhz for RAM, same question

* Nothing noticiable.. you prob wont even notice the difference if you started from 533 and move to 667. Just get what you can afford. However not a major thing right now..

The wireless card? Should I have updated it? Does it get worse quality or possibly even slower connect speed? Will a "g" card work with "b"?(sorry if this was worded very technically wrong, I'm not good at this part)

* Its more like B will work on a G network. So G cards can connect to B or G, However Intel Pro supports A and possibly future bands, plus Intel is more linux friendly too.

And lastly, this is a regret/be happy about question, was the upgrade in battery worth it(6cell to 9cell) Since it's so low anyways, maybe i shouldnt have upgraded it at all?

* On a 1705 yes.. 9cell would be more ideal 1705 is a powerhouse and a 6 cell would run alot less in time wise. So if you can afford it, go for it.

 

Awesome thanks all! hey mysticales or anyone, would you say that the change from 1Gb to 2Gb is noticeably different and definitely worth it? I can afford it, but if it's difference is speed is only barely noticeable, i don't think it would be reason enough for me to justify to myself that I should buy 2Gig of RAM. I know that you said it was NICE, but like,...would you pay $150+ for 2Gig of RAM(Assuming that I don't sell my ! Gig of RAM in my laptop because I hate doing this Ebay business)

Now,...I guess I'm just going to wait for my laptop. I won't change my order,...and as for return, we'll just have to wait and see. Hoping for the best! Pixelator when your gf gets her E1705, can you comment on it? Thanks

 

Some games are pretty dependent on RAM. Games like BF2, there is a pretty big difference between 1 and 2 gigs. I don't really know where WoW falls in there though. I would just see how things run with 1GB for now, and if you are noticing some stuttering in games, bump it up. Ram is pretty cheap, so I always prefer 2GB myself

 

Oh youll notice a diff in 2 GB, no lie, Just the question is can you afford it EASILY, if you can, go for it. If not, dont worry as that can always be bought later on if you wanna save money now.

 

Awesome, thanks, I guess I'll wait. Dell FINALLY boxed and shipped my E1705 so i should get it in the next few days. I hope to do a complete reformat of the HD. I didn't get a hold of the OS, software CD's or any of that. To do a complete reformat(Let's just say i wipe out the Media Direct Partition too), what CD's will I need to attain, and how? I already sent them an email, they replied about an OS recovery application, tryouts can be found online(which of course i don't need) Drivers can be found online(I think this should be easy to get, but is it true?), and I'm not sure about software and MediaDirect.

After I do complete reformat, then I will startactually judging the E1705. Do most people overclock the Video Card? And what do they use to overclock with? Thanks again guys. You guys ae awesome! Never had a forum that posted in my thread to help me out for more than like 4-5 posts=)

 

You dont need to reformat the HDD.. not really needed, Just uninstall the bloatware and thats all. Otherwise in all honesty your setting yourself up for a wasted day. Since normally Dell is ok in terms of being well setup.

 

Ok,...are there any other opinions on this? Just wondering.

So mysticales, you think I should just uninstall bloatware and clean registry? THanks

 

could someone possibly take a picture of this monitor leak? and is it for every laptop they sell or just a chance?

 

Yea its already been confirmed. Just uninstall the bloatware and then clean registry if you want. Nothing major here, other then waste of your time, because once you reinstall you STILL need to make sure you got al the dell apps working right, not to mention driver downloads etc.. then once your back up.. youll notice you saved a whopping 3-15 MB and a wasted day just getting you back to square 1.

Unless you screw up, no need to reinstall and risk messing up..

 

anyone able to take a picture?

 

Ahh, Yikes! I just recently learned about the common problem with monitor leaks=X Seems like around every bend i learn something good and bad about E1705=( It should be arriving tomorrow or the day after or the day after that. I'm crossing my fingers

 

juniode, i just got my e1705 for a few days. with the wuvga, the lcd panel is great, its like the mirror reflecting everything....awesome

however i concern about its resolution. to be honest it is a super screen with its native resolution. however 1900x1200 hurts my eyes when i try to focus on web pages or documents. setting the resloution lower is what im doing now, but it looks fuzzy and therefore can not take advantage of the "truelife", i think im pretty happy with the size of objects and font of 1400x900 resolution. so im thinking of return this and make a new machine with wvga+.

as i read through this thread, some prefer uwvga "glossy" and some prefer wvga+. but i still dont know if i run wvga+ with 1400x900 (which is its native resolution), would it better than my current fuzzy 1400x900 with the current uwvga.

and i do take consideration of the fps when playing games, which wvga+ performs better (according to many ppl) and more than that, it is true that the gpu doesnt use much resource to manage a lower resolution as it does with higher one, which certainly boosts up the game.

any comment in my case?

thanks