OFFICIAL: Inspiron 1720 Owner's Thread

Hey guys, I ordered my 1720 last week and it was in pre-production (phase 2)last night, now it's in delivery preperation which is phase 4. I'm not complaining but what happened to stage 3? and can i expect it in the next week?

Also the EDD is 31/03/08 and I'm in the UK

Oh, and how do you check if your getting an LG screen before it ships?

 

Hi,

Gaming question.

Anyone got any good sites/links they have seen that they can post with benchmarks/configs of Crysis on the 1720's 8600M at different resolutions?

Kind regards

Lee

 

Hi AKFaust,

Note that this is my personal opinion from someone who has the 1920x1200 resolution and looking back I wished I got the 1400x900 one. A co-worker of mine who works in the IS department also feels the same way as it is too grainy, the font is so small (and I used to love the smaller font sizes) and it reflects everything that I can use it as a mirror. I bought the higher resolution as I am a Network Engineer and run multiple telnet sessions, sometimes more than 10 at one time so I needed the real estate. It's just so painful to surf the internet that I rarely use my laptop other than watching moves which wasn't the intent.

HTH

 

ravy - thanks for jumping in, it helped me make my decision. I opted for the 1440x900 as I need this laptop for work and very little movie watching!

I just placed an order for a 1720! But now the 3 week wait!

 

Well never having owned a 17 inch laptop before I was surprised just how big this sucker is...makes the 15 inch HP I have seem small. It is a very nice looking laptop (I opted for the Ruby Red) with a nice keyboard and layout. The touchpad is ok and works fine but I wont be using it very often. The webcam sucks....I have not upgraded the driver or software yet and there are some available, but out of the box it just blows. The light was a little low but should not have made that much difference. I'll mess with it later.
I am glad I went with the T8300 2.4... it screams and runs very cool. The 8600 GT holds it own in most situations....of course the T8300 helps a bit.
I have no idea who the manufacturer of the screen is but it is pretty nice...nice color and very clear. It does have some nasty backlight bleed but it is only noticeable in a couple of situations. You do have to mess with the screen angle to find that TN sweet spot but when you do it's all good. Its very nice for desktop use but shines when gaming...just a very nice picture. I have not watched a DVD on it yet. No DVI or HDMI? Just strange in this day.
Build quality is good over all but the screen latch is a little loose for my taste and moves just a bit.
Surprising lack of bloatware loaded on the machine...a few Dell utilities and the Trend Micro trash. Boots very fast compared to another Vista machine I have.
BTW....when I ordered it the estimated shipping date was the 31st of March...and of course I have it in my hands already.

More later....

 

To the guy above my post, Mine took less than a week even though I got the 3 week deal like you from Dell.

At any rate, I just bought an intel 4965 AGN card and it has 3 antenna posts. The current one dell put in (3965 I believe) has 2 antennas. From what I have read the 3rd is a "Control" ? If someone reading this got the Draft N card from Dell it should have 3 antenna posts. Could you pop the cover nearest the rear of the unit and tell me which wires (colors) it uses? Mine are black and white and I assume the black with white stripe should be the thirs but I do not know. There are like 5 spare antenna back there. Thanks for any help.

P.S. My config:

1 MU697 PROCESSOR..., T7250, 2.0, 2MB, CMER, M0
1 MM545 ASSEMBLY..., ADAPTER..., ALTERNATING CURRENT..., 90W, COST REDUCED..., DELTA - AC ADAPT..., 2P, WORLD WIDE...
0 01323 INFORMATION..., NO ITEM
1 DF771 CORD..., POWER..., 125, 1M, C7, 2P, DUAL..., UNITED STATES...
1 DT549 GUIDE..., OWNER..., 1720, ENGLAND/ENGLISH...
1 RT720 PLACEMAT..., GETTING STARTED..., 1720/1721, DAO/EMEA
1 YK181 GUIDE..., PRODUCT..., INFORMATION..., CLIENT..., DAO/BCC
1 UW739 KEYBOARD..., 101, UNITED STATES..., ENGLAND/ENGLISH..., SINGLE POINTING..., ADRT
1 GX800 ASSEMBLY..., DVD+/-RW..., 8X, IDE (INTEGRATED DRIVE ELECTRONICS) ..., TOSHIBA SAMSUNG STORAGE TECHNOLOGY..., CGSY
1 WX781 CARD (CIRCUIT)..., WIRELESS..., MINICARD..., DW1395, 4312BG
1 PN182 KIT..., SOFTWARE..., WORKS..., 8.5, ENGLAND/ENGLISH...
1 UW280 BATTERY..., PRIMARY..., 85WHR, 9C, LITHIUM..., SANYO
1 CW725 CARD (CIRCUIT)..., WIRELESS..., INTERNAL..., BLUETOOTH..., 355, VSTA
1 JU473 HARD DRIVE..., 120GB, Serial ATA..., 9.5, 5.4K, F120
1 DY656 ASSEMBLY..., CABLE..., PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD..., LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., GYGBT
1 PY585 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., 17, WXGA+, VIDEO ELEC. STDS. ASSOC...., SAMSUNG...
1 PP896 KIT..., SOFTWARE..., DELL MEDIA DIRECT..., 3.5, DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE..., INS
4 2864D SCREW..., M3X3, K SCREW HEAD..., MICROSOFT..., BLACK OXIDE...
1 UK437 ASSEMBLY..., BASE (ASSEMBLY OR GROUP)..., NOTEBOOK..., DISCRETE..., 1720
1 XK231 ASSEMBLY..., CONNECTOR..., BOARD TO BOARD..., 22P, GYGBT
1 DY693 BEZEL..., PLASTIC..., LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., WCMRA, BLUE..., G/Y
1 PM027 ASSEMBLY..., CAMERA..., 2M, INTEGRATED..., MANUFACTURED IN CHINA..., LITEON..., M08
1 HX425 KIT..., SOFTWARE..., OVERPACK..., VHP32, A01, DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE..., ENGLAND/ENGLISH...
1 DY445 CARD (CIRCUIT)..., GRAPHICS..., NVIDIA..., G84, 256MB, #2
2 Y9525 DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE..., 512MB, 667, 64X64, 8K, 200

Paid: $969 including shipping. Paid $45 for 2GB kit from crucial.

 

Thanks Sparky - I was hoping I would be surprised with something sooner! Here's the highlights of mine:

Inspiron 1720:
Jet Black
Intel T8300 Dual Core (2.4GHz/800Mhz/FSB/3MB cache)
3GB DDR2
Glossy 1440x900
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
160GB (7200RPM) Free Fall Sensor
Integrated Sound Blaster
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N
Bluetooth
Vista Ultimate
2 year warranty

$1874 - 30% = $1311.80

 

AKfaust what screen resolution did you get. Also can you go into Computer Management and have a look at the monitor and tell us which one it is.

One way of getting there is Right Click on My Computer => Manage => Device Manager => Monitors => Properties of Generic PnP Monitor => Details tab => Hardware Ids dropdown ... there will be a value there like LG00032 or CMO1523 or SHxxxxx. LG is LG, SH is Sharp, SU (I think) is Samsung...

Just want to know which monitor to avoid for backlighting. HATE backlinging issues!

 

Found My answer because I found the 1720 service manual:

If the WLAN card has three triangles on the label (white, black, and gray), connect the white antenna cable to the white triangle, connect the black antenna cable to the black triangle, and connect the gray antenna cable to the gray triangle.

 

Ordered 3-18-08 Shipped 3-20-08 Awaiting Delivery.



--Inspiron 1720 ,Intel® Core蒂 2 Duo T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
---Jet Black
-- 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
-- High Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1920 x 1200)
--256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
--320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
-- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
-- Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
-- CD / DVD writer (DVD+/-RW Drive)
-- High Definition Audio 2.0
-- Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-Card
-- 85Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
-- Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
-- 1Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor,24x7 Phone Support

 

Was 3/20 your QUOTED ship date when you ordred? I ordered on 3/19 and est. shipping is 4/9. Maybe it's the screen - I got the 1440X900.

 

Ordered march 19th.
other items i ordered came to my door on the 20th
Laptop arrived on the 26th. Thats with the easter weekend as well.

First estimated delivery date was the 24th. I knew that wouldnt happen. Then the pushed it to the 28th. And then the 25th. On the 25th they emailed saying the 26th.

Im in canada if that makes any difference.

I like it so far. I ordered the 1900x1200 screen...not sure if its for me or not. Things can get a little small. Tried the res at 1440 and it seemed much better for the screen size to me. (although it looked like crap not being in the native res. and all.)

 

Just thought I would post this link here as I posted a thread about it and its already on page 6 due to all this sites activity.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=234106

It is in regards to taking your out of the box 1720 from 60 + processes running at login and trimming it down to about 40 to 45 depending on your preferences.

 

Thanks for the list, Sparky.

 

Well, mine got delivered today - just 9 days after ordering - right as I was getting ready to leave for the NCAA South Regionals in Houston! Man, at least one good game tonight - and now I am looking forward to getting back home to play with my new toy.

Have to say, I was actually surprised at how light it was - I was expecting more weight. I guess my Vaio FS550 is actually kinda heavy for a 15.4".

Anyone still in this thread use some type of stand to angle it a little? Or a cooling pad?

 

Buckito, From left to right while looking at the board with the connectors at the top: white, grey, black.

From what I have read its not really that important but that is the way its pictures for dell labeled cards.

Different size connectors? I don't believe the antnnaes are. I don't actually have my card yet though I bought from a guy in Israel for $20 each.

 

I have had my 1720 for three weeks now. I am looking for a docking station/stand for the 1720. It looks like dell doesn't have one for this computer.
Has anyone here any info on one?
George

(Ordered 3 march-arrived 11 march)

Inspiron 1720, Intel Core 2 Duo T8300(2.4GHz, 800Mhz, 3M L2 Cache
3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm
256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600
250G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English
Premium Dark Chocolate with Soft Touch LCD back color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera Insp 1720

 

There is no dock connector for this computer. Do you want a dock to plug in external components and a display or just to elevate the display and allow you to connect peripherals like keyboard mouse?

If KB/Mouse is what you want my suggestion would be to use the BT variety of those so you don't have to connet and get a generic stand to elevate the computer.

Just an example of what I mean:
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&productId=161347&cmArea=SC3:CG6P401:CL142670

 

Sparky
Thanks for the info. It looks like I will be getting the stand alone.


George

 

I was only in this club for about 5 days. I returned my 1720 due to the monitor. It was too dim for me - and the shadows were horrible. I could not move my head more than an 1" in any direction without getting a shadow effect. Other than that, not a bad notebook. Have to say, I was surprised by the weight - I expected it to weigh more! Good luck to all of you - I am going back to Sony....

 

Arg xd
Anyone buy a 1720 recently?

 

So glad I found this place!! I'm planning on buying a 1720 with the 1920 x 1200 screen as I do a lot of photo editing.

However, can anyone comment on how the screen looks at non-native resolutions? When I'm doing bogstandard things like email and surfing, I (and my wife) might find the native resolution a bit too small and so would want to drop it a little. However I've heard that non-native resolutions on laptops can be awful

I won't be gaming on it so that's not an issue.

Thanks

 

It seems that everyone here has a 8600GT. Is it because the X3100 sucks, or the 8600GT is just good value? I don't think it's worth an extra $200 >_> (Canada btw, so no imba Dell coupons)

 

The X3100 sucks ass. I ran some graphics marks and I barely got 1 fps on an HP 6700 I think or maybe it was 9700. It had 17" display. Anyway, not even 1FPS is truly crap IMHO. Afterwards I read reviews online and the main gripe was teh graphics sucked. I did a system restore off the HDD and returned it the same day I bought it.

If you don't care about gaming then keep the X3100.

 

Maybe I won't game that much, but it can't be that bad, can it? Maybe running on Low resolution?
Also a question similar to this - Can you change the resolution of games on a laptop, or are they stuck at the native resolution? Can you change the resolution? If you can, will it look like crap?

 

Anyone with SLOW RESPONSE with the 8600M GT card?

All test seem to run fin, but moving a window in Vista with Aero ON seems pretty painful.

Also, when browsing with IE / Firefox, to scroll down makes thing hang a bit.

Pretty strange. I'm using stock DELL's latest nVidia Drivers.

Thanks.

 

Just to let you guys know that I did a recent 8600M GT overclock and the highest speeds I can get to are 670/540 without any artifacts. I ran 3dMark06 for an hour's loop to see for any artifacts but so far there ain't any, I can go higher if I want to but I wouldn't advise. Highest temperature after playing crysis for an hour is 62 degrees Celsius. I'll try to post a screenshots and 3DMark06 results ASAP.

By the way, if you really want good performance with the drivers of 8600M I suggest using 169.04 from Laptopvideo2go.com. I got a score of 3275 on 3DMark06 on stock speeds as compared to 3215 on using Dell's drivers.

 

If the drivers on the dell website are not working; try this:
http://rapidshare.com/files/95248324/Nvidia_Latest_Drivers_-_13th_Feb.EXE

It should work; regardless they are the drivers as of the 13th Feb, I am writing this message to you on my Inspiron 1720, and I use these drivers, and it works perfectly

That link again:

http://rapidshare.com/files/95248324/Nvidia_Latest_Drivers_-_13th_Feb.EXE

(Tell your friends about it! I get points hehe!)

Regards,
Simon

 

anybody tried to put 8GB on that thing ?
I guess 4GB will be not enough soon

 

8 Gigs of ram?

Read the manual.

4 is the max supported by the chipset and is plenty. If you require more use a desktop workstation, you should be at that point anyway.

 

I'm using a full fledged Vista Ultimate under 800mb. Even running a full set of apps, I'm pretty much always under 1.5gb. So my 4gb is enough. The only way I would use 8gb would be with a 4gb RAM DRIVE...

 

Modern games don't even need over 2gb of memory yet, and they are some of the most demanding apps.

 

Shipping Method: 3-5 Business Days
Order Date: 5/17/2008
Est. Ship Date: 5/28/2008
Est. Delivery Date: 6/2/2008-6/4/2008
Carrier: Not Shipped
Tracking Number: Not Shipped


1 223-5677 Inspiron 1720, Intel Core 2 Duo T5750(2.0GHz, 667Mhz, 2M L2 Cache) $795.00
1 313-5477 Midnight Blue Color with Microsatin Finish $0.00
1 311-7636 3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm $0.00
1 320-5503 Glossy, high contrast widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440 x 900) $0.00
1 320-5467 128MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400 $0.00
1 341-4709 160G 5400RPM SATA hard drive 5400 RPM $0.00
1 313-5195 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP,INSP1720 $0.00
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal $0.00
1 420-5924 Icon Consolidation Application $0.00
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp $0.00
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access $0.00
1 420-7026 Media Direct 3.5 $0.00
1 420-6813 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, English $0.00
1 420-7622 DELL SUPPORT CENTER 2.0 $0.00
1 430-0493 Integrated 10/100 Network Cardand Modem, for Inspiron $0.00
1 420-7468 ADOBE ACROBAT READER 8.1 DIM/INSP $0.00
1 341-4716 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive $0.00
1 420-8183 Roxio Creator DE 10 $0.00
1 313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0 $0.00
1 430-2680 Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Mini Card $0.00
1 320-5681 Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam $0.00
1 461-8389 No Virus Protection Requested $0.00
1 312-0519 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, Inspiron 1720 $0.00
1 412-0934 Earthlink $0.00
1 412-0935 NETZERO ISP $0.00
1 412-0933 AOL for Broadband $0.00
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested $0.00
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested $0.00
1 960-2780 Warranty Support,Initial Year $0.00
1 987-5457 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus Return To Depot, Initial Year $0.00
1 983-3120 Type 12- Mail-InService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year $0.00
1 987-8119 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3 $0.00
1 990-7989 1 Year Limited Warranty and Mail-In Service,Notebook $.00
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks $9.00
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System $.00
1 310-8319 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor $.00
1 320-5807 Premium Deep Navy Blue with Soft Touch LCD back color w/ 2.0M pixel Camera Insp 1720 $.00
1 466-3921 No Preinstalled Software $.00
1 420-7091 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS $.00
1 420-7092 DataSafe Online Dim/Ins/XPS 1YR-FREE $.00
1 987-4817 Insp Datasafe 3GB,1YR(Incl in price),DHS $0.00
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online $.00
1 464-6772 Introductory Pricing-One Time Offer $.00

Order shipped email signup
View My Orders

Sub-Total : $804.00
Shipping : $.00
Tax : $64.32
Order Total : $868.32
You are here: Dell USA > Support Home Page

 

Is that a good system and did I get a good deal?

 

Updated to A08, works just fine.

 

Likewise.....

 

hey. im from the uk. took me ages to read all of the thread. lol ive ordered an insprion on 18/05/08 and it's got estimated delivery is 23/06/08. im just hoping i do get it then because of all the delays above. here's my spec

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5850 (2.16 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache)
4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
nVidia® GeForce™ Go 8400M GS with 128MB DDR2 dedicated graphic memory
320GB (5400RPM) SATA Dual Hard Drives (2X160GB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium - English
56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - UK
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Dell™ Wireless 1395 802.11b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Dell™ Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 Module (up to 3Mbps) with Enhanced Data rate - Eur
Midnight Blue Colour with Microsatin Finish & 2.0mp camera
17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLife™

really looking forward to getting it and doing a clean boot and ive given up on installing xp because of ram issues. i think it's looks amazing. was a bit worried about not getting the 256mb graphics but then im only planning on playing C&C games. and apparently the dell website doesnt give updated info so ive emailed customer services to see where it is now. will keep updates if anybody reads this lol

 

gd news. dell has withdrawn the money, and according to their email: 'You will be charged once the order leaves our manufacturing facility.' hopefully this means it's on its way. maybe by the end of the week?

 

i got this email this morning,

Thank you for contacting Dell Online Customer Service. I sincerely apologize as the status of your order is not updated on the website due to a technical error. I have checked on the progress of your order and it is in production. You should expect delivery of your system on or before 23rd June 2008. While I would not be able to provide you a specific date or any assurances, I can tell you that your order will get shipped among the earliest. Due to the popularity of the product our demand has exceeded supply. Our factory is working with our suppliers and Dell will always try and improve the delivery date on your order.

So the 2 emails are contradicting each other one says that dell takes the money when it leaves the factory which they did take 2day. and the other that it's still in production.

does production include testing and boxing etc? or is it just assembling it?

 

estimated deliver: 23 june
got an email today:

Dear Dell Customer,

You recently placed an order for an Inspiron 1720 laptop 22376601 on the Dell website.

Unfortunately, the colour you picked (Midnight Blue) is no longer available and we have cancelled the order. If any payment was taken from your account, we will arrange a refund within 2 days - however please be aware it may take a few days for your bank to process the payment.

The colour options that we have available for the Inspiron 1720 laptop are: Jet Black, Alpine White, Espresso Brown, Ruby Red, Bubblegum Pink, Spring Green and Sunshine Yellow.

If you would like to place an order for a laptop in one of these colours, please go to www.dell.co.uk

Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused,

Dell

they could have told me earlier!!!!!!!! ive been waiting for a month now. who c**p is this????????????

 

Oh man, sorry to hear that! So the sig you're getting is cancelled?

BTW speaking of colours, I kinda like Jet black, makes it look sleek and - professional. Opinion only. Because black is my favourite colour.

 

Are you serious? I ordered an Inspiron 1720 with midnight blue as well and according to several agents, it is expected to ship out on June 23....im hoping my order doesnt get canceled. Im in Canada thouigh

BTW has anyone here who purchased a Inspiron 1720 with a 6 cell batery receieve their laptop? Please post delivery times if you did...Thanks

 

I ordered the 6 cell battery but you know. I hope you get yours man, and enjoy it for both of us. Let us know when you get it. Btw I got an email that they have delayed it till 3rd July when they've already cancelled :S I do like black I just thought blue was quite pretty. lol I have emailed Dell to see if I re-order a black one if they'll give me some money off or extra-fast delivery, because they wasted a month of my time and if blue will ever be back. If not I'm going to PC World. lol And now I have to remove my sig

 

Inspiron 1720 bought at Currys the other day, reading half the probs on here I'm glad I bought it retail

 

they do have it in currys and pc world but you dont get the whole customizing thing. btw how are you finding the laptop?

 

Its pretty cool, its the first laptop I've had but couldn't stand the way Dell partitioned the drive etc so I redid it with XP Pro (dont like Vista you see) I was a bit miffed tho finding out that it didnt have the bluetooth module installed because I thought that would have came as standard, but reading in other places I found out that it's optional Also, I didn't expect it to be anywhere near as fast as my actual desktop machine so I was pleased to find out it could hold its own so to speak as I tested it with a couple of games (2Moons, NFS Carbon and SimCity Societies) already I'm thinking on having it upgraded (bluetooth, second HDD, 4GB Ram, XP X64) its just a pity that I cant upgrade (to my knowledge) the graphics card in it, I do understand its a daughterboard in it, but I would have to send it to Dell to upgrade it to preserve my warranty.

Btw.. anyone know where in the UK I can get a Second HDD caddy for a 1720?

 

You can only get it from DELL (afaik), unless you go to a grey market. This is what I've done, I bought a new hard-disk, ordered the connector (Inter-poser card) from DELL, and just put some papers above it and closed the case.

DELL was selling one screw for $5, that makes it $20 for just 4 screws, and some other insane price for the caddy. It's been working flawlessly (touchwood) for about 8-9 months now, no problems.

 

I called dell today and was told that my order was in the final production stage (boxing)! Woohoo! He said it will be shipping very soon (3 business days max). Hopefully I will get it by the end of this week!

btw, i ordered it on June 14, 2008

 

my new system from Dell outlet: