Precision M90 quick review

After some dealing with Dell, I was finally able to get a Precision M90 last week. I ordered Tuesday. The expected delivery date was originally Friday June 30, but UPS delivered it to my home last night. I didn't get to play around with it too much last night as I had a Calculus exam this morning . However, I have been playing with it all day today, and here are some short comments about it. I am planning on providing a proper full review w/ pics etc. this weekend when I get time since I noticed there isn't one on here yet. Here are the specs and my initial impressions:

Processor: T2600 2.16 GHz Core Duo
Screen: 17" WXGA+ Ultrasharp
Graphics: nVidia Quadro FX 1500M w/ 256MB
RAM: 1.0GB 667 MHz
HDD: 100GB 7200RPM
Optical: CD-RW/DVD
Wireless: Intel 3945
Other: 4-in-1 Media Card reader (SD/MMC/MS/xD), 6 USB 2.0, 1 IEEE1394
Firewire, ExpressCard, VGA out, DVI out

Build: 10/10
This is one of the most solid laptops I've ever used. Everything feels nice and sturdy, down to the magnesium alloy casing and the steel hinges. It all feels very solid.

Screen: 8/10
I originally was very worried about the WXGA+ on the 17", especially considering my C640 runs at XGA+ and it's a 14.1". But now that I have it, I don't even notice the lower resolution. I also like that it is matte and not glossy, as I don't get glare. I hate glare. In addition, the colors are very nice and vibrant (especially compared to the old C640), and it is actually brighter than my roommate's glossy screen. That being said, the lighting does seem to be a little uneven, and there is some light leakage at the bottom of the screen. I have decided not to worry about these problems, as it rarely bothers, and I think it'll be much more of a hassle than it's worth to have replaced. Overall, though, I'm very satisfied, and the nVidia card allows for lots of options, including making windows and the taskbar transperent.

Performance: 9/10
This thing is fast, there is no doubt. You can really see the speed come out when running more than one application. The P-4m on the old C640 acted like it wanted to cry if you had more than one demanding application open at a time. But the Core Duo seems to love it. That being said, normal tasks seem slower at times than the old Latitude, which has half the RAM. For instance, opening the control panel seems to take a couple seconds longer on this machine than on the 4 year old Latitude C640. But I'm planning on upping the RAM to 2 gigs later this summer when I have the time (and money).

Gaming: Anyone who says that Quadros are workstation cards and cannot game are completely wrong. I ran 3dmark05 and 3dmark06 today, with stock drivers and no overclocking, and I am very satisfied. You can see my sig below for scores, but I'll be nice and post them here too.

3dmark05: 6413
3dmark06: 3926

For some real world examples, I can tell you that I have installed and run the Prey demo, the F.E.A.R. demo, and the Quake 4 demo. Prey ran at max settings at 1280 res., F.E.A.R. and Quake 4 at 1024 res. F.E.A.R. experiences some chugging here and there, especially when I don't unload my antivirus beforehand. Quake 4 runs flawlessly, and there are some minor hiccups in Prey every now and then. I don't know the exact numers yet as I haven't installed Fraps, but I would say I'm getting 25-35+ fps in Prey in Quake 4, and 15-30 in F.E.A.R. Overall, very happy. Much better than my old Mobility Radeon 7500.

Heat: 9/10
It gets a little hot, but I'm sure it's nothing compared to most laptops these days. Hell, it's nothing compared to my C640, which got hot enough to burn my hand sometimes. You can definitely start to feel the heat when gaming, but it's nothing I can't handle. It still stays cool enough to keep in my lap. That's what it's supposed to do.

Sound: 9/10
I'm very surprised with the speakers of this computer. I'm very used to notebooks not having any quality in the sound department, but this computer definitely is not like most notebooks I've dealt with. The two speakers actually have bass, which is something very new to me for a notebook. I should have expected as much, seeing as the chassis was based off an XPS M1710.

I haven't had a chance to check out battery life yet, but it looks like I'm going to be getting 2.5-3.5 hours, which is very nice for a 17". All in all, I am very pleased with this computer, and I hope to have plenty of good experiences in the future with it. Initial rating: 9/10

 

Is the wxga+ screen half-glossy like the WUXGA screen?

 

I'm not really sure, as it's hard to say. I would say that it is though, but that's only comparing it from my old Latitude C640. I say that because, as I said in the review, the screen is much more vibrant and colorful. But it still doesn't glare like a glossy, and it def doesn't feel like a glossy, but it still has that glossy flair. Personally, I like it. It would have been nice to have had the higher res though. But you take what you can get I guess.

 

Yes it is .

 

Can you take some pics? And why didn't you go with the 2500M instead of the 1500M?

 

One might be able to increase its performance by replacing the Quadro driver w/ its 7900 GTX counter part driver , it should work since the cards are somewhat similar.Should change it from a work station to a more responsive game station. dont-u-noe


TheRealist

 

Thanks notebook_ftw and gridtalker.
I had to ask because none of the M90 users around me got the WXGA+ option and there is a potential buyer who is wondering about this.

 

I'll get some pics up this weekend with the review. I went with the 1500M for one single reason: the deal I got included the 1500M and not the 2500M, and there was no way to upgrade to the 2500 without increasing the price dramatically. The good thing is that the 1500 uses less than half the power, for only a reduction of about 25-30% performance, as noted by the 3dmark scores. Do some searching and you will see that stock 2500M only scores a little over 5000 in 3dmark06 and somewhere in the low to mid 8000s in 3dmark05.

 

Is the optical drive on the M90 modular, like the M70's D-Bay? or is it a fixed bay like the Inspirons?

 

I saw a stable overclock someone had done with their M90 + 2500 and they reached 10k in 3dmark05.

But yeah your right about the 3dmarks. Guess the 1500 is a better buy.

 

According to Dell's website it is modular, but it looks fixed. It is the same chassis as the XPS M1710. It appears as though it's a modular unit with a screw to hold it in. At the end of the drive there is a screw with a picture of a lock by it, so I'm assuming that's what it is. I hope it is modular since I ordered min with the CD-RW/DVD and I plan to upgrade it to a DVD-RW at some point. I know my old Latitude C640 has modular bays similar to the M70 and sometimes the lock comes undone and the drive slips out. That sucks.

 

I bought a Dell Precission M90 like the one reviewed here and have that serious uneven lit screen problem... I called Dell several times and after one screen change, i realize is a problem of all Dell screens. I had a Philips one and now it is a Samsung and it's the same, lot's of dark places no matter how is your screen angle. Besides always seeing a brighter line in the firsts lower lines. Disgusting.

They told me the screen they sell are OK, so my choices now are: Give it back or Upgrade to WUXGA wich is an expensive choice. Not to count that people at Dell don't recognize anything.

I sent them some links on internet because I found (late) that it is not only my perception. it is real.

Can we make something? Can we send all togheter a mail to dell asking to change the screens for another better!!?!?!?!?

This notebook it is supposed (acording to dell) to be a certified notebook for media creators, graphic designers, Cad/Cam,etc.

How can we work if we can not see the real brightness or colors in our works!?!?!?!?!

Thanks,

Dan