Request to Dell: Please release a non-SLI version when you ship the 8800 GPU

Ok here's my beef. I purchased (and have since returned and had refunded - thanks Dell), my M1730. Overall I was impressed with the wondeful build quality of the unit, the polished feel of the case, the screen, the overall package was excellent.

My current unit is a superb M1710 with the 2.33 Ghz CPU and the 7950GTX GPU. This unit pretty much does everything I need to do in DX9 (I don't need Vista or DX10, just more CPU and GPU grunt).

I specced my M1730 with the Extreme CPU, overclocked it to 3.2Ghz, and then added 2x 64GB Samsung SSD's and the 8700M's in SLI.

Bottom line: the old M1710 outperformed in at every turn. Problem - poorly performing 8700's and driver that were simple not ready for prime time.

So here's my request to Dell : when you finish the R&D phase on the 8800's for the M1730, please can you add a configuration that just simply has a SINGLE 8800GTX with 768MB of DDR3 inside. I don't need SLI (but understand many users will still want this).

Just give me the Extreme CPU, pre-installed RAID0 Hitachi HD's and a single 8800GTX with 768MB - surely not too much to ask is it?

My other beef- why did you discontinue the excellent M1710 it if still outperforms the M1730 - Dell must be smarting badly from the hit in sales they've cost themselves with the M1730 gaffe.

 

Well, telling us here at NBR isn't likely to do anything, but if it does make you feel better, go for it.

 

yeah i doubt that dell will do anything about this man.

 

The new GTX has 512mb framebuffer memory, not 768. That's the desktop varient.

 

Why there has to be a reason for the 2 inch thickness! Anyway the news that dell was testing the M1730 made me so happy. I don't have to buy the Precision M6300!

 

Why would you put all that in a laptop?! All that power packed into confined space doesn't seem like the smartest idea anyone has ever come up with

Grand Admiral

 

First of all the XPS M1710 is not discontinued it is still for sale. And the Dell Xps M1710 has only 1 7950GTX which is very powerful yet the 2 8700GT's in the M1730 is much more powerful.

 

Sorry, but show me where the M1710 is for sale in Australia? Can't find it on the Dell website anywhere. This is what I get when I search for "M1710" on the Dell Australia website:

"Looking for XPS M1710? - Home & Home Office
We are sorry! The product you are searching is no longer available.
Please have a look at the latest range of Dell XPS Notebooks available. "


And sorry, but the application we use does not support SLI, and a single 512MB 7950GTX simply kills a single 256MB 8700 - hands down no contest. The 8700M chip is a complete and utter incompetent chipset from the testing we've done. We're a software house where we really tax the hardware and I can assure you that nVidia are blowing wind up people's behinds with the 8700M series. We are equally sceptical of the 8800 when/if it finally arrives.

 

SLI support problem is Nvidias, not Dells.