Current 8800M GTX SLI status (Dell M1730)

NotebookCheck has a review of the updated Dell XPS M1730 with a T7700 CPU and 8800M GTX SLI video cards. They managed to get a 10824 score in 3DMark 06, which only means one of two things: either SLI sucks big time (probably not completely true) or the drivers are not working at all (higher chance of being true). I will not post a link, as I am sure you can find it.
This review will confirm Clevo's delays due to driver problems (and some issues with the new Penryn CPUs), so they might roll SLI and Penryn together later this month.

 

my friend is gettin g13k easy.

and 10k @1900x1200

 

They've tested at 1280*1024 (according to the other scores).

 

Anandtech has done a detailed test of M1730 and has found considerable improvement in a number of games, compared to non-SLI machine. They also had access to an upcoming driver, version 174.20 (even though that version is already available on LaptopVideo2Go), and the improvements are even better.

 

Yes, but they haven't really made a point to sustain the SLI. Current 8800M drivers suck big time (Clevo pointing that out, so does Alienware), so using a LV2Go driver isn't the best idea one could have. I wasn't saying SLI is bad or that it doesn't work, I was pointing out that it could be a driver related problem and for now SLI doesn't really work.

 

Magnus72 reports some pretty nice scores.
WUXGA crysis, all high, average 30 fps.
Sounds to me that it`s not all true that SLI does not work.
The real truth is that IT IS NOT WORKING as intended just yet.

 

Yeah, that is the idea. However you should be getting a higher performance increase. I know 3DMark = 0, but the gaming benchmarks mean something and even Anandtech's test doesn't prove that SLI is working in some games.

 

More than likely they had screwy drivers on their particular machine. Maybe they installed nvida drivers instead of stock or the ones from Dell. My best bud here just got one and has been making me jealous showing me Crysis at all high and 3dmark scores trying to get me to buy one instead of the m570, so he can justify to himself the 4k nut he dropped =p.

 

4k is a lot of money for a notebook and I also question the price to play Crysis.

 

Some people can just buy anything.
I only wished I had too much money to spend, like others.
4k for a stinking laptop is way too much even if I`m drunk. But as I said,others pay 1 million Euros for a car, so 4k $ is church money in comparisson.

 

Well, I beg to differ, SLI does work on 1730, and does provide performance improvement. Maybe not as much as expected, but improvement never the less, and Anandtech's testing with new driver shows that the new driver improves speed even more.

 

Well, I'm not complaining anyway!

Ordered my 1730 on 4th March with 2GB, T9300, 2x200GB 7200rpm, 2x8800SLi in Crimson Red, complete with 3 year premium support and 1 year accidental damage warranty for £1920 ($3893.85)

Estimated delivery date : 19th March - actual arrival date 11th March

I think it fair to say, Dell delivered, and as for the machine - there is really only one word to sum it up..........

AWESOME!

I have ran it pretty much constantly since receiving it at 10am on Tuesday and one of the first things I did was run my favourite benchmark on it 3DMark03 and the results were a very impressive 48500 Marks.

My last desktop with 2x74GB raptors, 2GB Corsair XPERT DDR2 800@960 and a Q6600 @ 2.88GHz with a XFX 8800GTS 320MB XXX edition could manage 33600 marks in 3DMark03..........

When you take into consideration that my m8's desktop running the same CPU/HDD setup with 4GB DDR2 800, and 2x BFG 8800GTS 320MB OC2's in SLi can deliver 51000 3DMarks, I call 48500 marks out of a laptop nothing short of extraordinary.

The 48500 score was attained using Dell stock drivers too (167.57) and the cards were running at stock speed (as overclocking a notebook graphics card is mental in my opinion!)

Suffice it to say that - if I had the X9000 CPU and overclocked the 8800's I believe that the 1730 would in fact beat my m8's SLi desktop rig.

Regards


One of many happy 1730 owners

 

why is this in here?

this is Clevo not DEll

 

Because the reports in here about the Dell being slow are inaccurate to say the least!

If a desktop running 2x8800's, 4GB Ballistix Tracer RAM, 2xRaptors and a Q6600 can pull 51000 3Dmarks - an impressive score bearing in mind that my m8 doesn't overclock his hardware (I have and still do with my desktops)

BUT it is even more impressive that a notebook with 2GB RAM, T9300 CPU and stock drivers with no overclocking can pull 48500 3DMarks.

Suffice to say - all the reports you read from sources like anandtech are TRUE! - this thing is fast, and not only that - it got here fast too!

9262 - ordered 15th Dec 07, not ready when they said it would be (end feb) - would have cost me (after import duty) $4800+ with no warranty and no accidental damage cover - Dell, ordered 4th March, arrived 11th March - with 3 years warranty and 1 year accidental damage cover -for $3900.

Somebody on here said that you could get laid for $700

Or, maybe I could spend the $900 I saved on a Stainless Exhaust for my 328i, or maybe a new soft top

 

Now, now, Dude! It's not nice to tease the less fortunate...

 

WHo runs 3dmark 03?

Run 06 and post some gaming benchmarks.

 

we don't care.

this is for Clevo stuff.

in 2 weeks the dell will get murdered buy quad core and sli

I am getting over 10k default 3dmark.

when I start to OC I will get probably 12k after I am done, I am a proficient oc'er.

then I will get SLI and get 16k

bye bye Dell.

now please go back to your daddy michael dell.

i hear him calling you.

Whistle.........

 

Don't tell me - you are one of those that thinks that if you have a 150bhp car vs. a 160bhp car that the 160bhp car will win by a mile!

To use a term like 'murder' is to imply that the Clevo will beat the Dell by a multiple factor, for example...........

a 328i BMW will not murder a Mercedes 190E Cosworth, BUT a BMW M3 will!

To use the term murder in the case of comparing these notebooks is not the correct context.

If a desktop with Q6600, 4GB RAM, 2x74GB WD Raptors and 2x8800 BFG's in SLi can only deliver 51000 marks it would be only fair to assume that the Clevo could only manage a similar figure.

Bearing in mind that my m8's BFG's are the 320MB versions and the Clevo's are the 512 should not throw the figures by that much as the desktop parts are usually clocked to take advantage of speed and not battery life.

So, in 3DMark03 terms - my bet is on the Clevo landing somewhere between the 2 - but that's hardly 'murdering' is it?

It would appear as though anyone who has anything remotely positive to say about another manufacturer causes massive offence on this forum.

May I suggest, that, if this is my last post on these forums before getting banned, that you should CHILL OUT and GET A LIFE!

At the end of the day - I got a better deal - currently IT IS the world's fastest notebook - and like everything in life - particularly with computers - nothing remains the fastest forever, BUT it does have one thing on the Clevo, and that is looks..........

NO MATTER what you do to the Clevo, it will NEVER look as good as the Dell!

 

quad core vs mobile.

more marks.

that's all that matters.

go back to your daddy michael.

lololol

Clevo hates you.

your gonna get all the threads closed here.

go away

 

Such animosity geebus.

I don't know why people can't just say "nice rig" instead of having to prove they made the right choice and you didn't.

CPU comparison is all but pointless except in benchmarks, but yes the clevo will outperform the 1730 if they ever manager to get their SLI going. So what? He is happy with his laptop and you are happy with yours, can't we leave it at that.

I still can't understand this need people get on big purchases to put down anyone who didn't buy the same product as them fanatically.

 

i know.

I'm just buggin.

i could care less.

its funny tho. he wanted a Clevo first soo bad. then couldn't get it.

now he has his dell. which is prob pretty awesome and cool. and he posts in the Clevo forum.

 

Actually that 3D Mark 06 score at Anandtech was that with a Extreme CPU? I know myself if I run 3D Mark 06 in 1280x1024 I am definitely bottlenecked by my CPU since I pull 10777 if anyone wants to now. However I pull at 1920x1200 10485 so I pulled with 8xAA and 16xAF 9700+ something in 1920x1200. But currenly I run all games in 1920x1200 and I am less bottlenecked at that res and I have my 8800m GTX overclocked.

I can say you Clevo users will be very happy when you get your SLI. My XPS M1730 performs awesome I must say in every game I have tested.

But there might be some SLI issues since a overclocked Core2Duo at 3.4 GHz in a XPS M1730 only pulled around 15000 I think I read somewhere. My desktop pulls 13000+ on one single 8800GTX.

But for me 3D Mark doesn´t prove anything but in game benchmarks does and it is here the 8800m GTX SLI really shines. So SLI works could maybe be even better optimized by drivers in the future of course. Then SLI works best from 1600x1200 and above where the GPU´s has to do more work and is not bottlenecked by the CPU.

Another quick note from a XPS user

A 2.4 Quad Core will be as bottlenecked as a 2.4 Core2Duo for the 8800m GTX SLI.

 

bottlenecked for what tho?

all you need is a t7200 to game. anything more you won't notice that much diff in most games.

I am super happy with my d901 single 8800 so far tho.

all games are playing great at 1900x1200

I play crysis @1680x1050 and getting 25-30fps on High.

that's good enough for me. and when I get the second card hopefully it will be 30fps 1900x1200 at high.

also if they have pernyn with bios update I will get the q9550

that should be pretty skookem.

 

Nah I meant bottlnecked for 3D Mark 06. But 3D Mark 06 you don´t play so no worries that it is bottlenecked in games. I put that wrong Dexgo in my post above

Actually Crysis plays 34-40 fps in DX10 High, though some places it of course drops down depending on situation and location. But overall it runs great.

 

This endless fighting is ridiculous.

Congratulations on your M1730 Andy.

It is clear that, for YOUR situation, the M1730 is a much better deal.

The Clevo will not MURDER the Dell, not possible. Both are high end machines.

Fact is, in North America, I can get an NP9262 for 3800 with SLI and 250gb more HD space and a quad core. I just configured the Dell on their site, came out to 4400 ( T9300 cpu )

More computer for less money for the Clevo for ME, to each their own.

No need to instigate fights in every thread.

 

your right.. clevo won't murder the dell.

she's not a killer

just bludgen him abit.

 

Don´t forget 8800M has only 96sp while 8800GTX Desktop has 128sp....I really hope the upcoming 9800M will also have 128sp....

 

Dream on dude

 

8800m GTX is equal or comparable to the 8800GTS desktop (old one) which also had 96 shaders. The 8800m GTX is a great card for sure, it performs really well.

 

Congrats for the Rig Dave.

I think the guy is just pointing out that DELL delivered cheaper and faster today what Clevo & Friends could not. That is a novelty.

A thing to take note as a couple of months ago that was not the case. It interests us Clevo users and further customers in the context of comparison, and confirms some of my constructive criticisms I've been posting on this forum.

A couple of months ago we were "bashing" DELL's incapacity to deliver a comparable product both in performance and cost.

Some even went to DELL's forum and suggested Clevo options as true believers of better Clevo products and prices (word of mouth has always been the most solid way albeit slow, and Clevo & Friends always benefited from it). But it does require that one deliver's what it says is delivering. A blurring area in the case of Clevo in the last year and it is now showing.

It is only fair we now listen ...

Trance

PS: Unless Clevo & Friends evolve in order to get to the customers what they are used to get and expect from them, quality, performance, feature stability, price (in this order) I think we will soon see more of these posts here, not just regarding DELL. Note that Quality is always a comparative benefit/feature (good quality today is not good quality tomorrow) and is so wasy to loose credibility.

 

I just can't believe I payed aproximately 1000 Euros more for my Rig then a M570RU with a single 8700M GT. And in the end I play COD4 and Crysis just as well in any resolution, after all these are presented as gaming laptops.

Trance
PS: Granted, I can do other things better with my Rig but a large amount of money was put torwards the ability to play games more smoothly then any other. Not to mention upgradability (do not confuse with replaceability).