XPS 1730 or Sager 9260?

i know the 9260 is the most powerful notebook atm, but i just read that the XPS1730 has physics processor and is able to have SLI (8700s). im just wondering whether the 9260 with desktop processors will be better than the XPS 1730 with physics processor.

 

Umm... okay, the desktop processor is most likely better

 

The 1730 can have a physX processor, if your willing to give up one of the two MXM-II slots that it has.

Choice 1: 2 x 8700M-GT's in SLI
Choice 2: 1 x 8700M-GT + 1 PhysX 100M

Chose wisely.

 

lol but SLI 8700s!!! +physics processor

 

Lol, but dual quad cores + quad SLI....


No point in wishing for something that it isn't capable of.

The 1730 has 2 type II MXM slots. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

Based on the preliminary information, it doesn't sound like that configuration will be available. Also, it sounds like the PhysX processor is being released in MXM-II, making it likely that when it's available Clevo resellers will start picking it up.

 

The only way will be to have an express card type physics processor. Then the 9260 will still be king because it has an express card slot as well. Sorry to burst your bubble.

The people that should be mad are the m9750 owners. Well, at least their notebooks look better than that piece of puke, 1730.

I can be glad that my D901C looks and performs better than it

 

The m9750 is still the thinnest and lightest SLI and RAID notebook, so I don't think they'll be too upset.

 

lol true. is a physics processor worth 1 graphic card?

 

I havent seen a good use for the physics card. 9260 all the way.

 

um not even close. Physics processors currently are a big waste of money imo. Maybe future generations will be better. Like any bleeding edge tech the 1st gen is best avoided till they work out all the kinks and game devs include support. Its a nice marketing ploy tho
But definitely never forego SLI for it.

 

it isnt worth it since they have a solid list of like 8 games that supports it...
and if you choose the physx processor over SLI..i wouldnt go around bragging at all.

 

Yeaaahhhhhh... you should really spend some more time researching before you purchase your machine. I've been here a month now and I'm still not sure.

edit: BWAHAT you've been here since June. Still... consult the board then.

 

The m1730 has two gpu on a single card + physx

 

Where are you getting this from? All the reports I've seen so far point towards SLI...

 

Please post your source markkin, there are numerous articles about the machine having 2 x MXM-II slots. Where is your information that it will have a 3rd? The PhysX Ageia M100 is also going to be MXM-II. That is a fact.

There are no 2 x gpu's on a single MXM card atm markkin.

Fact: The 1730 will have 2 x MXM-II slots.

Fact: The 1730 will offer 8700M-GT in MXM-II format.

Fact: The PhysX Ageia M100 is MXM-II format.

You will have a choice on if you want to go SLI or if you want to go with 1 x GPU + the M100. That's it. The only way will be for them to invent some way for the PhysX to work via Express Card technology, as of now (and the immediate future...it's not likely to happen).

 

Where are you getting this from?? Unless Dell seriously crippled the 8700M-GT, I don't see it fiitting in an MXM-II slot. What I've assumed is that this M1730 will have two MXM-III slots (or Dell's proprietary version thereof) accepting either two 8700M-GT's or one 8700M-GT and a PhysX card.

 

I thought the PhysX card was just starting to come out, in the article it says nothing of it being in the 1730 the 1730 is just confirmed to be an SLi machine thats all.

 

PhysX Ageia M100 = MXM-II

I agree with you Odin, the 8700M-GT will more than likely be a type III that supports 35mm x 35mm (Type II) or 40mm x 40mm (Type III). Heck it may even be a Dell specific one that won't allow you to swap to another notebook.

Since the PhysX M100 will be type II it will have to allow it to fit. Ice Tea could probably tell us if he were around.

 

Yeah, I know the PhysX card is MXM-II, but that will fit in an MXM-III or an MXM-HE slot, as they're backwards compatible. I seriously doubt that the m1730 will have anything lower than MXM-III.

 

I believe the D900C is in a class of its own. There is basically no real competition out there. In my opinion the M9750 competes on a different level - it's more of a laptop than a portable desktop like the D900C is.

If you want to compare the 1730 to something then I think the best comparison is to the Alienware M9750. Both use mobile processors and have similar specifications.

 

Does the M1730 support RAID 0 and 1?

 

Check out these pictures which shows two gpu on a single card

http://www.engadget.com/photos/dells-xps-m1730-gets-more-specs-more-pics/

 

Two GPU on a single card


One Ageia physX card


Completed
1. Two GPU on a single card
2. One Ageia physX card

 

Cheers all :GEEK:

I was 99% sold on going with a 9260 until the recent rumors about the M1730 having dual SLI 8700M GT graphics plus additional physics card. Not sure I care all that much about the physics card, but the SLI 8700's is tempting me.

From what I've been able to gather from here and elsewhere on the web, there is no 100% guarantee that I will be able to get SLI 8700's on the 9260. I know that SLI 7950's > SLI 8700's but then wonder about DX10 and if I really should care about it? In an ideal world, I'm the type of causal gamer who would probably be happy with a (theoretically capable) single 8800M GTX card if such a piece of hardware existed, but since I can't wait forever, I'm thinking SLI 8700's would at least give me an equal or better DX10 solution than a single 8800M GTX.

I guess a question I have is this: what is Clevo's track record on making graphics upgrades a reality? How long does it usually take? Anyone have any further confirmations/inside information that an upgrade is definitely in the works?

I bought a laptop once (an Acer) that claimed that the graphics would be upgradeable...in the end, not a single upgrade ever became available. Luckily, I didn't care all that much back then, but this time around it would be mega important to me.

It's an abosulte MUST that I get a laptop by early October so time is running out...I either get a 9260 now with hopes that an upgrade to SLI 8700 or a single 8800 will be available sometime soon down the road OR jump in quickly on the (rumored) M1730 to ensure I'm not lost in a backlog of orders that might push the delivery date out too far

 

The Dell XPS M1730 is coming out tomorrow, Monday, August 27, 2007. I can not wait to read the reviews. Dell XPS M1730 should to be capable of playing Crysis with all the eye candy on DirectX 10 with Ultra setting, and even though the Clevo 9260 has higher 3DMark06, it can only play DirectX 9 with Ultra setting. Thus, the M1730 will looking better.

 

The M1730 may be out tomorrow, but who knows when we'll see a meaningful or trustworthy review

This has got to be the worst time to be in the high-performance/desktop replacement market...

I used to think the internet was my friend...but now, after endless searching:

- I can find no in-depth game performance benchmarks of the 8700M GT
- No concrete info that Clevo is working on a 9260 graphics upgrade
- Not a peep from Nvidia with regard to an 8800M card
- Endless posts regarding frustrations with SLI drivers...even in XP, let alone Vista

It's a bloody mess out there atm

Even if Dell does manage to pull off the SLI 8700 in the M1730, it's apparently based on 2 GPU's on a single card...yet another complication when it comes to finding a workable set of drivers

Although a lot of folks out there are blaming NVIDIA for not delivering a high-performance DX10 mobile card, my anger is slowly settling on Microsoft for introducing this DX9 vs. DX10 divide...or should I say DX10.1

I'm sure some blame could be spread to NVIDIA as well as ATI (for its lack of driving things forward with serioius competition), but ultimately, I suppose they're both scrambling as well to provide us customer's with a satisfying product to sink our dollars into

 

Wow, I'm impressed.

Still since the 1730 is going to be 10.3lbs and the D901C is 11.8lbs not much weight difference.

The D901C is still king though atm. 2.93GHz processor and 1066FSB vs 2.8Ghz and 800Mhz FSB.

The D901C has dual 8700M-GT's as well, the only thing missing IS the physics processor, which few games make usage of.

Good find on the dual 8700M-GT's on a single card though. +1

 

that xps looks very impressive and it finally has a "full size" keyboard with number pad. will definately be waiting for some juicy reviews.

regarding clevo's gpu upgrade support for the D900 series in the past, i can tell you that it was virtually zero support as every newer gpu starting from the 6800 on up required a new motherboard upgrade as the older one did not support the thermal requiremnts.

 

I think you may be substituting wishful thinking in place of the facts

I've looked all over the place and have yet to find solid evidence that the D901C has ever wokred with even one 8700M GT, let alone alone dual...

Extremely eager (and honestly hopeful ) that you can prove me wrong on this, but outside of the grandiose claims of vaporware companies such as Eurocom, no legitimate reseller has been willing to give me a guarantee that the D901C/9260 will ever be able to support even a single 8700 card

 

Thanks for the sobering info, ARGH...it's a confirmation of the doubts I have based on what I've seen in the past, regardless of the best intentions of the manufacturers involved.

Whether it be thermal requirements, power requirements, physical case size requirements, or at best, an out-of-this-world upgrade price, the practicality of changing notebook GPU's is a rarity, if not an impossibility.

Was hoping Clevo had a better track record since they continually seem to be pushing the boundaries of technology (and inexplicably, at a fair price to boot! ). But I guess even Clevo is subject to the whims of the hardware/software manufacturers...I can appreciate the difficulties of trying to offer a competively priced product today, based on unknown specifications that have yet to be officially defined for tomorrow...

 

If there're NP5790s out there using 8700M GTs already then why shouldn't they work on the 9260? Thing is hardly anyone would buy a 9260 with an 8700 card when they have the option of going SLI with 7950GTX. The only possible viable scenario for using the 8700MGT is for the lower power and heat dissipations but then why buy the 9260 to begin with if those were major concerns?

Point is I cant see why anyone would be crying because they can't equip the 9260 with an 8700. DX 10 you say ? lol That's like ATI/Nvidia releasing crippled DX10 cards...sure they'll run DX10 but at such abysmal fps as to be unplayable. So you're forced to turn down the eye candy to get acceptable frame rates..frame rates that would be there on DX9 cards. That's so backwards. But hey having DX10 splashed in the advert sure sells more cards . The only viable scenario for the 8700 is in SLI mode or non-SLI in 'lesser' laptops like the X205(native res of 1400x900) and Asus refreshes of their gaming line..that's pretty much it. So I suggest if you really want an 8700M those are your best options.

Maybe the fault lies in the consumer who's paying top dollar and expecting near desktop performance, something I myself have been guilty of. I share the same frustration. Why aren't there 8800 series cards yet? And when they do come out what guarantee will there be that current systems will be compatible - None really. That whole MXM thing sounds nice and all but the more I look at it the more skeptical I become. It does sound nice tho along with the other fancy acronyms that they throw at you - "Upgradeable! DX10! oh yeah!!" sure whatever . A 2yr old dx9 card is still tops wtf. Reality is gaming laptops will always be behind desktops and cost a hell lot more for a fraction of a desktop's capability.

 

Wow that M1730 is turning out to be a beast on both the eyes and the power ratings.

 

Thing is, morphy, the point you make is what makes me nervous about the 9260

There are trusted resellers out there offering the 5790 with at least the "option" of getting an 8700 instead of the 7950. And I would argue that this makes even LESS sense...why go with an 8700 in the 5790 since you can only have the 1 card? No way I'd go with an 8700 over the 7950, in a single card setup.

It would seem more logical to me that in the short term, even a single 8700 in a 9260 makes sense if there's CERTAINTY to add another one in SLI down the road (presumably when the bugs are worked out).

Yes...DX10 may be 99% hype...but sadly, when you've got the powers-that-be pumping serious dollars into something (i.e. Microsoft, ATI/NVIDIA, etc.) I'm not willing to bet against them manipulating the market to make DX10 a must-have. All it takes is an exclusive DX10 blockbuster game here. a few severly crippled DX9 games there, and pretty soon you're kicking yourself for not submitting to the inevitable :laugh:

 

So you're saying the whole idea of DX10 is a marketing scam? Aren't we jumping to conclusions a little too early?

 

Sorry...guess I went a bit over the top there

I know that DX10 does offer improvements over DX9, but am just a little stressed at the moment as the deadline draws nearer for making a purchase decision.

What I will say, however, is that there are some puzzling things going on, such as DX10 originally being Vista exclusive (until it was found how easy it was to enable it in XP), the new DX10 requirements laid down by Microsoft recently which some current DX10 cards may not be able to meet, and all the while in the meantime, the upcoming Crysis game is hyped up as the second coming...just can't help but think that things could have been handled a little better to make this a smoother transition.

 

Crysis is the second coming LOL my god the new snow gameplay made me jump out my seat. Its the main reason why I might end up with the M1730 for the Dual 8700GT SLi. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the first XPS to come with Dual GPUs in SLi or Crossfire?

 

Yes, dead lines are making you ask a question like, ''Should I stick with DX9 and get the 7950gtx or will a DX10 card have something of worth in the future?''. But hey, life is full of decisions.

 

The D900C is the only notebook in the world that has SLI capabilities.

Yes the Dell XPS 1730 will be the first.

Just to clear things up for you

If you have 2 ATI video cards: It's crossfire
If you have 2 Nvidia video cards: It's SLI

So in this case, the 8700 is an Nvidia video card so if you pair 2 together it is SLI.

 

I know that I'm not stupid LOL. I was asking if an XPS had ever came with Sli or Crossfire enabled tech that was the question. Doesn't the Alienware M9750 have SLi I believe it does. As a matter of fact there are two alienware laptops which have SLi the M9750 and the mALX(the 19inch). Not many laptops newer ones are coming with Ati cards let alone Crossfire enabled dual Ati cards.

 

Not even remotely true.

 

Ah I forgot the malx, thanks for pointing that out.

Anyways, the M9750 is the best portable gaming laptop while the D900C is the most advanced. Nothing like it.

 

Main thing I don't like about the Sager is the huge size and plain design. I'm a sucker for lights and crazy alien heads.

 

Um...the price tag on other laptops comparable to the Sager 9260 aren't so great...

jeez...I'm forgetting everything I know today...I thought the D900C was the only SLI laptop, *slaps myself in the head*

 

Yeah the Sager is very VERY cost friendly.

 

All Sagers are cost-friendly, =)

 

Yeah I went through so many plans this summer LOL, first it was the Alienware M9750, then it was the Sager 5790, then the 9260, then the M1710 now I think I settled down on the 1730. The sagers went out because my mom was hell bent on the option for financing, we aren't as rich as we used to be. Not that we ever were that rich LOL!

 

The 1730 isn't so cool in my book, and you say Sagers design is plain. It's better then what the 1730 has going on.

 

Like I said I'm a sucker for lights its not really design thats attracting me to the 1730 its the specs and remember Mom and the financing(Sager isn't really a huge name to my Mom so she's quick to jump on the Dell). I actually like the latest pic of the 1730 I posted it somewhere. I think in the 1730 thread.

Ageia PhysX, Dual 8700s, Santa Rosa its a good laptop under the hood.