Dell XPS M1730

Pros: Graphics, Multitasking, memory, fast and quiet, LCD

Cons: Power brick, bloatware, Vista compatability issues

Summary: KNOW WHY YOU ARE GETTING THIS
I will start by saying that this "laptop" is not for everyone. It is pricey and has more than many need/want in a notebook. I bought this because I play the latest games, because I’m a heavy user of programs like Adobe CS3 suite software, and, let’s face it, I love gadgets. I also move around and have numerous business/professional needs as well. So, if you looking for a notebook that has to horses to handle all of your projects and satisfy your gadget lust, this is the best all around notebook for the price at the moment. It is not perfect. With that said, ANY rating under an 8 should be disregarded or ignored.

QUICK SUMMARY
If you don’t want to read my long review, this paragraph is a basic summary. PROS: this laptop is fast and quiet, it allocates memory and processor usage efficiently, multitasking is superb, graphics are unbeatable for a laptop, it is a great value for the price (despite being pricey), LCD panel. NEUTRAL: Huge and heavy, weak battery life, most software not yet advanced enough maximize this machine. CONS: unnecessarily huge power brick, struggled with Crysis on everything above medium settings, Dell bloatware, Vista issues. Overall gets an 8/10 (due to power brick, Vista, bloatware).

FEATURES
I won't reiterate all the features others have discussed but it is worth noting a couple of key features and key specs of mine for context:

2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme Processor
400 GB hard drive each at 7,200 rpm
4 GB RAM at 667 MHZ
Blu Ray player/DVD burner (w/out Blu Ray burner)

Every M1730 has a PhysX processor as well as dual SLI 256MB Nvidia 8700 GTS and WUXGA 1920 x 1200 resolution. As of this review, no other notebook packs all these features into one package. Feature junkies, your lust is warranted, this thing has it all.

NEUTRAL ISSUES:
This laptop is huge and heavy. It has to be to do what it does so this shouldn’t count against it. Also, depending on your previous notebooks/desktops, you may not be “blown away.” This is because only software written with dual processors sharing the load, dual graphics cards, PhysX, etc. in mind can take advantage of it. Again, this is not Dell’s fault so it’s a neutral.

CONS:
The gigantor power brick is a MAJOR con. Some might say that this should be a neutral but there is no reason why Dell couldn’t have stuck with the size of the already huge bricks on other models. This limits the portability of the notebook. Believe it or not, the notebook size itself is manageable if you want to move around. However, once you tack on the brick, good luck finding a case, bag, etc. If Dell fixes this (which it will have to), I’d give this thing a 9. Some, who won’t be moving this around at all, won’t mind. For you guys though, I would STRONGLY consider a powerful desktop – at the end of the day, there is no reason to buy a notebook unless you desire at least some mobility.

The Vista issues (which are a separate topic) really take away from the initial joy of this machine. That, plus Dell’s bloatware (which you should/must uninstall) take off another point. Again, there are workarounds (i.e. XP but not DX 10) but the software that Dell installs like roxio, media direct, dell support software all cause problems with Vista so I have to ding Dell for that.

There are some minor cons like no keyboard shortcuts to shut of the lights/LCD and I was disappointed with the debut of Crysis on this machine. It took me two hours to get the settings to a point that was playable and that point is far from max. As I understand it, this is the case for nearly every gaming rig so I don’t hold these against Dell too much. But, I want to feel like nothing can slow me down and I didn’t get that joy. I’m also not blown away by the “flashy” design.

PROS:
This is without a doubt the best computer I have ever owned, desktop or notebook (including my wife’s MacBook Pro, iMac, etc.).

Memory and Multitasking
The 400 GB hard drive finally allows for the space today’s computers need, plus they’re at 7200 rpm. With 4GB RAM (of which only 3.16 is usable), you won’t have ANY real issues with multitasking (CS3, Lightroom, Office, etc. just hum). Those who use editing and rendering software will love this even more than gamers. Plus it is relatively quiet and well vented.

Graphics and Blu Ray
The graphics this notebook delivers are clean and crisp – even with Crysis, once I got that game running. Other games and media look great too. Blu Rays look stunning (but you have to use Dell’s media direct which is a clunky setup).

LCD Panel
I was initially lukewarm about this feature, but I’ve come to like it. Think of it as your window into how your computer is “feeling.”

Price
Some might not agree, but this is a pro. My setup costs about $4300 – WOW! That’s a boatload of money for any computer. But it will be at least 3 years before I need even a minor upgrade. Also, if you tried to build this rig yourself today, you wouldn’t get all of this for this price. And, I used Dell’s 12 month same as cash financing which helped. I admit I’m rationalizing a bit, but considering the amount of time I spend on a computer, I might as well enjoy it, right?

FINAL THOUGHTS
If you made it this far, I'm impressed (and sorry so long). I would recommend this notebook to anyone, with the caveats I've discussed. I know price is an issue, but you can bring it down to earth if you can do without blu-ray, can manage with 2GB RAM, and don't need a 2.8 GHZ processor. With these slight mods, you'll be in the upper $2Gs but you are still rocking. You will not find a better notebook anywhere right now, even though this notebook isn't perfect.