"My" DELL XPS M1730 review

[killernotebooks]

Maziar: I am building my entry into the World's Fastest Notebook competition today. I am gunning for 14,000 3D06 Marks with a little TLC.

I have seen SLi give on average 25-30% more performance. That is by no means a hard and fast rule, but it gets you close when you are mentally comparing cost vs. performance.

 

[cjl]

Keep in mind that with how much 3dmark06 loves CPU, this computer would probably get quite a bit higher of a score with the X9000 @ 3.4GHz (Dell allows overclocking on the X models)

 

[Maziar]

Right,
I never like 3DMARK06 the most important thing for me is running games flawlessly and other applications such as photshop fast and this laptop isnt a let down

 

[vochtige]

I really liked your review Maziar.
you really need to get payed for it

i'm working to get money now, i own an old p4 system.
i'm just wandering to buy new parts for 700 euro, or to buy notebook. i have already one notebook (but not a gamething)

what should you do. like you said it's a good desktop replacement. but if you don't really need mobile, is it worth the money?

thanks man!

 

[killernotebooks]

Keep in mind that with how much 3dmark06 loves CPU, this computer would probably get quite a bit higher of a score with the X9000 @ 3.4GHz (Dell allows overclocking on the X models)

I am using a Q9650 1333 fsb 3.0 Ghz 45 nm Penryn quad core with 12 MB cache... I am not concerned with a lowly mobile cpu

I modify the system to offload Windows background processes (which normally take up to 15%) to the 3'rd and 4th core leaving the first and second core virtually overhead free to take on any game or benchmark. To give you an idea, the tweaks and mods I do to the O.S. & software alone take up 18 PDF pages from start to finish.

It will be a termite vs. a chainsaw.

 

[nukemaster]

15%, what do you have running on there?

 

[cjl]

I am using a Q9650 1333 fsb 3.0 Ghz 45 nm Penryn quad core with 12 MB cache... I am not concerned with a lowly mobile cpu

I modify the system to offload Windows background processes (which normally take up to 15%) to the 3'rd and 4th core leaving the first and second core virtually overhead free to take on any game or benchmark. To give you an idea, the tweaks and mods I do to the O.S. & software alone take up 18 PDF pages from start to finish.

It will be a termite vs. a chainsaw.

The X9000 should actually beat the Q9650 in the graphics tests (they don't really seem to care about extra cores). Of course, the CPU tests will be slaughter...

 

[lostandwandering]

The X9000 should actually beat the Q9650 in the graphics tests (they don't really seem to care about extra cores). Of course, the CPU tests will be slaughter...

That's not necessarily true. 3Dmark06 likes clock speed. If you compare them at stock, the 3.0ghz Q9650 will/should beat out the 2.8ghz X9000 with or without optimization for the extra 2 cores. If OC'ing gets tossed into the mix, the X9000 will make up ground with its unlocked multiplier. In this case FSB may or may not play a factor since the Q has a 1333 FSB while the X is limited to an 800 FSB (again at stock).

It should also be noted that Mark spends a crapload of time making sure that each system runs to its fullest potential. BTW Mark, does that turbo button work on the Odachi as well?

 

[killernotebooks]

Does that turbo button work on the Odachi as well?

Unfortunately no, they have this thing completely locked down. You can pin mod the CPU if you use a Q6600 series and bring it to 3.0 Ghz and 1333 fsb, but that is the only way I have seen over clocking done in this chassis. There was a BIOS mod floating around but the guy who wrote it said something in it was messed up and he burned out his system and doesn't share t anymore.

Clock for clock, if both systems have Windows overhead, and the quad is handling it in the 3rd and 4th core, leaving the main two cores essentially wide open for use (and in this case the increased fsb) it should theoretically increase the available processing power to make it on par with any dual core out there. On real-world systems this effect will be much more pronounced if you move the anti viri/spyware/malware engines to the 3rd and 4th cores also.

 

[Maziar]

I really liked your review Maziar.
you really need to get payed for it

i'm working to get money now, i own an old p4 system.
i'm just wandering to buy new parts for 700 euro, or to buy notebook. i have already one notebook (but not a gamething)

what should you do. like you said it's a good desktop replacement. but if you don't really need mobile, is it worth the money?

thanks man!

thanks mate

Well actually the advantage of this laptop over a desktop is that its alot quieter and takes a lot less place, i really didnt needed a portable laptop i needed a Desktop replacement and i am very happy with this beast :d

 

[cjl]

That's not necessarily true. 3Dmark06 likes clock speed. If you compare them at stock, the 3.0ghz Q9650 will/should beat out the 2.8ghz X9000 with or without optimization for the extra 2 cores. If OC'ing gets tossed into the mix, the X9000 will make up ground with its unlocked multiplier. In this case FSB may or may not play a factor since the Q has a 1333 FSB while the X is limited to an 800 FSB (again at stock).

It should also be noted that Mark spends a crapload of time making sure that each system runs to its fullest potential. BTW Mark, does that turbo button work on the Odachi as well?

The X9000 is unlocked for OCing in the dell BIOS. Most people who have it run at around 3.4GHz. I'd be quite surprised if the Q9650 could be overclocked much in laptop cooling, so the X9000 would probably win on anything single threaded.

 

[killernotebooks]

We shall see.

 

[lostandwandering]

The X9000 is unlocked for OCing in the dell BIOS. Most people who have it run at around 3.4GHz. I'd be quite surprised if the Q9650 could be overclocked much in laptop cooling, so the X9000 would probably win on anything single threaded.

Just FYI, that CPU can be overclocked in any system as long as the manu allows it (Sager/ Clevo allows it). That's the beauty of the X**** CPUs. I know people that own one will OC it, I was just using stock as a reference. And OC'd, yes the X9000 would win.

 

[theworminator]

One thing I noticed were the relatively high temps for the GPU (75C idle, 92C stress) but I guess that really depends on the ambient temperature. What was room temp when you took that measurement? (Just a guess, or something, for curiosity's sake)

 

[nukemaster]

Think of an 8800GTS 512(about what a 8800GTX mobile is) with a single slot cooler. in a laptop cool vs noise with noise winning gives those temps.

 

[theworminator]

Yeah, it's really a balance. I think I'd personally prefer a cooler laptop that's a bit louder, but then again, you can always get a notebook cooler to keep temps cool. It's kinda hard to mod a laptop to be quieter

Oh right, and congrats Maziar, the laptop is a beast

 

[cjl]

Just FYI, that CPU can be overclocked in any system as long as the manu allows it (Sager/ Clevo allows it). That's the beauty of the X**** CPUs. I know people that own one will OC it, I was just using stock as a reference. And OC'd, yes the X9000 would win.

Definitely - I was just specifying because not everyone who sells them allows overclocking. The perplexing one to me actually is that Dell allows overclocking, but Alienware doesn't.

 

[Maziar]

Yeah, it's really a balance. I think I'd personally prefer a cooler laptop that's a bit louder, but then again, you can always get a notebook cooler to keep temps cool. It's kinda hard to mod a laptop to be quieter

Oh right, and congrats Maziar, the laptop is a beast

thanks mate

well in summer here is very hot,the temp outside is about 39c in morning and goes to 32c in night,its very hot here thats why my temps are high.

 

[theworminator]

Definitely - I was just specifying because not everyone who sells them allows overclocking. The perplexing one to me actually is that Dell allows overclocking, but Alienware doesn't.

The Dells allow OC'ing now? When did this happen? Then again, last time I heard Dell and Overclock being said in the same sentence it was people talking about the T7600G processor that Dell offered. And that was a while ago.

To Maziar: Yeah, I guess my computer gets the benefits of the Canadian winter more than I do.

 

[Maziar]

Dell allows user to OC T7600G on XPS M1710 and X7800/X9000 on XPS M1730