Dell XPS M1710Great laptop gets CPU power boost
Rating:8.5/10 great
PROS Fast mobile CPU, customizable lighting, long battery life, great gaming performance
CONS Pricey, tray-loading , not slot-loading , DVD burner
SPECS 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600, 2GB DDR2 , 100GB hard drive, double-layer DVD±RW ,
17-inch TFT , Windows XP Media Center Edition
Ever since Intel released its mobile Core 2 Duo processors (code-named Merom) , we’ve been anxious to see the chips in action. Dell’s XPS M1710 ($3,783 in our test version) features the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600, the fastest CPU in the lineup. On the whole, it lives up to the processors’ hype. The M1710’s body and most of its components are identical to the previous version of the M1710, which was based on the Core Duo. In fact, the processor and wireless-networking card are the only new items here. (Dell will add a silver keyboard by the time you read this.) The wireless card covers the full spectrum of today’s wireless technologies, including Draft 802.11n. (A Netgear RangeMax WNR834B router was included with our notebook.) Despite the lack of updates, the feature set remains outstanding, with a good assortment of ports (including six USB 2.0), a multiformat flash memory card reader, programmable case lighting, and instant-on control buttons for entertainment functions. A tray-loading double-layer DVD±RW drive is included; we’d like to see Dell switch to a slot-loading model, but that’s a minor quibble. Our early performance tests with BAPCo SYSmark 2004 indicated strong enough results for us to wholeheartedly recommend this notebook. (Its showing was no doubt bolstered by the 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM and the 7200rpm 100GB hard drive.) The 512MB nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics card also churned out superb frame rates for mobile 3D gaming. Battery life proved excellent though you’ll want to be plugged in for the best gaming performance. Like all PCs under Dell’s XPS brand, the M1710 comes with XPS-exclusive tech support, along with an industry standard one year warranty that includes free parts and labor coverage via mail in service.
Dell XPS M1710