Dell XPS M1730  

The first in Australia to offer two Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT video cards in the base configuration, the Dell XPS M1730 ups the ante by also making it one of the few to include an option for AGEIA PhysX support. Designed to create powerful in-game physics to change the way we interact with the virtual world, the PhysX card is currently a big white elephant -- the reality being that game support for the AGEIA hardware is minimal and token at best, while multi-core CPU looks like it will wipe it out before it gets any real traction.

Despite this money burning option, and the XPS is by no means a budget system like the Inspiron series, we were surprised that it came in at a very competitive price point, regardless of options.

The XPS M1730 side panels are available in four colours.

Design
At first blush, it seems like the XPS M1730 uses more LED lights than a Christmas tree. Everywhere we turned, we could see a soft glow coming out of the system. Based on a black theme with a carbon fibre pattern, the glowing Dell logo on the top cover is flanked with two LED-lit panels (which are available in blue, red, white and grey). Open the laptop and enjoy a similar light coming out of the speaker grills, with even the XPS-embossed touchpad and mouse buttons joining in on the fun. Unusual for a portable is the backlit keyboard which also includes a discrete numeric pad. Suffice to say, this is one gaming rig which is very usable in the dark, though the time-based colour changing LEDs can be a little annoying. Fortunately, the built-in LightFX application makes the latter programmable.

The decorations may be pretty, but we felt that more care could have been given to the build quality. The plastic body, especially the area around the display, creaks and flexes too much for comfort. Even the top portion of the keyboard around the power button sinks a little when pressed. The glossy paint job is also quite a hassle to maintain. To be fair, as a desktop replacement weighing almost 5kg, it is certainly not meant for frequent commuters. Its thick 50.7mm body covering a surface area of 406mm by 302.6mm also means that few bags have the physical capacity to hold it.

Like its Inspiron brethren, the M1730 has Dell's MediaDirect features which allow access to multimedia files on the hard disk without having to boot into Windows Vista. At this point, we should mention that this machine eats up Vista's resource requirements for lunch and gave one of the smoothest experiences we've had. Nevertheless, MediaDirect is still a faster way to watch a quick movie or view some photos. Besides the front row of multimedia buttons, a mini-remote control (which hides in the ExpressCard slot when not in use) provides playback controls.

The keyboard is backlit, meaning using the notebook at night is easy.

Features
Besides the lack of a modem and HDMI output (although the latter is not an issue, thanks to Dell's inclusion of a DVI to HDMI cable), the Dell M1730 has almost every feature one expects from a competent desktop replacement. Unique to this XPS, however, is the use of a CCD sensor instead of the more common CMOS technology for the 2.0 megapixel Webcam as well as the integrated Logitech GamePanel above the keyboard. First seen in the G15 gaming keyboard, it allows quick access to vital information for supported games, while more mundane data like time and e-mail status can also be accessed with the touch of a button. Of course, the killer feature is under the hood which roars with a Core 2 Duo processor and dual Nvidia graphics cards.

The 17-inch transflective widescreen is 1080p capable, featuring a 1,920 x 1,200 native resolution. Driven by two Nvidia 8700M GT graphics cards in SLI with a total of 512MB discrete video memory, we expected blazing video performance and were not disappointed. Take note that not all games will benefit from an SLI set-up, although by and large it will contribute an improvement. The LCD also manages to catch up with the on-screen action, thanks to a low 7ms response rate. For an additional AU$248.60, PhysX support can be added along with a copy of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter -- although as previously mentioned, this is currently a near useless addition, so consumers are better to avoid it. External displays are supported using the DVI or S-Video output, while the more common VGA and HDMI ports are distinctly missing on the M1730.

Unfortunately, the audio capabilities were not on par with the graphics. With only two speakers and no sub-woofer, we recommend using the dual headphone jacks which also offer 5.1 channel support to hook up to an external sound system. The fixed optical drive is a DVD writer by default, though for AU$348.70 it can be bumped up to a Blu-ray drive.

Using notebooks in the dark is a hit and miss affair, as the bright screen tends to black out the keyboard. The M1730 overcomes this by putting a backlight to the keys, much like the one found on the MacBook Pro. A distinct numeric pad is useful for data entry as well as gaming needs, though it would have been nice if programmable macro buttons were added. The touchpad is a little small, though the buttons are exceptionally large. Most gamers will prefer using a proper gaming mouse but we won't mind smaller buttons in exchange for a larger touchpad.

When it comes to external connectivity, all the usual suspects are present. The onboard USB 2.0 (four), mini-Firewire, 5-in-1 memory card reader and an ExpressCard/54 slot handle external devices and media. Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g come standard, though the latter can be upgraded to Draft-N for AU$89.10. Like the Sony AR series, the XPS has two hard disk slots which can be used in individual, RAID 0 or RAID 1 configurations. There is even a flash-based 64GB solid state drive option that improves performance and reduces battery usage, though it comes at a staggering AU$1,263.90 extra.

Performance and Battery Life
Our review unit held a Core 2 Duo T7700 2.4GHz processor, 2GB RAM and 200GB of storage space. This gives the Dell unit great value, the only competing notebook performance wise in the Australian market being the significantly more expensive Alienware m9750. The single-GPU ASUS G2S goes for AU$3,199, which is still more expensive than the XPS's base configuration which starts at AU$2,999. For even more power, the M1730 can be equipped with a Core 2 Extreme X7900 2.8GHz chip that can be overclocked up to 3.2GHz. However, do note that overclocking typically reduces battery life and possibly the lifespan of the unit as well. Moreover, even without overclocking there is significant heat coming out of the vents even during normal loads. We suggest clearing the area around the vents to keep the temperature manageable.

MobileMark 2007 has issues running on the XPS, but that doesn't really matter as this certainly has the pure muscle for almost any productivity or multimedia task you can throw at it. Of greater importance is the gaming aspect, which we tested with Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and BioShock. Needless to say we had a blast playing these two titles, with almost no signs of slowdown even during chaotic action sequences.

For a notebook it had the most amazing 3DMark06 score we have seen to date, easily besting all previous contenders and making the XPS M1730 a top choice for serious gamers. We tested both the XPS M1730 Extreme Edition with Core 2 Extreme 2.8GHz chip with 3GB memory, along with the version equipped with a Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz processor and 2GB RAM. The difference in 3DMark 06 scores is less than 1 percent. This is due to to the fact that this gaming benchmark mainly stresses the graphics card. In real gameplay, however, we expect the Extreme Edition to perform better in shooter titles as they require the processor for calculating in-game physics.

As a desktop replacement, very little value is given to the battery life, which is lucky for this beast as it only lasted barely an hour on our DVD test. Suffice to say, the nine-cell power pack is best viewed as a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device so you can save your games in case of blackouts or for moving the unit to another room.

The Dell XPS M1730 is a powerhouse notebook offered at a surprisingly affordable price. If you're a gamer that carts their gear from LAN to LAN, then this could be the perfect solution for you.

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