Dell XPS M1710

Earlier this year we reviewed Dell’s XPS M1710 and liked what we saw. In terms of design, not much has changed, but this time around Dell gave this 8.8-pound gaming rig a faster, more powerful processor and is now offering it with an 802.11n wireless network adapter and a wireless-N router bundle that is sure to make a big splash at your next LAN party. Unfortunately, only those with the deepest pockets will be able to afford this $3,783 powerhouse.
 
We received the Special Edition Formula Red model, but you can order the XPS with the more subtle Metallic Black shell. The shiny, silver-and-red lid sports a Dell logo in its center, and the two XPS logos on either side of the lid are accented by red backlighting, as are the fans and speaker grills. All three lighting areas can be changed to one of 16 color choices using Dell’s QuickSet utility, which also configures networking and power settings and displays system information.
 
Pop open the lid and you’ll find a stunning, 17-inch, high-res (1920 x 1200-pixel) widescreen display framed in silver and a spacious keyboard with a red backlit touchpad. The TrueLife screen is a high-gloss panel that does a good job of diffusing glare and an even better job of displaying movies and 3D games, delivering bright, bold colors even when viewed from an extreme angle.
 
As with the earlier model, the M1710’s keyboard is very responsive and well spaced but lacks a number pad. The backlit XPS touchpad is evenly centered on the wrist rest, and we love the oversized mouse buttons. The power button is located above the keyboard, along with the MediaDirect button, which launches Dell’s instant-on MediaDirect applet for playing multimedia files without booting Windows. This button also serves as a hot key for invoking the Windows Media Center menu while the computer is powered up.
 
Below the keyboard are two 2-watt speakers that, along with an integrated 5-watt subwoofer, provided better-than-average sound for a portable system. Between the speakers is a set of multimedia buttons for controlling DVD and CD play.
 
In addition to six USB ports and a FireWire port, the XPS provides a useful selection of multimedia connections, including VGA, DVI, and S-Video ports, component video and S/PDIF audio outputs via a dongle, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 5-in-1 media card reader. A fast 7,200-rpm 100GB hard drive provides plenty of room for games and storing music, video, and digital images, or you can use the versatile dual-layer DVD burner to archive your files or create your own DVD and audio CD projects. There is an ExpressCard slot on the right side of the system, but support for PC Cards is lacking.    

 

Driven by Intel’s 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo T7600 processor, 2GB of speedy DDR2 memory, and a 512MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 graphics card, the XPS delivered a top-notch MobileMark 2005 score of 312. This is an impressive improvement over the previous version’s score of 296. We also saw healthy scores of 19,918 and 4,841 on our 3DMark03 and 3DMark06 tests, respectively, compared with 18,319 and 4,700 the Core Duo version. With the settings maxed out, the M1710 managed a solid 73 fps on our F.E.A.R. tests, proving that this rig can handle today’s 3D gaming titles with aplomb. Surprisingly, this wasn’t a huge improvement over the earlier M1710’s score of 72 fps. The battery lasted 2 hours and 24 minutes with Wi-Fi enabled, which is typical for this class of machine and about the same as the Core Duo M1710.
 
Dell bundles NetGear’s RangeMax Next Wireless Router and 802.11n card with the M1710, although you can save $209 if you decide to stick with a standard 802.11a/g Wi-Fi card and skip the router. Draft-N boasts twice the throughput of 802.11g and five times the range. For gamers who compete over a LAN, this is the holy grail of wireless connectivity, especially when six or more contestants are blasting their way to glory in one of today’s graphics-intensive 3D games.
 
To test the speed of the Draft-N bundle, we transferred a 1.9GB video file from a desktop, wired to the router, to the M1710. It took 14 minutes and 51 seconds to complete the transfer in “g” mode. In “n” mode, the transfer took only 6 minutes and 23 seconds to complete. Likewise, in “g” mode, wireless signal strength degraded from fair to extremely low at around 65 feet from the access point, but in “n” mode we maintained a very good signal at that distance and beyond. In fact, we couldn’t find a weak spot in the entire house, including the basement.
 
We like that Dell provides a two-year warranty for this system, but at these prices a three-year package would be even better. Along with Windows XP Media Center Edition, this configuration includes Microsoft Office 2003 Small Business, MusicMatch Premium Roxio Creator Basic and MyDVD Basic, and Sonic Cineplayer.
  
The M1710’s price tag will likely cause a good deal of sticker shock for all but the wealthiest hardcore gamers. Still, if you take your gameplay seriously and have the financial resources to afford a top-of-the-line portable rig with superior networking capabilities, the XPS M1710 should be at the top of your wish list.