Dell XPS M1710 - GeForce Go 7900 GTX 512 Mobile Gaming, Part 1

Basic Features

We've already stated that this laptop comes equipped with some of the most powerful mobile components on the market. Even within the high-end mobile gaming segment, though, there are still options for customizing performance. Dell allows the end user to select parts for their M1710 from a variety of components in all the key areas. The basic platform -- motherboard, keyboard, chassis, and display -- is standardized, but the processor, GPU, memory, hard drive, optical drive, and some networking features can be tweaked to fit your needs.

Dell XPS M1710 Specifications
Processor	Intel Core Duo T2400/T2500/T2600 (1.83/2.00/2.16 GHz)
Chipset	Intel 945PM 64-bit Dual-Channel
FSB Speeds	Up to 667 MHz
Memory Speeds	DDR2-400, DDR2-533, DDR2-667
Memory Slots	(2) x SO-DIMM, max. 4GB, DDR2, Dual Channel supported
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 256MB or 7900 GTX 512MB GDDR3
Display	17" WUXGA (1920x1200) UltraSharp with TrueLife
Expansion Slots	One ExpressCard 54mm slot supporting 1.5V and 3.3V, ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54, 26 pins
Hard Drive	80/100/120GB 5400 RPM or 60/80/100 7200 RPM
Optical Drive	DVD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD+/-RW with Dual-Layer DVD+R Write Support
USB2.0	(6) USB2.0 ports (four rear ports, two ports on left)
Networking/Communications	Integrated 10/100/1000 PCIe Gigabit Ethernet and 56K Modem (Optional) Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (Optional) Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Mini Card (Optional) Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini Card
Audio	24-bit High Definition Audio with 2.1 Speakers
Firewire	4-pin Unpowered IEEE 1394A (right side)
Back I/O Ports	1 x RJ45 LAN 4 x USB 2.0 1 x RJ11 Modem 1 x DVI-D 1 x VGA 1 x S-VIDEO Out
Keyboard	87 Key QWERTY (US)
Battery	9-Cell 80WHr "Smart" Lithium Ion
Dimensions	1.7"x15.5"x11.3" (HxWxD) 8.8 lbs. (Display, 9-Cell battery, DVD-Combo drive)
Power Adapter	130W 1.42"x2.56"x6.67" (HxWxD), 1.68 lbs. with cables
Chassis	Metallic Black Dell XPS M1710 or Special Edition Formula Red Dell XPS M1710
Other Features	5-in-1 Flash Reader (MS, MS Pro, SSD/SDIO, MMC, xD Headphone/Speakers and Microphone connectors XPS 16 Color Configurable Accent Lighting Trackpad with scroll bars

Starting with the standard features, the laptop comes with everything most people will need. About the only things that could be added are CompactFlash support and a 6-pin powered FireWire connection, neither of which are really required. Counting the power adapter, the entire system weighs in at just over 10 pounds, and while that's a bit heavy for someone that's carrying their computer around a lot, it's far less bulky than any SFF + LCD + keyboard + mouse setup (let alone a typical desktop computer). If you're looking for a high-powered system that you can easily take to LAN parties, or perhaps a mobile workstation you can take to and from work, this laptop should fit the bill.

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The minimum configuration starts at $2600, and comes with the black chassis, 80GB 5400 RPM hard drive, Core Duo T2400, GeForce Go 7900 256MB graphics chip, and 1GB of RAM. (There's absolutely no sense in thinking about building a system with a 256MB GPU coupled and only 512MB of system memory, and we're glad to see that's not an option.) The Special Edition Ferrari Red has a higher base configuration and starts at $3400. The minimum components are upgraded to a Core Duo T2500, GeForce Go 7900 GTX 512MB, and an 80GB 7200 RPM hard drive. While the price difference is pretty sizable, the relative performance increase is also noticeable, and it's doubtful that anyone seriously considering such a high-powered laptop is going to be ultra concerned about price. These are luxury laptops, and they have the performance and features to match the price. Naturally, a $3500 desktop system should easily smoke a $3500 laptop in performance, but miniaturization is a costly process.