Dell Inspirion 1720 Laptop Review - Page 3 of 3
This week, MMORPG.com Hardware Guy Jeremy Star takes a look at his newest machine, a laptop built for gaming. In his search to find the best MMORPG-playing laptop, he brings us this review of the model he settled on, the Dell Inspirion 1720 Laptop.
The Technology – Intel Inside, and I've got the stickers to prove it!
My Inspiron came with an Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo T7300 CPU. Each of the cores runs at 2Ghz, and it uses and 800Mhz frontside bus (FSB). It also has 4MB of cache. The default processor for the 1720 model is a T5250, running at 1.56Ghz, with a 600Mhz FSB and 2MB of cache. The T7300 is a much faster processor for a small increase in price. (As of this writing, the T7300 is no longer a choice. The T7250 is offered at the same speed and FSB rating, but with half the cache (2MB), or the T7500 at 2.2Ghz with a 4MB cache.)
Having a dual-core processor is important for today's MMORPGs. A lot of games can take advantage of both cores now, and the ones that don't still benefit from the extra power for common applications such as Ventrillo or Teamspeak. I chose Intel over AMD simply because the Core 2 Duo chips have the gaming performance advantage right now. 2Ghz is the recommended speed for many newer games, and the more cache you can get for your CPU, the better off you are. Doubling the cache and increasing the frequency from 1.56Ghz to 2Ghz was a no brainer. The 800Mhz FSB sounds like a good thing, but all of the RAM choices for the 1720 use a 667Mhz rating, so it doesn't add much value.
Speaking of RAM, this Inspiron came with 2GB of DDR2 ram rated for 667Mhz, running in a dual-channel configuration. In fact, for the 1720 model, 2GB is the default amount of RAM, which is excellent. Running Windows Vista and playing MMORPGs makes 2GB the required amount for a smooth gaming experience. Dell also offers 3GB and 4GB RAM configurations for the Inspiron 1720, but I felt that the price vs performance comparison made the 2GB configuration the clear choice.
For graphics, we have an Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT card with 256MB of video RAM. Choosing a laptop with a discreet video solution vs an integrated one is absolutely critical to enjoying games on the go. An integrated video solution, such as the default choice for the Inspiron 1720 – an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 - shares system memory and resources with the CPU. That's great for office applications or just watching some YouTube videos, but you cannot make modern 3D games run well on it. Trust me, the upgrade to a discreet video solution is absolutely worth the money.
The upgrade options for the Inspiron 1720 were a 128MB 8400M GT, or the 256MB 8600M that I went with. The 8600M was double the price increase of the 8400M ($200 vs $100), but well worth it. The 8400 cards simply aren't fast enough to make gaming enjoyable at higher resolutions, and the Inspiron 1720 runs at a default 1440x900 resolution. Also, the amount of RAM is doubled on the 8600M. MMORPGs are the undisputed kings of hogging as much video RAM as they can, due to the high amount of unique textures on display at any given time. (Clothing, weapons, face at a minimum for each character on screen, plus buildings, terrain, sky, etc.) The more video RAM you have, the less video lag you feel when running around.
As a side note, when I was picking a laptop for this review, Dell was the only big name brand laptop company that had the GeForce 8 mobile series available for selection. This played a large part in my selection, as I felt it was important for a laptop to be as “future proof” as possible. MMORPGs using Direct X 10 (DX10) rendering are right down the road, and getting stuck with an expensive laptop that can only use DX9 rendering is not an option at this point. Alienware, Falcon Northwest, Acer, even Dell's own XPS line – none of these companies offered an 8 series card. All offered the GeForce 7 series, which cannot display DX10 effects.
The Inspiron 1720 comes with a 17” widescreen display, with a few choices based on taste. I chose the glossy, high contrast option at 1440x900. The default is also a resolution of 1440x900, but it is an anti-glare screen. (As of this writing, Glossy is now the default choice.) I chose the glossy screen because I have used laptops with both screens, and found the glossy to look better when viewing media or playing games. The anti-glare screen does cut down a bit on the reflections and glare, but both screens are basically useless outdoors without some sort of hood shielding the screen. Dell also has an HD screen option that raises the resolution to 1920x1200 (1080p support). Both 1440x900 options are included in the price (i.e. Pick either one, it still costs the same), but the HD option cost an extra $150 at the time I chose this laptop. Increasing the resolution would put more strain the 8600M video solution, so I left the resolution at the default. Also, I own a 24” Widescreen Dell monitor that I use on my desktop system, and 1920x1200 makes the text fairly small on it. I can't imagine trying to read something at 1920x1200 on a 17” screen.
The hard drive (HDD) is the default selection, a 160GB SATA drive running at 5200RPM. Dell does not offer a faster drive for its Inspiron 1720 series, and frankly 5200RPM is much faster than the 4200RPM drives that are the standard for a lot of laptops. Dell does offer many bigger drives, and even dual drive configurations, but for the money I think 160GB is plenty. It would be cheaper to purchase an external drive in the future if more space is needed for storage. The only reason I could think of for getting much more HDD space is if one was going to use this laptop for a desktop replacement.
The optical drive is a CDRW drive and a DVD player. When this selection was made, this was the default drive, and I felt it was sufficient. (Even though my old laptop had a DVDR drive...) At the time of this writing, a DVD+/-RW drive is the default choice. Pretty much your only other option is a Blu-ray combo drive (blu-ray read, DVD/CD write) or a Blu-ray writer. At the time I chose, only the reader was available for an extra $600, which would have increased the price of the laptop by about a third. Thanks, but no thanks. As of the time of this writing, the cost has been cut by half for the player, and the writer has been added for a cost of $510. Still not worth it, in my opinion, unless you really want that Blu-ray capability.
The Wi-Fi card default is a Dell 802.11 g mini-card, which I chose to upgrade to the Intel 3945 802.11 a/g mini-card simply due to taste. (And also, the Intel card completes the Centrino designation and nets you a Centrino sticker.) The cost to upgrade was and is still only $25.
The Inspiron 1720 comes with a 6 cell, 56Whr Lithium-Ion battery. For $50, I chose to upgrade to the 9 cell, 85Whr battery, due to the extra battery life. For gaming, being plugged in is the only way to go, but you never know when power is not going to be available. For those times, having as much battery life as possible is always nice.
There is one thing about the battery that Dell fails to mention, however: The 9 cell upgrade will stick out of the back of the laptop. It projects about an inch from the back, making it impossible to fit the laptop in to most 17” widescreen compatible laptop bags or cases with the battery installed. I have to remove the battery for transport. It's not a big deal, but it could be an issue for some people, although it is super easy to remove and reinstall.
Summing up the rest of the hardware: As with most laptops, the Ethernet port (10/100) is built in. Dell includes as SD media card reader at no extra charge. (Which they also fail to mention when configuring.) I elected not to add a webcam, Bluetooth, or mobile broadband to the laptop, as the limited uses for gaming with such were not worth the extra dough. I also elected to use the built in sound rather than pay for an express card X-Fi Extreme audio card.
Windows Vista Home Premium is Dell's default OS of choice, and the one that I chose to go with. I use Home Premium on my desktop system as well, so familiarity and future compatibility with DX10 made this an easy choice for me. I don't feel it's worth the hundreds of extra dollars to upgrade to a different version of Vista, and XP isn't offered as a choice and doesn't have DX10 compatibility anyway. (You can ask Dell for XP, but you will need to call rather than order online.)
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Good review overall.
I run an Alienware desktop but switched last year from a rock laptop to a dell M1700. The weight is always an issue with true gaming laptops but what took me by surprise was the clearview black screen - it is absolutly gorgeaus in quality and depth.
The dell runs very quietly unless you block the vents and the fans wind up but thats kinda the users look out. I think Dell are listening ti the user feedback and this can be seen in switiching the massive rundandant software add ons that used to come as standard to being optional - so much useless ram hungry crap.
I run VG, WOW, EQ2 and TR on the dell an wither medium or high settings and rarely do i get a hitch ( even my mighty Alienware struggles with Bree at times).
Having played a Dell, I cant fault it and would recommend them to anyone.
I am typing this on my 1520 :)
I chose the 1520 for the fact I am 155 pounds
and when I am on the fly I really dont want to be
banging a 8 pound,17 inch monolith around.
I play Eve-Online, WoW, Tabula Rasa (which is
glitchy atm. The game has just been released
so I am rather thinking its the game's fault, not
the PCs).
The keyboard is smaller yes, but I really
didnt want to be staring at a vast section of my
desk being consumed by my laptop.
When I need it, I plug in an extra monitor and keyboard
and presto, Ive got my full keyboard and a very
nice span of screen territory.
If you are looking for a laptop which is staying put most
of the time, then go for the 17 inch but if you are willing
to sacrifice the size for portability then I say go for the 15 inch.
I did look at the size vs money but as my friend found out the
hard way, his 17 inch didnt "quite" fit when traveling on a plane
or at his favorite coffee place.
my setup is:
Dell 1520, 15" Hi-def monitor (1680x1050), 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo,
80Gb 5400rpm Hdd (have external hdd for storage), 8600m GT 256,
Bluetooth, WiFi, No Camera, Vista Ultimate x64.
ps.
had 3 issues with my vista. Bluetooth doesnt work well at all, installing SATA
drivers was a pain and finding display drivers for the mobile 8 series nVidia card
which would work was and absolute mission. At the moment Dell does
not support Vista x64. I dont know what they will do later but we will see.
I'm playing with a Dell E1705, which is basically the XP version of the 1720. My setup is :
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz
2GB 667 MHz RAM
100BG 7200 RPM HD
Nvidia GO 7900GS 256MB
WUXGA Glossy Screen at 1920 X 1200
Creative Audigy SW Drivers
I've really liked this laptop for the games I've played up until Tabula Rasa. For the records, I've played CoX with all the eye candy at max resolution and about 40FPS, 9Dragons, Rappelz, Dungeon Runners, Exteel and LotR (high settings, not very high or ultra, very pretty with good FPS). With TR, however, I have to customize the graphics options highly, however, AND run in Windowed mode with a much smaller screen size to get decent FPS. The game is playable and I have "enough" eye candy via textures , but am missing tons (shadows, lighting, etc...)
Also, there have been reports of problems with the fans not kicking on when they should and--as a result of the fans--video cards burning out. I had to have my card AND RAM replaced after about 1 year. Here are some links:
notebookreview.com forums
WoW Forums
LotR Forums
Thankfully, Dell support didn't give me a hard time, but--then again--I did my homework before calling them. Now, I manage my fans with I8kfanGUI, too. Also, I did manage to get it for ~$1000 off due to a combo of my EPP (Employee Purchase Plan) benefits and one of their period 30% off discounts. At the time I bought it, I couldn't have touched another laptop with near the power for at least $500 more (not including additional warranty costs).
~Ripper
1730 is the box I'm looking to buy.....
Nice review, I've always been a fan of Dell PCs, and just bought a new XPS 710 two months ago. Working as an IT manager I made sure that the PCs and laptops we use are Dell. The laptop I use will need upgrading soon and the Inspirion 1720 looks like a good choice, and I can use it for playing games - during my lunch break of course ;)
BTW the fps numbers for the maximum and average fps for the World of Warcraft are the wrong way round.
WoW Performance
23
43
97
17" HD displays (1920x1200) are not good for gaming, as OP said.
it's nice for HDTV, but it literally burn you
videocard if you don't use Notebook coolers
Edit: btw, I would prefer Acer Aspire 7520G-702G32Mi to Dell Inspiron 1720
or even Acer TravelMate 7720G-302G25Mi - with Radeon HD 2400 :)
I got a Vostro 1700(2Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2gb ram, 8600GT, 160gb HD @ 7200rpm), which is the corresponding model to the 1720(Just the business model, same case, different color/name).
And I'm quite happy with the high resolution, and I play CoD4 in 1920x1200, all maxed out. It does get warm, but its nothing serious. I've turned down some of the details and view distance, since its just 256mb ram on the gfx.
Great laptop, but not the most portable one...
PS: I run vista on mine, and it suits me fine when u get to tweak it.
FYI - there have been numerous complaints regarding the lifespan vs. expected lifespan of the batteries in the E1705 (the laptop I have). I don't know if the same batteries are used in the E1720, but they may be. I had an interaction with Dell Support this morning to have my dead battery replaced (it died at almost exactly one year). Unfortunately, it turns out that Dell batteries only have a 1 year warranty (vs. the 3 year warranty I purchased for my system) and that my battery was no longer covered.
When I went to price the new battery on the Dell site, I noticed two things:
1) The price is outrageous - my jaw dropped. I hve to spend $165 + tax + S&H for a new battery
.
2) The battery had a 2.3 rating out of 5 from 29 reviews. 23 of the 29 reviewers complained about the battery dying from 9 - 15 months. There's clearly an issue with the batteries used for this model.
/grrrrrr
The link for the reviews (on the Dell website) is: E1705 Battery Reviews
~Ripper
My girlfriend wanted a laptop. When I bought the E1705 the Core 2 Duo wasn't out yet.
Other than that the specs are pretty much the same (think ours has a 120GB hard drive).
I've been happy with ours even tho I'm not really into laptops. She plays games on it and they run fine.
We did just about on our 1 year anniversary have the sudden blue screen... corrupted graphics. This was on a sunday and the system was just not going to "come back". It was obviously a video problem and you could boot into safe mode fine.
Contacted Dell support online on a sunday night. The session timed out and the support rep called me. Had me do some diagnostics, was very patient and seemed to really know what they were doing (it sounded very much like a support center in India but I'll admit they were VERY good).
He setup to have a call back.. and this was like 1am monday morning by them. Asked if I'd be awake or if it should be some other time (the call would be like 3am). I said .. I'd be awake.
Anyway to make a long story shorter we had a guy here on tuesday morning and the laptop was back to normal in under an hour. I forget what they swapped out but the tech had everything on hand and we haven't had any issues since.
So I can honestly say I was pretty impressed with the support from Dell.
Speed and quality of the contracted tech etc etc.
Still happy with the laptop and as the person I quoted stated.. for what I got it was price wise a good deal under what anyone else had.
I've had Dells for 8 years. I've never had problems with any of them (and I have 6 of them running in my house right now, 4 I own and two company-owned laptops for my clients) until this laptop. I've now had 3 total failures for one machine and/or it's components/peripherals in ~15 months:
Performance-wise, I've loved this laptop. I'm disappointed in the amount of issues I've had, however.
~Ripper
I currently use the 1720 black ~ Awesome notebook. I went ahead and got the camera option and have found it a nice touch. I've had it for over a year (running almost all the time) with no problems at all. I use it a lot for working on the road and at customer sites and have had a lot of compliments on it.
Waiting for your Alienware notebook review!
Keep up the good work!