XPS M1730 Initial Thoughts and Problems

Question

Received my new M1730 a few days ago. My system specs are:

2.8 Ghz Core 2 Extreme

Nvidia 8700M x 2 (256MB ea) in SLI

4 GB RAM

Window XP Pro SP2

64GB Solid State HD

200GB 7200 RPM HDD

17 WUXGA Screen

My initial problems and observations:

1) The system is shipped with the fonts set at 120 dpi. Dial that down to 96 dpi through the display panel ASAP. I turned on Cleartype to clean up the fonts, but bear in mind that in some programs and situations, fonts will look like they are "bleeding" (red fringing and green fringing around some letters). Not a huge deal and easily correctable by turning Cleartype off if it bothers you.

2) The integrated webcam didn't work out of the box. How I was able to get it running was by going through the diagnostics at Startup (hit the Fn button and the Power button at the same time to access the diagnostics). Let the system run through the initial memory and processor checks (takes about 10 minutes). It will then ask you if you want to continue to run the rest of the tests. Select "No". That will bring up the diagnostics GUI screen. Select the second button down and then on the next screen select the "Custom" tests button. In the next screen, running the USB tests turned on the camera. Also, I got rid of the Creative Live Avatar programs. The camera still sometimes doesn't get loaded on a restart, so I would hope that Dell comes up with a permanent solution on this.

3) The Webcam Console doesn't work (can't get it to open even after reloading the software). The Webcam Center and Manager work fine, but links to the Console are dead. YMMV

4) Initiated the /3GB switch through the boot.ini . So far no problems whatsoever. I copied the operating system line in boot.ini and copied it below and then made the change. This means that on restart I have the choice of starting the system either regularly or with the /3GB switch. That is probably the safest way to implement this to take advantage of more RAM, while retaining the ability to boot regularly if things go south. The system and programs like Photoshop now recognize 3.2+ of RAM.

5) I would recommend getting the Ultimate Troubleshooter or similar program. It allows you to see all the processes on your machine, explains what they are, and gives you advice on whether to disable them or not. Very helpful for getting rid of wasteful startups and buggy third party updaters and system watchers that eat up RAM (no, I am not connected with this company, just satisfied with the product).

6) I am now getting used to the screen on this bad boy. It has an antiglare coating which bothered me initially, but I have gotten used to it and overall for a laptop screen this size, its pretty good.

7) All the LED lights on this are fully customizable through the Quickset program...very nice.

8) Blazing fast with the solid state 64GB drive and the 3GB switch. Photoshop opens super fast and filters render much faster than even my desktop.

9) The 8-in-1 card reader doesn't read CF cards (just the smaller cards). My fault for not looking at the specs closer when ordering. Just something to keep in mind that you will need a USB reader or an Express Card reader to download from CF cards.

10) From looking in the owner's manual that comes with it, HDD upgrades should be a snap. The manual doesn't cover adding/replacing video cards, so I don't know how accessible or replacable they are. Would love to hear from someone else on that, because I would like to upgrade to the 8800 at some point.

11) The Logitech LCD screen is a nice touch and customizable as to what it displays. The keyboard has good tactile response.

Anyway, just one man's opinions/observations.

Message Edited by bkkman on 12-11-2007 06:51 PM

Ls3D · Answer

BTW - I had none of the camera problems you described.

Would you please cut and paste your boot.ini? I've got 4 gigs in mine and would like the option to squeeze out more memory too, and the option to boot normally. Also running XP Pro SP2.

FYI - Engadget has a few links to m1730 reviews:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/11/dell-xps-m1730-review-roundup/

-S

lwilcox28 · Answer

Overall I like mine.   Things I was not happy with. First reboot bluescreen, MacAffee was running up to 50% of my proc while my 1730 just sat there. My web can seems to have a real hard time staying focused if I move at all. Where is the Nvidia chipset? Image build \ deployement needs to be fine tuned and better tested before deployment   Things I liked I thought the screen was nice, I liked the carbon fiber look. After doing some basic tuning to Vista and removing the Macaffee and replacing it with a symantec corp 10.2 AV, the pc runs nice. Sound quality is pretty good.   The good news is, if Dell fine tunes their base image they deploy on the 1730, they will have a very nice product. In the meantime, getting the 1730 to run better isn't a hard thing to do.   Larry

bkkman · Answer

My boot.ini file:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB

A note to keep whatever number that you have where it says partition(X)...your boot.ini might have a 1 in that spot, which is fine...whatever the number, keep it the same.

I opened up the boot.ini, copied the first multi(0)... line after [operating systems] and then pasted it below it.

You can put any name you want between the quotes where it says: \WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows......".

When you restart you will see the two names that are in quotes will be your two choices for which setup that you want to start.

I have read that once you are sure that your computer likes the 3GB switch, you can go back in and delete the first operating system line (the original line that begins with multi(0).... Doing this will give you a clean bootup where you don't have to make a selection between the two setups any more.

Anyway, good luck with it and report back how it works out for you if you would. Good luck.

G

P. S. I noticed when I posted this that it broke the two lines that begin with multi(0) into two lines. You should keep those lines exactly how you see them in the boot.ini

Also, there is a space after /fastdetect before you type in /3GB

Like I said above, just copy the first line and paste it below the second line and add /3GB to the end and restart and you shouldn't have any problems.

Message Edited by bkkman on 12-11-2007 10:47 PM

Message Edited by bkkman on 12-11-2007 10:52 PM

Message Edited by bkkman on 12-11-2007 10:53 PM

Ifti123 · Answer

Hi.

Thanks for the tips. I am just about to oder my M1730 which I have spec'd up as high as possible - so I have all the extras etc.

A few questions:

1. I tend to reformat and reinstall the OS as soon as I receive a new system from Dell - it gets rid of all the added programs that i dont want, like McAfee and the other bits and pieces. I wil be installing Vista Ultimate onto the machine. When I do this with the M1730, and add all system drivers etc, do you think I will still have the camera problem? Are there any software utilities I need to be aware of and make sure I install - like the Quickset utility etc?

2. How do you add a second HDD? Is it similar to installing a new HDD in a regular Dell laptop? - ie. just putting it in a caddy and sliding into place?

3. I was looking to just start with one drive (200GB 7200rpm), and install my current laptop HDD as a secondary drive (160GB 7200rpm), but Im now thinking maybe I should go for the solid state drive.......does the solid state drive work just like a normal HDD? I mean, can you create partitions etc on it as normal?? Does it require any extra drivers?

4. Can I buy the solid state drive and add it later on, just like you add in a normal HDD?

Thanks

Message Edited by Ifti123 on 12-12-2007 06:10 AM

Ls3D · Answer

Hey thanks for those tips bkkman, I'll give it a go when I'm all backed up and feeling nerdy. ifti123 - You can order w/o any virus program. Then you can run decrapifier to help you sort out some of the bloat-ware. There are HDD partitions for system restore & something reserved for media playback - so I just moved the unwanted stuff to an identical start menu called start moved. This cleans up the look of the interface but is easily reversed. Installing a second HDD is cake, I added a 160 Gb 7200 rpm drive on the second day. The included electronic manual shows how to do this and the only caveat is that I had to 'borrow' two screws from the first drive and they seem proprietary as I have not been able to find any similar type super tiny countersunk screws like them . If you can afford the SSD I would get one, adding latter should not be a problem. bkkman's camera problem was probably unique to his system, and he is running XP Pro like me, so you experience will likely differ. -Shea

Ifti123 · Answer

Hi Thanks for the info.   How come you guys use Windows XP? Is it just because you prefer it just yet, or because its better suited to the laptop? Im running Vista Ultimate at the moment and have no problems, which is why I would like to run it on the XPS, when I get it - but will this impact gameplay performance?   I think i will leave the SSD until they are a bit cheaper - reading up on some reviews etc shows its not that much faster then a 7200rpm HDD anyway, so it doesnt justify its extra price tag....

Ls3D · Answer

I'm running XP Pro because I hear that Vista is dog doo, on the order of Widows Millenium if you are older enough to remember that fiasco.

Also I'm not a gamer, I am a DCC guy running 3DS Max, After Effect, Realflow, ZBrush and related software. This rig is my workstation replacement.

I wanted to run XP 64 bit, but chickened out after no one replied to my compatibility questions. That and a week of license transfers and configuration.

Your needs may differ, such a DX10 etc.. so hopefully you won't have any problems in the long term.

-S

bkkman · Answer

I chose XP Pro because of the compatability and driver problems that many have had with Vista. I know and understand XP and with SP3 on the horizon, it looks like MS will be fully supporting it for some time to come. I will definitely revisit Vista if they work out a few kinks in the future. Perhaps it will become the Windows Me stepping stone to something truly better than XP.

I do not have first hand experience, but have read on different sites that gaming is 10-15% slower on Vista vs. XP.

As for the SSD. I like the "no moving parts" aspect of it. I think that it is at most 10-15% faster than a HDD, but the long-term expected reliability was a big selling point. I have not benchmarked it, but I have been to manufacturer sites where they show some benchmarks of SSD vs. HHD. In the end, the price is still prohibitive for most. I happened to have a little extra coin in my pocket at the time I was ordering that I wasn't afraid to throw away down a deep dark hole, so I went with the SSD."

Message Edited by bkkman on 12-12-2007 10:16 PM

Ifti123 · Answer

I'll probably stick with Vista Ultimate. Ive been using it for a while now and almost prefer it over XP. It seems to do everything I need and I havent come across any bugs etc. The only downside is the level of system resource it chews up, but with a powerhouse such as the M1730, that should be much of an issue! I'll probably stick with my XBox 360 for games, and use the 1730 as my desktop replacement. Im looking to start some development work soon, so the extra power is always nice to have ;)

Andrev · Answer

Hi all. I got my M1730 late last week. Installed Flight Simulator 2004, FSX, Trainz, Test Drive Unlimited and few others sims. As I own the M1710, I can really compared both for performance and frame rate issues. As for now, my M1730 seems having a video problem as in SLI mode enabled, the screen is flickering constantly when playing any game. If I switch to windowed mode, the flicker stop and frame rate increase. I'm using Fraps to monitor the frame rate in all my games. I called tech support, they will replace my two video cars this week to see if that will fix the flicker problem. But as for now I'm really not impressed by the performance of this M1730. Frame rate are lower than my M1710 (2 ghz CPU, Nvidia 7900 GS and 3 gb of ram). I was expecting much faster frame rate, but in many tests I did with the M1730, frame rate was very often slower. In Test Drive in SLI mode, I get lot of stuttering making the game unplayable. FSX is about unplayable too with frame rate ranging in the 10 to 15 with some slower. Be sure I'm comparing both machines with exactly the same detail settings and resolution. The speakers don't deliver the same quality as the M1710 especially with the old DC9 plane in FS2004. I get a so beautiful roaring sound with bass on my M1710 but without the subwoofer on the M1730, the sound is much annoying and not comparable. I'm disapointed on this. Anyway, if the new video card doesn't raise my frame rate, I'll return it to Dell and exchange it with a M1710 2.3 ghz CPU, Nvidia 7950 GT. That would be a good upgrade of my M1710 that I gave to my son. Andre.

Andrev · Answer

Hi. Well, my thoughts chanded for best. After reading an important thread on this forum about video driver 169.09, I installed and ran this driver. No more stuttering, no more flickering in SLI mode and my frame rate are really stable and higher than before. So I'll test it during the next couple of hours and it seems Dell will not have to replace my video cards. Now I'm much more satisfied. Its a shame Dell supply wrong video drivers for newer machines. We have to download tweaked drivers to make the laptop running properly. Andre.

blindmonkey · Answer

I received my XPS1730 a month or two ago and I have a few thoughts I would like to share if you have a moment. I initially liked the features that were available. I was a little concerned with Windows Vista being installed. You know how that goes. Now, I have no issues with Vista.

Anyway, I was not happy with the integrated webcam. The video imaging has a delay and the quality is watery. I have all the settings for highest quality though. But my main concern with the cam is that it seems to only work with IMs and the webcam Center. No other video capture software (e.g. Windows Movie Maker). Anyone have any solutions to that?

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XPS M1730 Initial Thoughts and Problems

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