As we count our blessings today, we can't help but give thanks for something gadget heads couldn't do without: old fashioned
competition. Calling out Dell's
XPS M1710 (and
similar) as overpriced and packaged with subpar technical support (aw snap), WidowPC is giving hardcore mobile gamers a choice in their purchasing decisions by offering up the Sting 517D. Touting a nearly limitless list of component selections, this 17-inch beast houses your choice of Intel's 1.66GHz to 2.33GHz
Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7950 512MB graphics card, up to 200GB of SATA goodness, a WUXGA display, dual-layer DVD burner, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, built-in WiFi / Bluetooth, TV tuner, 4-in-1 flash card reader, "$400 in free software," and a lifetime's worth of free, American-based phone support. The fleshed-out machine also boasts an army of ports, including 4-pin FireWire, IrDA, serial,
ExpressCard slot, DVI / S-Video outputs, S-Video input, audio in / out, 56k modem, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Thankfully, WidowPC found a way to shave three full pounds from its
917X2, bringing the LAN-ready machine in at a fairly respectable 8.3 pounds. While pricing for the Sting 517D starts at just under $2,200, upping the innards to 1337 status could put your credit limit in serious turmoil, but the wicked spider logo across the lid definitely makes it worthwhile.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
suntiger @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:04PM
http://www.rjtech.com , or any number of other retailers (iBuyPower, Sagernotebook.com, PCTorque.com, RockDirect, Eurocom...) RJTech has the best price I was able to find, though. And I did a *lot* of research.
Keep in mind their base prices are without CPU, RAM, or drives though. You might be better off buying those separately from Newegg, especially the RAM.
suntiger @ Nov 23rd 2006 12:26PM
Yeah. You can, of course, have them put everything together for you, but you'll save a good hunk of change if you do it yourself. For example, 2gb RAM in 2 sticks = $140 at Newegg, but $300 preinstalled. I can only speak for the 570, but that was easy enough to install everything in. I didn't do the CPU though.
suntiger @ Nov 23rd 2006 10:51AM
This is a rebadged Clevo M570U/Sager 5760. These have been out for almost a year now - I'm typing this on one. And it didn't cost me WidowPC prices, either...
Brendon Morgan @ Nov 23rd 2006 4:37PM
I would just like to add that in Ireland at least Dell's XPS support line is a 25/7 dedicated support line that puts you through directly to support personell that actually know what they are talking about and are VERY helpful. By far the best support line I have ever called. And as far as service, the part that had malfunctioned was with me the next day and I was called that evening to check it was working. needless to say I was extreemly impressed and I will recommend Dell XPS to any of my friends.
But maybe it's not like that in the US.
michael @ Nov 23rd 2006 11:36PM
25/7? I guess they really *do* go the extra mile with XPS support :)