Dell's XPS M1730 gets more specs, more pics

For those of you out there who are actually interested in this thing (and we know there's a few), we've got some additional details and a slew of photos on the new Dell XPS M1730 that should make you very happy. The first juicy tidbit concerns the graphics chipset, which now looks like it will be two NVIDIA GeForce GO 8700M GTs coupled using SLI, which should make the performance somewhat blazing (and the temperature downright fiery), additionally, the system can / will utilize high capacity SSDs (a feature which we've seen in other gamer-targeted laptops lately). If you really wanna get to know the guts of this monstrosity, however, you should hit the photo gallery.

Gallery: Dell's XPS M1730 gets more specs, more pics

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[aznofazns @ Aug 24th 2007 12:55PM]

so... fugly

[Daniel Foster @ Aug 24th 2007 12:59PM]

Why couldn't they have just made a blown up version of the XPS M1330? It would look so much nicer.

[Rayburn @ Aug 24th 2007 1:01PM]

Alienware better come out with SLI 8700s soon or I may just have to consider buying this thing...

[t3hnub @ Aug 24th 2007 1:11PM]

the only good thing about it (looks wise) is the backlit keyboard ... which is why it doesn't look like it belongs on that disaster of a laptop.

[comrade @ Aug 24th 2007 1:07PM]

So ugly! Looks like it was designed by Homer Simpson. Where's the fins?

[ddaw735 @ Aug 24th 2007 1:38PM]

You mean the speed holes

[farfisa @ Aug 24th 2007 1:10PM]

Nobody brings the fugly like Dell!

[bob @ Aug 24th 2007 1:15PM]

The last thing a mega-power-hungry laptop needs is superfluous lighting.

[PM @ Aug 24th 2007 1:23PM]

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the front grills/fugly lights provided in the picture looks like the Delorean from Back to the Future? Only with dell...their future is questionable.

[Alex @ Aug 24th 2007 1:46PM]

Questionable? Doubtful. Sure, this thing isn't the most appealing of things, but that's why they offer the same chassis in other lines like their Precisions and Inspirons for those who have different tastes.

[bluteaux @ Aug 24th 2007 3:48PM]

It looks like KITT from Knight Rider.

[Juan @ Aug 24th 2007 1:24PM]

Way ugly.

And what is with these track pads being moved so far to the left? If I had my way, it'd be on the right, or at least in the middle.

[Alex @ Aug 24th 2007 1:44PM]

The reason the trackpad is located to the left is because this laptop introduced a dedicated number pad. The trackpad is therefore in the middle of the actual keyboard.

[Heath Stahl @ Aug 24th 2007 1:47PM]

Trackpad is over there b/c its centered under QWERTY part of the keyboard (like a normal notebook). Most widescreen notebooks use that layout as its more natural, although it looks odd at first.

[CraigJ @ Aug 24th 2007 1:34PM]

looks really great, if you like your eyes to bleed.

[capran @ Aug 24th 2007 1:44PM]

This thing is ugly as f!ck, but if 2 8700Ms can be put on a single (MXM?) card, why the hell could Apple do that for the iMac?!? I want my gaming Mac goddammit!!!!

[Alex @ Aug 24th 2007 1:45PM]

Don't hold your breath.

[JD @ Aug 24th 2007 2:17PM]

You should have noticed by now that gaming isn't exactly Apple's strong suit.

+1 for don't hold your breath.

[Tom @ Aug 24th 2007 2:00PM]

F U G L Y

[Kenundrum @ Aug 24th 2007 2:08PM]

Uh... WTF? A USB Ethernet dongle? is wired ethernet turning into a legacy port???

[Mike Browning @ Aug 24th 2007 2:18PM]

Hmm, I didn't pay any attention to that at first.. maybe it's just an option for people who want to use dual ethernet? Doesn't make any sense not to have at least one built in ethernet port.

Also, I really hope they plan on having more than one paint option on this thing.. I think it would look so much better if it was just flat black or even black (instead of that greenish brown) with the white camo look...

[Mike Browning @ Aug 24th 2007 2:25PM]

Yup. It has a built in ethernet port still.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/12/new-dell-xps-m1730-pics-pop-up/

[coffee @ Aug 24th 2007 2:17PM]

if you're going to have a secondary lcd, you may as well use sideshow, or if you can't, make it look halfway decent.

[Jason @ Aug 24th 2007 2:26PM]

It's about time they added a number pad! So many laptops opt to have blank space instead of putting it to good use. The track pad should center around the screen though, not the QWERTY key layout. I guess they are just being overly sensitive to lefties?

[Daniel Foster @ Aug 24th 2007 2:29PM]

The extra LCD looks like a Logitech G15 rip off. In fact, the entire feature looks like it was included as an after thought. From a gamer's perspective, it is too far away from the user's line of sight and probably requires you to bend over to see it.

[eh @ Aug 24th 2007 2:57PM]

This laptop makes me want to rip out my eyes and shove them up a skunk's ass.

[ChrisG @ Aug 24th 2007 3:15PM]

Is it me or is Dell making uglier laptops as the days go by? No wonder Jobs dissed them with that picture in his keynote from the apple event. Atleast the inside is nice lol.

[Adam @ Aug 24th 2007 3:16PM]

It is fugly but the specs are really good. hopefully the marble case and red light will be changed. Hopefully.

[Handle IT @ Aug 24th 2007 4:03PM]

The CPU meter is worthless because this is a dual core machine. One meter line can only display one core.

[tumnas @ Aug 24th 2007 8:27PM]

It will show the total load, if core0 was 30% and core1 80%, it would say 55%.

I must say it would be a thousand times cooler if it was a dual core meter

[Karim @ Aug 24th 2007 9:55PM]

I guess the "Intel Inside" and "Windows" stickers are missing from the palm rest because neither Intel nor Microsoft wants to be associated with anything that ugly.

The sound you hear is Steve Jobs laughing his ass off.

[Merlin @ Aug 24th 2007 10:12PM]

Does it come with UWB(Ultra-WideBand) for Wireless USB?
Previous news in engadget said Dell 1720 and Thinkpad T61/p do have UWB(Wireless USB).

http://blog.mobile01.com/merlin/article/981
http://blog.mobile01.com/merlin/article/983

[gilo @ Aug 25th 2007 1:57AM]

I think the m1730 can have even more LEDS shoved in ,
just look at all this unused space on the plamrest and underside .

Buy it for the holiday season and it will dub as a X-mas tree decoration .

Someone should tell this to the 12 yrs. old that designed it .

[Z @ Aug 25th 2007 9:12AM]

Wow, a backlit keyboard! Whoda thunk it? (Besides Apple). Now if more PC manufacturers will get their collective heads out of their collective butts, maybe we'll see this as a standard feature.

That being said, this is the ugliest laptop known to man. Dell has become reeeeeal good at that over the last several years.

Thanks Dell, for seeing to it that you have absolutely NO one with any design sensibilities making decisions. Doh!

[Ryan Germann @ Aug 25th 2007 7:03PM]

What is most frustrating is that the M1330 and to a lesser extent the new Inspiron notebooks show they DO care about design and can in fact create pretty notebooks.

The XPS design is likely the result of a combination of things:
1) they wanted to get something out for the holidays and couldn't wait for the 'optimal' design
2) parts shortages i.e. no black-lit keyboard supplier (only white backlit keys)
3) an attempt to be "edgy" that might have backfired
4) ivory-tower-ism
5) malicious / incompetant focus group (a la Homer's car design)
6) maybe it really DOES look better in person. A big, steaming, heaping pile of better.

It had better!

[Jettic @ Aug 26th 2007 4:47AM]

Well it isn't so bad, it actually looks quite decent here:

http://www.theinquirer.net/images/articles/Ageia-laptop.jpg

[KVM @ Aug 26th 2007 10:58PM]

If it looks like that, I want one. They just need to make that keyboard black. Why would it be silver when nothing else on the laptop is silver? My M1710 makes sense to have a silver keyboard, but it took Dell more than a year to get one that was silver instead of flat grey. We'll see what they end up doing. For all the Dell hate on here, I for one trust that they are moving in an overall positive direction with their laptop design.

[TH3D4RKKN!GH7 @ Aug 26th 2007 9:46PM]

Wow that last pic does looks pretty damn snazzy. I need a new PC with DX10 in time for Crysis and just other things I want to do that my crappy thinkpad can't do right now.

[TH3D4RKKN!GH7 @ Aug 27th 2007 9:26AM]

My lord DELL WHERE IS THIS LAPTOP?!

[thecatt @ Aug 27th 2007 2:22PM]

So I thought today was the day, but no laptop.

If you Google it, though, an ad for Dell comes up referencing the http://www.dell.com/Beast

(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=m1730&btnG=Google+Search)

[TH3D4RKKN!GH7 @ Aug 27th 2007 5:57PM]

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=161972
On or before Wednesday Midnight, if its not up then, then the other thing I've heard is true which is we have to wait till the last week of September. Companies with home PC agreement can order it starting today, private persons have to wait until the last week of September. Shipment is expected to be week 44. That the last week of October.

[Stefan @ Aug 28th 2007 5:11AM]

It doesn't look that ugly in these pictures:
http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff149/Registered_2007/

[JC @ Sep 18th 2007 12:44AM]

Cool. Check out this video - looks like they show more of the system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzahumHOnSo