Dell's XPS M1730 sneaks onto Dell's site: a beast indeed

Hiddy Ho Mr. XPS M1730, nice to see you up and dancing on Dell's own website for a change. While it's not exactly official, reader Evgeni noticed that a little E-Value code tomfoolery will pull up pictures, specs, and prices easy enough. $4,192 will take home a crimson red, 17-inch WUXGA beast with a Vista Ultimate pre-load and the following specs:

• 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900 processor (800MHz FSB and 4MB cache)
• 2GB 667MHz DDR2 memory (4GB for an additional $375)
• 2 x 200GB 7200RPM disks
• DVD burner (upgradeable for Blu-ray playback for an additional $550)
• 512MB Dual (!) NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT with nVIDIA SLI Te
• 802.11a/g/n WiFi
• 9-cell primary and 9-cell secondary batteries

That's only the start.

You also have the option to slap in an AT&T HSDPA 3.6 or Sprint / Verizon EVDO rev. A card for an additional $163 and $129, respectively. Hell, while you're at it, why not just throw in a pair of 64GB SSDs for an additional $1,625? Egads, that's a lot of kit. Still no official announcement from Dell so don't go pinching exact pennies just yet gamers, these prices might change before the rig is finally turned loose.

[Thanks, Evgeni N.]

Read -- $2,999 configuration
Read -- $3,599 configuration
Read -- $4,192 configuration

[GJP303 @ Sep 25th 2007 7:22AM]

Even with the best batteries, that things battery life is something around 9 seconds

[Dae @ Sep 25th 2007 9:52AM]

Power supply maybe as big as the actual laptop.

[E71 @ Sep 25th 2007 4:29PM]

Battery life is the least of my concern. It's a Dell laptop battery -- RUN FOR COVER!

[Not Dell @ Sep 26th 2007 10:47AM]

Battery Life is abut hour/hour and a half depending.

Turn on all the bells an whistles about 3/4's of an hour. But really this is like the m2010, its a desktop replacement system not a laptop. Actually the documentation doesnt mention laptop once.

[Tony @ Sep 25th 2007 7:26AM]

All this nice hardware on the worlds biggest piece of shit software. LOL!
Wonder what kind of fool flushes his money on stuff like this.
You sure Dell isn't misspelled?? More like DULL!

[Dae @ Sep 25th 2007 9:53AM]

you silly rabbit.

[Ethan @ Sep 25th 2007 7:36AM]

These things are portable only in the sense that it is easier to take to the LAN party. Maybe with an extendable handle and wheels.

[Magallanes @ Sep 25th 2007 8:51AM]

Indeed, this looks a bit weight and bulky, not for carry daily but for a special events or may be a pc replacement.

[yavin @ Sep 25th 2007 7:36AM]

get off your hands off mine

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 25th 2007 8:02AM]

Do something with those color schemes, but I'd probably still take one.

[Dae @ Sep 25th 2007 9:55AM]

i agree with you. Those XPS always had funky color schemes

[Brian @ Sep 25th 2007 8:08AM]

Is this one of the ugliest laptops I have seen, I own shares in Dell so would like to see them regain their way but these just look stupid. Dell might be better off aiming a better design at the silver market (old people) as they would probably sell more. Only kids would buy this and even then they were probably smoking dope....

[L.Rawlins @ Sep 25th 2007 8:08AM]

It looks like a bag of spanners. Why couldn't they have taken cues from the overwhelming success of the 'Mmmmmmmn'1330?

Did you see what I did there?

Haha.

I will say though, that a reported ad in the Notebook Review forums highlights a grey/black keyboard aswell that God-awful silver one. Which makes it slightly less 'bleach in my eyes!' painful to look at... oh, and the back-lit keyboard has been a long time coming for everyone other than Apple, but I'm glad it finally has.

Let's hope that that bit... and pretty much only that bit, crops up in future versions of ALL Dell lines.

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:02AM]

...Quite nice purly specwise, though I'd much rather have the same machine with Alienware Brand, 4k 4 a dell? you got to be kidding.
Quote:
RAID Performance: 400GB (2x200GB) 7200RPM [add $25 or $1/month1]
RAID Performance: 500GB (2x250GB) 7200RPM [Included in Price]
RAID Performance: 500GB (2x250GB) 5400RPM add $0

Is there a bug? 2x250GB is cheaper than 2x200GB?

[Dy Phan @ Sep 25th 2007 9:19AM]

The 250GB hard drives are slower.

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:21AM]

@Dy Phan

The 250 and 200 gb are both rated @ 7200 rpm, the twin 250 gb being strangely $25 cheaper.

[Hollywood Ron @ Sep 25th 2007 9:10AM]

You could turn that desktop-replacement off and it'd still lose battery power in 2 hours. And I thought my Alienware had horrible battery life.

[ark_v2 @ Sep 25th 2007 9:13AM]

WTH?! lol, a monster indeed. Now if they made something about how it looks...

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:16AM]

...damn, we are back to those hot laptop days

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:22AM]

Hot as in like the dark old day when stuffing a Pentium 4 670 into a 'laptop'.

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:30AM]

... Can i plug in the 9-cell primary and 9-cell secondary batteries at the same time or is there only one battery slot?

[Juan @ Sep 25th 2007 9:43AM]

UGLY UGLY UGLY. Why have the XPS laptops been so ugly for so long? The new Inspirons look good, whoever worked on that design needs to start working on a new XPS design.

[thecatt @ Sep 25th 2007 10:04AM]

Do want.

Especially if I can get work to foot the bill.

[Megan @ Sep 25th 2007 10:10AM]

I actually don't hate the color scheme. Its different. I don't think its a computer I'd want to lug around. Then again, I don't like lugging around my crappy Compaq. I would buy it, if I had the funds and thought I could trust Dell. But my prior experience tells me that buying them, isn't a good idea. a

[Mike @ Sep 25th 2007 11:23AM]

They just took it down :(

[Konstantin @ Sep 25th 2007 12:05PM]

You know, this thing is pretty ugly. I wish dell would put some effort into design.

[perfectionist @ Sep 25th 2007 8:26PM]

LtG:
It's not that it needs to be an accessory. It's that no one wants an eyesore of a machine.

Would you like to go back to days of big bricks and MS-DOS?

Design is essential in everything...

[Golferal @ Sep 25th 2007 2:06PM]

I can't imagine needing this much horsepower in a lappie. Wow.

[Golferal @ Sep 25th 2007 2:08PM]

PS: Without a doubt, this WILL play Doom.

[rigo @ Sep 25th 2007 2:25PM]

damn PC makers a desperate to try and get an EGDE on macs, NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!

[Scrag @ Sep 26th 2007 4:56AM]

So this is a Dell GLOBAL release is it.

All in USD and only on the US site?

Says it all.

[Scrag @ Sep 26th 2007 7:57AM]

Oh wait, there it is on the de, fr, it and es sites but still no details on the UK site.

Frustrating.

[Theedo.Star @ Sep 26th 2007 9:08AM]

Jeeeeeeeeeeezus.
According to the Spanish site, a S-Video Media Cable kit costs 51,555.05 Euros.
That is a lot of cash.
The Dell XPS 1730 must output GOD for the cables to be that expensive.
They must be Monster Cables.

[Ken @ Sep 26th 2007 10:10AM]

Sager NP9260 is still more powerful...

and cheaper

[z3r0c00l12 @ Sep 26th 2007 8:40PM]

Oh great, can't see it on the web, it's only available by promotion by e-mail, public still has to wait for the official website release.

[Z @ Sep 26th 2007 11:32PM]

Good components, but the colors are ugly, and it's WAY overpriced.

Fully spec'd - $5800. Get real. Please. And that didn't even include HSDPA or EVDO, or a custom paintjob, which is what I'd expect at that price.

And maybe I simply missed it, but I didn't see anything about SLI or dual HDD's in the configurator. I'd hate to see what that would do to the price.

[CB @ Sep 27th 2007 4:28AM]

It has Dual SLI GeForce go 8700GT as standard. So yes its there.

[shoman24v @ Sep 27th 2007 1:24AM]

Quit complaining about the battery life. It's not meant to be an ultra portable. Not to mention if you knew anything about hardware you'd know that their is no way for a PC with this much horsepower to be made for battery life.

Don't hate cause a laptop is better then your desktop.

[Scrag @ Sep 27th 2007 5:16AM]

Just priced up an all singing, all dancing version on UK web site, but with only 2Gb Ram, inc Office Pro, Rucksack, Bluetooth mouse etc. and it comes to £3572!!!

That is a pretty penny.

[Prevail @ Oct 9th 2007 4:17AM]

I bought it, I got a 12% government discount, and dell promo coupons, but it was still a pretty penny. People buy these machines because one it's POWER. I own a dell XPS 700, and it's a pain to lug that EVERYTIME. I want to take it somewhere. I want power, and portability. I go to Arizona State, but live in New York. I got home for holidays and want to have a PC there, but you try taking a Dell XPS 700 on a Air Plane. Along with all your luggage. Another this is you can build your own PC Desktop and have same specs as my Dell XPS 700, and pay half the price, but thing is like Alienware and Dell you want people to know you have the High Class Name Brand Item. Why do you think people buy Mercedes Benz there high end models are eh, but I mean a C-Class for 40 grand with no features, and high repair cost. You pay for the name you want people to know you have money or want them to know your upper class it's how the world is. Yes it's not best looking laptop I orded it with grey and black all the other colors look like shit.

[Shawn in San Diego @ Oct 31st 2007 2:50PM]

I just bought my M1730 with blue accents. I also got the government discount with a bunch of extras thrown in. Pricey for sure! The machine so far is great. I do notice it does get a little hot at the back end and left side. They should have put bigger feet on the back side to give it more air. It does perform well as I have played a few games on it already. The speakers sound great especially for a “laptop”. I have also done some video editing and it chews threw that great as well. The size is a bit much, but you must understand that this is a desktop replacement. You do need two backpacks, one for the PC and one for the power supply “lol”. No real complaints for me, but I am worried about the heat issue. We will see. One question why are MAC users so bitter?