NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Notebook Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › Inspiron 1720 - What's the verdict? 1720 owners ONLY!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Inspiron 1720 - What's the verdict? 1720 owners ONLY!  

post #1 of 8
10/1/07 at 1:04am
Thread Starter 
I haven't seen many reviews of the Inspiron 1720 - how are owners liking it? The 8600 graphics card is all I need as I only game on my XBOX 360. I currently have an Inspiron 9300 and the 1.7Ghz Pentium-M isn't cutting it anymore. Any information and suggestions would be appreciated
post #2 of 8
10/1/07 at 10:16am
I got my 9300 replaced with a 1720 (complete care) and for the most part I really like it. I mean there isn't a whole lot to say about it; it is faster in every aspect than my 9300 but its not a show stopper or anything like that. I don't like how the high capacity battery sticks out of the back of the computer, for example. As far as graphics performance, I put it roughly on par with a 6800ultra, which isn't too bad, but not amazing either. For example, I play hl2/cs:s etc at native resolution but with shadows and shaders on low and everything else on high. Other games quite honestly I have had to lower the resolution on such as titan quest and bioshock but it still plays pretty well. Honestly though I would rather have the 15" version since it does have the exact same GPU and would be much easier to lug around.
post #3 of 8
10/1/07 at 6:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamLJ View Post
I haven't seen many reviews of the Inspiron 1720 - how are owners liking it? The 8600 graphics card is all I need as I only game on my XBOX 360. I currently have an Inspiron 9300 and the 1.7Ghz Pentium-M isn't cutting it anymore. Any information and suggestions would be appreciated
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3904 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-In...20.4442.0.html My personal review: I like it. I like the battery life MUCH better than my old E1705. I love the dual hard drive capability and 4GB of RAM max. I think it looks pretty sexy compared to older DELLs and I love the chocolate color. I got the Espresso brown Screen backing color. Little worried about the 256mb 8600 Nvidia possibly being the best graphics card for it... but who knows... a better GPU may be in store later down the road.
post #4 of 8
10/5/07 at 5:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by coastalcarolina View Post
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3904 http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-In...20.4442.0.html My personal review: I like it. I like the battery life MUCH better than my old E1705. I love the dual hard drive capability and 4GB of RAM max. I think it looks pretty sexy compared to older DELLs and I love the chocolate color. I got the Espresso brown Screen backing color. Little worried about the 256mb 8600 Nvidia possibly being the best graphics card for it... but who knows... a better GPU may be in store later down the road.
UPDATED: I am a little disappointed in the GPU performance compared to my Nvidia Geforce 7800 256mb and especially the 256mb Geforce 7900 in the M1710. http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...GT.3986.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...00.2137.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...TX.2131.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...TX.2121.0.html I noticed alot of refresh and other lag while doing alot of multitasking with just web browsing and other daily tasks with the Geforce 8600. Being a new Inspiron Model one would think DELL would have put a better faster GPU in the notebook with a DEDICATED graphics fan. I am also VERY disappointed that they did not include DVI output on it like they did previous Inspiron's including the E1705... and no HDMI either! Half the world has a flat screen TV or Monitor... wake up DELL! The GPU and Lack of digital outputs would be the MOST disappointing and a sad direction for their new Inspiron lineup ... however I still LIKE the 1720 and the build... NOT LOVE. What do I LOVE? The new XPS M1710s that Dell sent me to replace my overheating E1705s.... and this notebook came out around April 2006.... I would go with that and get a deal.
post #5 of 8
10/5/07 at 5:36am
I like mine gf's 1720 in general . .. not for gaming, so the slow 8600 doesn't bother much. I'm kinda pissed that it doesn't have dvi/hdmi . . kinda short sighted on dells part.

build quality is nice, and battery life is great. liking the improved look . ..

three things they could do to make it better:
1. better gpu with dedicated fan
2. needs DVI/HDMI port
2. every pc include gigabit lan nowadays
post #6 of 8
10/5/07 at 10:06am
Its been discussed over and over. The many downgrades were made from a business perspective. I agree though that the M1710 is and will be the best Dell for awhile, at least for what fits my needs. Personally, I don't ever think the 17 inch inspiron will be worth getting anymore and I don't like the new bulky 17 inch XPS.
post #7 of 8
12/24/07 at 4:56pm
I just got an inspiron 1720, being a little of a perfectionist, i think there is something wrong with my screen (WUXGA), on the left hand side when displying non-primary colour it tend to flikker, don't know the problem
post #8 of 8
11/25/08 at 1:53pm
I purchased a refurbished 1720 with the following configuration:
T7700 w/ 4GB DDR2 & 160GB 5400 RPM HDD & DVD/RW Running ThinXP-SP3

Pros:
- I love the S-Video out, and so does my 32" TV.
- I love having the numpad on a laptop!
- The 1440x900 resolution is great for working on multi-layer graphics projects or binary spacial partitioning applications.
- Ports, speakers, & optical drive are all placed in convenient locations.

Cons:
- The display seems a bit... "washed out" in normal light but looks great at night.
- The 5400 RPM HDD is the next thing on the list for an upgrade.
- The 8600M GT is good for what I have tried it with. Most Source Engine games run fine, so long as anti-aliasing is not on the maximum setting, and Quake 4 runs fine on medium, but I get mouse latency if my settings are on high or on the maximum setting.
- Battery life could be better, but there are better batteries to upgrade to. I suspect the screen as being guilty of the power drain. The battery lasts longer with the backlight on low.

Design Observations:
A bit bulgy? I don’t know about you, but I like a flat design with rounded corners, but I was not paying attention to the design during the purchase. I get a crick/creak/snap when I open and close the lid. One of the hinges is loose, flexing, or plastic is rubbing against plastic somewhere. Oh well, doesn’t bother me until it snaps off, but the build quality is not too impressive. I wasn’t expecting ToughBook but… well whatever. It works, and it works good.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
This thread is locked  
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › Dell Notebook Forums › Dell Home (Inspiron, XPS, Studio) › Inspiron 1720 - What's the verdict? 1720 owners ONLY!