DELL Inspiron 700m FAQ  

DELL INSPIRON 700m FAQ


Table of Contents

1. Things to note in reading FAQ (Glossary)

2. Pre-order Information
(i) What are the specifications and pros/ cons of this model?
(ii) What can I expect from the 12.1" WXGA display?
(iii) What's with the battery, which one should I choose?
(iv) Will one of the quicksnap covers from the other models fit my laptop?

3. Hardware upgrades 1
(i) Can I upgrade the Video card in my Laptop?
(ii) Can I upgrade the CPU in my Laptop?
(iii) Can I upgrade the Hard Drive? What can I upgrade it too?

4. Hardware upgrades 2
(i) Can I upgrade the Memory? What type of RAM does it take?
(ii) Upgrading/ installing a mini-PCI card
(iii) Can I install a Bluetooth card post-purchase?

5. Contributors

1. Things to note in reading this FAQ (Glossary)


There are many abbreviations used in this FAQ because I stupidly assumed that because I know them that others will too. In an effort to right that wrong, and so that you can understand what in the world that I am talking about, I have included a Glossary of sorts right here that you can refer to if you become lost by some abbreviation. On to it then.

AA= Anti-Aliasing, a feature of Graphics cards that smooths "jaggy" edges.

AF= Anisotropic Filtering, similar to Anti-Aliasing but works on "far-away" or "distant" objects.

BIOS= Basic Input/Output System, this includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware and the power-on self test.

CPU= Central Processing Unit, or the Processor as its commonly known. This means the Pentium 4 in the i9100/ XPS case.

DPI= Dots Per Inch, can be altered to change the size of items on the virtual desktop. Although there is debate whether this name is actually appropriate... but that is for another topic and another day

FPS= Frames per Second, this is generally referred to as a gaming term in the FAQ. A frame is a still picture, and many frames showing progressive movement create the movie affect you see on TV, films and games. The more frames per second the more smooth this movie appears, hence why important to gaming.

GB= Gigabyte, unit of storage measurement (1,024 megabytes).

GHz= Gigahertz, the unit used to measure the clock speed of the Processor.

GPU= Graphics Processing Unit, most widely known as the Graphics/ Video card.

HD= Hard Drive, where you store all your data with storage measured in Gigabytes.

i8600, i9100, etc= The i here stands for Inspiron, the line of notebooks. Just a common abbreiviation used throughout these boards that makes it easier on us.... seeing as it is mentioned so often.

IE= Internet Explorer, probably the most widely used internet browser i comes preinstalled on just about every Windows platform.

KB= Kilobyte, unit of storage measurement (1,024 bytes).

LCD= Liquid Crystal Display, being the screen on your laptop.

MB= Megabyte, unit of storage measurement (1,024 kilobytes).

MR9700= Mobility Radeon 9700, this is the graphics card in the XPS/ 9100, I'm lazy so I often refer to it in this abbreviated form. Also I have referred to MR9600 and MR9800 and in those cases it is the same thing, MR= Mobility Radeon.

ms= Milli-second, unit of time being 1/1000 second.

P4= Pentium 4, also referred to in conjunction HT; Hyperthreading, a feature of the Processor and EE; Extreme Edition, a version of the P4 with a 2MB cache.

RAM= Random Access Memory, or just Memory as it's often known.

SXGA+= Super eXtended Graphics Array, this is the display @ 1400 x 1050.

WSXGA= Wide-Aspect Super eXtended Graphics Array, this is the display @ 1680 x 1050.

WUXGA= Wide-Aspect Ultra eXtended Graphics Array, this is the display @ 1920 x 1200.

WXGA= Wide-Aspect eXtended Graphics Array, this is the display @ 1280 x 800.

XGA= eXtended Graphics Array, this is the display @ 1024 x 768.


Now I am sure I have missed a lot of abbreviations, so if there is something I have missed that is mentioned in the FAQ or that needs clarification please let me know and I will add it.


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2. Pre-order Information


2.(i) What are the specifications and pros/ cons of this model?

In this section I will outline the basic current configuration options and giving briefly the pros and cons of the 700m. Please feel free to create topics on this model if need be and we will all be happy to help out. I will endevour to keep the configuration specifications up-to-date.

__________________________________________________________


>>Inspiron 700m<<

Basic Specs:
CPU: Pentium M; 725 (@ 1.6GHz), 745 (@ 1.8GHz).
LCD: 12.1" WXGA (1280 x 800).
Memory: PC2700 (333MHz) SO DIMMs, 2 user accessible slots, 2GB (2 x 1GB) maximum. Shared with Graphics.
Hard Drive: 40, 60 or 80 GB @ 5400rpm.
Media Device: 24x/10x/24x CD-RW (8x DVD), 8x DVD+RW/+R,
Wireless Card: Intel PRO 2200 (802.11b/g), Intel PRO 2915 (802.11a/b/g).
Video/ Graphics Card: Intel Extreme Integrated Graphics, 32MB or 64MB shared with system Memory.
Dimensions:
Height: 38.1 mm (1.5")
Width: 297 mm (11.7")
Depth: 216 mm (8.5")
Weight: 1.86kg (4.1 lbs) with DVD drive.

Pros:
-> Fairly portable, benefits with the extra widescreen work area... and the LCD being 12.1" in size makes it small and thin. Additionally it is relatively light.
-> Up to 5 hours battery life with the optional high-capacity 65Whr (8-cell) battery, so great for school/ uni lectures.
-> Enough power to easily conquer office work and internet browsing makes a fab work or school machine.
-> Ultra sleek chassis, Dell got it right this time.


Cons:
-> Lacks power. What more can be said? The Pentium-M CPU has more than enough grunt for normal windows use and applications... but it lacks the power needed to tackle high-load programs in terms of graphics capability.
-> Don't even try heavy gaming. It can handle a nice game of solitaire and some older games, but not too much beyond. The Integrated graphics borrow from system memory, and do not have enough power to hold their own in a lot of new release games (like HL2 or Doom 3).
-> Small screen fantastic for portability, but not necessarily the most ideal work area. With such a high resoluton on a small screen this may be a little tough for some peoples eyesight, much like the WUXGA on the larger 15.4" widescreens.
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2.(ii) What can I expect from the 12.1" WXGA display?


You are not spoilt for choice in terms of the LCD for the 700m, it is the 12.1" WXGA widescreen or nothing. This is not a bad thing though, as it is a stunning LCD, with good specs and a fantastic glossy coating that makes the colours more vibrant and beautiful. However some people prefer the matte finish to this because it is highly reflective, but in my experience it is something you grow to love. The native resolution is set at 1280 x 800, which on a 12.1 incher may strain some peoples eyesight, but in my opinion you wouldn't want it much lower than that.

So, not much more to say here, check out the photo below provided kindly by Yi Chen... this gives an indication of the icon size and such compared to the entire screen.




2.(iii) What's with the battery, which one should I choose?

Upon configuration, and later if you order from Dell, you have a choice of two batteries for the 700m. This is so you can choose either for a true thin and light or one with a bit more staying power. Details of each can be found below.

1. 4-Cell 36Whr Lithium Ion battery-> This is the basic configuration battery. It fits snugly with only minor protrusion from the back of the 700m and obviously is the choice to keep the 700m light and small. It provides a decent battery life of about 3 to 3.5 hours if used for conservative purposes.

2. 8-Cell 64Whr Lithium Ion battery-> This battery is what you want if you need the lappy to have a little bit more legs and don't mind a little bulk. It adds about 5mm (.2") to the height of the 700m and protrudes about 25mm (1") from the back of the system as well as adding a little bit of weight over the normal 4-Cell battery. On the plus side this battery can offer up to 5 hours of running life on a single charge if used conservatively. It obviously costs a little more to order with this sucker.


2.(iv) Will one of the quicksnap covers from the other models fit my laptop?

I can be brief here, the answer is no. The quicksnaps that are available are for the 600m, i8600, i9100, XPS and i9200.... obviously all of these have vastly different LCD sizes than the 700m and none of the quicksnaps will physically fit onto it. Dell did release the quicksnaps for the similar chassis design i9200, so it is possible that they may do so in the future for the 700m (like they did for the 600m) but I would say unlikely. Sorry peeps.


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3. Hardware upgrades 1


3.(i) Can I upgrade the Video card in my Laptop?

Unfortunately this model does not have an upgradeable video card. The 700m has an integrated Intel extreme graphics chip that operates via sharing system memory. It is integrated into the motherboard/ chipset, and there is no hope of an upgrade in this respect as the 700m does not sport an AGP slot nor the space to fit a true Graphics card.


3.(ii) Can I upgrade the CPU in my Laptop?

Yes, you should be able to upgrade the CPU. The 700m uses a Pentium M CPU running at a 400MHz FSB (or Celeron M at 400MHz FSB). It is compatible with both the old 'Banias' based chip (1MB L2 cache, up to a maximum 1.7GHz) as well as the 'Dothan' based chip (2MB L2 cache, up to a maximum 2.1GHz). All new orders ship with the newer and superior Dothan based chips now (unless the Celeron is chosen), and I suggest you stick to that path when upgrading... the only advantage of the Banias based chips are lower power consumption at the low speedstep setting, coming at the cost of some performance. Since these are intended to be portable semi-desktop replacements the more powerful Dothans are preferred.



Don't forget some Thermal paste when installing a new CPU or you may encounter some heat issues which can cause serious damage. I highly recommend Arctic Silver 5 as the best thermal paste on the market at this time.

However, I have come across a slight bump in the road in terms of this upgrade... this is that my regular source in the Service Manual does not have instruction for CPU removal/ replacement. Instead it shows it only as part of the system board. Does this mean it is attached, and not upgradeable? Perhaps, but I don't think so. It is hard for me to confirm not having a model here to play around on (although I was seriously considering getting one), but maybe another kind user whom has done, or is planning to do, a CPU upgrade can fill us in .


3.(iii) Can I upgrade the Hard Drive? What can I upgrade it too?

Yes, absolutely you can. The 700m can be upgraded with any standard 2.5" notebook Hard drive. It can take the greatest capacity (100GB) and greatest speed (7200rpm) Hard drives that are currently available for laptops with no problems, anything that is in that 2.5" format pretty much.

But how to do it? Well it is very simple. Following are instructions, but first, keep in mind to transfer the pin adapter from the old hard drive to the new one or it will not connect properly, below is a picture of what is meant by the pin adapter, it fits right onto the pins at the connection end of the HD.



I personally recommend the Hitachi 7k60 hard drive as the best laptop drive on the market at the moment. It has a decent 60GB capacity and is powered along with a 7200rpm rotational speed and 8MB cache making it super quick. To top this off, it runs cooler than most 4200rpm and 5400rpm laptop HDs and is also quiet and uses about the same amount of power as those slower drives so you are not sacrificing battery life. Have a look at the Pricegrabber list for it here, with a list of vendors and current prices you can find the best deal.

Now the instructions:

The i700m is probably among the easiest of all the models to replace the Hard drive in, I mean you use a pull tab for Christ sake! It is easily accessible through a panel on the bottom of the laptop, as the picture below demonstrates. Remember to disconnect all power (including the battery) before starting.



http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1084976


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4. Hardware upgrades 2


4.(i) Can I upgrade the Memory? What type of RAM does it take?

Absolutely, upgrading the RAM is very simple and considered a "User upgradeable" component by Dell. The 700m has 2 user accessible memory slots, utilising 2 x PC2700 (333MHz) 200-pin SODIMMs with a maximum of 2GB (2 x 1GB sticks). Installation is a bit different from other models, one slot is accessible through a hatch on the bottom and the upper module you must remove the keyboard first to get to the slot. By default if you order the laptop with one memoy module it will be installed in the upper slot. All-in-all it is different, but not really that difficult so I wouldn't worry overly much.

For the memory module located on the bottom, disconnect all power (including the battery, then simply remove the module cover, take out existing memory by spreading the clips of each side and pulling out. Get the new module and insert at an angle, then push down until you here a click, put the cover back on.





For the upper module disconnect all power (including the battery), remove the keyboard, then remove the upper module cover (pictured). Removing and installing same as above.



Make use of the instructions following for replacement of either module:

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1108224


4.(ii) Upgrading/ installing a mini-PCI card

If you did not order a wireless card upon purchase but want one now, or simpy want to upgrade your existing wireless card to a newer or more expansive one (in terms of standards covered), then it is entirely possible. All you need do is order one of the wireless mini-PCI cards from Dell or another vendor, and then follow the simple installation instructions.

The Mini-PCI module in the 700m is accessible via one single hatch on the bottom of the laptop, so incredibly easy to replace should you require it. See instructions linked.



http://support.dell.com/support/edoc....htm#wp1113752


4.(iii) Can I install a Bluetooth card post-purchase?

Sorry, but unfortunately like the i1150 and i5160 this model does not support an internal Bluetooth module either upon configuration or post-purchase. Instead if you are after a Bluetooth solution I suggest that you get a Bluetooth USB dongle.


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5. Contributors

I would like to give a big thank-you and express my gratitude to several people whom have made some Contribution to this FAQ whether it be a picture or some useful information. So in alphabetical order (by username):

AbSoluTc-> Fantastic shot of a WUXGA display, kudos to you.

Bay Wolf-> I have referred to his site www.bay-wolf.com several times and it is a very useful source of Dell information, so have a visit!

camaroguy-> Linked to the useful fangui wish list thread.

DELL-Machina-> Provider of several fantastic threads linked in this FAQ, and an all around Guru on the board. Cheers.

gmnstrunr37-> Contributed the WXGA shot, and Xing is one of the legends around the Dell section, good onya!

gobadgrs-> Writer of the fantastic Unofficial guide for getting a killer laptop cheap. Visit this thread it's a great resource for soon-to-be purchasers.

hksscom-> Good side-by-side WSXGA/ WUXGA comparison, appreciated mate.

KCK-> Helped in correcting a few fundamental errors. A lifesaver is this guy.

Madpig-> Thanks for the 14.1" pic man, you have no idea how much of a struggle it is to get these, it's appreciated.

mojoRT-> Provided the two fantastic WSXGA vs WXGA comparison pics, cheers.

odonnelr-> Custom sticker on 600m pic, example of one modification.

shiftaltnumlock-> Provided important ammendment to Dell's i9200 CPU replacement instructions. Props to you.

SilkDawg-> A fellow Aussie was kind enough to offer a picture of how unacceptable LCD light leakage appears. He went through a lot of pain to get that picture to us

Somms-> A few nice additions thanks to somms, you all know him, a legend around these boards.

Spiike-> For a couple of fantastic thread I have linked/ referred to, particularly the amazing Modding thread.

Striker333-> Thanks for the WXGA shot, I was starting to think we'd never get one!

SuperFobSonny-> Contributed some nice shots of Light leakage. Thanks bro.

UnMaTcHeD-> I had forgotton about i9100 owners perhaps eyeing the XPS bag. This bloke hadn't and provided a nice link to where you can get it separately. Good onya!

V.B.-> What can I say, this guy has embraced the whole idea. He has sent me suggestions, written sections and generally been a fantastic help. Pretty much a partner in crime and the FAQ would not be what it is without his numerous contributions. Hands together everyone.

vizionblind-> Helped correct a couple minor issues/ links.

WScottCross-> A great shot of the WSXGA, cheers.

And hopefully I have not missed anyone at this stage, sorry if I have.


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