Dell XPS 17 L702X Video and Unboxing

The Dell XPS 17 is a desktop replacement style performance notebook, the L702X is the latest XPS 17 model that contains the Intel Sandy Bridge 2nd generation of Core i5 and i7 processors.  The XPS 17 L702X can be configured online at Dell.com starting at $899 with a base configuration.  You can of course configure the laptop to your hearts delight and the price will quickly ramp up with all of the options and upgrades available to you.  The XPS 702X can be configured as a mid-class desktop replacement for an affordable price or tricked out to make it a capable gaming laptop.  Though the XPS 17 isn’t going to be able to match the performance of Dell’s more powerful (and expensive) 17-inch Alienware m17x, it will still be able to run the latest games at mid to high settings with decent frame rates if you choose the Nvidia GT 555M graphics and a Core i7 processor.  My needs are more modest and I simply wanted to test a “budget” configuration of the XPS 17-702X with the following specs:

• Model: XPS 17 (L702X)
• Processor: 2nd generation Intel Core i5-2410M processor 2.30 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.90 GHz
• Memory: 6GB,DDR3,2 DIMM
• Screen: 17.3 in HD+ WLED TL (1600×900) with 2.0MP HD webcam
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M 1GB graphics with Optimus
• Storage: 640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
• OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
• Optical Drive: 8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
• Speakers: JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3
• Wireless:  Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
• Battery: 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Webcam: 2.0MP HD with single digital mic
• Ports: Mini DisplayPort (1), 2 total USB 3.0, 2 total USB 2.0 (1 / 1 eSATA/powershare combo), Ethernet LAN (RJ45), HDMI 1.4, Audio jacks:headphone(2 total) with SPID/F support (1), 1 Mic-in
• Weight: 7.41lbs
• Dimensions:  16.3" x 11.3” x 1.3” – 1.5” (Width x Depth x Height)
• Price as configured: $699 (on sale)

The Intel Core i5-2410m processor can be overclocked to 2.90GHz when necessary using the TurboBoost feature.  The graphics can be switched between Intel HD3000 and Nvidia GeForce GT550M depending on what applications you are running, obviously anything gaming related will lean on the Nvidia card to get things done.  When you switch to web surfacing and Office productivity apps the Intel graphics will suffice and help to save battery life.

Dell XPS 17 (L702X) Video Overview

I put together a short video to just review the components, design and ports you get with the XPS 17, click the play button below to watch:

Dell XPS 17 Unboxing

The XPS 17 arrived in an all black shipping box, which is one design step up from a typical brown Dell box.

Inside you find a black box with the power cord and adapter inside, the XPS 17 itself braced between Styrofoam inserts and wrapped in a black cloth, and then documentation and disks inside cardboard sleeve.  Overall the presentation is nice, though not on par with the HP Envy 17 I recently did an unboxing of.

Once you remove all of the packaging you’re left with the XPS 17 with a bunch of protective stickers on, the power cord wrapped up and secured with twisty ties, and a sleeve of disks.

Dell XPS 17 L702X First Thoughts

I’ve heard it said that the XPS 17 looks somewhat frumpy with its design, I can’t say I disagree.  It just doesn’t look as sleek and cool as the competing HP Envy 17.  It’s a big laptop and it doesn’t try to hide it, the curves are exaggerated and it makes it look like a bumper car or VW Beetle.  Not that I’d prefer sharp cornered edges, but the curves at the top of the screen are almost reminiscent of the fruit colored Apple iBook.

The colors used on the XPS 17 don’t exactly excite, it’s black and a dull grey, the case is made of a mix of aluminum and plastic, the aluminum portion doesn’t have the same sheen as the aluminum on the HP Envy or MacBook Pro so the overall design effect is not as impressive.  The aluminum does at least add to the overall build quality, the laptop feels solid and there’s little flex in the chassis.

One design touch that does really help the XPS 17 is the backlit keyboard:

Not only does the keyboard backlighting offer a nice design touch, it also contributes to usability making the keyboard much easier to see in the dark.  Notice that you also get a number pad on the keyboard due to its spacious size.  The keyboard has a chiclet style design and is pleasant to use.  The key travel is quite shallow but the tactile feedback is good, making it a good choice for fast touch typists.

I’m a big fan of the touchpad and mouse buttons so far.  The mouse pad is very responsive, much more so than the touchpad on the HP Envy 17.  In addition, the mouse buttons are nice and easy to push, with great travel and feedback.

The port selection on the XPS 17 is impressive, you get all the latest port technologies:

On the left side you get a USB 2.0 port at the back and media card reader at the front

On the right side you get the optical drive, either DVD Burner or Blu-Ray

Zooming in on the ports at the back you can see two headphone jacks, one microphone and an eSATA / USB combo port

On the back right side you get two USB 3.0 ports and the power jack

On the back left side you get a mini DisplayPort, HDMI and Ethernet RJ45 port

I usually don’t like having a lot of ports on the back of a laptop, but with a desktop replacement style laptop it makes sense because most people will be keeping this on a desk with accessories permanently plugged in and don’t need to be reached or pulled out frequently.

I mentioned before that the specific configuration of the XPS 17 under review is not earth shattering in terms of performance.  I ran some benchmarks and found that the more capably configured Envy 17 whipped the XPS 15 we have and even the HP Folio 13 Ultrabook was able to outperform on benchmarks thanks to its SSD.

While the benchmarks aren’t impressive on this XPS 15 configuration, remember the price was a budget level $699 and not at all high end.   The XPS 15 offers a lot of upgrade options and it also has dual drive bays so you can easily put in an SSD after market.  We’ll try doing that ourselves to get an idea of the benchmark and performance improvements it yields.  Stay tuned for a full review of the XPS L702X.