I bought one of these used and owned it for about a year primarily as a gaming computer.  During my experience with this laptop I was very impressed.  Though it only sported a dual core processor, and maxed out at only 4GB of RAM (even though it was a 64-bit processor running Windows 7 64-bit) it was surprisingly fast - especially for gaming.  With the dual-SLI video cards (512MB dedicated video RAM) I was able to run most games at rather high settings without any trouble at all.  When not playing games, I typically had a virtual running on half of the screen and a movie playing on the other half and the laptop never broke a sweat. The large 17" display is absolutely beautiful and the FULL backlit keyboard (with numberpad included) provided a nice sense of completeness.  There were two major downsides to this laptop.  #1  The excessive weight.  Now... I understand that this is a desktop replacement computer and they are not designed to be light... but this thing was HEAVY - including the gigantic AC power adapter. #2  The AC power adapter is EXTREMELY delicate.  The power adapter has a tiny microcontroller inside it that sends a signal via an extra wire to the laptop's motherboard.  If that wire breaks, or if the microcontroller loses its programming (which reading about this you will find happens OFTEN - and it also happened to me) then the laptop will either not charge, or will slow down to 800MHz because it "thinks" that a genuine Dell power adapter is not plugged in.  This can be overridden by programs like Throttlestop but it is a pain nevertheless and sometimes requires replacing the AC adapter or the whole motherboard...  OUCH.  

franzcatch

Saint Louis, MO

I think the Dell XPS M1730 Laptop is just awesome! I like the speed and the ease of use. It also seems to have alot or power and the video on it is wonderful! I had heard that this laptop came highly recommended, so I have tried it and boy was I surprised! It is not too heavy and yet the screen size was perfect. The cost is a little high but if I had the money right now, I would get one for myself.

blplantz

Blythewood, SC

The Dell XPS 1730...a monster of a laptop, or rather a desktop replacement. Yes, it will run from it's battery, but not for long and not as fast. To start with, it has a 230 watt power supply, so right out of the bos you know it's not your dad's laptop. With it's 17" screen, full keyboard, dual video GPU, dual harddrive bay, you only need one but you can have a second drive for either more storage or raid, throw in 4 GB of ram, WiFi and bluetooth, blu ray drive and tv tuner port, it's more machine than most will every need!.

Citrixguy

Budd Lake, NJ

So I've been a Dell customer for so many years and have used the Latitude series of laptops for the longest time.  However, I think Dell is not making some of these laptops as durable as they should be nowadays.  My cousin got this laptop last year and we're already had to have Dell come out and replace the left hinge which broke off completely.  I mean, if the hinge was made of a sturdier metal this should not have been a problem but its not reinforced well enough and if you happen to bang it pretty hard on a table corner or a wall for that matter you might also have the same thing occur to you.  The performance is just alright too and I wasn't blown away like I had been by some of the Apple and Toshiba laptops I've used in the past.  All in all, I'd recommend to stay away from this particular Dell and maybe consider the Dell Latitude E6510 which offers more higher caliber construction and can really take a licking.

buhockey21

Newark, DE

what i really liked about this laptop was the price and just having a laptop that i could take around with me everywhere, instead of the beast i had at home. it was so slow, now i have a fast computer i can take anywhere.

franniefarkle

Show Low, AZ

I use my Dell laptop every day.  I am very satisfied with it.  It's a good and reliable computer.  I never have any problems with it.  It comes in a variety of sizes and colors.  I prefer the bigger sizes to see the print better.  I recommend Dell laptops to anyone who wants a fast and easy computer to use.

TrueBlue1942

Nitro, WV

It weighs a ton, but delivers.  Lived up to all the benchmarks.  The backlighting and side lights are kinda neat, but not really necessary.  I use the webcam a lot and the microphone that is built in could be located somewhere closer, but all and all it delivers for high end gaming.  The only complaint i have is the power supply is ridiculously big and bulky.

leeiswhoibe

Warren, MI

Dell laptops are viewed as better value by people I know including computer repair specialists. Also, overseas customers of my business friends seek Dell laptops. By the way, Dell sells not only computers but all kinds of accessories including software and even telephones.

myopp

Brooklyn, NY

Truly the creme del la creme of laptops Dell embraces the 16:9 aspect ratio display; upscale design with leather trim; backlit keyboard and edge-to-edge screen glass.a true 16:9 16-inch laptop from Dell, in the form of the Studio XPS 16. The result is a smart-looking laptop that has some new features that distinguish it from a run-of-the-mill Inspiron, including a backlit keyboard and a superfluous leather trim on the back of the lid (we're more positively predisposed to leather-clad wristrests). According to Dell, it is getting behind the new standard in a major way, and we should expect to see it on most Dell laptops going forward. While the technology itself is fine, we're dubious of how quickly the public will adopt DisplayPort. After all, HDMI is just starting to gain mainstream acceptance, thanks to cheap HDTVs and HD game consoles such as the Xbox360 and PS3, and jumping to a new connection (and new set of required cables) is going to be a tough sell for the typical consumer.

shadesofgrey3x

Boca Raton, FL

I am not the computer savvy person for sure, and when my husband bought the Dell XPS M1730 Laptop, I thought he was out of his mind for paying so much for a laptop. So far, there hasn't been a game we couldn't run on it, and although I am not the gamer, my husband is. I do find that it is too heavy and gets too hot for me to use it as a laptop, so buyer beware, if you want to use it on your lap you need a desk thing! Its keys light up so you can easily type in low/no light. It has the quick access sound buttons which are great. Some of the older games we tried on it did say they were not compatible (Sims 2) but they still worked just fine. Its a very nice looking computer with light up rear of the screen. The display next to the keyboard is great to have as well, it shows a clock, stopwatch and cpu and ram usage. Overall it is a really great computer with a lot of benefits, but, you need to do your research cause there are a few drawbacks as well.

Ezara

Baltic, CT