Dell XPS 17: Specifications and performance

Our Dell XPS 17 test unit included a quad-core Intel Core i7-740QM processor, with a clock speed of 1.73GHz and a turboboost maximum clocking of 2.93GHz, plus 6GB of RAM. An nVidia GeForce GT 445M discrete graphics chip is also built into the XPS 17, along with 3GB of graphics memory and support for Optimus autoswitching technology. The net result is impressive gaming performance for a laptop. The Dell XPS 17 manages to run FutureMark's latest DirectX 11 benchmark, posting a performance score of 1,286.
Actual game performance is also decent - certainly sufficient to give you a good gaming experience. Far Cry 2 fell just shy of 60 frames per second in DX10 mode at optimal settings. The demanding DX11 test built into Metro 2033 runs at 27fps, while the hot new racing game, F1 2010, attains 21 fps. Just Cause 2's Concrete Jungle benchmark, which is quite demanding, also hits 21 fps, but that's better than most laptops in this price range that we've tested. Overall, with a little tweaking, you should be able to keep consistently north of 30fps at the default 1600x900 resolution, although you'll have to give up antialiasing to do it.
Speaking of price, it would cost you £1,149 to configure a Dell laptop like our review model - not too bad for a premium unit equipped with goodies such as discrete graphics and a Blu-ray ROM/ DVD+/-RW combo drive, enabling high-definition playback of Blu-ray movies with the included PowerDVD 9.6 software. The only difference is that our Dell XPS 17 review model (tested by our colleagues at PC World US) comes with two hard drives, an option which appears not to be available in the UK.

Dell XPS 17: Screen and audio

Video playback looks sharp on the Dell XPS 17's 1600x900 display, but the lack of true 1080p resolution is an odd oversight in an otherwise premium product. The viewing angles are predictably poor, with noticeable colour shifting and brightness fall-off away from the sweet spot, but it's still better than many similar panels. Some motion smearing can be seen in fast-action video and games. Colours look properly saturated, and photographs look correct when viewed from the sweet spot.
The Dell XPS 17's audio quality is impressive. Music playback is quite listenable, sounding fairly accurate and transparent, even when audio enhancements were disabled. Stereo imaging seems a little vague, but the JBL-designed speakers even deliver reasonable midbass content, though real bass was still absent.
Note that this Dell XPS 17 isn't exactly svelte. It's fairly bulky, although the industrial design makes it seem thinner than it is. Weight is maybe a bit better than the average for a desktop replacement, at 3.7kg without the power brick (it's 4.3kg with the charger).