Dell XPS M2010 Review

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200
• Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 graphics card
• Wireless: Dell 350 Bluetooth, Intel Wireless 3945ABG
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 667mhz RAM
• Hard Drive: 120gb 5400rpm HD (Hitachi Travelstar)
• Screen: 20.1" high definition widescreen (1680x1050)
• 1.3MP built-in web camera
• Array microphones
• 8 integrated speakers and subwoofer
• Detachable Bluetooth keyboard and mouse
• Remote control
• Dual DVI out
• Portfolio design with integrated carry handle
• Dimensions
  • Width: 18.85"
  • Height: 2.90"
  • Depth: 15.90"
• Weight (lbs): 18.3

I currently run it with 1.5GB RAM, but have a 2GB stick on order and due to arrive any day. I also replaced the HD with my own Hitachi Travelstar 7k100 100gb 7200rpm drive.  Everything else remains the same.

Dell XPS M2010

Reasons for Buying

Having recently graduated from college, I figured I don’t need a laptop computer anymore to carry back and forth from home and school, I never really did use it in classes anyway. Still, the idea of a million wires sticking out the back of a desktop and the reliance on a power outlet wasn’t terribly appealing. The XPS M2010 struck the perfect balance; a full sized computer that could have one wire coming out the back (power), and was an all in one solution (large screen for everyday usage).

Where and How Purchased

I bought my XPS M2010 from Dell Outlet. It came with a 3-year next day at home service warranty,

Build & Design

The Dell XPS M2010 i

This is easily one of the most stunning computers you will find, and the comments I’ve gotten from it range from “WOW” to slightly more expressive expletives of shock and envy. The build is very solid. The hinge allows a great deal of freedom for the monitor -- the hinge is very stiff and does not wobble. The top and bottom of the system feel like faux leather, while the handle feels and looks like real leather. The Dell Logo on the system top glows blue, and pulses while in standby. The blue LEDs on the computer’s main console are incredibly bright (a bit annoyingly so), but nice looking anyway.

The LED lights are very bright

Screen

A look at the XPS M2010

The screen on the XPS M2010 is absolutely stunning for a “laptop” computer, though I would expect no less. It’s brightness is very high, with excellent side to side and decent vertical viewing angles. It falls a bit short of my Dell 1907FP, though not by much. I tilt the screen a little bit downwards, as for some reason, the bottom washes out far less, or not at all, compared to the top of the screen.

The XPS M2010 has good viewing angles

All in all, there is absolutely nothing out in the notebook segment that could compare. I’ve had 17-inch, 15.4-inch, 14.1-inch, and 12.1-inch notebooks with various respective screens, and this puts them all to shame. I would say from my previous laptop screen experiences, the 12.1 Dell Inspiron 700M ranks the highest, while the 14.1-inch Asus A8jp and 17-inch XPS Gen2 rank the lowest in terms of clarity, contrast, and viewing angles.

(view large image)

Speakers

The speakers are amazing, though they will not compete favorably with a good pair of subwoofer powered 2.1s. The highs and mids are extremely clear, while the bass is more punchy than booming. Having had a great number of speakers and headphones, this computer’s sound is better than the Altec Lansing XT2, a bit worse than the Logitech V20s, and worse than my Dell 2.1s and the Logitech Z-10s. What this  means is that you really don’t need separate speakers, as these are adequate for most listening experiences, but by no means excellent or passable to an audiophile.

Processor and Performance

Performance under Windows Vista in general is not much different than what I’ve previously encountered under similarly configured systems (Asus A8jp w/ T7200 and Dell E1505 w/ T7200, 2GB RAM). Vista’s Aero however seems smoother due to the much faster X1800 graphics card being present. In terms of gaming prowess, I would not suggest this system, though it is capable of running all games adequately, but by no means with eye candy turned up or even native resolution. I wouldn’t even consider Windows Vista at this point if you are a gamer, as the benchmarks I ran show (below), the X1800 performs pretty miserably. The T7200 is plenty fast for all other applications though, ranging from HD-TV (via Hauppauge HVR-950) to every day multitasking. I would not even install Vista without at least 1.5gb of RAM though. I currently also have a (Sandisk Extreme III) 2gb SD card in the computer for Vista’s Readyboost feature, which does make the system more snappy and responsive.

Benchmarks

Super PI is used to test CPU performance by calculating pi to 2 million digits of accuracy.

Super Pi Comparison Results