Monday, June 14, 2010

Dell Inspiron 1764 Laptop Review

Dell's 17.3in 1764 is the first laptop we've seen to use Intel's new mobile Core i5 processor. The 2.26GHz Core-5-430M might only seem a little bit quicker than the 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processors commonly used in laptops at this price, but it's got a trick up its sleeve: Turbo Boost.

This allows the processor to up its clock speed to 2.53GHz when under load to power through tough computing jobs. This processor, combined with the 4GB of RAM, managed an impressive overall score of 83 in our benchmarks: we've rarely seen faster laptops and certainly not at this price. With so much power, the Dell Inspiron 1764 battery should be able to handle any job. Multimedia applications, such as video encoding, will be quick on this laptop

Turbo Boost also means that the processor requires less power in standard mode, so battery life can be helped. That said, this monster only managed to last for two hours 41 minutes in our battery tests. It's enough for occasional use around the home, but we've seen similarly-sized laptops last for longer.

Now with the Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop you don't have many options when it comes to the kind of design. Basically you only have one color at this point which is the blue color. You have other design options when you order the Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop from the Dell website itself. You have the option of picking from approximately 200 designs. Now this might be a great thing for many people who like to have their laptop looking in a unique way. For example similar laptop in the same category such as the HP Pavilion dm3 series battery and the Acer Aspire AS8940 only have one design no matter where you decide to purchase the product from.

The way its built it great. I bought the top line, the only thing I didnt get was the blue-ray drive. The i5 processor is fast making things easy and quick. the graphics at 1 Gb is perfect. I bought the 9cell battery making the computer about 1-2 inch higher at the back which means the laptop can breath and keep it from getting to hot. The mouse I have had no problem with. The fact about were Dell placed the mouse pad is no different then were all the companies put then they are all in the same place. The key board does not make any more sound then any other key board. Sound is fine the fact that the speakers are yes at the bottom and I guess if you have the 6cell battery it may mute the sound a bit. Over all I feel that you get what you pay for. If you want something great pay the extra.

The system began to malfunction shortly after I installed basic security and office software. It would not connect to my HP printer. There were local network and driver errors, along with frequent hangs, bluescreen crashes and other problems. Dell tech support blamed me for "corrupting" their operating system and said I would have to pay extra for software service, since their "limited" warranty covers only hardware. I restored the machine to factory settings, only to see the problems reappear. Despite my extensive experience as a computer professional, I was unable to fix the software problems. Internet research showed I was not alone.

Product Spec:
  • Type: General Purpose, Media, Value
  • Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Processor Name: Intel Core i5 M430
  • Processor Speed: 2.27 GHz
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Weight: 6.2 lb
  • Screen Size: 17.3 inches
  • Screen Size Type: widescreen
  • Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
  • Storage Capacity: 320 GB
  • Networking Options: 802.11n
  • Primary Optical Drive: External

We won't go through all the potential permutations here, but it's worth pointing out that you can get discrete graphics (from a choice of two ATI cards) and up to a 500GB hard drive. These options, however, are only available as broadly defined upgrade packages - you can't tailor the machine to your exacting requirements like the company's more expensive models.

Most models, including the version sold by PC World and other e-tailers, feature Wireless-G Wi-Fi. N Wi-Fi is only available on the most expensive base-spec, as is Bluetooth and a Blu-ray drive. Not that you'd really want the latter given the only display option is the standard 1,600 x 900 resolution, LED backlit effort. It's a good resolution for normal users after a large, readable display, but it's not ideal for Full HD video content.

There's life in colossal media centers after all, as consumers aren't ready to give up precious screen real estate, even as they are ready to toss away their clunky desktops. The Inspiron 1764 battery has all the components that'll ease your transition from a desktop to a laptop, except if you're a gamer. With its Core i5 processor and ample screen real estate, the Dell Inspiron 1764-5595IBU offers an easy transition from desktop to laptop, but gamers will need a better graphics card.

Of greater concern, although not related to performance per se, is that the Inspiron is a comparatively noisy machine - particularly for a big laptop. It's not necessarily that its fan spins up more than other laptops, though it wouldn't surprise us were that the case. It's more that it spins very fast and conspicuously, particularly when the system is called upon to do taxing tasks. We wonder whether this is a result of the slim chassis making cooling less efficient, but whatever the cause it's quite annoying.
This is no reflection on the overall build quality, however, our impression of which is generally positive. Keyboard aside, which we've already covered, this is a very well screwed together system with a strong, smooth hinge action on the screen. There are also quick access hardware panels, making this an easy system to upgrade should you need.

The Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop features the Intel® Core® i3-330M processor and comes preloaded with Microsoft's Windows® 7 Home Premium. The 500GB hard drive has plenty of space for your favourite multimedia files, and the Inspiron 1764 uses 4GB of RAM to keep all your applications running smoothly, even when you're multi-tasking! This Dell Inspiron 1764 notebook has a 17.3" high-gloss, high contrast, anti-reflective widescreen TrueLife TFT display.

Equipped with a powerful 2.26GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a whopping 4GB memory, Dell Inspiron 1764 laptop is much quicker than the processors we see in ordinary machines. Best for running memory-intensive applications and multimedia programs like video/audio coding, graphics work, the Dell 1764 battery is a fast, reliable and powerful laptop. A unique feature of the processor is the Turbo Boost technology which can automatically enhance the speed of the processor from 2.26GHz up to 2.53GHz whenever the system needs extra power. The Turbo Boost also helps the system to save power whilst in standard mode and ultimately increases the battery hours.

No comments:

Post a Comment