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Feel the power
- 17.0″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflecitve 500-Nit Display
- 11th Generation Intel Core i7-11800H (24MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz, 8 cores) Processor
- NVIDIA RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 Graphics
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz memory and 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
edward ozment –
Nice
RC Roeder –
After my Asus was stolen in November, I needed to get a new computer. I selected this one. When it arrived i updated to add a secondary 1tb drive. This has been a work horse, I am driving four other monotors 2 (2560×1440) and 2 (1920×1200) as well as the main 3840×2400. if you are going to use it for photoshopping i suggest a second monitor taht you can calibrate since the main monitor runs a bit hot in color
Phil –
I use this XPS 17″ studio/creator laptop mostly for AutoCAD, some Photoshop and other everyday Office/web use. The i9 processor, nvidia 3060 graphics, 32GB memory and 1TB SSD are all super fast, brings up huge assemblies/files fast and renders plenty fast… much faster than my XPS 15″ that it replaced. This 17″ UHD+ screen has lots of pixels and everything on the screen looks crisp. I have it connected to an external 28″ 4K monitor and it’s great too. The laptop’s dimensions/size and weight are acceptable/great for a mobile powerhouse with touchscreen. I got it here cheaper on Thanksgiving holiday sale and with lots of cashback 🙂
R. C. –
I bought it for my daughter to use at her university! It work as intended at the time.
JuzPatti –
I work outside the home and am constantly remoting into work. I am also an amateur photographer who is always editing and touching up photos. my previous cheaper laptops couldn’t keep up with working on so many projects at once and would end up freezing on me. I hesitated about spending so much on a laptop. The reviews all seemed to be from teckie reviewers who elaborated on internal workings that quite frankly went over my head … i began doing a lot of research and kept coming back to this one. When my cheaper laptop froze and I lost several pictures I decided to step up and purchase this model. From the moment I took it out of the box, I was in love with it. It came on instantly and the large end to end screen is phenomenal. I always buy a 17″ and this laptop is the same size as my girlfriend’s 15 inch which means there are more laptop purses it will fit into! Not having the keypad on the side has taken some time to get used to, however, i will take the smaller overall size, along with being able to maintain a 17″ screen any day. If you are debating on purchasing this laptop, don’t … you won’t be sorry!
Matt B –
Dell XPS 17 9710, 17 inch UHD+ Touchscreen Laptop – Intel Core i7-11800H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Pro – Platinum Silver (Latest Model)The laptop arrives in an understated black cardboard box. The only thing on the outside of the box is the Dell logo and the spec list of the laptop. Opening the box, right inside the first flap is a sticker advising you that if you need any help with setup to visit Dell support.Inside the plain cardboard box is a much fancier box! This is a presentation worthy box that is in a dull gloss black finish and has the Dell logo in the middle. The opening flap is a magnetic clasp, and when you open the lid embossed in the middle of the top of the lid are the letters XPS, pressed in stylish silver text. Right on top, is the XPS laptop itself, its brilliant silver case exterior enclosed in a plastic cell stain envelope to keep everything nice and pretty and shipping. Picking the laptop out of the box and removing the cellophane, the laptop has some weight to it. Physically, it weighs a little over five pounds, but it just feels weighty in your hand. The very base of the laptop is molded plastic with rubber feet, but the top is a brushed metal, stainless steel? In the box, underneath where the laptop was stored is the accessories that come with this, It has the USB-C power supply and it’s attending AC cord, a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and a classy folded black envelope containing simple instructions for where all the switches and pickups are on the laptop, the warranty and safety information, and the governmental regulator regulatory information sheet.As much as I want to dive right in and play with the new laptop, I’m going to plug it in to charge first, as they rarely come with a full charge. I’m certain that once I fire it up, there will be updates in such to run. No matter how brand spanking new a computer is, there will always be updates that have come out since it was manufactured.This laptop is equipped with four USB-C ports, two on each side, and any of the four will allow you to charge the unit. When you plug the power supply into your wall socket, the USB-C power and that goes into the laptop has a small glowing white LED light that shows you it has power.Turning the computer on for the first time, there is no obvious power button. The power button and the fingerprint reader are one and the same, the key in the extreme upper right-hand corner of the board. There’s no writing on it because the key is the fingerprint reader. I’m guessing you can’t put any writing on it or else it will interfere with the reading. The computer started up in the middle of setting up windows for the first time. It seemed strange to me the first couple of times I saw this on a new laptop, but it appears that’s the way all of them start. That way you’re getting a fresh install of a nice clean windows copy.My first impression, typing on the keyboard to put in the information to set up windows, is that the keystrokes seem sure and while they don’t have an audible click, it does have a definite feel to it when you have struck the key. The backlighting on the keys is bright enough to see them easily in dim lighting. Installation goes pretty fast on this machine, to me that is a preview of how well it’ll perform later. On a side note, setting up windows using your Microsoft profile greatly speeds setup time and security. Microsoft has a Windows authenticator app that you can install on your phone to verify that it is you that is setting up the machine. I use this myself because it’s one less complicated password I need to remember.For logging on to this laptop, you have multiple choices. You can use Windows Hello, which reads your face, or you can use your fingerprint. I’m setting it up with Windows hello for the moment and will add my fingerprint later. You can also connect your smartphone to the computer, so you won’t miss any messages or texts – when activated any texts you get will show up as a pop-up.This laptop also comes with a free trial of Microsoft 365, but only a month – so to be honest, I’m not going to mess with it.McAfee antivirus is also bundled with this laptop, but I’m choosing not to activate it at this time, and rely on Windows defender. I have felt in the past, that McAfee was very intrusive, and on some of my older PCs, actually slowed them down. I’m sure it wouldn’t slow down this powerhouse, but I don’t care for their interface anyway so I’m not turning it on at this time. If I change my mind, I can always activate it later.The final setup bits of programming went by very fast with this machine, I would have to say that full setup starting from first turning it on to being completely logged in and seeing the desktop was around 20 minutes, give or take. This time included me looking over the laptop and discovering all the physical features as well.Once you start using the laptop and opening programs, my Dell will automatically launch and prompt you to set up the warranty activation and expedited diagnostics that are included with the package. It also includes critical product updates when needed.Once you register the unit, it takes you to the My Dell app that gives you all kinds of details about your machine. Checks your warranty status, gives you system details and access to device manuals as well as adjusting settings. You can also integrate Alexa with this as well should you desire.After I set up a PC or laptop, one of the first things I do is check for updates. Since Dell has a lot of consumer-friendly programs preloaded on this, I’m going to try their Dell update and see what it shows in need of upgrades. It did indeed find several updates, including critical updates, security updates, component hardware updates, and indeed an update to the ” Dell update ” program itself.Doing all of the initial updates may take a while, so don’t be surprised if it does. Once the Dell update program finishes, you’ll want to restart your laptop and then run it again. Then repeat, until it says there are no more updates. On one of my update cycles, there was a warning to connect power and do not disconnect it while the update was in process because it was updating the firmware as well. So, evidently, the Dell update program will also update the BIOS automatically. That’s a pretty good feature because updating the BIOS manually can be pretty difficult if you don’t do it precisely correctly. The firmware updates take a while because it seems that it’s updating multiple components in the system. During all these updates, it took a while for it to get hat enough to need the fans to run, but once they kicked in, they were pretty quiet.So far, this laptop is a dream to use. It’s quick, stylish, and runs cool. If I run into any problems with this, I will update this review as needed.
Pam Walker –
I like everything about the laptop from screen quality to performance. Nothing not to like.
ElectrosoftElectrosoft –
Arriving inside a classic Dell box (we all know the look), inside is a very elegant presentation in a nice black box that is magnatized and opens up to reveal the Dell XPS 9710. Inside, you get the laptop, USB-C power adapter, power cord and a neat little Dell branded dongle along with some instructions. Minimalist in the best way.Once you take an initial look at this beautiful laptop, you quickly realize this is clearly Dell’s answer to Apple’s 16″ Macbook Pro in the BEST way possible.It has a very high build quality. The backlit keyboard, which eschews the number pad, is perfectly centered with decent speakers on each side. Like Apple, the trackpad is extremely oversized and responds to both taps and clicks along with various gestures. The display is 3840×2400 vs the standard 3840×2160 to even match the Mac’s 16:10 ratio versus others 16:9. It even mimics the dual thunderbolt ports on each side and is powered by a compact(ish) USB-C power brick. Dell includes an adorable little dongle that has a single USB-A port and HDMI out, but of course the beauty of standard Thunderbolt ports is you can dongle your way to just about any type of connectivity you desire.Weighing in at ~5lbs 7oz, it is deceptively solid and depending on what you’re used to using, it will feel slightly heavier or lighter. I normally use large laptops that use desktop processors or massive gaming laptops so I’m used to heaving around 11lb+ units with 3-4lb power supplies so this solidly built laptop feels relatively light. On the other hand, I have a few 15.6″ and 14″ Acers that are well under 5lbs, so compared to those it feels a touch heavy. Still, with everything included weighing a total of 6lbs 7oz, it is very manageable to move around and use.Powered by an Intel i7-11800h 11th gen 10nm processor, this is the optimal selection for this laptop. Do not feel any buyer’s remorse for skipping the i9-11900h or i9-11980hk as all three (i7-11800h, i9-11900k and i9-11980hk) are 8 core, 16 thread CPUs and thermal constraints will effectively make them all equal in system performance as they each run up against the inherent system power and thermal limits even with the advanced vapor chamber cooling Dell has implemented. Save yourself a very large chunk of money and pick the i7-11800h as it will perform effectively the same as the other two, pricier options.The 512GB M.2 NVMe is very speedy with another M.2 bay open and powered by dual channel 3200 16GB (2x8GB) memory, you are good to go right out of the box for your Windows 10 Pro needs. Luckily, the memory and storage are fully upgradeable so you can adjust it to your requirements. For those of you who are wondering what type of memory density ships with the XPS 9710, unfortunately it is the inferior 1Rx16 and not the superior 1Rx8 so if you want to carve out a little bit more performance from your system you can swap to 1Rx8 at your discretion.First time starting up you’re met with all the standard setup options to get you up and running. This is a great and easy way to auto register your system with Dell for their award winning warranty service. The first thing you will want to do is a full Windows Update as the sheer amount of updates is massive including a large array of BIOS and FIRMWARE updates that will fix a few fan issues among other things. Dell works closely with Microsoft and Intel and it shows as the bulk of the drivers, even specialized ones, are immediately available for update and install making keeping your system up to date very easy.Depending on what you’re using, performance is a mixed bag as the fans are slow to respond and the unit will thermal throttle quickly because the fans take to long to respond. Testing with Cinebench 23, it is a race between getting the cooling up to full speed before the system throttles down permanently to its stock 45w rating. The CPU will initially even want to pull 90w+. Elevating the rear of the unit helps greatly to keep the throttle down to 45w from happening but it will still eventually settle in around 75w and continually bounce off the thermal limits routinely hitting 100 and throttling down. I was able to achieve a max score of 12600 multi and 1522 single which is just amazing for such a light, thin laptop. Even single threaded tests had individual cores hitting in the 90’s which is concerning but it did not thermal throttle on single threaded tests so that is a plus. The fans are definitely there when under load but I’ve heard much louder from much lesser systems. Via the BIOS or Dell software, you can pick custom profiles to adjust for cool, quiet or ultra performance. But keeping everything in perspective, the overall performance was great and more than acceptable.The 3840×2400 16:10 display is absolutely gorgeous….jaw dropping so and you can see it is the centerpiece of this high end laptop. 17.3″ with insanely bright ratings for a laptop panel (500 nit) and Dolby Vision HDR support along with full 100% sRGB and 100% Adobe coverage, it is a joy to view. Minimal back light bleed and zero bad pixels was the icing on the display cake for my unit. Colors are amazing and it is very responsive for desktop use. It absolutely trounces all my current and previous laptop panels and most of my desktop panels. If you are looking for a top notch screen, this is it.I found the keyboard to be more than passable and the backlit functionality is great with a very classic Dell look. The very spacious track pad is great. Solid to the touch and very responsive. I had no problems whipping all around the screen and using a few gestures for added functionality. Tapping and solid clicks both worked great. If you happen to end up with a bad touch pad as some have reported, reach out to Dell’s warranty services and they will take care of it. Having used Dell Warranty Services numerous times over the past 10-15 years, their service and support is top notch.The Nvidia RTX 3050 4GB video at first glance is an odd choice. It is woefully under powered to drive the native resolution of 3840×2400 for gaming (Even desktop 3090’s are pushed to the max supporting 4k) unless you really dial down the settings. If you opt to run games at 1920×1200 (1:2 ratio), they run much better with a decent level of eye candy on. The panel is only 60hz but that makes sense with this level of GPU option. Basically, it is good enough that if you want to get some gaming done you definitely can but compromises and sacrifices will need to be made to achieve decent frame rates to keep it at or around 60fps depending on your games played. It scored ~9000 in Superposition which is right in line with other 3050 scores and the 3050 itself runs nice and cool. There are other models with a 3060, but in the end this is not a “gaming laptop” but an elegant productivity laptop that can also game if desired….you know….like the Macbook Pros.The webcam could be better but it gets the job done. This seems to be the issue with most laptops even to this day. It is more than passable but like just about every other laptop out there, if you require much better audio and visual clarity, you will need to purchase an external solution.Wireless is powered by Killer’s 1650 and is fast and speedy and adheres to new WiFi 6e standards which is a plus.Battery life is great. I tend to use my laptops plugged in a large amount of the time but when I needed to use it moving around for various tasks, the battery didn’t even get to 25% during the day which was wonderful. I’m sure you can find plenty of “run time” tests out on the Interwebs, but for my use it works great. I would suggest turning off ultra performance and moving to a balanced or battery conservative selection for your power plan.Overall, I am very pleased with the XPS 9710. I LOVE the screen. It really is the star of the show hands down. The backlit keyboard is great. The track pad is massive and great to use. Performance is more than adequate and the i7-11800h paired with 16gb of dual channel 3200 memory and a very speed 512GB drive is the perfect sweet spot while keeping costs reasonable for this caliber of laptop. The 3050 will allow you to get some gaming in while having access to Nvidia’s full array of 3000 series perks and the 4x Thunderbolt ports really let you dongle your system “your way.” It is the perfect blend of a full size 17.3″ laptop with a decent weight profile, performance and good battery life to not only become your next laptop but also your only computer you will possibly need.I like it so much that this will be replacing my Acers and former Clevo as my new daily driver and main laptop it is just that good.5/5
David P. Holt –
8 physical cores, 16 logical cores, 32g ram, and 1TB hard drive on a fiber optic network. What’s not to like.
PacMan –
Very fast.. just downloaded the free Windows upgrade. Had for a couple weeks now and im very happy with it