Roundup: 8 Laptops : Dell Studio 17
4. Dell Studio 17
Screen
While the 1440x900 pixel 17'' screen is glossy, it's not as bad as similar screens we've seen elsewhere. It's not matte, certainly, but the reflections are a lot more under control than they often are, which was pleasing.
Afterglow is low enough to allow for advanced gameplay, although the other components aren't necessarily up to satisfying the most demanding gamers.
The screen has a good viewing angle from side to side, but as with most laptops, the image soon darkens when viewed from above or below.
We measured the screen's maximum brightness at 330 cd/m², which is great if you plan to be using it outside, but, inside, we got better results turning it down six notches to 200 cd/m². The blacks are better than on most laptops, getting down to 0.24 cd/m² with a white at 161 cd/m². This gives a contrast score of 670:1.
First released last summer, the Dell Studio 17 is a laptop that you can personalize right down to the keyboard.
The base price is reasonable, but adding options quickly cranks up the price. The version that Dell sent us to test for about USD $1,000 at the moment. The options that you can choose from don't just include what's inside--you can also choose the color of the case as well. It seems that Dell are trying to inject a little bit of fun into what has been the black and grey world of laptop design.
Handling
The case is weighty and feels solid. There is a full keyboard, including a numeric section on the right hand side, and all of the other keys are where you'd expect them on a regular keyboard: nothing has been moved to accommodate the laptop form factor, unusually.
The funky backlit multimedia keys which control simple functions like play/pause and volume settings are now in between the keyboard and the speakers, just below the screen.
Compared to the rest of the computer, the touchpad seems quite small, but is clearly marked out by being the only patch of matte against the glossy case. The mouse buttons are both very quiet.
One of the many options that Dell allows you to include is a digital fingerprint reader to control access to your laptop, and this is just below the keyboard on the right hand side if you decide to add it.
The ports included around the edges of the laptop are many and varied and this is definitely a machine that offers great connectivity. Included are 5 USB ports, mini FireWire, Ethernet, HDMI, VGA and 3 mini jack ports.
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| 3 of the 5 USBs and RJ45 | VGA, HDMI |
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| Optional digital fingerprint reader | 3 mini jacks |
The built-in microphone is great, as is the webcam, but the speakers are a little disappointing.
Scores
The Windows Experience Index for the Dell Studio 17'' is 5.0 out of a possible 5.9.
Its subscores are 5.3 for the CPU, 5.1 for RAM, 5.8 for Aero graphics, 5.0 for gaming graphics and 5.2 for the hard disk.
Comparing this computer to our current references in its class, it produces results which range from average to very good.
This strong performance means that it can easily be used for a whole range of functions, and this computer should have no problem with office applications, watching and editing video or using photo retouching tools.
Even HD videos are fine, although they're better once the ATI hardware acceleration is activated, meaning that processor usage is very low (only 5-20%), allowing for good energy efficiency.
One disappointment is that the card reader is not very fast.
Gaming
The graphics card and screen resolution are identical to those found on the Asus M51VA.
Although the Asus model has a smaller screen at 15'' than this Dell's 17'' offering, the same high resolution is available on both: 1440 x 900 pixels. Playing the most recent games is definitely possible on this larger screen, but you'll need to configure the graphics card correctly.
Portability and Battery Life
Including a 17'' screen obviously brings its downsides: this is a laptop that weighs in at over 7.5 pounds, including the battery, and is fairly bulky too.
The battery life of just over two hours (we managed to watch a film for 124 minutes before the laptop switched itself to standby) is acceptable but hardly impressive.
Having said that, given how heavy it is, you're probably going to think twice before carting it around with you on a regular basis.
| Dell Studio 17 | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
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The advantage of the Studio 17 - and, in fact, of Dell's computers in general - is that they are highly customizable, avoiding features you don't need and adding the ones you do. The model we tested was great, with a plethora of ports and was certainly speedy enough to satisfy the majority of users.
Could put up a list of hardware for comparison, for ease of user to compare those product not by points but by hardware parts.
High points does not mean high expectation in other user eyes.
Otherwise would like to see more laptops comparison next time (HP, Acer, etc.)
I read in a local magazine that the Dell XPS 13 would run very hot during normal usage, especially on the "leather" part.
Is that something you noticed?
I'm allergic to fan noise. That it is quiet is for me by far the most important parameter, but it's rarely discussed. Does anyone know if the Dell Studio 17 is completely quiet under normal usage, such as word processing, surfing the internet or watching mp4 movies.
I don't really dig the 5 star system. It always seems like not all the hardware is compared equally as there never seems to be any direct comparison between one model to the other. I think all models should be weighed by features, performance and price point.
I don't really dig the 5 star system. It always seems like not all the hardware is compared equally as there never seems to be any direct comparison between one model to the other. I think all models should be weighed by features, performance and price point.
Hi Warezme--
These products aren't "directly" compared to each other. That's because each one hit the market at a different time. We couldn't compare the performance of a laptop that came out in May to one that came out in July. Each product's review was written at the time that laptop was received by us.
Thanks,
Rachel Rosmarin
Editor, Tom's Guide
That's an old Macbook Pro, what about the new one with the SD card & without the expresscard slot.
-ND
I would never buy those piece of garbage lenovo's
Worst ever laptop review, each page didn't even clearly describe spec such as cpu, chipset, HD, battery size... only subjective rating. Pathetic!
Yeah full specs should always be listed, especially when the laptops weren’t even compared head to head.
Take a look at the Dell 17 inch Studio, it seems one of the major critiques is the battery life. But when ordering that laptop you have several different CPU’s to choose from (CPU’s that differ not only in speed but also in power consumption) so depending on what the review sample was equipped with it could either spell doom for certain configurations or be less of an issue with others.
WTF no alienware!!!!!!!!
I can't believe you didn't list battery life and heat output.
I can't believe you didn't list battery life and heat output.
I need edit button.
The big Acer Aspire 18.4" would of been a good review to add.
I also would of liked a hardware comparison table with screen size, options, and comparative price.
I've got one of those MBPs. I used it today at a conference and my battery lasted for a good 5 hours. Of course, the newer MBP with SD slot is meant to be even better. As for the glossy screen, seriously, I don't see a problem with it. People complain about glare in glossy screens but, in my experience, the glare from a light source behind you is far easier to deal with than the washed out effect that a matte display has. The colours are also truly superb.
Strange there aren't any HP laptops. Or, for that matter, any Gateway, Acer or Sony laptops, considering these companies put together make up around 40% percent of the market.
I also find it strange that more advanced benchmarks were not used, considering the suite other parts go through here.
1) No specs, wtf?
2) No pricing, ehhh... (i.e. that 15" macbook costs $2000... definitely would raise a red flag for most people)
3) Some laptops are in completely different categories (gaming, portability etc.)