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- Date:
- Monday , April 18, 2005
- Author:
- Brent Justice
- Google +1
Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 with GeForce Go 6800 Ultra
Mobile gaming has never looked so good. Read inside to see what Dell is bringing to the table with the new Inspiron XPS Gen 2 using the new NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra GPU. Could this be the best gaming notebook ever?
Introduction:
One of the most popular lines of Desktop Replacement notebooks are Dell’s Inspiron XPS notebooks. We took a look last summer at the Dell Inspiron XPS notebook. We found that Dell did a wonderful job of integrating fast desktop-like components into a mobile space. Basically, the Dell Inspiron XPS utilized a desktop Pentium 4 CPU with an Intel 865PE chipset. The Dell Inspiron XPS had the option of either a 128MB ATI Mobility RADEON 9700 or a 256MB ATI Mobility RADEON 9800.
We weren’t kidding when we said that the first generation Inspiron XPS was considered a desktop replacement. This was not the laptop for you if you did a bunch of traveling on a plane or needed ease of mobility on the road. It did however have the fastest gaming performance for a notebook at the time.
Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2:
Well, here we are almost a year later and Dell has introduced a brand new Desktop Replacement notebook dubbed the Inspiron XPS Gen 2. The new Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 has been completely re-designed inside and out with an aesthetically appealing style.
One major re-design of the Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 is that it is actually thinner and lighter than the previous model. The original Dell Inspiron XPS weighed approximately 9.06 lbs, measured 14.1 inches wide and 10.8 inches in deep, and was 2 inch high. The new Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 now weighs approximately 8.6 lbs, and has a height of 1.67 inches. The width and depth, however, have increased to 15.5 inches wide and 11.3 inches deep. Even the AC Adapter is lighter with the Inspiron XPS Gen 2.
Among the design changes is a new stylish exterior. The Dell Inspiron XPS had a very professional and functional design with no flare. The new Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 has a much more ‘fun’ feeling to it while still keeping a professional look. There are also green lights behind the grills on this laptop that light up while the machine is booting up adding that extra touch of uniqueness. The lid has a brushed metal appearance and the overall design is very sleek and aerodynamic.
Another major design change was the move to Intel’s Pentium M (Dothan) processor. You can select from either an Intel Pentium M 760 (2GHz, 2MB Cache, 533MHz FSB) or an Intel Pentium M 770 (2.13GHz, 2MB Cache, 533MHz FSB) CPU riding on the Intel 915PM chipset. This means the notebook supports PCI-Express and you can select from 512MB up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM. While the CPU is quite a bit slower, in terms of raw clock cycles, than the desktop Pentium 4 at 3.4GHz in the Dell Inspiron XPS "Gen 1", you will find that, for gaming, it works out just fine. Check out our DFI motherboard review here that used a Dothan CPU and keep in mind that this CPU architecture is the future of Intel’s CPUs.
To that end, Dell has chosen to use NVIDIA’s GeForce Go 6800 series mobile graphics chipset. This is a major design win for NVIDIA seeing as how the previous Dell Inspiron XPS used ATI’s MOBILITY graphic chipset.
The new Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2 also has a bigger Wide-Aspect screen at 17”. The 17” screen supports a WUXGA resolution of 1920x1200 with Dell’s TrueLife technology, which provides higher contrast ratios.
On the back, you will find both a DVI and VGA connector, as well as S-Video. There is an IEEE-1394 FireWire port; 6-USB 2.0 ports; an RJ-11 modem port; an RJ-45 Ethernet port, an IrDA port; and audio jacks. There is a standard 24x CD/Burner/DVD combo drive or you can opt to select an optional 8x CD/DVD Burner.