Buzz
1. Overall Design of Dell XPS L702x
Although the appearance of this Dell XPS 17 L720x compared to current models may not be outstanding, it still boasts durability with its aluminum shell and sturdy finish. The lines on the laptop are not sharp and rigid like the Alienware series; instead, they are soft with rounded corners, along with 4 curved corners on the screen.
Especially, the battery of the machine is a specially designed 9-cell type with a substantial thickness. When placed down, it replaces the stand to create a spacious gap for better heat dissipation, and the bottom speakers produce better sound quality.
The machine does not have too many connection ports on the two sides; most are arranged at the back for convenient cable management. On the left side, there is only one USB 2.0 port, while on the right side, there are two audio ports (including 1 SPDIF-supported port) and an eSATA port for connecting external hard drives. Additionally, the right side also has a Blu-ray drive capable of recording DVDs.
On the back side, the machine features a Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, LAN port, charging port, and two USB 3.0 ports. Weighing 3.53kg with a thickness of 38.5mm, this device is more suitable for stationary use, less convenient for daily portability.
2. Display and Visual Quality
The Dell XPS 17 L702x boasts a 17.3-inch screen with Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, delivering sharp and vivid images. However, the build quality is not impeccable; it tends to shake with movements and can even bend. Yet, this becomes a noticeable issue only in crowded environments; at home, it's not much of a concern.
This screen also comes equipped with 3D technology, but to utilize it, users need a specialized kit, which is currently unavailable in the market. Hence, we can overlook this aspect for now.
Utilizing a TFT LCD panel, the machine offers a wide viewing angle. The display quality remains consistent when viewed from the top, with a slight dimming only when viewed from below. However, from both sides, the level of detail and clarity in images remains intact, with only a slight distortion in colors. Overall, it is a display that performs well, suitable for the academic and entertainment needs of students.
3. Keyboard – Touchpad – Speakers
The chiclet full-size keyboard is backlit for convenient usage in low-light conditions. Keycaps are slightly concave, providing a comfortable and smooth typing experience.
Beneath the keyboard lies a spacious touchpad with a smooth surface, easy to use. The left/right mouse buttons are well-spaced and sensitive, offering a very comfortable clicking experience. The slightly recessed touchpad and buttons help prevent accidental touches while typing.
The speaker system of the Dell XPS 17 3D, in collaboration with JBL, includes 2 5W treble speakers in the palm rest area and a 12W subwoofer on the bottom. Overall, the audio quality produced by Dell XPS 17 3D is excellent, with loud volume, clear sound, powerful bass, and warmth. The bass of Dell XPS L702x not only enhances but can truly replace typical 2.1 speaker systems in the market. Combined with the two treble speakers on the top, users will have a perfect entertainment experience with this Dell XPS laptop without needing external speakers.
4. Hardware and Performance of Dell XPS L702x
Dell XPS L702x uses 2nd generation Intel CPUs; currently configured with Core i7-2630QM (turbo 2.9GHz), Core i7-2670QM (turbo 3.10GHz), or Core i7-2720QM (3.50GHz). Compared to current chip generations, all three of these chips lag significantly in performance, processing speed, and power-saving technology. Nevertheless, they still offer a fast and smooth user experience for light tasks like web browsing, document viewing, and text typing.
Although the laptop features a dedicated graphics card, the Nvidia GeForce GT 550M 1GB, or even the GT 555M 3GB, they belong to the lower-end card category and struggle with heavy graphic tasks. Real-world tests with popular games at 1080p resolution yield FPS around 12–20, causing noticeable lag and difficulty in gameplay. Lowering the screen resolution to 1366 x 768 or 1280 x 720 improves gaming performance, achieving around 30–60 FPS depending on the game and settings, providing a satisfactory gaming experience.
Essentially, this is a 12-year-old used laptop, so expecting exceptional hardware performance would be unrealistic. It's suitable for basic needs like studying, watching movies, listening to entertainment music, and playing some light online games only. This aligns perfectly with the requirements of the majority of students.
Regarding RAM and SSD, most sellers have equipped the machine with a minimum of 8GB RAM and 120GB SSD for better multitasking, faster startup, and data extraction.
Since this laptop isn't meant to be highly portable, battery life isn't crucial. Regardless, you'd likely keep it plugged in most of the time. However, if unplugged, the 9-cell battery can last around 2 hours for basic tasks and about 1 hour for gaming.
Conclusion
At this point, the overall view of Dell XPS L702x is not an overly optimal choice in terms of performance, considering other used laptops offer better performance, catering to a wider range of uses. Priced around 7 million VND, this machine can only meet basic usage needs for studying, office software, and occasional light gaming entertainment.
Its most evident advantage lies in outstanding media entertainment capabilities with a large high-resolution screen combined with the top-notch JBL speaker system. For those who enjoy binge-watching after a day of work or study, this feature of the Dell XPS 17 L702x could become quite appealing to them.
