Dell XPS 17 9730 review

Dell XPS 17 9730 i9-13900H test

The 2023 XPS 17 9730 is the fourth iteration of the model, whose original was the 2020 XPS 17 9700. The laptop underwent an internal upgrade, receiving the latest 13th-generation Intel Raptor Lake-H processors and Nvidia Ada Lovelace graphics chips. As for the design, no major external changes have been made.

The configuration I tested was the most powerful version, equipped with a Core i9-13900H processor, GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card and a matte screen with FHD resolution. The price of this configuration was, at 2023 on the day of release, PLN 20,000. The hardware is also available in other variants, including RTX 4050, RTX 4060, RTX 4070, Core i7 processor and glossy UHD display - 2400p. Interestingly, this time all available versions of this model are equipped with separate graphics chips. It represents a change from earlier editions of the XPS 17, which offered cheaper options of integrated UHD or Iris Xe graphics.

Masterful design and execution

The Dell XPS 17 9730 exemplifies perfection in laptop design. It combines top-notch materials with precision craftsmanship to give the device an elegant feel.

The XPS 17's chassis has been fully CNC-machined, which guarantees incredible precision and exceptional build quality. The milled aluminum construction is not only beautiful, but also much more durable and rigid than traditional magnesium or plastic cases. The diamond-cut side edges add elegance while resisting scratches, ensuring durability for years to come.

The palm rest made of black carbon fiber not only minimizes the weight of the device, but is also pleasant to the touch, resulting in greater comfort during prolonged work. The use of this material keeps the laptop lightweight, while ensuring its robustness.

The Dell XPS 17 9730 offers a wide set of ports for versatility and convenience. The laptop is equipped with four Thunderbolt™ 4 (USB Type-C™) ports with DisplayPort and Power Delivery support for fast data transfer, device charging and connection of external monitors. In addition, the device has a full-size SD card reader version 6.0 for easy data transfer from cameras or camcorders, as well as a 3.5mm combo jack that supports headphones and a microphone. A USB-C to USB-A 3.0 and HDMI 2.0 adapter is also included, allowing for the connection of additional legacy devices.

The XPS 17 is also equipped with a wedge lock slot, which allows you to secure the laptop against theft.

In terms of dimensions, the laptop is extremely slim, measuring just 19.50 mm in height, 374.45 mm in width and 248.05 mm in depth. Depending on the configuration, the device weighs 2.31 kg for the FHD+ version and 2.44 kg for the model with a 4K+ display. Despite its large 17-inch diagonal, the laptop remains relatively light and portable, making it an excellent choice for those who need high performance combined with portability.

Communications - No support for Wi-Fi 6E

The XPS 17 9730, continues to stand out for an unusual situation in the market - although these laptops are equipped with WLAN modules that support Wi-Fi 6E, they themselves do not support connections to networks in the 6 GHz band. In practice, this means that users will not be able to use the latest, faster 6E Wi-Fi networks. While the lack of this feature shouldn't be a major problem for most users, it's a disappointing absence in hardware costing more than $20,000.

720p webcam

The XPS 17 9730, remains probably one of the few flagship laptops that still comes with a low-resolution 1 MP (720p) webcam and no physical privacy screen. Competing manufacturers such as Lenovo, HP, and Asus have managed to move to higher resolution solutions, offering 2 MP or even 8 MP cameras.

Dell explains that such a low camera resolution on XPS models is due to the extremely narrow screen bezels, which limit space for a more advanced sensor. While the minimalist design is one of the key strengths of the XPS series, it's nice that the camera supports Windows Hello.

For many users, especially in professional environments, a better webcam could significantly improve the user experience. High-end competitors in the premium segment, such as the MacBook Pro and Lenovo ThinkPad models, offer clearer images and better performance, which puts the XPS at a bit of a disadvantage in this regard. In this context, the lack of higher resolution in such expensive hardware is a clear compromise that will not satisfy all users.

XPS 9730 display

Speaking of the display, this one is actually slightly larger than in previous editions. The larger screen on the XPS 17 significantly improves the user experience. The integrated Eyesafe technology effectively reduces harmful blue light emissions while maintaining vibrant, natural colors, making long hours of work less taxing on the eyes.

The InfinityEdge display, with ultra-thin bezels on all four sides, allows maximum use of the screen area - as much as 93.7% of the entire panel. As a result, even though the device is 17" diagonal, its form factor resembles more compact 15-inch laptops. The display has 100% Adobe RGB colors, making this display ideal for professionals who require excellent color reproduction in their daily work. The only thing that might not be very nice is the lack of 120Hz in the screen. With this graphics, RAM and such a powerful processor, the hardware is also ideal for gaming and then the display could be with 120Hz refresh rate.

Gaming performance

Speaking of graphics and performance. The laptop comes standard with Nvidia Optimus technology, which automatically switches between an integrated graphics card (iGPU) and a dedicated one (dGPU). Unfortunately, this model does not support the more advanced Advanced Optimus or MUX switch, which could have added flexibility to graphics management.

Equipped with a Core i9-13900H processor, 64GB of RAM and an RTX 4080 graphics card, the Dell XPS 9730 offers significantly higher performance than Core i7-based configurations, making it an excellent choice for users who need a lot of computing power, such as for 3D graphics work, video rendering or programming. The Core i9-13900H processor stands out for its even greater potential in multi-threaded tasks, which translates into a 10-20% performance increase over Core i7-13700H models. With this configuration, the XPS 9730 handles demanding workloads, offering stable and high performance, especially for tasks that make intensive use of multiple processor cores.

the 64GB of RAM guarantees smooth performance even with the most demanding multitasking applications, allowing multiple resource-intensive programs to run simultaneously without performance degradation. This is ideal for professionals who work with large graphics files, 3D models or perform large-scale data analysis tasks.

What's more, the Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card provides outstanding performance for graphics and computing tasks such as rendering, 4K video editing, as well as more advanced operations such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The RTX 4080, with its Ada Lovelace architecture, offers support for ray tracing and DLSS 3, making it not only great for gaming, but also for speeding up computing processes in professional applications

However, as with the Core i7, it is important to note that the Core i9 processor's Turbo Boost is not infinite. Under prolonged, continuous load, performance can drop by 20-25%, which is typical for such powerful units in thin laptops. Nevertheless, for short-term, intensive tasks, such as running applications, rendering short video snippets or editing images, the Core i9-13900H shows its full potential. I tested the graphics on 2 games and both GTA V at maximum details and The Witcher 3 always run above 120 frames per second, which is a great result.

Noise - a few words about fans and speakers

Despite the increase in performance, the noise level generated by the fans on the XPS 17 has not changed drastically. During everyday tasks such as Internet browsing and video streaming, the laptop runs very quietly, reaching a noise level of just 25.6 dB(A), which is barely audible against a quiet ambient of 22.7 dB(A). Two fans on opposite sides of the unit available with a standalone graphics card provide greater overall airflow and allow for temperature control

It is only with more demanding tasks, such as gaming or intensive computing workloads, that the fans speed up and the noise rises to around 50 dB(A), putting the XPS 17 at a noise level comparable to some gaming laptops. Although the XPS 17 isn't a classic gaming laptop, its specs are powerful enough to handle advanced workloads, and the fans increase their speed only when absolutely necessary to maintain performance and adequate system temperatures

If you're looking for a laptop that offers exceptional sound quality, the XPS 17 is a worthwhile proposition. Even after the first few minutes of use, you can see that the manufacturer has taken care of the acoustic details that set this model apart from the competition. With four speakers and Waves Nx 3D Audio for Speakers technology, the sound is surround sound and crisp. Whether you're mixing music, watching a movie or playing games, the XPS 9730, offering extremely detailed and precise sound reproduction. In addition, Dell boasts that the sound system features technology tuned by Jack Joseph Puig himself, winner of multiple Grammy awards. It makes the audio experience truly top-notch.

Battery performance - amazing

The battery life of the Dell XPS 17 9730 is one of its strong points. During daily use, such as browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi, the laptop lasts about 10 hours (the manufacturer declares 14), which is an improvement of about an hour over last year's XPS 17 9720 model. This is positive news, especially considering that every year the overall performance of devices increases, yet the battery life remains at a stable, high level. Thus, owners of this model can enjoy not only impressive computing power, but also long battery life without having to plug in the charger frequently

It takes between 2 and 2.5 hours to fully charge the battery from zero, which is slightly slower compared to many other laptops on the market, which can charge in about 1.5 hours. This is especially noticeable during intensive use, such as playing games or performing compute-intensive tasks. During such workloads, charging is further slowed down due to the limitations of the 130-watt power supply, which is not always able to simultaneously provide enough power for the system and charge the battery at maximum speed.

It is worth noting, however, that the problem of slow battery drainage when using demanding applications, which appeared in originalm model XPS 9700, has already been solved since the XPS 17 9710. This means that in the latest XPS 17 9730 model, you do not have to worry about the battery draining gradually, even if the laptop is connected to power and at the same time loaded with intensive work

Summary

All in all, the Dell XPS 17 9730 offers a solid battery life that allows you to comfortably use the laptop for a full day without recharging. Although the charging process could be faster, users can rest assured that the power supply is stable, even while performing the most demanding tasks.

The XPS is an amazing piece of hardware to fall in love with. Amazing workmanship that can easily compete with the MacBook from Apple or parameters that allow you to play with the latest productions are just some of the reasons in favor of acquiring this XPS at such a good price - PLN 6999 at AMSO.pl . If you are looking for a versatile laptop for sure the XPS 9730 is it and will last for many, many years.