Dell :: Vostro 1720 Software
Jul 7, 2009
Is there a program out there aside from NHC that will allow you to undervolt a processor? It wont detect my P8600 and allow me to undervolt.
On that same note is there a program that will work on the 1720 that will allow me to set the fan speed and monitor temps of my gpu and processor? i8kfangui only half works, and id love to find a better alternative.
Also, is there a way to fix windows xp always setting the external mic (that doesnt exist) as the default microphone device?
I set it to use the internal (webcam) mic but it ALWAYS switches back to the external mic after launching a program or rebooting ect.
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Nov 4, 2009
I was configuring a Vostro 1720 and the only version of Windows 7 Professional available is 32bit. If I were to order more than 3GB of ram .....
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Mar 6, 2010
does anyone know if the nvidia (9600GS) chip and the cpu are on the same heatsink on the vostro 1720?
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May 23, 2009
Build Quality and Finish
My first impression as I unpacked the laptop was how light it felt for a 17” notebook. By comparison, my older Dell 9400 (E1705) seems much heavier. I don’t hear any creaking/groaning of plastics when I hold the laptop from one corner and, overall, the chassis appears rigid and well constructed. Aesthetically, this machine will not be a compliment generator. It’s industrial design is simple (read: bland), straightforward (read: uninspired), and utilitarian. A business laptop through and through.
The display hinges (one of the first things I check on new laptops) are excellent. There is absolutely no screen wobble when opening the display and hinges have a nice strong feeling. Of course, hinges often start to wear many months into ownership but my initial impression is very positive.
The display bezel has some rather unsightly hooks for the screen latch but I still appreciate the ability to lock the panel down before transport. The media key console above the keyboard is, in a word, ugly. The buttons are simple squares with boring symbols printed inside. The blue LED indicator lights are nice and, in a rare example of engineering forethought, are not blindingly bright.
The palm rest flexes when pressure is applied and has a slightly hollow sound when tapped. One small feature that I really appreciate is Dell softened and curved the forward edge of the palm rest to ensure your hands don’t sit on a sharp edge.
When closed, the display does not sit perfectly flush with the palm rest and has a 2-3 millimetre gap (however the right and left gaps are equal - so the rubber bumpers may be just a little too short). For a budget laptop, I consider this acceptable.
Fan(s) are very quiet when idle but do ramp up under high CPU/GPU loads (gaming) but have a low pitch and are not distracting. The exhaust is located on the left side of the computer.
***UPDATE: After further use, I have found that the fan(s) can become quite loud and distracting when gaming for 20-30 minutes. Under load (Crysis, Fallout 3, etc.), the 9600 GS video card does heat up considerably over time. Examining the bottom of the laptop, a very small air intake is provided for the video card and appears insufficiently sized for good airflow. If you value a quiet gaming experience, this could be a deal-breaker***
Display
I opted for the 1440x900 LED-backlight matte panel. Brightness uniformity is good but colours are somewhat muted compared to Dell’s TrueLife panels. Contrast is also significantly lower than the glossy displays. If you’ve ever used one of Dell’s business-class matte monitors you can expect an almost identical image quality with this panel. At it’s highest setting, panel brightness is more than adequate and, in a darker work environment, I would knock the brightness down 3-4 steps (of 7 total brightness levels). Despite the trade-offs (muted colours and lower contrast), the absence of annoying reflections that plague glossy displays is a nice benefit. I would rate the viewing angles (both horizontal and vertical) as average......
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Apr 26, 2009
I am looking for a laptop with a matte display (at least 15.4'') and low power consumption, and so far I've selected these ones:
- Latitude E5500 (WXGA anti-glare)
- Latitude E6500 (Led backlit)
- Vostro 1720 (WXGA anti-glare)
(always with P8600)
I really like the Vostro 1720 features, but I am a bit worried about its power consumption (having a 17'' display, a NVIDIA video card, ...). There are very complete reviews for both Latitude models here:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-...k.11958.0.html
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Mar 8, 2010
How many hard drives does a vostro 1720 have?
I thought it was 2, but i saw a pic that made me doubt it, just want to make sure.
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Jan 26, 2010
I've reinstalled my XP SP3 and I still can get bluetooth to work !
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Jun 8, 2008
-What is the maximum CPU available?
A: These laptops support Penryn which means that the Core 2 Duo T9300 and even the Core 2 Extreme will fit in this machine, although the latter is not available from Dell as an option when purchasing these laptops.
-What is the maximum amount of RAM supported?
A: 4GB, but Vista 32bit only recognizes 3.581GB. To take advantage of the full 4GB, you need to upgrade to a 64bit OS.
-What is the best video card available?
A: The 8600MGT is the best one available from Dell so far.
-Can I upgrade the video card?
A: As of right now the 8600MGT is the best video card available for these machines, although if you have the 8400MGS you can upgrade to the 8600MGT. If you have the Intel graphics unfortulately you cannot upgrade them.
-Do these laptops have a DVI port?
A: Unfortunately they do not have DVI ports.
-Can these laptops be ordered with Windows XP?
A: The Vostro 1700 can be ordered with XP but unfortunately the 1720 cannot. Dell will stop selling Genuine Windows XP on June 18th.
-What is the best hard drive available?
A: 320GB is the biggest you can go atleast if you order it from dell.com I'm sure that websites such as NewEgg have better deals on bigger drives.
-Is Blu-Ray available on these laptops?
A: No, at least not from Dell.
-How do these laptops do when it comes to gaming?
A: I can play Crysis on near-max settings in DX9 mode. DX10 mode is playable but the settings have to be pretty low. Games like Gears of War and Bioshock can play perfectly on DX10 Mode and X-Plane 9 can play fantastic with everything topped out.
-What is the best screen available for these laptops?
A: WUXGA with TrueLife
-What is the best warranty available for these laptops?
A: 3 Year ProSupport for End Users and 3 year NBD On-site service
-Would I recommend purchasing one of these laptops?
A: Definitely because I think you get a lot of computer for the money.
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Feb 16, 2013
I have deleted the camera on my Dell Vostro 1720 I cant Skype with image.They can see me.when i try look for drivers on web it takes me all over-as.
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Jul 31, 2009
We were using Vostro 1710's for a long time but now all that we can get is the 1720. When we are downgrading from Vista to XP everything goes smooth until we do the Media Card Driver.
Once we do that the OS starts getting buggy and puts up a BSOD. Has anyone else had this happen to them? If we disable to Media Card Reader in the bios the problem goes away.
The driver that we are using is from dell and should work fine.
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Apr 25, 2009
I'm anxious to see how the new models compared to their predecessors. I've always liked the Vostro models and recommend them quite often in lieu of budget "retail" models.
They have decent build quality, look nice and they often go on-sale for dirt cheap!
The new models look promising. I hope that they are at least as good as the 1310/1510/2510/1710 that they're replacing. I'd also love to see the 1320 with a 13.3" LED-backlit display like the one on the Lenovo ThinkPad SL300!
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Jan 11, 2015
I'd like to replace the BIOS of a VOSTRO 1720 laptop, it is the latest A08 but I think it may be somehow corrupt because I'm seeing issues (i.e. not being able to boot from CD neither placing it first in the list with F2 nor by selecting it with F!2... some occasional freezes also)
The problem is that when flashing the BIOS it is not replaced 'cause I get a message that it already is the current one.
Any hints on forcing the replacement of the BIOS even if already the current one?
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Apr 9, 2013
Customer does not know the password as it was set up for him by someone else who has since moved on.
So I would like to reset this password or turn it off so I can move on and make the laptop usable. How to disable this feature or a back door password that will allow me to get in and switch off the BIOS password?
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Jun 2, 2009
Thinkpad SATA 1.5GB/s limitation (with SSD)
Anybody tried this before?
looks and i would much rather prefer this to upgrade to SSD, rather than buying a new laptop
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Feb 27, 2009
I bought a Vostro 1500. It has been fine and I got XP instead of Vista. 2GB of RAM.
It boots up fine with quick Dell screen, black XP start up screen with thermometer line at bottom, then light blue XP screen then Vostro.
Before the destop icons show up next after Vostro and I am all set. Now it stops at Vostro.
I can get to programs using task manager file open and browse. Not very convenient.
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Apr 5, 2009
im not sure if i want a graphic card in it, as it would just eat battery life and i would get nothing much out of it, since i have no plans in gaming with it.
i will be, however massively watching movies, and streaming movies (99.9% of the web, not dvd player) would that need a dedicated graphic card?
i would also like to know which are the best in terms of :
price, screen quality, build quality, weight, which ones have the same keyboard,current known issues, and are they any rumors or known news of any updates of any of these models in the next 6 months worth waiting for?
ive also bought a m1330 a few months back, but since i had some issues with school, i had to return it and delay my purchase to this year.
the laptop was getting extremely hot, like not even possible to put on my lap kind-of hot. is that issue fixed?
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Mar 9, 2010
I know the Vostro 3300 just came out.
For those who own the V13. Do you miss having HDMI? How's the build quality on the V13? And with the Vostro 3300 out now, the Vostro 3300 would be a better buy, no?
Any differences that I should take note of?
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Aug 12, 2007
Im still torn between getting a M90 or Inspiron 1720. The M90 would have the Quadro FX1500M and the 1720 the Geforce 8600GT. I like the fact that the 8600 is DX10 capable, but I've heard that the FX1500 performs a little better. My 1720 would be new, with 1.8 core 2 duo, 1GB ram and 120GB hard drive. Would this setup outperform an M90 with 1.6 core2duo, 1gb ram and 80gb harddrive. This computer would be for gaming and internet. What should I do?
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Jan 11, 2009
I have recently downloaded Windows 7 beta from MS and have my OS DVD's in the mail from Dell... now here is my problem.
I have the 3 partitions that came with my 1720 from the factory. OS C:, DATA D:, RECOVERY E: I am not interested in messing that up as my vista ultimate runs great. I am VERY interested in test driving Win7 and doing a little bug hunting in my spare time. Now what I would like to do I am not sure is possible.
I currently have Vista 32 installed and would like to dual boot Windows7 64 on the DATA drive. I've heard about removing the primary drive and installing on whatever is left then using the BIOS to determine which drive to boot from. Would this work on my Inspiron? It seems like an Ideal solution. I can make a nice partition on the D using partition magic or something and format that to whatever Win7 would like then use, i think it's f12?, to determine which drive to boot from when i turn my computer on. I know laptops open a whole new world of quirks which is why I ask this question of you guys to see where my logic is flawed and if there is a way to get around that. I should have my Vista 32 and 64 disks by wednesday so hopefully a workable solution is found by then!
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Feb 11, 2009
My laptop doesnt over heat or anything but I have had this dell inspiron 1720 for over a year now and I really would like to clean out the fans/vents.
I read people's posts and they make it sound so easy to do. Well i flipped my laptop over and i look near the vents. There are no screws near the vent.
I also checked my manual and it does not show you how to get to the fan without taking the complete laptop apart. Is the 1720 really this hard to get to the fan or am i overlooking something?
I really don't feel like taking the screen off and then the keyboard just to get the fan.
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Apr 9, 2009
what is the best processor not named Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 2.8GHz 6MB and is it overclockable in the 1720?
Also are any of the t9550, t9600, or t9800 compatible with the 1720?
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Apr 21, 2009
I have done a search on this so forgive me if its been addressed already. I found no answers.
I have seen taht a number of Inspiron 1720s have the 8600m GT card in them with 512 mb of memory, while others such as mine have the same card, but with 256mb memory on them.
I'm getting ready to start doing some photoshop work as well as some CAD work. I'm going to start my engineering degree as soon as I finish my current degree. Would this increase in memory help out in what I will be doing?
Will it also help in gaming? I pretty much use this laptop for everything and am trying to learn what I can about it so I fully understand it's capabilities and such.
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Mar 30, 2009
I am stuck looking at a black screen. Also, when closing the lid I am unable to open the lid and restore my previous session.
Although I am not sure if this is directly related but it seems to only deter me from restoring the session if the computer has been plugged in, otherwise the laptop comes back exactly as it was.
I have tried reinstalling the video driver twice, both times doing a complete clear and removing all registries tied to them
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Aug 15, 2007
getting the gpu overclocked, its a 8600m gt, yea i know i know, im guessing it has windows vista 32bit.
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Aug 6, 2007
I've decided to forget the cheap laptop and am looking to buy an m90 or 1720. Which will game better M90 with 256mb quadro or 1720 with 256mb 8600gt?
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Dec 30, 2009
i have a dell 1720 with a t2390 cpu running at 1.86 ghz with 2gb of ddr2 667 mhz ram and was wondering what is the fastest cpu i can run in this system without modification, just want a quick upgrade where i can drop in the cpu without changing heat sink etc? would i have to change the ram aswell?
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Dec 12, 2007
I have a Dell i9400 and would like to understand that... also, please tell me if someone would recommend an upgrade from i9400 to 1720.
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Jul 13, 2008
My wife and I just recently purchased a inspirion 1720 with a 8600mGT to plan and play some games together. I have a 8600 GT in my desktop so I assumed I knew what range the new laptop would play in (FPS wise), even with the ddr2 and new die.
We recieved it about 2 weeks ago, and first thing I noticed was very sluggish FPS on all the games I installed (20% of what my desktop 8600 GT can produce). So I go on the normal witch hunt, trying different drivers for the GPU and make sure all chipsets and bios updates are in...all to no avail.
So I dig deeper..I downloading 3dmark, GPU-Z, and CPU-Z. First thing I notice is my 3dmarks are 1.5k when other 1720s are getting 3-4k on their tests (even with somewhat lower stats )
So then I run GPU-Z and CPU-Z and the only difference I could find from other 1720s is that the 8600M GT I had was running at PCI-E X1 not the maximum the card (and motherboard) can handle which is X16.
*the imageshack pic is from another 1720 who ran GPU-Z
So I looked around to see the difference from 1x PCI-E to X16 (my thinking was zero difference just like AGP 4x to 8X)...and apparently the difference is HUGE.
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*Only difference from those 2 cards is the speed at which the bus is running for PCI-E
I also concluded that those benchmarks fall around what Im getting compared to other 1720 users with the exact same GPU.
So Ive contacted Dell and had to convince him that my card was NOT suppose to run at that X1 bus speed. After and hour and a half, he did not know how to fix that(Bios has no option) and he scheduled a call back within 2 days from another tech to try and get this resolved.
I do have the option to just return the laptop(within a month). But hopefully if by sending it back and having them replace it after troubleshooting with them, I wont get another lemon..
so lesson of the story, if your getting less performance then what your expecting..run GPU-Z and make sure your card is running properly.
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Feb 9, 2010
I was bored tonight so I ran some benchmarks on my 1720, Specs in Sig
Only change was the GPU was overclocked.
1st Pic is 3DMark @ stock clocks.--------3449
2nd Pic is 3DMark Overclocked-----------4366 Old 4259, 4271, 4280
3rd Pic is Vantage @ stock clocks--------P1115
4th Pic is Vantage Overclocked-----------P1457 Old P1410
I didnt get time to finish a Vantage run on my last set oc clocks since it needed tweaking due to display driver crashes. GPU temps never reached higher the 67*C when overclocked
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Mar 5, 2009
Whenever I close the computer it will crash. Upon re-opening it I am greeted with the BIOS loading screen and the the message telling me my computer was not properly shut down.
I'm not really sure why this happens. If anyone has had this problem and knows how to fix it ....
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