Dell XPS 720 Review
By
February 12th, 2008
Summary
The XPS legend continues with new key components and options that deliver a superb blend of epic power and screaming performance. With this kind of computing muscle at your disposal, you won’t just play the game – you’ll change it. And the XPS 720 looks as strong as it performs. Horizontal heat-venting hints at the hot-rod underneath, while the chiseled, aluminum case features LED highlights in your choice of color.
Specs
Intel® CoreTM 2 Extreme Processor QX6800 (8MB L2 Cache, 3.20GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 Extreme Processor QX6700 (8MB L2 Cache, 2.93GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 Cache, 2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 E6700 (4MB L2 Cache, 2.66GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Intel® CoreTM 2 E6600 (4MB L2 Cache, 2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB)
Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
Genuine Windows® XP Professional
For more details on Dell systems that run Windows Vista, see www.dell.com/vista.
Chipset
The NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLITM MCP core logic enables two graphics cards to work together rendering a single image. All connected by PCI Express x16 bandwidth to help provide the ultimate visual experience. NVIDIA nForce® 680i SLITM Chipset for Intel (D)4
Engineered for Enthusiasts NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Intel Edition (D)
NVIDIA SLI technology 2x16
Dual DDR2 Memory Architecture X
NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory
NVIDIA MediaShield Storage X
NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet* X
NVIDIA FirstPacket technology
NVIDIA DualNet technology
NVIDIA nTune Utility X
NVIDIA SLI Certified Components X
PCI Express X
High Definition Audio X
USB 2.0 X
Memory
DDR25 is a memory architecture that enables systems to improve performance and reduce power consumption. The amount of RAM you have is one factor that determines how many programs can be executed at one time and how much data can be readily available to a program. It also determines how quickly your applications perform and how many applications you can easily toggle between at one time. Simply put, the more RAM you have, the more programs you can run smoothly and simultaneously. Up to 4GB18 Dual-Channel DDR25 SDRAM (667MHz or 800MHz, 2 or 4 DIMMs)
XPS 720 Supports up to 8GB8 of Dual-Channel DDR25 SDRAM (667MHz or 800MHz, 4 DIMMs) when a 64-bit Operating System is installed
XPS 720 supports EPP Memory for simplified memory overclocking>
Hard Drives
The XPS 720 supports up to four hard drives7, –providing a potential capacity of up to 2.75TB9 total. And with RAID 1 and RAID 0 options, you can configure your storage to meet your needs, whether it's for storing large quantities of files, backing up system information and files, or improving performance with data striping.
Dell can ship up to 3 hard drives installed.Up to 2.75TB9 Multiple Serial ATA Hard Drives
Up to 1TB39 Single Serial ATA Hard Drive
Optical Drives, Floppy Drive, and Media Reader
Blu-ray disc
Multiple DVD+/-RW, Combo, DVD-ROM configurations Available
Optional Blu-Ray drive, 16x DVD+/-RW drive; 48X Combo Available
3.5" Floppy Drive and 13-in-1 Media Reader Available
Graphics
XPS 720 Red
512 MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 GT - SLI capable
768MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 GTX graphics card - SLI capable
768MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 Ultra graphics card - SLI capable
XPS 720 Black
256MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8600 GTS graphics card - SLI capable
512 MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 GT - SLI capable
768MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 GTX graphics card - SLI capable
768MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce® 8800 Ultra graphics card - SLI capable
Sound Cards
Integrated 7.1 Intel High Definition Audio – Standard
Sound Blaster X-FiTM XtremeMusic (D)4 - Included
Physics Accelerator
AGEIA® PhysXTM physics accelerator (optional)
Note: Games must be designed to take advantage of the PhysX accelerator.
Weight & Dimensions
Width: Without Stand 8.6"(21.9 cm) / With Stand 14.0"(35.6 cm)
Height: Without Stand 21.9"(55.5 cm) / With Stand 22.5"(57.2 cm)
Depth: 23.4"(59.4 cm)
Weight: Typical configuration 47.8 lbs (21.7 kg) / Maximum Configuration 56.4 lbs (25.6 kg)
Externally Accessible
Video: 2 DVI and 1 S-Video
IEEE 1394 - 1 front & 1 back 6-pin serial connector
USB: 10 Ports (2 Front, 6 Back, 2 internal)
Audio: Audio – Front: headphone, microphone; Back: line-in, line-out, microphone, surround, center/LFE; integrated HDA 7.1 channel sound
Network: Integrated Gigabit10 Ethernet
Legacy: 2 PS/2 Ports
1 - S/P DIF out (optical)
Expansion Slots
PCI: 3 Slots
PCIe x1: 1 Slot
PCIe x16 (Graphics): 2 Slots
PCIe x8: 1 Slot