Dell XPS 17 9720 is one of the most popular gaming laptop models in the market. Dell has made sure that this gaming laptop is packed with all the features a gamer could hope for. In this blog, we will be discussing everything you need to know about Dell XPS 17 9720. From the processor, video card and memory, to the displays and color selection, this blog has it all! So whether you’re looking for a laptop for gaming or for general use, make sure to check out Dell’s XPS 17 9720 page!
Dell’s flagship XPS laptops have been regular participants in our testing program for a long time, and the XPS 17 is due for an update in 2022. The Intel 12th Generation “Alder Lake” CPUs are included in the new Dell XPS 17 model 9720 (starting at $1,849 – $3,049 as tested), which is very similar to last year’s edition.
In our review configuration, the chassis features an optional 4K touch panel and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, as well as enough memory and storage to make it feel slim and premium.
This combination is expensive, although it produces a huge-screen laptop with few real rivals for power users. A CPU upgrade isn’t worth it if you have a recent XPS 17, but if you’re looking for a dazzling new desktop replacement, there’s really nothing better.
Performance Dell XPS 17 9720
Dell’s original XPS consumer clamshell Windows laptop design, which included a solid silver shell and carbon fiber keyboard deck, established the standard for high-end premium clamshell PCs in 2015. And ever since, the line has consistently placed itself at or near the top of our Ultrabook rankings, sometimes occupying multiple slots. It’s still a powerful, generally pleasant computer, as Dell has updated it to support the latest Intel and Nvidia components, despite my continued yearning for USB-A ports on this current version of the big-screen XPS 17 (model 9720).
With Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, 32GB of memory, and a speedy and spacious 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, our review configuration includes an Intel Core i7-12700H (with six performance cores and eight efficiency cores). This is a $3,049 system with those components, although the cheapest configuration with a Core i5 and integrated graphics is $1,849. On the configurations we tested, the 3840 x 2400 touch screen adds $300 to the asking price. However, it’s ideal for doing some graphics work on the go or relaxing during your free time to binge-watch your favorite shows. So you should be able to do a little of both before having to charge your battery, which has a good lifespan.
Dell XPS 17 (9720) Specs
| CPU | Intel Core i7-12700H |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, 1,282 MHz Boost Clock, 60W TGP |
| RAM | 32GB DDR5-4800MHz |
| SSD | 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Display | 17-inch, 3840 x 2400, Touchscreen |
| Networking | 802.11ax Killer Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Ports | 4x Thunderbolt 4, 1x SD Card Reader, 1x 3.5 mm combo headphone/microphone jac |
| Camera | 720p webcam |
| Battery | 97WHr |
| Power Adapter | 130W |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Size | 14.74 x 9.76 x 0.77 inches |
| Weight | 5.34 pounds |
Display XPS 17
The Dell XPS 17’s display isn’t all that impressive, but it still looks nice. It doesn’t have any cutting-edge technologies like OLED or quantum dots. Dell rates it at 500 nits of brightness and 100% of Adobe’s RGB color gamut, and it almost or tops those ratings in our testing.
The yellow, blue, and red of the characters’ uniforms looked vivid on the laptop when I watched Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the emptiness of space was satisfactorily dark while still providing detail in the night away mission vistas. I also utilized the screen to scroll through hundreds of photographs from a recent vacation to Scotland, and I think most content creators will be pleased with this display, especially when you consider the outcomes of our display testing below.
Dell’s advertised maximum brightness of 500 nits is exceeded by up to 550 nits. Despite the extremely glossy coat, this is so high that outdoor usage becomes feasible. Movies and streaming programs may look washed out in dark areas due to the high brightness and low black levels.
The color isn’t just vivid, it’s also realistic. I checked 98% of the DCI-P3 and 100% of the sRGB and Adobe RGB color gamuts. To put it another way, the XPS 17 can show a wide variety of colors, comparable to that of any laptop available today. The content looks exactly as it was meant to, thanks to the high color accuracy.
The sharpness is of exceptional quality. On a 17-inch screen, a resolution of 3,840 x 2,400 translates to 266 pixels per inch, which is as good as it gets for this size of a laptop. 3D games have sharp edges around fine text, 4K streaming media has remarkable clarity, and the high pixel density gives great definition. The XPS 17 has a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz, as opposed to Nvidia G-Sync on the Dell XPS 15 2022. These sacrifices are made in order to improve battery life by enabling switchable graphics.
Design of the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
We aren’t going to go over the design in great detail since we’ve seen several XPS laptops and this new XPS 17 is identical to the previous version. Since one of our favorite designs, with superb construction quality, is this one, that’s not a bad thing. Nevertheless, since it largely repeats the previous edition’s design, there isn’t much to say.
It stands out from the crowd of plastic laptops because of its premium aluminum finish. From the carbon-fiber keyboard deck to the dazzling display, quality construction continues when you open up the clamshell. This is a laptop that has been well-liked for a long time, and it is still available here. This is the best Apple design quality MacBook alternative if you already use one.
The XPS 17 is roughly 0.77 by 14.7 by 9.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.34 pounds (the non-touch variant is lighter at 4.87 pounds). While there are some extra-light 17-inch laptops out there, most are around this size; screen size is the key to making it as portable as possible from there.
The keyboard is sturdy, the touchpad is spacious, and the overall design is nice. These features are not new. For a little more information on this laptop, check out the review of last year’s XPS 17.
Color Choice
It’s important to take into account the colors of your walls and other furniture when choosing a color for your Dell XPS 17 9720. Will the computer be the main focus of the room, or will other elements play a bigger role? Once you’ve decided on a color, don’t hesitate to buy it! When choosing a color for your laptop, think about your personal style and choose one that best suits you. For example, if you’re more of a black-and-white person, go for a black color laptop. If you’re more of a colorful person, choose a brighter color. Remember, as long as the color is complementary to your other home decor, it’s good to go!
Keyboard and Touchpad on the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
The precision touchpad on the XPS 17 is perfect in every way for me. It provides a decent amount of smoothness and friction for precise input, measuring 5.9 x 3.5 inches and feeling almost comically roomy. Windows 11’s multitouch gestures will have plenty of room here. Although I would prefer a separate mouse, if I had to use the touchpad here as my primary cursor control for basic activities, I could cope with it.
The keyboard, on the other hand, is more towards the OK end of the spectrum. The half-size up-down arrow keys and squished top function row seem unnecessary given the space available on the deck, as you might imagine on a laptop this size. Travel and feel are the bigger issues, which aren’t particularly bad but don’t stand out in any way as pleasurable or otherwise enjoyable. In comparison to some similarly configured gaming laptops, the switches feel soft and indistinct, and the travel and bottoming out feel sub-par. Dell’s Alienware is included in the list.
A fingerprint reader is also built into the power button, which is located in the upper-right hand corner beside the Delete key. While my preferred Windows Hello option for simple OS login is the webcam, which likewise supports Windows Hello and works well for me, it performed very nicely in my testing.
Dell’s Alienware x17 R2 gaming laptop, which has a more suitable arrangement (including media and full-size arrow keys) and a mechanical switch that’s worth the $50 upgrade in terms of key feel alone, would be ideal for bringing the keyboard over. With so much space, the keyboard on the XPS 17 should feel better, especially in its pricier high-end variants, given the laptop’s lower price.
Audio on the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
Even at 100% volume, the XPS 17’s pair of top-firing speakers produce a clear, clean sound on each side of the keyboard. I enjoyed Rys Fulber’s intricate programming on his latest solo album, Collapsing Empires, as well as Buck-Tick’s pulsing bassline and dramatic build and crescendo.
Nonetheless, there wasn’t as much volume for a 17-inch laptop as I would anticipate. When you’re sitting directly in front of the laptop, it’s ideal for listening or watching videos. Even with the XPS 17 a foot to my left and behind me on the coffee table, I found the maximum volume to be just enough for ordinary enjoyment. I’d suggest going for one of the best gaming headsets if you like your media to be somewhat loud.
Battery Life on the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
If you aren’t hammering the CPU with demanding workloads such as video editing, and keep the screen brightness at a reasonable level, you should be able to get through a day with the XPS 17. Dell’s big-screen XPS lasted 8 hours and 29 minutes on our battery test, which continuously streams video, browses the internet, and performs graphics tests while connected to Wi-Fi and with the screen set to 150 nits of brightness.
That’s over three hours longer than Gigabyte’s Aero 16, and 89 minutes better than the previous model (7 hours even). Nevertheless, when it comes to production computers, Apple’s Arm-based Macs are still in a class of their own. In the same battery test, the 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted 15 hours and 31 minutes.
Connectivity
In a massive, comforting, fuzzy embrace, the Dell XPS 17 welcomes Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and Power Delivery support are available, as are four of them. USB4 is also supported by all four Thunderbolt 4 devices. You may now use any accessible port to charge the computer and connect multiple DisplayPort monitors with this exceptional choice.
But there’s a quick word of caution before you go too far: the Dell XPS 17 configuration I tested used over 100 watts at load, which is more than the power output of most chargers and accessories that provide power over Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. The adapter that comes with the computer will be used by owners.
The XPS 17 is friendly with Thunderbolt 4, but it ignores the needs of other ports. There are no USB Type-A, HDMI, standard DisplayPort, or Ethernet connections. For these connections, you’ll need to bring an adapter. A 3.5mm audio jack, however, is accessible.
A full-sized SDcard reader is the only uncommon connectivity option. Its inclusion will be appreciated by photographers and videographers.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 are examples of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi 6E, the newest wireless standard, isn’t supported, which is a minor letdown. According to a Dell spokesperson, this is due to the antenna design. Despite this, I found wireless connections that were fast enough to replace the physical Ethernet connection over short distances.
Webcam on the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
Separate sensors for IR (for Windows Hello login) and RGB (for ordinary imaging) have been added to the XPS 17 webcam, according to Dell. That sounds intriguing, and in the somewhat overcast light of my home office, I found the picture to be bright and with fairly good color accuracy. Nevertheless, the sensor is 720p, which matches the system’s 3840 x 2400 screen in terms of blocky and low resolution. During testing, one side of my face was a blown-out field of white.
To put it another way, the camera will allow you to conduct business meetings without major problems, and Dell is still working to enhance things a few generations after shifting the camera back up above the screen where it belongs. The camera is still not ideal, however, because it is placed on the thin strip above the screen. You should try plugging in one of the greatest webcams if you want to look your best during work conferences or conversations with pals. Just keep in mind that unless you have a newer webcam with a replaceable cable or a USB-C port, you’ll have to use the included dongle to do so.
Systems Management
The Dell XPS 17 9720 is a powerful and versatile systems management tool that’s perfect for managing large networks and servers. In addition to its graphical user interface, this device has many advanced features for system administrators. The Dell XPS 17 9720 is a powerful laptop that can be used as an office computer, home theater PC, or media center PC. It’s perfect for managing large networks and servers and is ideal for users who need a laptop that can handle a variety of tasks.
Upgradability on the Dell XPS 17 (9720)
The XPS 17’s current design still offers up a fair amount of standard, swappable parts, despite the company’s newly redesigned XPS 13 pointing to a dim future of laptop upgradability. Eight tiny Torx screws must be removed before getting into the laptop, and a strong spudger or plastic card must be used to roam around the edges, disengaging the clips. The weight of the earth then just flies away.
Inside, you’ll find 2280 SSD L (PCIe) and 2280 SSD R (PCIe) slots, which are clearly labeled. In our review unit, both the RAM and SSD slots were occupied. While you must partially remove the battery to get the heat shields off the SSDs, which is a tiny added complexity, it should be fairly simple to replace any of these components.
Price Dell XPS 17 9720
The current-generation Dell XPS 17, equipped with a Core i5-12500H CPU, integrated Intel UHD graphics, 8GB of DDR5 memory, and a 512GB SSD with a 1920 x 1200 non-touchscreen has a base price of $1,849. For $3,049, you get a Core i7-12700H processor with RTX 3060 video (the top configuration available), a 3840 x 2400 touchscreen, 16GB of memory, and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 solid-state storage.
The highest-end version with the same RTX 3060 and UHD+ screen, as well as 64GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and Windows 11 Pro costs $3,794 at this time. If your wallet can take it. With a price of $3,494, going back to 32GB of memory saves you $300. The RTX 3050, which costs $200 less than the 3060 and includes a step back to the Core i7 CPU, is also an option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will there be a new Dell XPS 17 in 2022?
The Dell XPS 17 (2022) is the finest 17-inch laptop available, featuring Intel’s 12th-generation CPUs, a UHD+ display, DDR5 memory, and more. DDR5 memory and Intel 12th-generation CPUs are among the features.
Is Dell XPS 17 a good laptop?
Intel’s latest 12th Gen “Alder Lake” CPUs are added to the redesigned Dell XPS 17 in 2022, boosting this already amazing laptop even more. Among 17-inch laptops, it is still one of our favorites. Products are chosen and reviewed by PCMag editors.
Does Dell XPS 17 have a touch screen?
Dell XPS 17 9700 Laptop, Intel Core 10th Gen i7-10750H CPU, 32GB (2x16GB) Up to RAM, 1TB SSD, nVidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti.
Can XPS 17 RAM be upgraded?
The Dell XPS 17 is a beast of a laptop, equipped with 11th-generation 45W Intel CPUs and Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics. In addition, the RAM and storage can be upgraded. A 4K touchscreen display is also available.
Can you play games on Dell XPS 17?
In reality, rather than having the best gaming hardware, the XPS 17 became my primary gaming laptop for a period because it ran games well and provided a great big-format screen. 16-inch screens are currently the new 17-inch screens for most big-screen laptops, and they’re getting more unusual by the day.
Is Dell XPS 17 Good for graphic design?
Having a gorgeous, large screen with a high resolution can be a great help for graphic designers, and this means the Dell XPS 17 is a laptop worth considering. It packs a fantastic 17-inch UHD+ screen with HDR, which makes your work look it’s very best
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 17 9720 is the computer for you if you’re looking for a computer that can take anything you give it! This laptop comes equipped with an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, an NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics card, and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory. It will give you the power you need to work and play. In addition, it is the ideal laptop for any occasion because to its sleek design and beautiful display.
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