Dell Precision M6700 Notebook Review: The Enterprise Split
by Dustin Sklavos on December 12, 2012 7:43 PM ESTApplication and Futuremark Performance
The Intel Core i7-3920XM CPU that powers our Dell Precision M6700 review unit isn't just the fastest notebook CPU we've tested, it's also potentially as fast as a desktop Ivy Bridge processor. At the same time, the NVIDIA Quadro K5000M is based on the fastest mobile gaming GPU currently available, and the M6700 is also enjoying a Samsung PM830 SSD as its system drive. All told, this should be the fastest notebook we've tested thus far.
So what happened? It looks like PCMark slightly favors the Crucial m4 SSD the Clevo notebook uses. That's unfortunate, and frustrating, as once again PCMark shows it skews so hard towards the SSD that a system with a substantially more powerful CPU (lack of access to QuickSync notwithstanding), the Dell Precision M6700, is somehow eclipsed by a gaming notebook. But then I've been campaigning to remove PCMark from our testbed for some time now.
3DMark06 at least reveals the substantial performance of the i7-3920XM.
Inexplicably, Clevo's P170EM is able to produce better first pass results in our x264 benchmark, but in all other cases the M6700 is faster. For comparison sake, a stock i7-3770K (the one in the HP h9 Phoenix) is able to produce 100fps in the first x264 pass and 40.51fps in the second; that means that Intel's fastest (well, second-fastest now that the i7-3940XM is available) mobile chip is actually able to nip the heels of their fastest mainstream desktop chip. That also means that the 100MHz bump to the 3940XM is probably enough to get it to 3770K-level performance, which is frankly astonishing.
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critical_ - Friday, December 14, 2012 - link
I'm not sure if Haswell will fix this but I'm hoping it does.Yes, the SIM is a full-sized slot. Google and download the owner's manual for the M6700 and you can see it for yourself. You can also see the slot on Page 2 of this review. It is to the left in the battery bay.
Yes, the antennas are already installed because they form a loop around the screen. Therefore they need to be installed during assembly of the laptop. You can see them in the same picture on Page 2. It is the horizontal slot towards to back of the laptop. You can see the white colored antenna lead just sitting there. In the bigger version of the picture you can see the second black colored antenna lead.
Dell has several WWAN cards. It is just the full length mini PCI-E module as the antennas are built in.
hrrmph - Friday, December 14, 2012 - link
Thanks again for the answers.Doh! I have the owner's manual for the latest HP, but I forgot to get the Dell. Thanks for your patience and help :)
p05esto - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
Trouble? More like AWESOME. I'm typing on the M6700 right now and this screen is as good as my new Dell IPS, beautiful. Best screen I have even seen on a laptop, better than glossy crap Apple screens.hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
For non-CAD users, if you are looking at the low-end graphics options which are AMD FirePro:Dell: M6000 / Radeon HD7870M: 960 G-FLOPs
HP: M4000 / Radeon HD7770M: 615 G-FLOPs
Source: Wikipedia
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hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
Audio:Dell: IDT 92HD93BXX
HP: ?IDT 92HD81B1X
What's the difference?
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hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
OS:Dell gives you Win7-64 Ultimate for $34 extra.
HP tops out at Win7-64 Pro.
Ignoring Win8, of course.
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hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
As of 2012-12-13:-----------------------------------------------
Dell: $2400
HP: $3200
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Assuming:
- Non-CAD user needing only low-end graphics;
- Core i7-3840QM is "good enough" ;
- User will install their own desired RAM; and
- User will install their own desired SSDs and HDDs.
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hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
Even with a bunch of open question marks, I give:- Dell a narrow win on equipage and performance;
- Dell a big win on value due to the current heavily discounted price; and
- HP... yeah it looks and feels better... but not $800 better.
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hrrmph - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
But really?A display with fewer pixels?
A storage system that can't decide how many SATA 6.0Gbs ports it has?
A wireless system that lacks the current top standard?
A chassis with yesterdecade's peripheral ports?
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I think my tired ole HP ZD8000 will make it another year or two while these yo-yos get it sorted out to offer something that doesn't have so many compromises.
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stephenv2 - Thursday, December 13, 2012 - link
I'm finally posting a comment after consistently tired of the strong personal bias and hyperbole over minor details Dustin has in all his reviews.You have to dig and skim around all the personal angst over looks and minor OCPD examination of irrelevant details to glean what actually matters - in this review, it's the Dell is lighter, faster and cheaper than competition with a better display.
As power user, if you are choosing a notebook based on how it looks - you really can't describe yourself as power user. And describing the Dell's keyboard layout as "bizarre" is schoolgirl hyperbole.
I find myself going elsewhere these days for reviews these days. I like what Anandtech reviews, but the actual reviews are reading more and more like coffee shop poetry slams and less like substantive, objective breakdowns of performance and value.