Notebook Hunter

Dell’s Easter sale has some significantly competitive deals, and for those seeking a desktop replacement the 17.3in Dell XPS 17 (U510306AU) for $1,329 is a more than worthy option. It’s got a 2nd Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, a graphics card that wouldn’t look out of place in a gaming notebook, a vast 1,500GB of hard disk drive storage plus a Blu-ray player. Admittedly the screen isn’t Full HD (instead it’s 1,600 x 900 pixels) but there is an HDMI port for those wanting to watch Blu-ray movies at their native resolution on an external Full HD screen. Overall this all-rounder has excellent specs for the price.

See the special online here.

See a summary of the Dell XPS 17 (U510306AU)’s specs below.

Processor
The XPS 17 features a 2nd Gen Intel Core i7-2670QM (2.2GHz), a high-end processor that can run intensive software and productivity applications without any difficulty. It can burst up to 3.1GHz using Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology if a particularly demanding program is running.

Graphics
It comes with a dedicated graphics card called the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M. This is one of the fastest mid-range cards available and most modern games will happily run at high settings.

RAM
8GB of RAM is enough for multi-tasking with many programs at once and is plenty for smooth system performance.

Storage
1,500GB of hard disk drive storage is enormous, and can store heaps of media content.

Screen
The XPS 17 sports a 17.3in (1,600 x 900 resolution) gloss screen. The resolution is average for the screen size.

Portability
The XPS 17 isn’t really very portable, because it weighs 3.53kg and is 38.5mm thick. This will likely live on a desk and only move around if absolutely necessary.

Other Features
The XPS 17 has a Blu-ray player, which allows it to play Blu-ray movies.