• Dell aimed the XPS M1710 at gamers.laptop image by kastock from Fotolia.com
  
  Dell marketed the XPS M1710 as a high-performance laptop. Released in 2006, it was part of the XPS line (since rebranded Studio XPS) and received high marks for its power, durability, aesthetics, and graphics capabilities. The website Notebook Review praised it for "unmatched 3D performance.'' While no longer considered high-end, the M1710 remains a very capable everyday laptop.
  
  

Processor and Memory

• The XPS M1710 is equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor at speeds ranging from 2 GHz to 2.33 GHz. The basic version of the laptop has 2 gigabytes of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM and can be upgraded to 4 GB. The processing power and amount of RAM allowed the XPS M1710 to compete with desktop computers.
  
  

Storage

• The M1710 standard storage is a 100 GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive. Upgrade options included drives of up to 250 GB.
  
  

Graphics

• The XPS M1710 has a glossy 17-inch widescreen LCD, capable of displaying 1900-by-1200 pixels. Brighter backlighting resulted in better contrast and colors than in previous models. Graphics are supplied by an NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 with either 256MB or 512MB of video RAM.
  
  

Networking

• The Dell XPS M1710 is equipped with an Intel 3945 802.11b/g wireless card and an Ethernet/LAN network port.
  
  

Peripherals

• The XPS M1710 laptop includes a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive (upgradable to dual layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW), six USB 2.0 ports, modem port, VGA port, S-Video connector, and built-in audio and speakers.
  
  

Appearance

• The XPS M1710 was marketed toward gamers and included an LED lighting scheme with 16 color options, controlled through configuration software included with the laptop. This gave it an other-worldly appearance, especially during game play. With sturdy construction, the laptop is intended for mobile computing.