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Battery Life
The test model reached a surprisingly good 5.5 hours in BatteryEater's Reader's test (maximum runtime, minimum brightness, wireless off, energy-saving mode). That is a very good runtime for such a high-performance machine and confirms the installed hardware's good energy-saving mechanisms. We could still work for a good 4 hours on FV993 battery power in the practical Wi-Fi test (approx. 150 cd/m², energy-savings mode, wireless on). Playing movies using maximum brightness, energy-saving mode and Wi-Fi off was possible for just short of 3.5 hours. The battery was drained very fast with about one hour in BatteryEater's Classic test (maximum brightness, wireless on, high-performance profile). Unlike in many other contending models, only a minor throttling occurs on battery power and it is possible to take advantage of the still high performance.
Case
We already know the solid casing from Dell Precision M6600 precursor. We did not discover any differences in quality or build. Even the minor fitting irregularities in the display lid's area were found again in the present test device. Otherwise, the casing is very solid and rigid; although the display lid can be warped marginally and the wrist rest can be dented slightly above the ExpressCard slot. One of the feet is still adhered to the battery on the bottom, so the laptop does not have a secure stand without it. As usual, the bottom cover can be opened after removing two screws and enables access to the vital components. The test weight of just below 3.75 kg is on class average and indisputably qualifies the test device for desktop use.
Connectivity
Port selection is generous, with two USB 3 sockets, FireWire, an SD card reader, ExpressCard slot and battery status lights on the left-hand side, two more USB 3 ports and a DisplayPort output on the right, and HDMI, D-SUB, Gigabit Ethernet and eSATA on the rear.
The M6700 is also one of the most upgradeable laptops we’ve seen. The base comes off with two screws, and once inside, repairs, replacements and additions are easily made. The cooling fans can be popped out in seconds, both SO-DIMMs are easily accessible (one was free on our review model), there’s a free 2.5in hard disk cage, and there are spare mini-PCI Express and mSATA slots as well. The machine’s primary hard disk is easily accessible, too: a button underneath the battery pops it out of its own bay on the side of the machine.
Keyboard
Like in the DELL Precision M6600, the keyboard pleases with a medium key drop, quiet typing noise and high-contrast lettering. The surface's stability has improved noticeably. The keyboard only yields marginally while typing on the present test model and only dents in the right key area under moderate pressure. We only still really miss a backlit keyboard that our test device does not feature, but which can be ordered optionally. The necessary FN combinations, a few hot keys and the dedicated number pad round off the overall picture and make a very positive impression.Touchpad/Pointstick
The touchpad is just big enough for today's standards and a bit more room, particularly for multi-finger gestures, might be desired. Otherwise, the gliding traits, response and the rubber-coated touchpad buttons are very good, which makes it an overall decent mouse replacement. The additional Pointstick including dedicated keys is on the level of HP's EliteBook and ThinkPad W series in usability. Being accurate and easy to use, it provides a good pretense to leave the mouse at home. (VGP-BPS30 batteries)
Display
Dell offers four different screen options for its 17-inch Precisions. The HD+ screen can be seen as the entry-level model, which is standardly installed in the low-end basic configurations, and features a resolution of 1600x900 pixels. Beyond that, a Full HD screen with wide viewing angles, a Full HD RGB-IPS screen and a Full HD 3D Vision Pro screen are available. The standard Full HD screen is installed in our test device and is very balanced in terms of value for money.
We ascertained brightness rates from 251 cd/m² up to 330 cd/m² at nine different measuring points, which is a very good prerequisite for many application fields. The average brightness of 284 cd/m² is not only sufficient for bright rooms, but also for outdoors when direct sunlight is avoided. The brightness is maintained on battery power. Despite the rather varying brightness rates, clouding or bright spots are not seen on monochrome backgrounds. The brightness decrease toward the lower edge is also barely visible for the naked eye. (ASUS A41-K56 batteries)
The assessed contrast of 507:1 clearly excels the usual laptop standard of below 200:1 and is also noticed in more saturated colors. This is extremely positive particularly in pictures, movies and games and ultimately leads to a more natural and vivid representation. The color spectrum nearly covers the entire sRGB color space. Just a few cyan and magenta hues are not quite covered. Users who require larger color space coverage can take the aforementioned optional IPS-RGB screen that should also feature more stable viewing angles and higher contrast (not tested).
The viewing angles do not quite achieve the level of previously tested IPS screens, but still stands out positively from the usual TN standards. The content virtually remained unchanged horizontally and was only affected by a minor discoloration with an increasing red part and slight brightness reductions. In return, color shifts are no longer noticed horizontally, but the image fades visibly when looking from above. The content inverts in the other direction, so when tilting the screen extremely towards the back, but it always remains sufficiently readable.
Speakers
The built-in speakers surpass the usual standard equipment found in business laptops owing to a quite balanced sound quality. They provide bass and midranges alongside the somewhat dominant trebles. Presentations in a small group are quite possible since the undistorted maximum volume is high enough to reach all participants. The good volume control and the dedicated audio port, which also allow using standard headsets via two jacks, are pleasing.
Verdict
Dell's Precision M6700 especially convinces with a silent operating noise in low load alongside its high performance. Office tasks, internet research and basic image editing projects can be performed on a virtually inaudible work device. (DELL 312-1176 batteries)
When it comes to the sheer computing and graphics performance, then the system has to give up in certain CAD applications, whereby apparently existing driver problems prevent a better performance.
Dell's good work with the casing, screen, expandability and support options makes the very complete bundle extremely attractive for the professional field.
It is no question that the price for Dell's premium workstation is high. The included on-site service for the next business day, which the competition usually only offers for a surcharge, does not change anything about that. In return, Dell offers an extraordinarily vast scope of configuration options that embraces almost all conceivable needs.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
