Dell Precision M6300 Review
Look The Dell Precision M6300 is a powerful workstation notebook designed for demanding applications especially addressed to 3D designers. The Precision M6300 offers a bulletproof chassis, high-end graphics card and a wide variety of configurations.
The Dell Precision M6300 is a powerful workstation notebook designed for demanding applications especially addressed to 3D designers. The Precision M6300 offers a bulletproof chassis, high-end graphics card and a wide variety of configurations.
Precision M6300 as Reviewed
* Screen 17" WXGA+ (1440x900)
* Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T7500 @ 2.20GHz
* 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM Memory
* NVIDIA Quadro FX 1600M
* HDD Seagate 120GB 7200 - ST9120823AS
* DVD 8x +/-RW (LG/HLDS)
* 9-cell battery
* Internal Dell Bluetooth Card WXP 360
* Intel 4965 Wireless card (a/g/n) - EMEA
* Finger Print Reader
* Windows XP
* Warranty: 4Y NBD International (Next Business Day) On-site + CompleteCare 4Y Accidental Damage Cover
Price: £1369
Set
So what's new in comparison to the predecessor of the of the M6300, the Precision M90?
* New range of Intel Core 2 Duo processors - up to X7900 (2.80GHz 4M L2 Cache, 800MHz) in the USA and T7800 (2.60GHz 4MB L2 cache 800MHz FSB) in the UK
* NVIDIA Quadro FX 1600M replaced nVidia Quadro FX 1500M
* 802.11n generation of wireless networking
Reasons for Buying
I am a web developer/graphic designer and was looking for a desktop replacement that would most of the time stay on my desk. I sometimes also play games like Warcraft III, Counter Strike etc. That is why I was ready to sacrifice its mobility and focus on a high performance machine. I wanted something robust and powerful that will last for another 5 years. In the very beginning I didn't see a big difference between consumer and business laptops. I was lucky enough to receive comments from people explaining that, as the laptop is my business tool, I should concentrate on business lines of HP, Dell and Lenovo. The last brand was not an option as good Lenovo ThinkPad laptops are above my budget (£1,300) in the UK.
I wrote down my priority list:
1. Performance - dedicated graphic card (256MB) with high quality screen, min. 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM
2. Reliability - good warranty options and customer support
3. Robust - bulletproof construction
4. On budget (£1300)
5. Windows XP - this was very important to me as after many Vista-horror stories I decided that I don't want to waste time on dealing with problems and sacrificing laptops performance for bells and whistles.
As Dell have a very good reputation in terms of customer support & warranty service and you can get a bit more for money than with HP, I decided to choose something from the Latitude or Precision series.
The biggest challenge for me was finding the right screen and resolution. I know many people have a headache here as well.
I had the following options:
1. 1280x800 - not a high enough resolution for me
2. 1440x900 - I picked this resolution, right in the middle
3. 1680x1050 on 15.4" and 1920x1200 on 17" - too high a resolution for me, small text, too far from my target web design resolutions and wouldn't be able to play in native resolution in some games.
I was ready to consider 17" 1680x1050 but it was not available in Latitude/Precision series and I finally decided to go with Precision M6300 17" 1440x900.
So, Dell offered all the options I wanted for this very specific configuration (with XP on board to avoid any downgrades).
Where and How Purchased
I was recommended to call the Dell sales line as there is a possibility to get some discount compared to an online option. Overall I was able to go down to £1,369 including shipping (around £90 cheaper than from the Internet). I know some people managed to grab more, but it was all right for me.
I am a bit disappointed that with a laptop for such a price Dell doesn't offer any freebies - a mouse or a cheap bag would make a difference. People buy experience as well as the product, right?
Build & Design
The build & design of the M6300 in my opinion is a 10 out of 10:
1. Design - I like aluminum-like lid, grey, black and silver finishes. I am aware the design is outdated and a lot of people find it ugly but I like this Spartan look.
2. Build - magnesium-alloy chassis, patented Strike-Zone technology to protect your screen, very solid especially on the bottom (the surface there is like a stone).
3. Others
1. all LEDs are in the right places and they don't cause disrupts
2. media keys on the front panel are useful especially for watching DVDs
3. there is also a fifth rubber foot so you can keep laptop stable when working with a battery taken out (some people from the forum put it in the fridge to keep it cool while working on AC:-)
4. charge indicator on the battery is a nice feature
5. fingerprint reader is well located.
With its weight (8.5 lbs/3.8 kg), it is a tank, but I don't think anyone buying a 17" laptop will care much about its portability (AC adaptor is a brick too).
Screen
As I mentioned before, the 17" WXGA+ (1440x900) screen was my pick as WUXGA (1920x1200) has too high a resolution and WSXGA+ (1680x1050) was not available. I have heard people complaining on the screen of my choice in the previous model, the Precision M90, but I decided to take a risk... only to be very disappointed. I was still lucky enough to receive an LG-Philips screen - brilliant colors, sharp, no grainy issue but with poor viewing angles and the right side much darker that the rest of it. There was also a light bleed all the way at the bottom and dark bottom corners, but it wasn't an issue for me. An LCD screen should be the strongest point of a laptop targeted to designers' audience. In this case it was opposite.
I spent a few days working on it, mainly in Photoshop, and decided I needed to try a screen replacement. I can't understand why they had decided to put such screens in a high-end laptop for designers. There were more people asking the same question regarding the M90 and the issue is still unresolved. For games this screen is perfect - angles did not bother me at all, but when working in Photoshop I could feel a difference. I had to sit down comfortable on a chair, choose the perfect position of the screen in which I would see 70-80% of it nice and clearly, but with every move of my head the brightness location was changing, it was very hard to make sure colors were picked correctly etc.
I called technical support and they replaced the screen the next day. Unfortunately I couldn't witness this operation and when I came home I realized there was an AUO grainy screen inside with a very dark left bottom side and poor colors.
What happened next? You will find out below in a Customer Support section.
Speakers
Good quality sound makes my work more comfortable and I can enjoy time spent while working on my laptop. With M6300 you receive a nice sound system - more what you can expect from inbuilt laptop speakers and crystal clear sound coming out from even standard headphones. This is a real multimedia laptop and even watching DVD does not require external speakers.
Processor and Performance
As the laptop has a Windows XP on board there are no issues with booting and waking up from a sleep mode. The hard drive spins at 7200rpm and I would say it is quite noisy. I used many laptops before and barely noticed the HDD working. I chose the Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz with 2GB RAM on XP there is a maximum comfort while working with a few applications opened (Photoshop, a few Firefox windows, Winamp, FTP etc.). Unfortunately I couldn't test its performance on any 3D application which is a shame as this model is dedicated for this sort of applications.
From a spec perspective, this laptop is a monster, I wouldn't expect anything more. Even for gaming it delivers brilliant results (see benchmarks below).
Benchmarks
* Super Pi - 52s
* 3DMark05 - 10,163
* 3DMark06 - 5,438
Heat and Noise
I haven't experienced any problems with extensive heat (palm rests etc.) or noise apart from a HDD that's a bit too loud, but this is something you just get used to. The optical drive works without any extensive noises. What is the most important, even with the fans turned on the noise is really low - it is hard to notice sometimes.
Keyboard and Touchpad
I don't use the touchpad much, but this one seems alright and with the third middle key programmable it gives an additional option making your life easier. The only disadvantage I can see regarding the touchpad is a small scroll area, especially if you compare it to HP laptops.
I am very petty when it comes to keyboards. I like comfort for my fingers and wrists. The one in the M6300 is alright, although I am not a big fan of it, comparing it to an HP laptop keyboard, I would say the HP one is a bit better. There is no flex issue at all. I like the way keyboard is situated - as there is no numeric pad it is right in the middle and there is a lot of space around it.
Some people may find a lack of a numeric pad as a disadvantage.
Input and Output Ports
The M6300 is a masterpiece when it comes to input and output ports. The greatest point about Input and Output Ports is their placement. Desktop replacements usually have many things plugged in and when working without a docking station it really helps to have all cables and ports under control.
Left side - two USB ports (great for memory sticks and cameras) and a DVD drive - very convenient when using mouse (right-handed users). Nice and simple.
Left_side
Back - here you can find all ports that you won't swap too often so you can plug in many devices and just forget about cables - AC adapter connector, DVI/VGA port for external screens, 4 USB (for a mouse, scanner, printer etc.), network and modem cable (many laptops have them on the left or right side which is not a perfect solution), S-video TV-out.
Back
Right side - all card slots in one place - smart card, ExpressCard, media card; IEEE 1394 and audio connectors
Right_side
As you can see above, you not only have all I/O ports you need but they are also perfectly placed.
Wireless
I chose Intel 4965 Wireless card (a/g/n) but as I have a standard router I couldn't have test its full capability. Generally, it worke find without any problems.
Battery
The Precision M6300 had a 9-cell battery in standard. On the maximum brightness it works around 3 hours - watching DVDs, working on a few not very demanding applications. I suspect that when running 3D programs it will go down to 2 hours.
Operating System and Software:
I decided to go with Windows XP for maximum performance and reliability. I didn't want to take part in a "public beta testing" of Microsoft Vista. I decided I don't need Vista. Most people want new things, I'd rather concentrate on maximizing something that works well. For me, operating system should be a background - like a desk I work on. Applications and what I do on the screen is what matters.
I received three disks with the laptop - a copy of Windows XP, Roxio multimedia application and drivers & utilities. The M6300 does not come with a Recovery partition (although there is an instruction in the manual how to recover your system from it). There is only an EISA configuration partition with diagnostic tools on it.
I did not find any unnecessary software on it. PowerDVD & Roxio application were the only ones other than drivers / utilities. Even Google Desktop wasn't on the HDD.
Customer Support:
I took a CompleteCare Accidental Damage for 4 years to protect my business for years - as a freelance my laptop is my workshop.
As I described in the Screen section, I wasn't satisfied with the LCD, so I called the technical department and asked for a replacement. They arranged it and a technical guy arrived a day later. They replaced it with an AUO screen which was even worse including grainy issue, bad colors, very dark left bottom side of the screen. I am quite surprised that the technician did not put the LG back. But he was asked to replace it and not to do quality tests. I called the techs again and explained that the new screen is even worse. They said they can replace it again but they cannot decide which brand of an LCD that will be. I was informed I can call Sales to find out if they can send a screen manufactured by a company of my choice.
The tech guy also asked if I wanted to try with a higher resolution (WUXGA 1920x1200) but I said it was too high for me.
After being tired of all the calls I decided to return it. I wouldn't be so petty with the screen if I used this laptop for gaming or if it was cheaper but for £1400 I expected something more than just an average screen. If there are generally problems with WXGA screens, then they should have start fitting WSXGA and save some pain to their customers.
It was 14 days since the laptop had arrived and I was glad that they allowed me to return it with a full refund (business customers in the UK have 7 days for it). They sent a courier on the next day and collected the laptop. On the another day I had a call from a customer service confirming my money should be back on my credit card within 3-5 days and I would be called after that time to make sure everything is fine. The same day I got a call from a technical support staff member and then again from a supervisor to find out if the case is resolved and if I have any additional questions.
To summarize, I am really surprised with the Dell Customer Care. Although my problem wasn't resolved, I was able to return the laptop. I couldn't have expected more. I bought a Dell laptop after reading recommendations that they have the best customer service on the market and I can confirm that. They gave me all support I needed. Higher resolution would have solved my issue, if I had decided to go for it.
I am a bit disappointed that WXGA screen was not as good as expected as all other aspects were perfect for me. I really liked M6300. It is a solid laptop and great value for money.
After returning the M6300 I am considering the HP 8710p. It has a WSXGA+ (1680x1020) wide-angles screen available, is fitted with a numeric pad and is a bit lighter and thinner. I won't get the same value for money and customer care but I hope I will be satisfied with its screen.
Conclusion
The Precision M6300 is a high-end desktop replacement with many available configurations and one of the best customer service and warranty terms on the market. 3D designers will appreciate its performance, sound quality and reliable chassis. It is built to last and gives maximum satisfaction as long as a specific build and design is not an obstacle and WUXGA screen is picked (WXGA will not be acceptable for most professionals).
Pros
* Great value for money - hardware & warranty terms
* High performance - a powerful laptop for 3D, video editing, graphic design
* Robust construction with well designed Input/Output ports
* Brilliant audio system
Cons
* Poor WXGA screen
* A bit bulky
* Lack of numeric pad
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Dell Precision M6300 laptop
