Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 on the Dell M1730

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

The Dell XPS M1730 is hands down one of the best all around enthusiast notebooks that I have ever used and I’ve been lucky enough to try out dozens over the past few years. Our test system was configured with all nearly all the bells and whistles though, so it should be impressive! How much will a system like this cost you? Well, if you go to Dell.com to build and price the same system we are using today it will set you back over $4,000!

For those wiling to spend that much they will get one great notebook. The Dell XPS M1730 was easy to overclock and it was able to run the Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 all the way up to 3.4GHz with full stability. With the system overclocked we were able to break 10,000 3DMarks in 3DMark 2006 and run faster than many of the desktops on the market today. Intel has done a great job with the Core 2 Extreme X9000 as they were able to deliver a fast part that has room for overclocking and efficient enough to drop power consumption levels. Notebooks are usually tough to overclock and things tend to overheat, but the X9000 doesn’t have those problems since it is a 35W part. If all notebook processors ran as good as this one desktops would have been extinct long ago!

In the coming weeks Intel will be launching the Centrino 2 platform (Montevina) and that new platform will be using new chipsets that will only help the Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 processor to perform even better. Things are going great for Intel as they are dominating the mobile and desktop processor market with the fastest performing parts in both areas. AMD’s Puma platform has been officially released and features AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processors, but we have yet to see any hardcore gaming notebooks using the new platform. AMD better hurry up because Intel is set to get another performance boost with Centrino 2!

Legit Bottom Line: The Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme Mobile X9000 processor is by far the best all around gaming/enthusiast processor I have ever seen. It runs fast right out of the box, but when overclocked the monster inside comes out and crushes everything in its path with great power efficiency!