A 15.4-inch Core 2 Duo multimedia notebook with discrete GeForce graphics, HDMI and a slot-loading optical drive, introduced in 2007.
Size
15.4″
Display
60 Hz
Processor
Intel Core 2
Memory
2 GB
Weight
2.67 kg
Battery
–
What reviewers say
Both reviews praise the design, comfortable keyboard and useful performance. Notebookcheck finds quiet idle operation and controlled temperatures, but criticises uneven assembly gaps, reflections and narrow viewing angles on its 1280 × 800 screen. Laptop Mag prefers its higher-resolution display and Blu-ray-equipped configuration, while finding choppy webcam video. Both find limited speaker quality; battery results vary with the fitted six- or nine-cell pack.
15.4-inch TrueLife LCD; main screen is the original 1280 × 800 CCFL option at 60 Hz and 220 cd/m². Revised maker manual also lists 1440 × 900 CCFL at 250 cd/m², 1440 × 900 WLED at 300 cd/m² and 1680 × 1050 CCFL at 200 cd/m²
Screen finish
Glossy TrueLife surface
Display features
Up to 140° opening angle in Dell's manual
Performance
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
CPU cores
2
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Memory
2 GB
Storage
160 GB
CPU
Core 2 Duo options; listed T7500, 2 GB and 160 GB pairing with 1440 × 900 display is the exact January 2008 US Laptop Mag review configuration. Later revised owner manual adds 45 nm Core 2 and Japan-only Celeron options
GPU
GeForce 8400M GS with 128 MB or GeForce 8600M GT with 256 MB dedicated DDR3 memory. Dell's revised manual labels the second GPU 8600M GS; the launch announcement describes DirectX 10 support and both exact-model reviews identify 8600M GT in tested configurations
Memory type
Two user-accessible DDR2-667 SO-DIMM slots; revised maker manual maximum 8 GB, while December 2007 Notebookcheck review states 4 GB
Storage type
Internal replaceable hard drive; listed US review configuration has a 160 GB 5400 rpm drive and optional slot-loading Blu-ray. Slot-loading DVD±RW was also available
Battery and size
Weight
2.67 kg
Thickness
35.1 mm
Width × depth
357 × 263 mm
Battery life detail
Six-cell and nine-cell smart lithium-ion packs; Dell publishes 11.1 V but no Wh capacity or runtime claim. Notebookcheck identifies 56 Wh and 85 Wh options. Main weight describes the six-cell configuration; thickness varies from 23.7 to 35.1 mm in the maker manual
Charger
65 W or 90 W adapter; 100–240 V AC input
Fast charging
Approximately three hours with the computer switched off
Materials
Brushed aluminium accents; aluminium, magnesium and steel chassis components described by Notebookcheck
Colours
Tuxedo Black, Crimson Red and Alpine White in Dell's reproduced introduction announcement
Three USB 2.0 Type-A, HDMI, VGA, seven-pin S-Video, four-pin IEEE 1394, 10/100 Ethernet, two headphone outputs and microphone input; ExpressCard/34 or /54 slot and eight-format card reader. WLAN, optional WWAN, UWB and Bluetooth in Dell's manual; wireless standards depend on the installed card
Keyboard
86 keys US/Canada, 87 Europe, 90 Japan or 88 Brazil; QWERTY, AZERTY or Kanji layouts
Trackpad
71.7 × 34.0 mm active area; separate buttons
Speakers
Two speakers, 2 W per channel; Sigmatel STAC9228 audio controller
Biometrics
Fingerprint reader included in the reproduced Dell launch announcement
Configurations
Processor
Memory
Storage
Graphics
Screen
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
2 GB
160 GB
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
1440 × 900, 60 Hz
Pros and cons
Pros
+HDMI, VGA and S-Video alongside three USB ports
+Two headphone outputs and a separate microphone input
+Accessible memory slots and replaceable hard drive
Cons
−Glossy TrueLife screen
−No docking connector
−Larger nine-cell battery raises the rear of the chassis
