Dell Precision 17 – 7730 Laptop Review

The Precision 7730 is the only laptop you need to consider if you want the maximum power possible, regardless of cost or size. This workstation offers lightning-fast speed and a gorgeous, colorful 4K display. This powerful computer strikes (nearly) all the right notes when premium design, a comfortable keyboard, and durable construction are taken into account.

Unfortunately, there are some problems with battery life and heat control. Additionally, not everyone can afford the Precision 7730’s hefty $5,534 price. Take the jump, though, and invest in a Precision 7730 if you’re an expert or creative who requires a powerful workstation. You won’t regret it.

Dell Precision 17 7730

Technical Specifications

Pros and Cons

Dell Precision 17 – 7730 Review

Display

The very high-end unit I tested was equipped with the 17-inch Dell Ultrasharp display option. That panel bears a 4K resolution (3,840 by 2,160 pixels) and IGZO technology. IGZO, for indium gallium zinc oxide, is a seldom-seen alternative to IPS-style screens, offering the same near-limitless off-center viewing angles and strong contrast and color performance.

The deciding point, in this case, is more the native 4K. Professionals using numerous applications may find that resolution to be quite helpful because it allows for more screen space on the computer to display many windows. Additionally, it can be crucial for individuals who edit media in 4K for video, photos, or 3D. The addition of the 4K IGZO display raises the price from the standard model by $182, so others will want to consider how very much they need it. It seems a little less contemporary because the display is surrounded by pretty large bezels as opposed to the Precision 5530’s thin design. The screen quality itself is decent but not outstanding, in contrast to the Precision 5530’s stunning 4K display.

Design & Built

Lift the Dell Precision 7730 with both arms to protect your wrists. Even better, if you have a reputable chiropractor, travel with this setup in a bag. The laptop weighs 7.5 pounds, which is heavier than the HP ZBook 17 G4 (7.1 pounds), but less than the sumo-sized Lenovo ThinkPad P71 (8 pounds). Although the Dell device is thinner than its forerunner, its 16.3 x 10.8 x 1.2-inch chassis is best left idle on a desk. The HP ZBook 17 G4 is bigger on either end than its rival, the Lenovo ThinkPad P71, which is nearly the same dimensions (16.4 x 10.4 x 1.2 inches) (16.5 x 11 x 1.3 inches).

The Precision 7730 radiates style because of its high-quality, long-lasting components, including a carbon-fiber top, a soft-touch deck, and a metal frame. The machine will draw attention because of its size, but it also has an attractive industrial black and silver appearance.

A small LED battery indication on the front lip, aggressive twin vents, and a polished metal deck trim are all appreciated upgrades. Just wish the panel bezels were smaller and the lid wasn’t such a magnet for fingerprints.

When holding the Precision 7730, don’t worry about your arms going out; this tank can withstand a fall. According to Dell, the business laptop approved 15 MIL-SPEC endurance tests, including ones for harsh temperatures, dirt, shock, and drop.

Keyboard & Touchpad

The chiclet-style keypad with Numpad has an actuation force of 69 grams and a key duration of 1.6 millimeters (1.5mm to 2mm is suggested). It is comfortable to use, even for extended periods of time. The illuminated keys are substantial and tactile, well-spaced, and provide satisfying amounts of feedback. Dell Precision 7730’s 3.9 x 2.1-inch trackpad is quite tiny for a laptop of size. Fortunately, it compensated for its scale by responsive swiftly to my actions, such as pinching to zoom, tapping with four fingers to access settings, and swiping with three fingers to switch between applications.

The Precision 7730’s touchpad, which measures 3.9 by 2.1 inches, is quite tiny for a computer of size. Thankfully, despite its size, it responded fast to my actions, such as pinching to zoom, tapping with four fingers to open settings, and three-finger swipe to switch between programs.

Performance

A powerhouse in terms of performance is Precision 7730. The Precision 7730, which has an Intel Core i9-8950HK processor and 32GB of RAM, added 30 Microsoft Edge tabs swiftly, four of which were playing YouTube videos and two of which were streaming Fortnite Game on Twitch.

The laptop opened the Xbox & 3D Paint Windows applications without busting a sweat even with that intense job happening in the background. Yes, impressive, but not unexpected given that the Precision 7730 is designed to handle the most taxing jobs, such as video encoding & 3D rendering.

The Precision 7730 finished our Excel – based Test, which entails identifying 65,000 names to their respective addresses, in only 1 min and 19 seconds. The average for workstations is slightly slower, at 1:21.

The Geekbench 4 total performance test result for this laptop was a very respectable 23,130. This score is much higher than the workstation average (15,839), the Lenovo ThinkPad P71 (15,972), and the HP ZBook 17 G4 (15,839) (15,252).

The Precision offers extremely quick storage as well. The workstation’s dual 512GB M.2 PCIe SSDs replicated 4.97GB of mixed-media data in 9 seconds on our file transfer test, for a speed of 565 MB/s. That is faster than the workstation average (505.6 MBps) and the Lenovo ThinkPad P71’s rate (463 MBps), but it falls short of the HP ZBook 17 G4’s lightning-fast dual-SSDs (848 MBps). The Precision 7730 completed a 4K to 1080p video transcoding task using the HandBrake application in only 8 minutes & 59 seconds, which is more than twice as quickly as the workstation laptop average (17:44).

Graphics & Gaming

With 16GB of GDDR5 memory, the Nvidia Quadro P5200 GPU has the capacity to handle the most graphically demanding software or the newest games at high settings. With this Graphics processor, the Precision 7730 outperformed the workstation average (3,643), the Lenovo ThinkPad P71 (3,588), and the HP ZBook 17 G4 (3,643) with a score of 3,953 in the 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra simulated graphics test (1,490).

Drifting through hairpin curves should feel butter smooth because the Precision 7730 ran the racing videogame Dirt 3 at 223 frames per second. The identical game ran at 171 frames per second on the HP ZBook 17 G4 with an Nvidia Quadro P5000.

Audio

The audio quality of the system is likewise quite good. The speakers have a high volume range and offer more bass than I’m used to from laptop technology, particularly in the professional or business world. The Dell Precision-17-7730 can provide whether you want high-quality audio for business or just want the ability to stream music from system loudspeakers while you create.

Connectivity

The Dell Precision 7730 doesn’t scrimp on the number of ports, which is exactly what one would wish for and anticipate from a workstation. The chassis is equipped with a headphone jack, an Ethernet jack, two USB Type-C ports that enable Thunderbolt 3, three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an Sd card slot, HDMI & mini DisplayPort outlets, an Ethernet socket, and two USB Type-C ports which support DisplayPort. A fingerprint scanner and a SmartCard reader are also included in our apparatus, which allows for more secure sign-in procedures. You have alternatives for virtually any peripheral and display-output situation with them, especially considering the daisy-chaining potential of Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Battery

Even with the additional 97Wh battery that may be purchased separately, the Dell Precision 17-7730’s charge does not last very long. During the Laptop Battery Test, which involves nonstop web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The device shut down after only 4 hours and 14 minutes of operation. Even while the Lenovo ThinkPad P71 (5:57) & HP ZBook 17 G4 (5:23) lasted for over an hour longer, neither of these workstations came close to the workstation walk average (6:49).

Others

Heating

After we watched a 15-minute HD YouTube video, the Precision 7730 couldn’t maintain its cooling. The bottom (108 degrees) and the middle of the keyboard heated up to just above our 95-degree safety threshold while the touchpad remained at a pleasant 83 degrees Fahrenheit. A worrying 110 degrees were recorded by the exhaust on the underside.

Webcam

The webcam on the Dell Precision 17-7730 works fine. The 720p lens generates unnatural-looking hues but manages to capture a respectable amount of information. My face appeared oversaturated in red in a selfie I took in our darkly lit office, and the clothing I was dressed in was so black that I couldn’t see the grid of white dots on it.

Conclusion

A fantastic workstation with class-leading functionality and a vibrant, brilliant 4K display is the Dell Precision 17-7730. The cherry on top is a comfy keyboard, an upscale design, and a powerful GPU. It would be nice if the laptop’s battery lasted a few more hours and the casing didn’t get uncomfortable and heated while under a lot of strain.

There is fierce competition for the Dell Precision 17-7730. The HP ZBook 17 G4, which costs $6,059, likewise boasts a stunning display and blazing-fast speed, but it stayed cool during our tests and has a far longer battery life. The HP workstation, in contrast, hand, has a dull design and a relatively dark display. Another intriguing workstation is the $4,643 Lenovo ThinkPad P71, which features a wonderful keyboard and a color-correcting 4K display. The Precision 7730’s hard drive can, however, outperform the P71’s.

If you can afford it, the Dell Precision 17-7730 is a fantastic all-around workstation laptop that I heartily recommend.