The Ultimate Budget Desktop Replacement for £624? Dell Vostro 1710 with Ubuntu 8.10 x86_64 review.

I recently purchased a Dell Vostro 1710 17" laptop, with 2.1GHz Core2 Duo, 4GB RAM and 1920x1200 display for £624 + VAT.

The requirement was for a new machine to be used as a 'desktop replacement' laptop. As I'm a software developer, it needed a big screen, lots of ram, and to have virtualisation support in the CPU. Fast OpenGL support didn't hurt either :-)

I have added an OCZ Vertex drive. This gives a fast SSD drive for the OS and the second drive bay will let me use the 320GB drive to provide storage capacity. (If I can ever get a cable for it...) See SSD benchmarks for performance details.

I'm outlining a few pieces of information which I discovered.

  • The nVidia GeForce 8600M GS graphics work 'out of the box' with the 'nv' driver, and also works painlessly with the nVidia closed source driver.
  • There are two 2.5" HDD bays, but if you order a Dell Vostro with one drive, you will not get the cable required to add a second drive. Finding such a cable is very difficult.
  • The VGA out is the old-style VGA connector, not DVI.
  • There is no e-sata - but it does have firewire.
  • The webcam does not work, yet. Though I've read that it does on 32 bit.
  • SSD slots works.
  • The fingerprint reader can work, but requires a bit of configuration. (It is the well supported thompson device.
  • If you talk to your account manager, you can get them to replace the WiFi card with an 'Europe Intel Pro Wireless 3945 (802.11 a/b/g) MiniPCI Card'. This makes the wireless work with 64 bit linux, without ndis wrappers, etc. This option is not available on the Dell website - you have to talk to an account manager.
  • Your account manager may be able to arrange an additional discount to the purchase price. Robinson Mulegeri managed to do this (thank you).
  • The 1920x1200 17" display is excellent, and is a very worthwhile upgrade.
  • The big screen means that the touch pad is ineffective in moving the cursor. If you up the acceleration, this fixes the touch pad, but an external mouse becomes too fast to use.
  • The built in sound is really quite good.

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase - the only real flies in the ointment are the missing second hdd cable and the lack of integral webcam support in Ubuntu 8.10.

If there's any more information which I can provide, let me know with a comment below.

chris@vostro:~$ lspci 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c) 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port (rev 0c) 00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03) 00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03) 00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03) 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03) 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03) 00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03) 00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03) 00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03) 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03) 00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03) 00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03) 00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03) 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3) 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03) 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 8600M GS (rev a1) 06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02) 07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02) 08:05.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): O2 Micro, Inc. Firewire (IEEE 1394) (rev 02) 08:05.2 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MMC/SD Controller (rev 02) 08:05.3 Mass storage controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MS/xD Controller (rev 01)

chris@vostro:~$ lsusb Bus 007 Device 004: ID 0c45:63e0 Microdia Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 005 Device 002: ID 045e:00cb Microsoft Corp. Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 004 Device 003: ID 413c:8140 Dell Computer Corp. Wireless 360 Bluetooth Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

chris@vostro:~$ sudo lshw vostro

description: Portable Computer
product: Vostro1710
vendor: Dell Inc.
version: Null
serial: HCK974J
width: 64 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.4 dmi-2.4 vsyscall64 vsyscall32
configuration: boot=oem-specific chassis=portable

*-core

   description: Motherboard
   product: 0X805C
   vendor: Dell Inc.
   physical id: 0
   serial: .HCK974J.CN129618CJ2931.
 *-firmware
      description: BIOS
      vendor: Dell Inc.
      physical id: 1
      version: A10 (10/09/2008)
      size: 108KiB
      capabilities: isa pci pcmcia pnp upgrade shadowing escd cdboot acpi usb agp biosbootspecification
 *-cpu
      description: CPU
      product: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     T8100  @ 2.10GHz
      vendor: Intel Corp.
      physical id: 5
      bus info: cpu@0
      version: CPU Version
      slot: U2E1
      size: 1200MHz
      capacity: 1200MHz
      width: 64 bits
      clock: 800MHz
      capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx x86-64 constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl pni monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr sse4_1 lahf_lm ida cpufreq
    *-cache:0
         description: L1 cache
         physical id: 6
         size: 32KiB
         capacity: 32KiB
         capabilities: internal write-back
    *-cache:1
         description: L2 cache
         physical id: 7
         size: 3MiB
         capacity: 4MiB
         capabilities: burst internal write-back
 *-memory
      description: System Memory
      physical id: 11
      slot: System board or motherboard
      size: 4GiB
    *-bank:0
         description: SODIMM Synchronous 800 MHz (1.2 ns)
         product: M4 70T5663EH3-CF7
         vendor: CE00000000000000
         physical id: 0
         serial: 78742F43
         slot: JDIM1
         size: 2GiB
         width: 64 bits
         clock: 800MHz (1.2ns)
    *-bank:1
         description: SODIMM Synchronous 800 MHz (1.2 ns)
         product: M4 70T5663EH3-CF7
         vendor: CE00000000000000
         physical id: 1
         serial: 78743139
         slot: JDIM2
         size: 2GiB
         width: 64 bits
         clock: 800MHz (1.2ns)
 *-pci
      description: Host bridge
      product: Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub
      vendor: Intel Corporation
      physical id: 100
      bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
      version: 0c
      width: 32 bits
      clock: 33MHz
    *-pci:0
         description: PCI bridge
         product: Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1
         bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
         version: 0c
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
       *-display
            description: VGA compatible controller
            product: GeForce 8600M GS
            vendor: nVidia Corporation
            physical id: 0
            bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
            version: a1
            width: 64 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
            configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0 module=nvidia
    *-usb:0
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1a
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.0
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master
         configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-usb:1
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1a.1
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.1
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master
         configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-usb:2
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1a.7
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.7
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pm debug bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 module=ehci_hcd
    *-multimedia
         description: Audio device
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1b
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
         version: 03
         width: 64 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0 module=snd_hda_intel
    *-pci:1
         description: PCI bridge
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1c
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.0
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
    *-pci:2
         description: PCI bridge
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1c.1
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.1
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
    *-pci:3
         description: PCI bridge
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1c.3
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.3
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
       *-network
            description: Wireless interface
            product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
            vendor: Intel Corporation
            physical id: 0
            bus info: pci@0000:06:00.0
            logical name: wmaster0
            version: 02
            serial: 00:1f:3c:c9:7c:81
            width: 32 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list logical ethernet physical wireless
            configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl3945 ip=212.56.103.90 latency=0 module=iwl3945 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
    *-pci:4
         description: PCI bridge
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1c.4
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.4
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=pcieport-driver
       *-network
            description: Ethernet interface
            product: RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
            vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
            physical id: 0
            bus info: pci@0000:07:00.0
            logical name: eth0
            version: 02
            serial: 00:21:70:d6:5c:59
            size: 10MB/s
            capacity: 1GB/s
            width: 64 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
            configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=half latency=0 link=no module=r8169 multicast=yes port=MII speed=10MB/s
    *-usb:3
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1d
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master
         configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-usb:4
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1d.1
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.1
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master
         configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-usb:5
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1d.2
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.2
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: bus_master
         configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-usb:6
         description: USB Controller
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1d.7
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.7
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pm debug bus_master cap_list
         configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 module=ehci_hcd
    *-pci:5
         description: PCI bridge
         product: 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1e
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1e.0
         version: f3
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: pci bus_master cap_list
       *-firewire
            description: FireWire (IEEE 1394)
            product: Firewire (IEEE 1394)
            vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
            physical id: 5
            bus info: pci@0000:08:05.0
            version: 02
            width: 32 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
            configuration: driver=ohci1394 latency=64 module=ohci1394
       *-system
            description: SD Host controller
            product: Integrated MMC/SD Controller
            vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
            physical id: 5.2
            bus info: pci@0000:08:05.2
            version: 02
            width: 32 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
            configuration: driver=sdhci-pci latency=32 module=sdhci_pci
       *-storage UNCLAIMED
            description: Mass storage controller
            product: Integrated MS/xD Controller
            vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
            physical id: 5.3
            bus info: pci@0000:08:05.3
            version: 01
            width: 32 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: storage pm cap_list
            configuration: latency=32
    *-isa
         description: ISA bridge
         product: 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1f
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
         configuration: latency=0
    *-ide
         description: IDE interface
         product: 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1f.1
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.1
         logical name: scsi0
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         capabilities: ide bus_master emulated
         configuration: driver=ata_piix latency=0 module=ata_piix
       *-cdrom
            description: DVD-RAM writer
            product: DVD+-RW AD-7640A
            vendor: Optiarc
            physical id: 0.0.0
            bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
            logical name: /dev/cdrom
            logical name: /dev/cdrw
            logical name: /dev/dvd
            logical name: /dev/dvdrw
            logical name: /dev/scd0
            logical name: /dev/sr0
            version: JD06
            capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
            configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open
    *-storage
         description: SATA controller
         product: 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1f.2
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
         logical name: scsi2
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 66MHz
         capabilities: storage msi pm bus_master cap_list emulated
         configuration: driver=ahci latency=0 module=ahci
       *-disk
            description: ATA Disk
            product: OCZ       VERTEX
            physical id: 0.0.0
            bus info: scsi@2:0.0.0
            logical name: /dev/sda
            version: 00.P
            serial: 48OEX2VSBWZJ7F1M616L
            size: 30GiB (32GB)
            capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
            configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=989c83e8
          *-volume
               description: EXT3 volume
               vendor: Linux
               physical id: 1
               bus info: scsi@2:0.0.0,1
               logical name: /dev/sda1
               logical name: /
               logical name: /dev/.static/dev
               version: 1.0
               serial: e875b10b-65ca-4b5e-9c60-3f69e16123c8
               size: 30GiB
               capacity: 30GiB
               capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
               configuration: created=2009-03-14 14:29:36 filesystem=ext3 label=vostro-root modified=2009-03-14 15:06:51 mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=ro,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2009-03-14 14:48:03 state=mounted
    *-serial UNCLAIMED
         description: SMBus
         product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller
         vendor: Intel Corporation
         physical id: 1f.3
         bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
         version: 03
         width: 32 bits
         clock: 33MHz
         configuration: latency=0

*-battery

   description: Lithium Ion Battery
   product: SANYO     06/01/01
   vendor: SANYO     06/01/01
   physical id: 1
   slot: Rear
   capacity: 57720mWh
   configuration: voltage=11.1V

*-network DISABLED

   description: Ethernet interface
   physical id: 2
   logical name: pan0
   serial: fe:fc:26:b6:40:ea
   capabilities: ethernet physical
   configuration: broadcast=yes driver=bridge driverversion=2.3 firmware=N/A link=yes multicast=yes

Posted on 14 March 2009.