Hi,
I have an XPS M1730 running Windows 7. Recently the screen would go black intermittently. As I used the computer, the instances would occur more frequently and last longer until it would just stay black and not come back up at all. I can see light if I look closely and cup my hands, but no image.
The perplexing part was that when I plugged a TV in via HDMI, the screen on the computer came up too… and stayed up after a couple of sputters! I've taken everything apart and reseated the video card. I've also reinstalled the driver.
Dare I hope that this is software related and not too expensive to fix? I’ve been reading a bunch of terrible posts about fried video cards!



Thanks,
Shannon

OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9500 @ 2.60GHz, x64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 6
Processor Count: 2
RAM: 3070 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT, 256 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 292356 MB, Free - 78462 MB; D: Total - 10239 MB, Free - 9977 MB;
Motherboard: Dell Inc., 0KX412
Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials, Updated and Enabled

Could you provide the Dell Service Tag number. It gives more accurate
info about your PC. When I google or search Dell for Dell XPS M1730 it brings up Laptops.

You talk about a Video Card so it must be a desktop. You said you
reseated the Card and made sure it was in the slot all the way.
Does this Card have a Fan on it. Did you make sure the fan is running?
I have lost a few Video Cards due to the fan craping out.

Have you swaped out a monitor other than your TV using HDMI?

Is the HDMI built into the Video Card or on your Motherboard?

If the HDMI is in the Motherboard the Video Card could be bad

If the HDMI is in the Video Card then it points to a bad Monitor.

It's either a bad Video Card or your Monitor is bad.
Most of what your saying points to a bad monitor, video is working on
TV if it comes from the HDMI on the Video Card.

I have started in safe mode and deleted the driver. Then downloaded and installed it again from the NVIDIA site as directed by Windows 7. The Dell Service tag is CL2WRH1. It’s an XPS M1730 I bought on 12/1/08, so it’s only about 3 years old.

There are two fans on the NVIDIA GeForce 8700M graphics card and they both seem to be turning just fine. I’m running SpeedFan and the temperature does get up to about 72. But, from what I’ve read, that is normal. (It looks like the HDMI is on the video card.)

Unfortunately, I don’t have another computer that I can switch it out with to test, nor do I have any other monitors.

If your HDMI port works on your Video card I am fairly certain it's not
the Video card. Some TVs also have a VGA/DVI port(PC In) if you see a VGA/DVI Port on the back or side of the TV and try that and if that works it would be the same as testing a regular monitor. If that works
it is not your Video Card. I think your monitor is gone.

Sigh. After running perfectly for a day, it went kaput again. This time it's not coming back up. I deleted the driver again, intending to reinstall it. But when I rebooted, neither the screen nor the HDMI connected TV worked. This problem is so fickle! At any rate, I'm now without any in-home repair options (I think) and now I'm just trying to guage the cost/type of repair I'll be looking at.
If I can see the glow behind the screen, does that mean it's more likely to be the GPU at fault here?

Perhaps you just need a new Video Card. They are not hard to install.
Now what your saying sounds like it's a bad Video Card.
Just make sure you buy the right kind.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_8700M_techspecs.html

PCI Express® x16

DIAMOND 3650PE1G-PB-R Radeon HD 3650 1GB DDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready Video Card. It is a Refurb but only $50.00. It's the only one
of the x16's with a gig of ram. I often buy reburbs and most of
the time they are like new.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103209

Here's some at Tiger Direct:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=28&sel=Detail%3B55_158_76437_76437

That Refurb at NewEgg looks like the best deal.

Thanks for the leads! Dell wants $180 for a lower end replacement 8700M GT 128. I'm thinking it over. It's nice to have lots of options!

I would shop around, for $180.00 you can get something a lot better
and newer. I think that is way too much for an older card with
256 or 512 ram.

None of these are options that will work for you. That is a laptop
and if Dell is offering to replace your Video card in a laptop for
$180.00 that is not a bad deal. I say do it. The laptop is nice, not
that old and worth it. You will be taking too many chances buying it
and installing properly.

That is not a really bad price if it is at least 512 ram in it.

I thought she meant that just the card was going to be that much. If they are going to do the work too for that price I'd say go for it too. It really is a pretty nice laptop.

MSU

Those aren't going to work Mike. In her first post she states that it is a Dell XPS M1730. Which happens to indeed be a laptop. It uses nVidia GeForce 8700M GT graphics (the "M" stands for mobile).

MSU

This is from her 1st post. I know the M means a laptop
but it seems like she is talking about a desktop.

"I've taken everything apart and reseated the video card."

I was also looking at the specks she posted and talks about a
card.

Reseating a laptop Video Card is hard to do if at all.

If its a laptop her Video Processor blew. happens a lot.

I wonder if this is what she has. Except it's 512MB instead of the 256MB in her specs. It is in the price range that Dell quoted her. Except the one they quoted was only 128MB.

MSU

It must be.
Did she ever post the Service Tag for her Dell?

CL2WRH1

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04



It is a Laptop after all....it had to be

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

Ah, I see you found her service tag I initially missed it too.

MSU

Removing the video card.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsm1730/en/sm/sysboard.htm#wp1032623

Don't let that little picture fool you. It's quite involved, as I'm sure you know, if you follow the sub-links to get to the point of actually pulling the card.

MSU

I know tearing into one of those is a tiny screw nightmare.
My eyes can't take much of that.

She is lucky it has a video card that can be removed and replaced.
I am curious about the HDMI it is usually built into the motherboard
on laptops.

I am wondering if it could be a bad motherboard.

You may be right about the HDMI. Anyplace I found selling the cards, all of them used, gave very little info on the specs. I found this picture of the card and don't see an HDMI port.

MSU

Attachment #1, (jpg file)

That's not an HDMI card, That is a DVI connection. HDMI carries both digital video and sound.

Shelly

Umm...we know that. The original poster was talking about an HDMI connection on her laptop and we were questioning whether it was on the card or on the motherboard. I posted the picture to show that there isn't one on the card. Which I thought was pretty clear.

MSU

This is the Spec sheet for her Laptop. It does not seem to have any
HDMI just that DVI/Svideo out. When she was talking about connecting
to a TV she must have been using a DVI to HDMI cable.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsm1730/en/om_en/html/specs.htm#wp1085988

A new Video Card could be the fix

Thank you guys soooo much for all of your suggestions! And I'm very sorry if my inept input was confusing.
Based on everything you've said. After a might phone and chat run-around with them, I went ahead and ordered a new graphics card from Dell (Yuck!) They said there were three options but that they had only one in stock. (They couldn't give me a price on any of the other alternatives that they could put on order.) It's a step down from my current card with only 128M memory. But if it does the trick, I'll be a happy camper.
It was quite a chore taking the laptop apart to get to the graphics card when I tried reseating it. But I found an excelllent two part video tutorial on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yklqhb7PRXY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=OIlwewNnQV8
It made the ordeal bearable, but not exactly fun.
When I get the new part installed (It should be here in a week) I'll let you know the verdict. I REALLY hope it's not the mother board. I think that would render this supposedly high end 3 yr old computer a paper weight!

Thanks for letting us know. Fingers Crossed on the new Video Card.
I think that should do the trick. Can you return it if it does not solve
your problem? Let us know how it turns out.

P.S. You are correct in that I was using a DVI to HDMI cable. Just another instance of "watchamacallitness".

Woops! Messages crossed paths. Yes, I can send it back if it doesn't do the trick. It still burns me that shortly after I bought this computer, Dell upgraded the graphics card to the 8800. But they don't have any in stock and the ones I've seen online are horrendously expensive. So I'm stuck with a downgrade. I know I'll be looking at component replacability the next time I buy a laptop (which I hope will not be too soon!)

That sucks, but 128 meg is ok for most of the things you may do on it.
Did you ask how long would you need to wait for the better card?

Edit:
That ebay listing ended.

With what I'm guessing a better card would cost, I don't think it'll fit the financial picture right now. I originally opted for the 256 because I did a little video editing and thought it would help.

I found this one

Dell XPS M1730 nVidia GeForce 8700m GT 512MB Video Card RW331

http://www.blueskyave.com/servlet/the-3748/RW331-XPS-M1730-Video/Detail

Oooh! That is a good deal. I was concerned about taking a refurb. But the warranty is the same as Dell's on a new one. What's your take on the new vs. refab situation?

MSU

I have bought many refurbs. If it is a Factory/Dell refurb and the
warranty is with them. This a good refurb. It seems to me that one
could fit that bill. I've received Refurbs that where new and never
touched.
Is the one your getting from dell new or refurb?

MSU

They're both refurbs. OK I'm taking a leap and cancelling the Dell order and getting this one. It really makes a lot more sense for the difference in cost, to up the memory to the top. Fingers crossed! I hope this is the solution and that it lasts!

Good Luck. Bumping that up to 512 VRam will be I nice boost to performance. Video really matters especially on a laptop.
Keep us informed.

YES! The replacement card did the trick! Thank you again so much for all of your help.
You are correct in that the new card makes an appreciable difference in performance, too. I was a little worried when it showed up looking a lot rougher than my old card. The black sheeting on the exterior looked bubbled, like it had been cooked. But it is operating just fine. I'm a little nervous because some sites suggest doing just that to repair the component. However, the consensus seemed to be that this was only a temporary fix at best. So I'll be watching carefully for the next 90 days!
At least the problem is isolated and things are working great!

P.S. Any ideas on what to do with the old graphics card? Are there places that specialize in repairing these harder to find items that may want to buy it from me for cheap?

Labor costs preclude a defective card from having any market value.

Shelly

Glad it was not the motherboard. I often see defective parts for sale
on Ebay. Actually I saw one of your cards (new one) being sold for
parts reasons. They wanted about $80 bucks for it. Perhaps craigs list
is worth a shot. Just make it clear it only being sold for parts and is
defective.

Glad it's working and as Shelly said, there ain't no one going to fix the defective card.

MSU

Oh, no! It lasted for less than 24 hours! Now, however, the HD light flashes briefly, then stops. I am not able to access files by networking from my son's computer because it doesn't show up on the network list anymore. The speaker lights, touchpad, and power lights are on. But there is no activity. I've tried removing and reattaching the internal HD cable. This is a tough one! Any ideas?

Sorry for the confusion (again ) This time things look much worse. After I replaced the original GPU the computer worked great for about 20 hours- speedy too! Then, when I rebooted the next day it only powered up with a couple clicks of the optical drive and a short whirring of the HD and nothing more. The only lights are on the power indicator and the NUM CapLock.
I tried the startup diagnostic (FN+ power) and the lights and tones gave me the following sequence:
The three lock indicators flashing twice all together,
Caps only flashing for about two minutes,
All three flash once,
Trilling beeps as they each flash left to right in quick succession,
Three flat beeps,
Then continuous repeat of the trilling and flat beeps and flashes again.

This matches nothing I can find anywhere on the net.
Do you think I'm looking at a motherboard situation?

I'm sure everything is in place and I did not touch the CPU at all. Based on the chart at the link you provided, and if we discount all the other beeps and flashing lights and pay attention only to the final set following the trilling, it sounds like 3-3-1: NVRam Insufficient Power.
I Googled the phrase and came up with this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/248980-33-8800-insufficient-power
What do you think? A new PSU? You're right in that I don't want to keep throwing money at this thing. It seems like as soon as I have one problem solved, another crops up!

It could be something about the Motherboard that is causing the whole
problem. A Video Card like that does require more power but that is
rated to work with your Model. I don't think it's power.
You recieved a bad Card or
Your motherboard is bad.
I can't see what else could be wrong.
Why did it work at first.
If it was power it never would have worked at all.
Also Dell laptops will boot with an error that there
is not enough power and will throttle the Cpu down.
It tells you if its a power issue.
I hate to say it but everything I see at this point
seems to be your new video card crapped out and could
have damaged the board in some way. Lights flashing on any
Dell built system means trouble. Not easy to trouble shoot.
It usually mens a bad Mainboard or bad power supply are usually what

Are your getting anything on the screen at all? If not I bet
the card went kaput. This could have also damaged the main board
after what you have said.

Did you try it with the DVI to Hdmi on the TV? If that works then
it could be the Inverter for your Laptop screen.
It can get nuts trouble shooting this stuff. But I just look at the facts.
The newest change is the new Video card so I start there.
The Secound thing is the mother board and that is more difficut
to trouble shoot. Lights Flashing and low beeps really are bad
things to see have. The lights could mean bad board and the tones a
bad Video card.

Get your money back from the V card and cut your loses.
Buy a new laptop most of them have a lot of Vram and everything else.

I think your current laptop is going to make you nuts and end up dead
and all will be a waste. Sorry for this bad news but that how it looks.

In your haste do you think it is possible something is not installed
correctly during the rebuilt? If your sure then it does not look good.

If you get anything on the screen there is hope. If the Screen is dead then I think its the Video Card and more possibly.

This is another way for you to consider. Put yours back together with
old bad Video card and list it on Craigs list you can get ore than you
think. Just say it needs a new Video card. Sell it for parts.
Then have a look HERE:

A factory a cetified Refurb direct from Dell. $699.00

http://www.dell.com/us/dfh/p/xps-15/pd?~ck=anav

Processor: Intel Core i5-460M Processor (3M cache, 2.53 GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
XPS 15
500 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
6 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
8X DVD +/- RW Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M 1GB graphics with Optimus

Certified Refurbished
Processor >Processor: Intel Core i5-460M Processor (3M cache, 2.53 GHz)
Operating System> Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Base XPS 15
Hard Disk Drive > 500 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Memory > 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
Media Bay > 8X DVD +/- RW Drive
Video > NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M 1GB graphics with Optimus
System Color Metalloid Aluminum
Laptop Screen > 15.6 in HD WLED TL (1366x768)
Laptop Battery > 9 Cell Primary Battery
Network Interface Card > Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
Hardware Upgrade 90W AC Adapter
125V Power Cord
Software Upgrade Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD

XPS 15 - L501X
This is an i5 Quad Core processor.
most you see are only dual core.


Warranty Info:
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/AccessoriesAndWarranties.aspx?familyId=2049&categoryId=SA&c=us&l=en&s=dfh&cs=22&suid=142a2c19

Getting a Direct from Dell Factory Refurb is the safest way to go.

Your Spending more money but at the rate your going Your going to hit
close to that anyway.
Not to mention it's much Newer than yours.

This comes with same as new 1 year warranty.

http://ecomm.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

They removed it from the list.
See if you order it from the link on top of this.
Order by phone and not the Internet.
soon as I posted the link it was removed.

This is from Tiger Direct. A fantastic Deal
The Lenovo Laptops are Made Fantastic.
Very durable and some of the best quality I have see out of all
of them.

Lenovo Ideapad Z570 1024-9UU Notebook PC - Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2GHz, 6GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6" Display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Gray

Memory Type DDR3
Memory Speed PC3-10600
Memory Speed MHz 1333MHz
Maximum Memory Supported 8GB
Monitor Specifications
Display Type HD LED Backlight
Screen Size 15.6”
Maximum Resolution 1366 x 768
Processor Specifications
Processor Class Core i7
Processor Brand Intel
Processor Type Quad-Core
Processor Speed 2.2GHz
Processor Number 2670QM
Notebook Specifications
Lifestyle Home & Student
Condition New
Operating Systems Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Platform Laptop
Hard Disk Drive Specifications
Capacity 750GB
Drive Types Hard Drive
Hard Drive Speed 5400 RPM
Graphics Specifications
Graphics Description Integrated Graphics
GPU/VPU Intel HD 3000 Graphics
Optical Drive Specifications
Optical Drive Type DVD
Optical Drive DVD Single Layer Burner
Supplemental Drive
Capacity 5-in-1
Supplemental Drive Type Media Reader
Media Types Secure Digital (SD)
Memory Stick PRO
xD Picture Card
MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Memory Stick (MS)
Audio Specifications
Audio Description Integrated Audio
Audio Channels 2 X 2W (4 Watts Total)
Media Ports
USB Ports (Total) 1 - eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo
3 - USB 2.0
LAN Ports 1 - RJ-45
Audio Out Jacks 1 Headphone out
Microphone Jacks 1 - Microphone input port
VGA Ports 1
HDMI Ports 1
Communications
Communications Description Integrated LAN
Integrated Wireless LAN
Integrated Bluetooth
WiDi Ready
Interface Type RJ-45 Ethernet Connector
Bluetooth™
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
Data Transfer Rate Bluetooth Connector
Up to 300 Mbps
10/100 Ethernet LAN
Protocols 802.11b
802.11g
802.11n
Dimensions
Width 14.8"
Height 1.4"
Depth 9.8"
Weight 5.73 lbs
Mouse Specifications
Mouse Type Touch Pad
Scrolling Capability multi-touch control
Battery
Battery Type 6-Cell Lithium-ion
Battery Life Up to 4.5 hours
Security Devices
Biometrics Kensington Security Lock Slot
Color
Color Gray
Specification Notes
Specification Notes <6> To provide the most accurate specifications, the specifications listed are base upon information provided by the vendor.
Webcam
Integrated Webcam Yes
Webcam Resolution 0.3MP
Software
Software Included Office 2010 preloaded; purchase a product key to activate.

I have purchased many many Refurb Laptops, Desktops, HD Tv's.
almost exclusivly from NewEgg or Tiger Direct.
Never got burned once and this spans quite a few years.
always check that the warranty is supplied by the original OEM maker.
I have saved 1000.s. Almost all of them come in looking and packed
as Brand New. 90% of them where never used. I think overstock is where
most come from. Only from well known Repretable stores like NewEgg or Tiger. I have bought the most from NewEgg.

I won't be buying another Dell for sure! This was a second chance with them already and it's just too ridiculous to have a top of the line computer fail so soon. Then not be able to find new parts to fix it! Never again.

Well, after I go through all the mourning steps, I need to figure out how to get my data off the HD. To move over to a new one would be ideal. But I have to clear it if I get rid of the laptop in any case. Any suggestions?

Costco extends the manufacturers warranty to two years and it looks like they have some good deals. I'd like to keep my big screen and if I'm going to have to get a new rig anyway, I thought I should go for the i7.

What do you think of this Toshiba Qosmio® X775:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11746608&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&eCat=BC|84|56670&N=4047229 4294966821&Mo=3&pos=1&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC5-Cat84&topnav=

Processor & Memory:

Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM Processor 2.2GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz)
6MB L3 Cache
8GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
Drives:

1TB Hard Drive Space (2x 500GB 7200RPM SATA HDDs)
Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D Sensor)
Blu-Ray ROM and SuperMulti DVD Burner with Labelflash®
Operating System:

Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Graphics & Video:

17.3” Diagonal Widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD HD LED Backlit Display (1600x 900)
1 Aspect Ratio
Mobile Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
1.5GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M GDDR5 Graphics
Communications:

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Networking
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Integrated WebCam and Microphone
Bluetooth v3.0 plus HS
Audio:

Dolby® Advanced Audio®
Waves MaxxAudio® 3
Integrated Harman/Kardon® Stereo Speakers
Keyboard:

Premium Raised Tile LED Backlit Keyboard with 10-keypad (black)
Touch Pad Pointing Device with Multi-touch Control
Media Control Buttons
I/O Ports & Slots:

1x 3.0 USB Port
3x 2.0 USB Ports
1x HDMI
1x RGB
1x RJ-45 (LAN)
1x Media Card Reader
1x Microphone-in
1x Headphone-out
Slot for Security Lock
Additional Software:

Norton Internet Security™ (30 Day)
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
Microsoft Live Essentials
Skype®
Power Supply:

8-cell Lithium Ion Battery (*up to 5 hours)
180W AC Adapter
Additional Information:

Color: Fusion® X2 Finish in Red Horizon
Dimensions: 16.3" W x 10.8" D x 1.1" ~ 1.4" H
Approximate Weight: 7.5 lbs.
ENERGY STAR Qualified

I didn't think you would be spending $1200. For that kind of money
you can buy any brand with great specs.
Toshiba at this time is the most popular laptops I work on. almost
50% of them are Toshiba.
I like all the specs your posting. I just think you can get more for
overy a thousand.
I have not worked on many High End Toshibas most are the cheaper
models.

I think you should do a but more shopping around before buying anything.
I would not judge all dells because of what happened.
That can happen with any of them.

The lenovo laptops I have worked oh are fantastic. That would be my
favorite brand if you can spend that kind of money.
I would also look for one that at least has a blu-Ray reader/dvd burner
combo. A blu-Ray laptop has better Video to view blu Movies and files.
I would also like to see DVI, VGA and HDMI with USB 3.0.
I run into very few bad Dells. The high end dells seem really good.

That Toshiba looks great and has good specs. It does have everything
I would like to see.
If you get that one it should be great.

Hp sucks, Acer is ok but not great. Dells are usually pretty good
Toshibas can be good with the right stuff.
I like some of the Asus but thay can have many little annoyances.
Toshiba does seem to be the popular brand at this time.
Sony is also pretty good they generally have more durable construction.

Thanks! Here'a another one that caught my eye. According to several reviewers, this maker has very good reliability. Can I pick your brain on it?

http://www.amazon.com/N75SF-DH71-17-3-Inch-Versatile-Entertainment-Laptop/dp/B005PAK29Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334908216&sr=8-3

2000 gig of vram is better but what about a burner? Don's see one in
specs. May not have one.


A good customer of mine bought an Asus Laptop and it was Great until
a few months later. Lan port went dead and just some little problems.
It seemed great then not so great.
of the two I like the toshiba.

Some of the Asus come with a 2 year warranty one of those years is also against accidental screen breakage. but what kind of CD rom or burner does it have?

More Toshibas. The three most expensive have blu-Burners.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740+50001259+600003755&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=32&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-Laptops-_-NA-_-NA

I am favoring the Toshiba's at this point.

MSU

Good question. If I see a lot of them it could mean bad. But I think
it's because Walmart has a ton of cheap toshiba's. They tend to be low
end machines. Most of my work is Virus Removal and wipe and dejunking.
Most hardware problems I ever had been with HPs. Toshibas not so much considering how many I see.
We are going to be looking for higher end and new not refurb.

Yeah that's true. All those cheap laptops at Wal-Mart appeal to the lowest common denominator. In other words people who don't have a clue as to how to run a safe, clean system. Any system if not maintained properly can get gunked up with crap.

MSU

Thanks for the leads! I perused both NewEgg and Tiger, but neither could beat what I found between Amazon & Costco at the moment for these particular items. I'm starting to wonder if I can last the summer on my son's computer and wait for Windows 8 and Ivy Bridge. But barring that remote possibility:

Both the Asus & the Toshiba have reliable two year warranties, i7 2.2 GHz and 17.3" screens, 8GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1TB HD, and supposedly great audio, weigh 7.5 lbs. and cost ~$1,300 (still more than a grand less than my current Dell doorstop). This is kind of the range that my cost/benefit scales find a sweet spot. Have you savvy shoppers seen comparable units for less?

Differences:
Asus has a Blu-Ray burner. The Toshiba does not.
Asus screen is 1920 x 1080, Toshiba 1600x 900.
Toshiba has the GTX 560M 1.5GB, The Asus has GT 555M 2GB (GPU's are a sensitive subject at the moment).
What do you think matters more in these differences when considering that I do a fair bit of non-HD video editing?

I'm not crazy about the red look of the Toshiba, but there's also some negative scuttlebut about the Asus keyboard layout. Neither of these is a deal-breaker for me.

MSU

Hee, hee! Just a glutton for punishment, I guess!

The models are ASUS N75SF-DH71 and Toshiba Qosmio® X775.

The Asus you linked me to from Amazon does not mention a Burner of any
kind that I can see in the specs.

The Toshiba for sure has a blu-Rom/dvd burner. Are you sure the Asus has a Blu Burner?

Toshiba Specs
Processor & Memory:

Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM Processor 2.2GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz)
6MB L3 Cache
8GB DDR3-1333MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
Drives:

1TB Hard Drive Space (2x 500GB 7200RPM SATA HDDs)
Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D Sensor)
Blu-Ray ROM and SuperMulti DVD Burner with Labelflash®
Operating System:

Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Graphics & Video:

17.3” Diagonal Widescreen TruBrite® TFT LCD HD LED Backlit Display (1600x 900)
1 Aspect Ratio
Mobile Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
1.5GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M GDDR5 Graphics
Communications:

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Networking
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Integrated WebCam and Microphone
Bluetooth v3.0 plus HS
Audio:

Dolby® Advanced Audio®
Waves MaxxAudio® 3
Integrated Harman/Kardon® Stereo Speakers
Keyboard:

Premium Raised Tile LED Backlit Keyboard with 10-keypad (black)
Touch Pad Pointing Device with Multi-touch Control
Media Control Buttons
I/O Ports & Slots:

1x 3.0 USB Port
3x 2.0 USB Ports
1x HDMI
1x RGB
1x RJ-45 (LAN)
1x Media Card Reader
1x Microphone-in
1x Headphone-out
Slot for Security Lock
Additional Software:

Norton Internet Security™ (30 Day)
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
Microsoft Live Essentials
Skype®
Power Supply:

8-cell Lithium Ion Battery (*up to 5 hours)
180W AC Adapter
Additional Information:

Color: Fusion® X2 Finish in Red Horizon
Dimensions: 16.3" W x 10.8" D x 1.1" ~ 1.4" H
Approximate Weight: 7.5 lbs.
ENERGY STAR Qualified

ASUS Spes from amazon:

Product Features
Intel Core i7 Processor 2.2GHz
8GB DIMM RAM
1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
17.3-Inch Screen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
Hardware Platform: PC
Processor: 2.2 GHz Core i7 2.2 GHz
Number of Processors: 4
RAM: 8 GB
RAM Type: SODIMM
Max RAM: 8 GB
Memory Slots: 2
Hard Drive
Size: 1000 GB
Manufacturer: SATA
Type: Serial ATA
Speed: 7200 rpm
Graphics and Display
Graphics Card: GeForce GT 555M
Graphics RAM: 2000 MB
LCD Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Sound
Speakers: Altec Lansing HD
Ports and Connectivity
USB Ports: 2
USB 2.0 Ports: 3
VGA Video Out Ports: 1
Cases and Expandability
Size (LWH): 13 inches, 16.7 inches, 1.8 inches
Weight: 7.5 pounds
Wireless
Wireless Type: 802.11bgn
Warranty and Support
Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

NewEgg Toshiba WITH a Blu-Burner

TOSHIBA Qosmio F755-3D350

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834214493

None of the ASUS have blu anything just DVD burners.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%2050001315&IsNodeId=1&name=ASUS

The Asus does have the BluRay burner under specs: Optical Drive: Blu-ray writer enabled DVD±RW/CD-RW. I called their tech support to make sure that's what is meant and got through to a live person in under a minute!

The Toshiba only has Blu-Ray ROM, no write.

The NewEgg linked Toshiba only has a 15.6" screen

Enjoy the new one you deserve it after all you been through

Thanks for all your efforts

Hear, Hear! It's a gorgeouse machine! The gripes about the keyboard are true, but I can get used to stuff pretty fast and it's already not so much of a problem anymore. The sound is amazing and it feels so good to have everything work!
Thank you again for all of your help!

Shannon

I must have missed it...which one did you end up getting?

MSU

Well yeah, I figured it was one of those two. The question is which one

MSU