TwistedAndy

Yes, it looks to be 55W consistent power limit. I have the same results on XPS 17 12900HK with 55W limit in the Ultra Performance mode. Luckily, the power limit may be increased with ThrottleStop. Noise will increase as well.

I'm using a special device to measure noise levels with ±1.5dBA accuracy. To keep the results consistent I measure them on the same distance (nearly 40-50 cm). As for the performance results, here's a screenshot after the standard 10-minute CB R23 MT run with 45W power limit with -0.14V undervolting. If we limit the number of runs to one, the results will be higher because of Turbo Boost: All the results were collected with all my apps running and without additional system tuning. As for the undervolting, there's a guide on that. XPS 17 9720 is using the following offsets: CFG Lock: setup_var CpuSetup 0x43 0x0 Overclocking Lock: setup_var CpuSetup 0x10E 0x0

Yes, I plug USB devices directly to the router with the VirtualHere server running, then I launch the client on the laptop and connect those devices using the VirtualHere client. The systems sees those devices as directly connected. It is not the fastest way to connect some devices, but it works great with mouses, keyboards, headsets, USB keys, cameras, etc. I'm using the Asus RT-AX68U router with two USB ports. I decided to use the Wi-Fi 6 router because of better latency.

I was thinking about purchasing 9710 last year, but decided to wait for the Alder Lake update. As for the USB A port, it was an issue for me because I have been used to my Logitech H800 headphones. They allow me to easily switch between my phone and laptop. Unfortunately, there's only the USB-A dongle. I decided to purchase a new router and install Virtuehere. I had some concerns about the latency issues with audio transmission, but it appeared to work pretty smoothly. Also, there was an issue with USB ports on WD19TB dock (they sometimes worked, sometimes - no). So I decided to connect my keyboard to that router as well 🙃 In terms of noise, I picked up the Core i9 options because of the undervolting support. It adds 10% performance and decrease the duration of active fan. Under sustained load I get nearly the same 38 dBA with or without undervolting. I'm working mostly on the external 35" 100Hz display and can't say I see a big difference in smoothness on my regular tasks. As for gaming, maybe there's some difference, but I would use the externals screen, mouse, and keyboard anyway.

I have been using the Dell XPS 17 9720 with Core i9 12900HK, GeForce RTX 3060, and FHD screen for about 1.5 months. Here are some notes: - Noise. I've measured 38±1.5 dBA on the 40cm distance under sustained CB R23 MT load with in the Optimized power mode. Under full load (both CPU and GPU in AIDA64) the noise level is higher (nearly 45-48 dBA), but it is still lower than my old Dell Inspiron 3779 with 8750H and GeForce GTX 1060 (48-50 dBA). Under regular work the laptop is mostly silent (the noise level is less than 30-32dBA ambient noise in my office). - Performance. I get ~18200 after first round and ~14500 CB R23 MT score sustained with 45W CPU package power and slight UV (-0.115V/-0.050V). On the Ultra-Performance mode I get ~15700 points sustained (55W), but the noise is higher (41-42 dBA). I can set the power limits even higher (to 75-80W) and get nearly ~17200 sustained, but the noise level will be also higher (43-46 dBA). From my perspective, the performance increase is not worth the higher noise levels. I use the device mostly in the Optimized mode with 45W total package power limit. 43-46 dBA is not loud and allow working without headphones, but I prefer having less noise. The sustained performance on battery is nearly the same because of nearly the same power limits (40-45W). Sustained CPU temperatures are pretty low (somewhere between 75-80C under CB R23 MT). - Battery life. I get 8-12 hours during the browsing with 30% brightness and 30 tabs open in two browsers, Slack, IDE, etc.. Configurations with the 4K screen will run a few hours less. I use my device mostly at home, so I don't care too much about that - Dimensions and weight. My device is pretty light (~2.15kg). Options with the 4K screen are heavier (~2.4kg). In terms of dimensions it's comparable with many 15.6-16.0" devices - Ports. I really like an opportunity to charge the device from any port, but I miss the regular USB A ports. I ended up with using a wireless USB hub using the VirtualHere app and my router (RT-AX68U)

I have been using the Dell XPS 17 9720 with Core i9 12900HK, GeForce RTX 3060, and FHD screen for about 1.5 months. Here are some notes: - Noise. I've measured 38±1.5 dBA on the 40cm distance under sustained CB R23 MT load with in the Optimized power mode. Under regular office work it is silent (noise level less than 30-32dBA ambient noise in my office) - Performance. I get ~18200 after first round and ~14500 CB R23 MT score sustained with 45W CPU package power and slight UV (-0.115V). Sustained performance on battery is nearly the same - Battery life. I get 8-12 hours during the browsing with 30% brightness and 30 tabs open in two browsers, Slack, IDE, etc.. Configurations with the 4K screen will run a few hours less. I use my device mostly at home, so I don't care too much about that - Dimensions and weight. My device is pretty light (~2.15kg). Options with the 4K screen are heavier (~2.4kg). In terms of dimensions it's comparable with many 15.6-16.0" devices. I'm using a bag for 15.6" laptops to carry my device - Ports. I really like an opportunity to charge the device from any port, but I miss the regular USB A ports. You can find more details in my other post. Previously I considered purchasing Precision 7670, but decided to go with XPS 17 once I saw the cooling system in 7670 in the service guide. At low power levels (<70W) the performance difference between 6+8 H and 8+8 HX CPUs is minimal. At higher power levels the fan noise will be not compatible with the long term work. Even with thick chassis, vapor chambers and liquid metal it is hard to keep the noise acceptable (<42 dBA) at 70W+ power levels (see Lenovo Legion 7 and some Asus devices). This task is almost impossible if you have only two heat pipes and relatively small fans (as we have in 7670/7770). Yes, there are some tricks like dual fan output, but the power levels...