 "Dell Vostro 3750 Business Notebook")
Today we have another notebook from Dell’s business stable, the Vostro 3750. Like their Latitude series, the Vostro is also primarily targeted at business and corporate users who want a durable yet professional looking notebook. The Vostro series is a slightly less ‘hardcore’ version of the Latitude and while it may not have a magnesium alloy frame or steel hinges, it does come with a full aluminium casing for the exterior. The last Vostro - Vostro V130 - we reviewed turned out to be too expensive for the performance and features it had to offer; so can the new 3750 do any better?
Design and Build
The design is very similar to the V130 except that it’s not as slim or portable which is primarily due to the 17.3-inch WLED screen. Even at 3.0kg, it doesn’t feel very heavy due to good weight distribution of all the components. The body is built well and feels sturdy but the lid has too much flex, so much so that when you try and open it by holding the edge, you can clearly see it contorting.
Looks smart and built well
For connectivity, we have a total of four USB ports which includes two USB 3.0 ports. We also have a DVD burner, HDMI and VGA port, card reader, Express card slot and microphone and headphone jack. Opening up the lid, we have a full sized chiclet keyboard that is spaced out very well. The keys offer a good feedback and are comfortable enough for long typing sessions. Security is handled by a finger print scanner that can be used to log into Windows as well as other things like launch applications.
Shortcut buttons for quick access
Along with the power button, we have three shortcut buttons for quick settings, Dell support centre and one that you can customize for opening any application you choose. Unlike the smaller sized Vostro notebooks, the battery is removable this time and you have a choice between a 6-cell and a 9-cell battery. Let’s move on to the features of the notebook.
Features
Dell has sent us a high-end version of the Vostro 3750 with all the bells and whistles. The notebook is powered by Intel’s Core i7 2630QM, which runs at 2.0GHz with the ability to Turbo up to 2.9GHz. To complement this, we have 6GB of RAM, a 750GB hard drive and Nvidia’s GT 525M with Optimus technology. Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi ‘n’ and Gigabit Ethernet port.
USB 3.0 ports for faster data transfers
Just like the Latitude notebook, the Vostro 3750 also features Intel WiDi technology which lets you clone your desktop onto a TV wirelessly. Dell also bundles Roxio Creator Starter for data encryption. The notebook isn’t really designed for portability due to its size and is more of a desktop replacement.
Performance
The processor is the same one used in the Asus G74SX, which means it doesn’t shy away from number crunching. Applications that are heavy on the CPU work without a hitch, which is evident from the benchmarks. This makes a very decent gaming notebook as well, thanks to the GT 525M. You’ll be able to play most DX10 games at the native resolution with a mix of medium to high settings.
Good CPU and GPU performance
General and Multimedia Usage
The Vostro 3750 makes a really good desktop replacement thanks to the very comfortable keyboard. The chiclet keys offer good feedback and are well spaced out so you don’t accidently hit a wrong key by mistake. The same cannot be said about the trackpad. I’m not sure what it is with Dell and trackpads but none of them seem to function right. When I first started using the Vostro, everything seemed fine, then after a day or so, it became really sluggish and unresponsive to a point where it would simply refuse to respond to any input and the only fix was to reboot the notebook. The Latitude was the only one so far that didn’t give me such a major problem.
HDMI and ESATA ports
The screen’s resolution is 1600x900 which is just about right for a 17-inch panel. The icons aren’t too big or small and you have plenty of real estate to play around with. The brightness level is quite adequate and the screen is viewable even with high levels of ambient light in the room. Multimedia playback is not too shabby either. The notebook will easily do 1080p video and you can either use the onboard or the discrete card for rendering.
Battery Life
Running Battery Eater Pro to drain the battery, we managed to get 1 hour of battery life. This is with a 6-cell battery pack and using the onboard GPU for running the program. This is just about average even for 17-inch notebooks. For regular use with ‘Power Saver’ mode, you should get about 2-2.5hrs of battery life.
Verdict
One would typically expect a 17-inch notebook with a high end CPU and GPU to cost a bomb, but oddly that’s not the case here. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that the Vostro 3750 with all the bells and whistles will cost you a reasonable Rs. 60,900 which makes it cheaper than the Vostro V130. This is very good pricing on Dell’s part and makes the Vostro a good option for someone looking for a desktop replacement with good productivity and multimedia features. There are a couple of things that are stopping this notebook from being really good like the annoying trackpad and the below average battery life. Still, this doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a really good notebook and worth a buy.
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