Faisal Ghaffar 
In the last few years, Dell has refreshed its XPS 17 laptop a number of times. In the case of the 2023 model, the laptop comes with a massive display of about 17inch that has an aspect ratio of 16:10, which can be used for multitasking, media editing and even some light gaming. The 13th-gen Core i7 CPU has been paired with RTX 4070 graphics, but the latter’s lower wattage version has been used, which means the laptop cannot function as a full gaming laptop.
Design, build and keyboard
The enclosure of the Dell XPS 17 (9730) is the same as its predecessor, the XPS 17 (9720). The laptop is about 10 inches deep and 15 inches wide and all four sides have very thin bezels, which means that the 17inch display is the most dominating feature. The laptop is not bulky, but it will not be easy to fit it into a backpack. The XPS 17 (9730) weighs 2.45kg and is about 19.6mm thick.
The lid is silver and gives the brushed aluminum touch, but the inside boasts a black keyboard deck. Thanks to this two-tone color scheme, it manages to stand out from the numerous all-grey and silver laptops in the market. The keyboard deck is very comfortable to use and is great at repelling fingerprints because of the carbon fiber, which gives it a rubberized finish.
Even though the XPS 17 (9730) is built with carbon fiber and aluminum, it still manages to feel rigid and firm and there is no sagging, whatsoever. The keyboard is very comfortable to use, but it does not have a number pad. As for the touchpad, it allows easy movements because of the matte finish. The click response is firm and quiet.
Display and webcam
The Dell XPS 17 (9730) comes in two display options; 1920 x 1200 IPS non-touch display and a 3840 x 2400 IPS touchscreen. But, the 4K touch panel is not very impressive because it should have been an OLED at this price tag. While the contrast ratio is acceptable, it is nowhere close to what OLED can offer.
In addition, the refresh rate is just 60Hz and this is disappointing, even if you do not want to use the laptop for gaming.As far as the webcam is concerned, it has a 720p sensor, which is a tad grainy. Most premium laptops come with a 1080p camera.
Speakers and ports
There are four speakers included in the Dell XPS 17 (9730), which include two 2.5 woofers and two 1.5-watt tweeters. This ensures that the sound is fuller, louder and more dynamic than other laptops. You can enjoy clear and crisp dialogue.
There are 4 USB-C ports, all of which are Thunderbolt 4 and support Power Delivery and DisplayPort. There is also an SD card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The Verdict
The price of the Dell XPS 17 (9730) is between $2,449 and $3,099, depending on the specifications you choose. This makes it quite pricey, given that it does not have an OLED display. The battery is impressive, but still falls short of the previous year’s model.
