Introduction.
For professionals looking for a lightweight, high-spec laptop to get their jobs done, the new Dell XPS 15 laptop might just be what the doctor ordered!
What are my first impressions?
My overall opinion of the laptop is positive, in fact it was quite difficult to find fault with this particular model! My thoughts on the design, performance and pros and cons of ownership are below.
The design.
When I first opened the laptop, the first thing that struck me was the screen bezel, or rather the lack of one! The InfinityEdge display is virtually borderless, with a bezel measuring a very modest 0.224-inches, which
59% thinner
than the MacBook Pro with Retina display.
The chassis is slim and feels extremely light for a 15-inch laptop. The laptop is very easy on the eyes, with an attractive brushed aluminum finish, which is standard on many premium laptops these days but still looks good.
As with the MacBook Pro, the XPS 15's chassis is cut from a single block of aluminum. Geek alert - the chassis is made using CNC (Computer Numeral Control) machining technology. I'm quoting that"
a highly automated manufacturing process guided by human intervention at the beginning and end to improve precision and durability.”
That's what it says on the internet, so it must be true!
When you open the lid, you're greeted by a spacious modern keyboard and touchpad nestled in a carbon fiber palm rest. This provided a very comfortable base to work from. It looks good and keeps your sweaty palms nice and cool.
Overall you won't be disappointed with the design unless you prefer a little more Larey with faster stripes. I wouldn't get away with that in my office
Engineered to be portable.
At the time of writing, the XPS 15 9550 is officially the world's smallest 15-inch laptop, with a footprint that's closer to a 14-inch laptop.
The laptop dimensions are only
0.66"(H) x 14.06"(W) x 9.27"(D)
and it only weighs 4.4 pounds. The new XPS 15 is the perfect 15 inch laptop for commuters like me who don't want a hard drive slipping when taking their laptop to work!
The borderless display undoubtedly contributes to this, as does the omission of the DVD/CD drive.
A cool customer?
The cooling system runs quietly at low speeds during heavy workloads and stays off during light duty to conserve energy.
The vents are discreetly hidden on the underside of the case near the display hinge. That's fine, but makes lap use rather uncomfortable when the XPS 15 is used under heavy workloads.
How is the ad?
(Note - The XPS 15 9550 in this review has the UHD 4K display. However, it is also available with a 1920 x 1080 HD display, which is cheaper depending on the spec you choose).
If you're not used to using a high-resolution display on a laptop, get ready to be blown away. The ultra-high-resolution 3840 x 2160 pixel 4K InfinityEdge touchscreen display is as good as it sounds, and without a doubt it is Best display I've used on a laptop so far.
I love the display on my Retina MacBook, but this beats it. For comparison, a MacBook's Retina display has a resolution of 2880 x 1800.
Video content and high-resolution photos look very impressive on a display of this caliber. Other programs, such as productivity apps, vary depending on Windows' scaling support Support 4K screen technology.
Geek alert - the high-end XPS 15 features InfinityEdge technology with durable Corning Gorilla Glass NBTTM.”
NBT is the latest version of Gorilla Glass designed specifically for thinner touchscreen laptops. The technology offers improved scratch resistance, improved strength, and better resistance to breakage that can occur with lower-performing soda-lime glass
“.
touchy-feely.
The touchscreen provides a natural hands-on experience that helps you maximize the power of Windows 10 functionality.
I found the touchscreen to be sensitive and accurate when using it, although of course I still use the keyboard and touchpad. Maybe that's something I'll get out of the habit over time!
Is the Dell XPS 15 4K UHD an eco-friendly option?
Like other companies, Dell has continued to contribute to green initiatives in the manufacture of computing devices. The XPS 15 4K UHD is energy efficient and EnergyStar® certified to meet energy saving standards.
The XPS 15 is 90 to 100% recyclable. The materials used in the XPS 15 construction
not
include environmentally harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, phthalates or mercury.
More than 90 percent of the parts are highly recyclable and the packaging is made from bamboo, which is 100 percent recyclable. In addition, the XPS 15 is BFR (brominated flame retardant) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) free and is EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment) registered Tool) Gold, a global rating for greener electronics.
All in all a good choice for the environmentally conscious user, myself included!
How is the keyboard and touchpad?
The XPS 15 9550 features a full-size keyboard that has a modern look. The keys are
well distributed
and concave for improved typing comfort with 1.3mm travel.
The keys have a non-slip coating to improve accuracy with a new modern font design.
The keyboard also includes a backlight, which allows for user-friendly typing in low-light environments. I can't take a picture with a laptop without backlit keys anymore!
The keyboard is surrounded by a silicone deck and offers a generous 4.1 x 3.1 inch glass touchpad with integrated keys.
Overall, the keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience. However, some of the dedicated keys are missing on some keys no larger than your tiny pinky finger.
The touchpad is quite responsive, with adequate support for tapping, swiping, and scrolling. Only occasionally can accidental icon and text selections occur when using the touchpad, but overall the touchpad is smooth.
(NOTE - the touchpad and silicone deck tend to be fingerprint magnets that can easily be remedied with a soft cloth!)
XPS 15 9550 port connectivity in a nutshell.
The XPS 15 4K UHD offers a decent amount of connectivity options:
USB
: There are 2 USB 3.0 ports with PowerShare supporting the latest peripherals and one USB 2.0 port. There is also a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port (10Gbps).
SD card capability
: On the right side of the device you will find an SD card reader that supports three different formats including SD, SDHC and SDXC.
Audio
: The XPS 15 is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting high-quality headphones. There are also two integrated MaxxAudio stereo speakers with four sound profiles that span music, movies, games and speech.
Video
: The XPS 15 offers a VGA and an HDMI port.
flash 3
: Thunderbolt 3 functionality is 40Gbps bi-directional and supports docking and charging. You can also add the Dell Thunderbolt Dock for an additional cost, which, in addition to faster data transfer rates, offers support for up to two 4K displays and up to three Full HD -Displays offers.
Wireless connection
: The XPS 15 is equipped with the latest 802.11ac standard and can also work on all previous WLAN standards (802.11b/g/n). When connected to an 802.11ac-enabled router, you can use one up to three times Achieve faster wireless connection than the previous 802.11n standard.
Bluetooth 4.1
: Built-in Bluetooth 4.1 technology allows for easy syncing with all Bluetooth-enabled devices. You can also easily connect Bluetooth accessories and easily transfer media from your laptop to your mobile phone over a wireless connection.
There is also a Kensington Lock slot on the side of the XPS 15 4K UHD for added security.
How about the system performance?
Operating system.
The Dell XPS 15 4K UHD runs on the Windows 10 operating system. You also get a 30-day free trial of Microsoft Office.
processing power
The XPS 15 4K UHD is equipped with a powerful 6th generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor with Turbo Boost technology. The processor of this model runs at 3.5 MHz with 6M cache.
Turbo Boost technology gives the processor an extra boost when it's under heavy workloads, then automatically switches back to energy-efficient mode when you're done multitasking.
They also have 16GB of DDR4 Random Access Memory (RAM) to support heavy workloads and multitasking. The high-bandwidth RAM allows you to run multiple apps and browser programs simultaneously without experiencing any lag or lag.
High-end performance is also aided by a whopping 1 TB (terabyte) of hard drive storage via an SSD (solid state drive). I appreciate having a solid state drive to speed up laptop boot time, but I have to be honest and say that I'm losing the 1TB of storage because most of my work is stored in the cloud.
Third-Party Tests.
In a recent Cinebench R15 test, the XPS 15 4K returned a high score, indicating that it's capable of handling processor-intensive workloads. This test is designed to stress all aspects of the processor, while the Central Processing Unit as opposed to the graphics processing Unit is used.
A recently
Geek bench 3
The test returned a score of 11,815, resulting in a score of more than 2,400 points, higher than the average of 9,200 for this type of test. The Geekbench 3 test measures the overall performance of a PC's computing power.
The same test found that the XPS 15 was able to duplicate around 5GB of video and photo data in just over 30 seconds. The 512GB SSD was tested in this scenario, meaning the 1TB SSD was significantly higher performance.
The XPS 15 4K UHD is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card. The graphics capability is supported by 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory. Because it is dedicated, you will experience extremely sharp and fast video performance.
How is the webcam?
As you'd expect, the XPS 15 4K UHD comes with a built-in high-definition webcam. The 720p camera is standard and works well for video conferencing. However, I wouldn't recommend using it to capture your most treasured memories (although, to be fair, you do , probably wouldn't use for this purpose anyway).
The webcam features widescreen technology. Most images are bright, but there is still some visual noise and reduced sharpness when used for video chatting.
XPS 15 9550 4K UHD battery life.
The Dell XPS 15 high-end model is equipped with a 6-cell, 91 Wh (watts per hour) lithium-ion battery.
A test conducted by
laptop magazine
showed an average battery life of just under seven hours under heavy workloads and multitasking, which I would agree with from my time with the laptop.
In addition, all Windows 10-equipped devices include the battery saver feature, which allows you to configure settings to automatically save power under certain conditions. This helps you get more done over a longer period of time.
Dell also offers an optional device called
energy companion
allowing you to carry extra power in your pocket. The Power Companion is designed to power Dell laptops and up to two other USB devices, tablets or smartphones. It's also designed with portability in mind, being lightweight and fitting easily slips into your pocket so you can charge your devices on the go with the in-pocket charging function.
The Dell Power Companion is compact and packs an 18,000mAh 6-cell battery, so you'll have plenty of power on the go and can be charged using the XPS 15's AC adapter. Thanks to the practical LED light, you always have a clear view of how much power is left in the device.
What are the pros and cons?
The XPS 15 UHD is a fairly expensive laptop, but you get a lot of bells and whistles for your investment. Pros and cons are:
advantages
The currently smallest 15-inch notebook. Ideal for the daily commute.
Stunning high-resolution 4K display outperforms the MacBook Pro Retina display.
An attractive yet robust laptop.
Impressive technical performance, but it comes at a price.
Comfortable backlit keyboard is a delight.
Disadvantages
Expensive price point.
Could use a fingerprint scanner for added security.
The heat distribution design could be better.
should you buy one
The Dell XPS 15 4K UHD is one of the best 15″ laptops out there right now. It packs functionality, performance and looks into one package. But is it worth the price? That depends on your needs - for example if you're a graphic designer, which makes the most of the high spec and 4K display then it's worth every penny, but if you're just looking for a portable 15-inch laptop then you might want the cheaper XPS 15 9550 model with lower specs in Consider one that comes with a standard HD display (something still of good quality).
Final verdict. Excellent.
If you want a portable device with all the bells and whistles and are willing to pay the higher price, then the XPS 15 4K might be the device for you. Overall, it's a nice device that's built with precision and durability. It also has plenty of features and performance to justify the higher price. In any case, I believe this is a fantastic laptop that offers portability, connectivity and performance.
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Fully managed IT services
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