[NEWS] Studio XPS 15 and XPS 17 !!

No. Plain 'ol DDR3.

 

I totally agree, Joker. Why would Dell put a GTX 460M in the XPS 17, when that would put it right on par with the M15x?

Makes no business sense.

Even a GDDR5 445M would have been impeding on high end gaming territory.

 

I wonder if the reason they killed Studio and gave us only XPS with Optimus is to justify not selling these machines with integrated graphics only. Especially with improved integrated graphics in Sandy Bridge, I'd bet a lot of people (myself included) would have been happy without a discrete GPU since we're going to use these machines as multimedia and processing machines, not gaming machines (I don't think I've played a high-performance 3D game since the days of my 486). Now, we don't have the choice to save that $200, even if we'll never use the GPU in the entire life of the machine.

 

Exactly ...... The reason I may consider this XPS is only that the Inspiron series does not have an option for Full HD screen. And I also hate games and do not need a dedicated GPU. Dell should give an option for integrated graphics which will reduce the cost further.

 

Which is doubly annoying as my whole reason for looking is to replace my 1920x1200 15" Inspiron 8600!

EDIT: BTW, one option I'm considering is a relatively low-end, small-screen Inspiron, and a cheap 22 or 24" external monitor. That would end up costing close to $1,000 less than the 17" Studio XPS I'm now considering.

 

How do you know? If it is true thats really disappointing.

 

I am thinking about getting a XPS15, also in australia. Been reading around different forums getting info but felt the need to actually register on this site purely for the reason to reply to this.

This difference in price actually got me too. But then I looked more carefully.

The base models in the AU Dell Site have a lot more than the base models in the US Dell Site. From simple things like Au site not having an option for backlit keyboard (Im assuming therefore its standard) right up to the fact that on the Au site all the new XPS are standard with i7 (i5 not available - and therefore no optimus).

I sat down and did a comparison for the cheapest new XPS 15 with i7 740 CPU, 8gb ram, DVD ONLY drive (no bluray), FHD screen, 6300 wireless and 3 yr warranty:

Australia: $1,975 / US: $1,875


Unless Im making wrong presumptions about things like backlit keyboard being included standard, even if so, the pricing seems fairly similar. Just that the base US models are lower specced than the AU ones.

Am I right here or have I completely missed soemthing.

Also, on a more personal note, I need a laptop that will eventually be used for DJing with a digital vinyl system, either Traktor or Serato. Will this suit? Also will the addition of the 9 cell batter make it rather heavy? From reading it will come out to 2.9Kg. This will be my first laptop ever so I dont have much understanding of what that means in real day terms

One other thing I noticed is that with the previous Studio 15 models you could get a similar set up (cpu ram etc) for AUD$1750 (with the only major difference being 1gb GPU insted of XPS 2gb - but the AUD$1750 would have had bluray). From that point of view it seems the XPS have lower value. This is ignoring what small other benefits the XPS might have over Studio. I was almost ready to buy that studio model, alas it went to end of life and wasnt available.

 

I am now considering to get the XPS 15 for mostly gaming, how do you guys think it will fare in overall performance (i7 + GT 435M)?

 

I completely agree. If you don't like the new XPS go ahead and look for something else. So in that sense, sure boycott this thing if *you* don't like it. I'm sure there will be enough people that do like it. They might not be on this forum (yet?) though.

I don't do a lot of gaming, but sometimes I like to play a bit. The possibility of 4 sticks of RAM and the 3GB of VRAM do appeal to me. I am wondering what all that VRAM will do for Photoshop (on my external screen, which does have a nice high resolution).

 

@Raj D

Exactly in same situation and i have exactly same questions about xps 15..

Im looking for my first laptop and will probably be used with some music production tools like mbox2...

*bravely* I think the design is okish.... not too fancy, just generic enough to carry it around places.. eg. uni, library etc.

im wondering about 9 cell battery as well... how much time will i get with it and how heavy it would be... anyway, its just released so i assume people wont know much about it now.

Edit: Im an aussie too

 

Major thing that people in USA/UK/Most of Europe don't have to complain about but the rest of us really hate: lack of i5 options, and other options, and for some lack of XPS 17.

Also what many are missing is that the XPS is Meant to Succeed the SXPS 16 and so it should have an equally high mid-level performing GPU i.e. the old HD 5730. But for some of us it doesn't (because no GT 445M option).

And the whole forcing us to buy i7 and yet boasting about Optimus is just going too far.

Don't buy XPS!

 

I think you hit it right on the nose! Except for a little bit of Starcraft 2 or Torchlight, i do not game. I do however watch alot of movies and listen to music, so this new xps is right up my alley. I haven't read a full review, but if it runs cool enough for me to keep on my lap, and has decent battery life (both things anathema to rigs with high end video cards), then i'm a happy camper...

 

I'm courious in how those laptops handle with fan noise. M1530 was a damn noisy machine.

 

am i getting this correct? is there really NO option for a 1920x1080 resolution on the 17"?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think the older StudioXPSs have stronger graphics, but look the HP Envy 14 and Envy 15 . The mobility HD5830 gives twice as much performance than these, with less heat and better power cosumption. Using Nvidia thermi GPUs in laptops is not so smart.

 

I've been reading this thread with some interest, and there are clearly some strongly held views here. I've always quite liked the XPS line (I'm writing this on the wife's M1530), and I'm looking for a laptop that has reasonable power - enough to play games with reasonable detail - but small enough to be thrown into a bag for trips away from home.

The cooling/throttling issues were putting me off the XPS 16 somewhat, and I had other machines in mind. Now the new XPS 15 has come along, and in the UK it is looking quite interesting. Not so much on spec, but on sheer value. Consider the options in the UK that I'm looking at:

- Alienware M11x: Superbly portable, but not all that powerful with a 335M and ULV processors, plus the hinge issue worries me. Price - £900 for an i5 with a RAM upgrade

- HP Envy 14: Easy enough to carry around, and the black Beats edition looks great, but the i5 costs £999, and in the UK to get the more attractive Beats version you need to get the i7 version at a staggering £1400. It also only has a 720p screen in the UK

- MSI GX660/GT663: Great specification for the price, with either Radeon 5870 or Nvidia 460M graphics driving a standard 1080p screen, but it is a very chunky machine and at least £950 even for the i5 version

- Kobalt GS510 (aka Sager NP5135/Clevo B5100): Good balance of portability and power, with lots of CPU options up to the dual-core i7-640. Price isn't bad either, with a decently specced i5 with a 900p screen coming in at about £1000, but it looks a bit plasticky - no brushed aluminium or unibody here - and you can only have a 425M GPU.

Then along comes the XPS 15. All the criticisms on here hold true - hit with the ugly stick, graphics no faster than the XPS 16, and annoying configuration in that the one that would corner the market, i5 with 445M, you cannot buy at any price. But consider the i7 version in the UK:

XPS 15 i7: Decent processor (i7-740QM) Nvidia 435M graphics, which will beat the Alienware and is probably on a par with the 5650 in the Envy, yet a cost of less than £800 - and with the 10% offers I get emailed every week this goes down even further. Plus you can get a 1080p screen if you want it.

I've yet to see a review, but on paper I'm seriously considering this little beast.

 

These are somewhat enough low-mid range GPUs and very sad only the thick and ugly Alienwares using better GPU-s.
Since this problem DELLs business is going down and down, because the costumers cannot find their needs in this brand. In the past 5 years I have bought only Dell laptops, but the disappoints are getting too much. The good GPU is same important as good CPU, or actually more important because the CPUs gives plenty of power since Core 2 duo.

 

Alienwares are thick but heard they are cooling beasts. Maybe that's why they're so thick.

 

Yes, but those have to handle the biggest Nvidia Fermis and Radeons too. However with a smart GPU choice like "mobility HD5830" we could enjoy the performance in lighter laptops too. Like in the new StudioXPS 14. I would definitely pay some extra $ for that GPU.

 

Totally agree - 5830 is what we've all wanted for SO LONG! High powered but low on TDP!

Not to mention a low performing Nvidia GPU (i.e. some of the XPS ones) are just as hot, if not hotter, in real-life performance as the higher end and hotter ATI/AMDs.

Dell had SO LONG to come up with the XPS. Blending a somewhat unattractive design with a poorly thought out set of GPU options, it is a complete fail for those expecting to move on from the Studio XPS.

Don't Buy XPS!

 

i already know this is EPIC fail
*period*

 

So I take it that the XPS 15 will suck as far as gaming performance is concerned? not even medium-high detail in games like Crysis?

 

Is there any laptop that doesn't suck at Crysis though?

 

A maxed out XPS 15 actually looks very tempting. Will I buy it? No. I'm still waiting for a SXPS refresh.

 

I disagree. It's not meant to replace the Studio XPS line. This has nothing to do with whether I like the design or not. I actually think it's a bit thick but if I was buying it as a desktop replacement, the thickness would be irrelevant. To me, I actually think the GPU choices are pretty reasonable for where Dell is aiming these machines at. I would have liked to have seen the coolest running GPU's available used and an integrated graphics option for those that don't game though. The lack of a 1080p screen on the 17" is highly puzzling. Maybe they'll bring it later but it should have been ready at launch.

Nowhere have I seen where Dell has stated that the new XPS is meant to succeed the Studio XPS as you state. I don't believe it is. In terms of business/marketing strategy, I think it's obvious that Dell is killing the Studio XPS line and placing the new XPS above the Inspiron for those that wan't a solid, higher-performing, middle option for multimedia/casual gaming/everyday use. More of a replacement for the Studio than the Studio XPS. I believe their strategy is to push former Studio XPS owners/prospective buyers/fans into the Alienware line if gaming is one's primary concern. I don't think the new XPS was ever intended to replace the Studio XPS line in Dell's view.

Whether this is a wise choice or not is another topic. Considering the high price of the Alienware, Dell may have been wise to have a fourth line, above the new XPS but below the Alienware for those that want an affordable gaming machine, like the market that the Asus G73 or even the Toshiba Qosmio covers. Although, they may be looking to streamline their model lines in an effort to cut costs or simplify the choices they offer consumers.

 

The 17" model does have a GT 445, and the 435 should be fairly comparable anyway, plus with better drivers.

I don't want Optimus. Doesn't make sense except on low end systems anyway IMO, as it's going to hurt performance on any mid range or high end GPU.

Okay, there was ONE Studio XPS, and it started out with a MUCH worse GPU, and ended with a worse one for sure than the 17" XPS ships with. It also had loads of problems from the very beginning, and isn't anything anyone should have been considering.

No they don't, and no they don't. Those notebooks don't have good cooling systems, and the GPUs aren't remotely "twice as much performance". While we don't know for sure yet how well these XPS cool, from what we do know about them, they appear to be better designed, and at worst comparable systems to what HP's offering.

 

I'm kinda lost on the whole "Nvidia has better drivers" opinion. ATI now offers regular driver updates for their mobile cards as well, and it seems like they're including more and more features in every update. For those with the Optimus option, good luck with drivers, as the regular Nvidia drivers won't work, you'll be stuck waiting for updates from Dell, which will happen next to never.

 

Two years after Nvidia-but the frequency isn't the issue. Nvidia's drivers are almost always better than anyone else's. They do far more regression testing among other things, as per Anandtech's articles about it plus personal experience of my little group.

No, Optimus is completely supported.

I don't want Optimus for performance reasons, and don't think it makes sense on a mid or high end GPU, but it's completely supported from a driver standpoint.

 

I don't know a lot about the intricacies of Optimus but how would it hurt performance of a mid to high-end GPU? I thought it was supposed to default to the GPU when the application(games, ceratin editing programs) called for it? If that's true, then games would use the GPU as intended and then Optimus would only come into play when an application(web browsing, Office, email, etc.) needed integrated graphics, thus shutting off the GPU. If anything, I think that Optimus would be more appropriate on mid to high-end systems while low-end systems would have integrated graphics only with no GPU. Not trying to argue, but that's my understanding of how Optimus is intended to work, on paper, that is.

 

You're stuck using the Intel graphics all the time, even when the real GPU is engaged, and you're stuck piping the image across the PCIe bus.

 

Why should I spend $200 on a GPU I'm going to have in 2D mode for it's entire life?

 

[Canada] Good price, good design, only gripes I have are its inferior graphics card (compared to other laptops at this price range), lack of integrated graphics, and online shopping only for the slight discounts.
I'm debating between this one and Lenovo IdeaPad Y560. >.<

 

They don't have to add anything remotely like $200 to the system's cost, and it's extremely doubtful that you're EVER running the thing in a 2D mode...well, unless you're running an old OS I guess. (And obviously some games and the like.)

 

Yeah, I think the release date is Jan 9th, I think

 

Dell was charging about that much on the Studio 17 for the ATI card versus nothing but the integrated graphics.

My point about "2D mode" was that nothing I do on these machines drives the GPU more that a tiny little bit. Even the integrated graphics in an i5-540M doesn't work much, while the rest of the machine (I/O, memory and CPU) are at full-utilization.

 

To all

Searched this forum a bit and the Dell site but couldn't find any info

Am hoping that Dell chose to go back to a Synaptics trackpad on these models.

Interested in the XPS 17 but an ALPS trackpad would probably be a deal breaker.

Any idea ??

 

What's the difference? (Asks the person who hates track pads and never ever uses them :-D )

 

Two years ago, I looked long and hard for a cheap laptop with some vestige of 3D capability. I would consistently find great deals in the $300-$500 range (14"-15" screens) and they were all using integrated video. I finally found a Vostro 1400 with an nVidia 8400M GS for $650. In the long run, it proved to be a terrible card, but it got me through some basic gaming on the go.

Two years later, I finally upgraded and I saw the same pattern during my shopping. Laptops with integrated video are still dirt cheap, but if I want 3D, I gotta pay for it. The price? At least $150.

Sandy Bridge may change all of this and make integrated video a viable option for many people.

 

Told you Wolfpup I can't buy the XPS 17, it's just not offered.

As for Optimus, you are right with its limitations, but that doesn't give Dell the right to brag about Optimus and yet restrict people to GT 420M - not sure about 425M since I wouldn't get that anyway. And all it comes down to is that you're better off without Nvidia.

Why wouldn't somebody want Intel GPU? They're not the best for high def gaming on Nvidia based Games, but I have had an old, old Intel GPU outperform a brand new, middle end Nvidia GPU on a non-Nvidia based game. Screw Nvidia, they make too hot GPUs. Plus, anybody who doesn't need powerful graphics shouldn't need a discrete GPU. If they wanted some power with lesser heat then they would most definitely prefer ATI.

Heartcloud, I used a Y550P myself, the build is terrible. You know the XPS M1330 or SXPS 16, where the top part (touch key panel, lights) of black plastic is? Well, Y550P has something like that, except at the broad (length) end the plastic strip is all broken up with bits sticking out. It's like a piece of acrylic they did not bother smoothing, or it looks horribly patched together. And it is brand new. I went through 2 Y550Ps, and a slightly older Y550 on loan, before they offered a Y560 replacement, which I rejected. The Y series is just crap, the reviews I read are from people who probably used it in winter and so never felt it overheating. That being said, do not go for XPS unless you're in America in which case it is cheaper so lucky for you. Almost everywhere else it is immensely more expensive. But Y560 does use HD 5730 instead, so if solely for the GPU, it would be a good choice, or go for a better SXPS 16.

Go for HP Envy, which is Also cheaper for you (you don't wanna know how much in USD the one here starts at).

Don't Buy XPS!

 

I used to be pretty bigoted for nVidia for the same "better drivers" issue. I had a terrible experience once with ATI drivers once and I vowed never to purchase their hardware again.

Since then, I've jumped back and forth between green and red. I'm currently 100% red excepting one laptop running a lowly nVidia 8400M GS. In the process, I've seen both cards exhibit ridiculous driver behavior.

Let's see... On the 8400M, I had to choose between being able to run Neverwinter Nights or system sleep functionality. If I ran Dell's drivers, sleep worked great, but my game wouldn't run. If I ran updated nVidia drivers, the game would run but sleep crashed the system.

Now with my Radeon 4890 on the desktop, there are applications that can't handle Anti-Aliasing with certain lighting effects. Another either-or scenario.

Now on my XPS 1647, I just went through an afternoon of uninstalling, reinstalling, registry hacking and otherwise going through unpleasant contortions just to upgrade the drivers to the current Mobility Catalyst 10.10s. All of that pain came about because Dell's drivers didn't uninstall cleanly to begin with.

So I'm convinced that you can't win. It's not red versus green, it's who is going to provide the best bang for the buck. If the card gives you grief, pray that it will someday be addressed in a future driver.

 

Yes, and this is why I am going to buy Envy instead of StudioXPS. or might waiting little more for HP Envy Sandy Bridge+Hd6xxx combination ?

 

Did you explicitly ask a Dell representative? I cannot find the XPS 17 on the Dutch website either, but I did order on last friday. There is some page on the website, but you cannot (as far as I know) navigate to it from any menu. Even though it is not publicly shown, doesn't mean you cannot buy one.

No offence, but this makes me laugh every time.

 

Haha, glad it does. Well no, it's not offered here, and neither can I navigate to it. In fact, when I first asked about if there were any new models replacing SXPS16 some time ago, they only ever mentioned 14 and 15 inch models - they never planned to sell XPS 17 here and they might never do so. Mine's not the only country which doesn't offer it - some neighbouring ones as well. Spoke to several Dell people (just sales people) about the i7 thing but they still continue to lie/cut the line. Just pisses me off - just give a straight answer to your goddamn customers.

Don't buy XPS!

 

i really agree with pouitrye
Dont buy xps!
DEll really screwed the design and config this time
I mean my m1330 looked better than this sh** xps 15!

 

Why?

There's no such thing as "Nvidia based games", and no, you didn't have a new middle range GPU get outperformed by old Intel video. Or new Intel video. That's impossible. My Geforce 4 from 2002 is still outperforming Intel's graphics.

"Hot" is a completely loaded term. Of course they're "hot" when they're hundreds of millions or billions of transistors doing billions of calculations. Core i7 is "hot" compared to Atom. It's "hot" compared to a 486. That doesn't mean you want to use the ancient design.

Better analog output. Better flash acceleration. Better video acceleration. Better 2D acceleration. Better desktop acceleration. And less buggy drivers doing all of that.

No one should want Intel video.

I assume you mean AMD? They don't magically make cooler parts. Equivalent transistors, die processes, and clock speeds end up with equivalent temperatures. Moot issue anyway, given it's up to the computer manufacturer to design the system right.

In the U.S. it's a competitive mid-range system...so do buy XPS. Baring any major issues that are found of course.

 

That's not the price of the GPU though, and you're typically getting other better parts too. I also wouldn't call a $300-600 system a great deal, considering you get far more bang for the buck even with some $700 systems, let alone mid range systems.

It's not changing anything. It's still for people who don't know any better. For the rest of us, we're stuck with lower performance CPUs because Intel's wasting die area on worthless video.

 

There are games which run better on Nvidia, and there are games which run better on AMD. That's what I meant.

And overall, AMD cards don't give out as much heat as Nvidia, for the same performance or better. For a lot of people specs do not matter as much as actual performance.

 

yes poiuytre is right.ATI gpu use less power/produce less heat for more/equal performance of nvidia gpu!
Period

 

ATI has had better performance per Watt than Nvidia for a few years now, on both desktop and laptop parts, and there are lots of benchmarks out there regarding this. Go check out any GPU review at Anandtech.

Also, +1 to the opinion that the Y560 is garbage. I returned it to get the SXPS 16. The build quality, display, and features were a huge disappointment. I still like Thinkpads for work, but the Ideapads are crap.

 

I don't know how I bought a crap Y550P, and then they came out with a Y560 after with better GPU! But both are built the same, with subtle differences. People complain about the Ideapads a lot, but with reason. Weird thing was Y550P/560 was their "higher end" model, yet was crappier than their cheaper PCs. Still a lot of people are bringing up Y560 as alternatives to SXPS16 when it really shouldn't be hard to choose.

Yes! When the new AMDs come out, it will be good to see what Dell has. Hopefully not another Buy This, In Order To Have That scheme.

Don't Buy XPS!