[NEWS] Studio XPS 15 and XPS 17 !!

7400 is a pretty good score for the GT 420M, isn't it? I've seen 5730s get similar ( link). I want to see what the 445 gets.

 

Sites like PC-World, PCMag and CNET perform reviews with the average consumer in mind and so they will use layman terms to get the 90% of the audience who just want a GOOD laptop for their money. Anandtech is the only proper review site for Geeks like us who are so picky on every detail!

 

I second that!

 

Unfortunately 99% of the audience don't even know what Gamut means.

 

My cousin has a dog named Gamutt.

 

That review was basically an advertisement. I'd like to see something more gritty and revealing. hehe

 

I called up the guy at EPP and told him I was interested in the XPS 15, and was wondering if he could find a better offer than what was online. I configured what I wanted online, put it in my cart, and then called him and he was able to see what was in the cart. He came back with a great price! I can PM you his contact info if you want, just let me know.

 

Heck yeah, I'm about to order a loaded XPS 15, would love to save some cash.

 

Not sure it's definite that Anandtech will be reviewing the 1900 x 1080 screen because in their XPS 15 preview they mentioned how they hoped that the standard screen would be special.

 

Is it just me or was there a bit of a change in the options today? Lower price but no longer offering Intel Wireless 6300?

 

Hey nk290, just ordered it by chatting with a Dell rep, saved me $200!!

Ichinenjuu, you are right, the options did change. I had to chat with a rep to get my backlit keyboard. I went with the Intel 6200. Not sure what happened with 6300.

 

Wait, they're not offering a backlit keyboard anymore?

 

It wasn't on the list of options, but the rep successfully added it.

 

Alright, well, I'll have to do that, because that should be a given. I probably will still have to wait a month to get this computer...ugh...

 

Do you guys think the GT445 will get 11,000+ stock in 3dMark?

 

I'm more interested in its overclocking capabilities. That 192-bit bus is unheard of in mid-range graphics. Any overclock on the ram will be much more effective than on a 128-bit bus.

 

Just spoke to a rep, seems they don't offer the backlit Keyboard on the cheapest option, but the more expensive options should have them, but there may be a problem on the site currently that is why we are not seeing the option.

 

How did you do that? If you can tell us aswell What did you say to get the discount.....and what was your total before and after the discount

Thanks

 

Didn't ask for it, she did it automatically.
No clue what the discount was, i just compared the price through her vs online config and it was cheaper.

 

We in Germany don't even get it for the XPS 15. January 2011 it becomes available here for us.

 

For the options thing, if your XPS 15 could not be configured with backlit, but the rep could add it, then do you suppose a rep can add GT 435M to i5 processor?

Also, there was 750GB HDD available in my country. Less than 24hrs after the launch, they removed it. Weird huh? Highest is 640 now.

 

The backlit keyboard is not even an option on the XPS 15 in the US as of today. Backlit keyboards have been removed altogether. I hope this is just a terrible mistake...because a lack of a backlit keyboard is a deal-breaker for me...

Or maybe they've just become default now? :\ I'm freakin' out...

 

I just chatted with a Dell Rep and the worst is true. They have run out of stock for the backlit keyboard. More worrisome...the rep hinted that the 1080p screen is already running low on stock So much for wait and buy!

 

Damn. I wonder how long it's going to take to get it back...maybe I should just wait for Sandy Bridge after all...

 

Worrying? What's all the hastle?

8 Reasons To Not Buy XPS (2010)

1. No i5 processor/Optimus with GT 435M 2GB on XPS 15
2. No i5-560M or better option (for me) on XPS 15
3. No better GPU than GT 435M on XPS 15
4. GT 435M is not even as good as older, existing HD 5730/5830
5. XPS 15 looks horrible and bulky, not classy like XPS M1330 etc
6. XPS 14 does not have a good enough GPU
7. XPS 14 has no USB 3.0
8. No XPS 17 (for me)

 

Maybe so, but I need a laptop before 6th December and as of right now the XPS 14 has the best value for money for what I need.

But I do need a backlit keyb

 

Maybe if you order now you won't even get the new XPS before the 6th December. Mine was ordered a week ago and the EDD is 9th December (but I live in Germany)
But in regards to the backlit keyboard: you can upgrade it yourself (or from a dell technician) afterwards for not much money. Maybe less than ordering it right away. (Was the case with the SXPS 16)

 

Can you dowithout the backlit keyboard for a while and install it later? I'm going to get myself one when they become available on eBay. Over here the backlit keyboard is not available to be configured.

 

Yes you can. But you have to need a dell technician to do that in order not to lose your warranty. (thats what they told me)

 

I actually meant can Raji D do without it for a while. Or does he really need it or else he cannot do anything.

And as far as warranty is concerned, you can always put the regular keyboard back. I have had lots of techs here to work on laptops, and they all told me they don't car what you do to the machine, as long as you do not break anything. They don't care about reapplying thermal paste, or changing CPU/HDD/Keyboard. Actually the tech doesn't even know what you original configuration is. Just make sure the part they're going to replace is not one you upgraded yourself, because then you will loose your own part.

 

Its 7400 point in 1024x768 resolutions, not the standard 1280x1024....
Definitely GT420M is not on HD5730's level...

Spoiler

 

Oh I didn't know that. sorry for the missunderstanding.

And that would be nice. I've heard that too elsewhere but I'm a little afraid since I got the 4 year warranty for my system and I don't want it to be vanished bevause of such a unnecessary change of the keyboard....

 

No problem!

Don't worry. My M17x was delivered with the wrong keyboard. They sent me the proper one, and I could install it myself. It really is not a big deal. If you're unsure just take your time and read the service manual. The keyboard is usually quite easy to replace.

 

The options only show 3 year warranty.

How do I get 4 years? Do I speak to Dell people directly? Is it gonna be super expensive?

 

In Germany you can upgrade to the three year warranty at the beginning of the configuration. Later on there is the option for +60€ to upgrade to 4 years. So I went for it...

 

I suppose I could do without backlit keyboard for a while. It just makes it easier and quicker to find keys when playing in clubs that's all. But im going to be travelling december and january so I suppose by early february the part will become available and I can replace it.

To maintain the warranty I suppose Id have to get a technician out to replace it, and wouldn't they charge heaps for that? (I live in Perth, Australia). Anybody have experience in that in Australia?

Documentation

Looking at the instructions to replace the keyboard it seems a lot of things have to come out. Id probably be more comfortable the Laptop coming with the keyboard preinstalled or a Dell Tech doing it In case something goes wrong.

Hmmmmm.

At the same time the 15 is the same price and I could get that with a backlit keyboard, also its standard with more HDD and USB3, which the 14 wud lack

 

If you're upgrading the GPU, you'd probably care about performance, and thus not want Optimus.

IMO ditto-get a quad.

I'd like better, but it's not terrible, especially for the size.

Why not? Should be on par or better.

Personal preference, but either way the XPS appears to be designed to work, whereas Studio XPS wasn't.

It's good by 14" standards.

Do any? Maybe...I'm not sure. Practically though it's another chip, and you're already complaining about how these look...

 

Fine, tell me what I should buy. Here are the rules:

17" 1920x1080 or 1920x1200
Available i5 and i7 duals or quads
Two hard drive slots, three if you remove the optical drive
USB 3 and eSATA/USB combo port
Don't care about the GPU (prefer not to have more than the internal)
If an external GPU is installed, switchable graphics are preferred
Numeric keypad
Couldn't care less about what it looks like
Good speakers with sub
4 SODIMM slots
Costs about what the XPS 17 costs

Okay, pick me a machine.

 

Please take a look at this score, this is on stock clocks.



It´s way better than a 5730 and better than a 5850 DDR3. Please note that the CPU is an i5, if it was an i7 740qm i think that the 11000 would have been really close.

 

I asked if 11,000 was possible on stock clocks - 10,340 sounds good to me!

Thanks for posting this! Are you using the same Dell drivers that came installed on the system?

 

What kind of memory does the 445M use? This is really a make or break selling point for me.

 

Anyone know what adapter the XPS 15 takes? I ordered one with the i7 740qm, 1080p scree, and 2 gb graphics card of course. I'd like to order a spare, but didn't see an adapter specified on my order confirmation...

 

Everyone keeps saying DDR3 (not GDDR3 or GDDR5). Maybe alstrike can confirm.

 

What machine is this? Is it the XPS 17?

 

Yeah, but it's only at 1280x768. I can hit that high with my 5730 OCd. You need to hook it up to an external monitor and run it at the default 1280x1024 if you want to compare your score to others. I bet it'll barely hit 9000 at the default res.

It should be faster than the 5730, but it's also in a 17.3" frame, not a 16" one, and compared to other 17.3" laptops it's not that impressive honestly.

Also, could you run GPU-Z and tell us if it uses DDR3 or GDDR5 vRAM? There a bunch of people who'd like a confirmed answer for that. Thanks.

 

@Wolfpup: I really want i5-560M with GT 435M. But this is not available to me. Neither is i5-560M available with GT 420M anyway (not that I mind).
I'd rather have i5 with GT 435M, not i7 quad. There's no discounts for me even if I buy the i7 here.

You are right about XPS 15 (in terms of the heat vent) but XPS M1330 is not like Studio XPS 16 (due to its smaller screen).


@Lee Jay: Firstly, your demands are a little more specific and intricate (4 SODIMM, 2 HDD slots), those aren't too common, whereas mine are more general. Secondly, in my situation I cannot order an XPS 17 even if I wanted to, from my country's Dell online. It's the same thing for some people, where there are no i5 options, or limited backlit keyboard options, or wifi card options. In any case, for the moment there is no 1080 or 1200p for XPS 17.

Sager sort of has what you want but I cannot be sure of the cost. For me, by conversion if I buy it from a neighbouring country, it is not expensive (relative to Asus, Toshiba, HP etc), and is one of the cheapest options (next to Acer, which has crappier specs).

NP7130:
Full HD 17.3, Core i7 Quad (900s), GTX 460/480M 1.5/2GB or SLI
3 DIMMs (12GB), 3 HDDs + Optical (not sure about whether one HDD is optical or not)
Blu Ray Burner, 6300 Wifi

NP8760-S1:
Full HD 17.3, 580/560/640/740/840/940 CPU, GTX 480M GDDR5 2GB
2 DIMMs, 2 HDD + 1 ODD, Blu Ray Burner, 6300 Wifi

NP8760:
Full HD 17.3, i7 840/940, GTX 460/470 GDDR5 1.5GB
2 DIMMs, 2 HDD + 1 ODD, Blu Ray Burner, 6300 Wifi

NP8690-S1:
Full HD 17.3, 580/560/640/720/740/840/940 CPU, GTX 460/470 GDDR5 1.5GB
2 DIMMs, 2 HDD + 1 ODD, Blu Ray Burner, 6300 Wifi

NP7130 (another version):
Full HD 17.3, 460/560/580/640 CPU, GT 425M 1GB
2 DIMMs, 2 HDD + 1 ODD, Blu Ray Burner, 6200/6300 Wifi

Lastly
18.4 Full HD, 740/840/940 CPU, 5870 1.5 GDDR5
2 DIMMs, 3 HDD + 1 ODD, Blu Ray Burner, 6300 Wifi

Note that I do not know the cost in your country, plus this would be a configured cost, and base XPS does not have desirable specs anyway.

So there. You've never seen these before? Granted, you are a little picky with 4 DIMMs (rare in laptops, and do you want 16GB), but I pretty much fulfilled your requirements.

FYI JBL speakers with subwoofer are not great, I have had JBL subwoofers before. Granted these seem to have higher voltage, so hopefully they are good, but at the moment the websites are just praising it (as they are with everything else except design).

Now, if I ask you to pick a few laptops for me, could you do the same?

My rules:
1. i5-560M or better, but not Quad.
2. GPU HD 5730 or better
3. Full HD, 15 inches
4. Does not weigh more than 2.8 kg
5. Does not cost more than about US$1300 (this escalates since I'm not in the USA)


Finally, @alstrike, You are doing a test with GT 445M. I cannot buy a GT 445M XPS 17, and in any case I was referring to the GT 435M in XPS 15.

 

Also, how could that be an XPS 17?

It has i5 with GT 445M, is this available?

 

I guess the SAGERs could be a possibility, but I can't really get one without a pretty high-end graphics card which I have no plans to use so I'm paying quite a lot for something that's going to use a lot of power but never be useful. Still, worth considering.

As to your specs, since I don't know anything about graphics cards or how an HD 5730 performs (that's an ATI card, I think), I don't think I could come up with any suggestions. It's just not an area I follow since I don't play any games.

 

These sort of non-Dell specific questions should be asked here What Notebook Should I Buy?

 

Easy everybody, that screenshot is not mine. Some user posted it over N3D forum.

The memory appears to be GDDR3, although I think there´s no real difference between that and standard DDR3.

@ seeker moc, of course you can hit that score with your 5730 OC´d (extreme OC I say). But this is on stock clocks, I bet that it can hit 11000 at the default res with a decent OC.

I know there are other mega cool Asus and Clevo 17.3" laptops, but I don´t think there is a single 17.3" laptop with this CPU, GPU and these speakers for this kind of money. We are talking extremely nice dollar/performance ratio.

Regards