2015 Dell XPS 13 - Which model should I buy?

I'm returning to school for a healthcare profession and I'm thinking about purchasing the new Dell XPS 13. There are two models I'm looking at:

1) $899 CAD
13.3-inch (337.82-millimeter) Full HD (1920 x 1080) infinity display 'matte'
Intel Core i5-5200U
4GB memory/128GB SSD
15 hours battery life

2) $1179 CAD
13.3-inch (337.82-millimeter) QHD+ (3200 x 1800) infinity touchscreen 'glossy'
Intel Core i5-5200U
8GB memory/256GB SSD
15 hours battery life

I already have a primary computer, my Alienware m18x R2. Which configuration is the better deal and worth purchasing?

 

4GB just isnt enough...get the 8GB model. Btw...the 3200x1800 model is more around 12 to 10 hours. the 1080p model is 15 hours.

 

4gb is enough for anyone as long as you don't run virtual machines, period. Reason is simple, if you have a ssd it will be fast enough to handle almost any request at any time in the very few instances you run out of the 4gb of ram.

I say get the i3 model, sure it is only 2.2ghz but there are very very few instances where you actually need 20% more cpu power as this is your school laptop and if you don't specifically need it for some heavy programming and other applications you will never need more. My ancient 3820tg i3 laptop model that is 4 years old is still fast enough for any actual normal use and more, and I'm certain it will be for another 4 years. Simply these days computers don't need to be much faster, very few tasks demands all that extra power you pay a premium for in a school scenario.

 

Thanks for the replies. They're actually both i5 models though. Is there any realistic advantage of having a 3200x1800 screen instead of a 1920x1080 one on a 13" form factor? I won't be using photoshop or anything. I've heard that there are some scaling issues with higher resolution screens.

 

I know, but the dell site has an i3 model, anyway i5 is fine tbh. No there are no actual benefits of having a larger resolution than 1080p and yes windows 8 has some major scaling issues. The only possible benefit is that the screen is slightly better overall (maybe worth paying 100$ for) and specifically touchscreen if you need that aspect (is that worth 200$ extra?). But then you also lose 33% of the battery life (is it worth it?) in the process and 300$ at the same time, in my opinion a trade not worth taking as I don't like touchscreens nor windows 8..

 

I got the i3 model.. No regrets so far. The 8gb is $100 extra. It's really up to you.

 

I prefer the 1080p screen as it's a high resolution for the screen size which doesn't rely on excessive scaling like the QHD+ screen does as it's something Windows has never been very good at. I had an XPS 13 with the QHD+ screen and it's one of the main reasons I sent it back as the huge amount of scaling gave very inconsistent results and could look quite ugly.

John

 

Is the i3 fast enough for web browsing, streaming video/movies, and word processing without any hiccups? It would save me money, but I'm worried about battery life. Since i3 is slower than i5, it would take longer to do tasks, meaning more battery drain. How many hours of light use do you Dell XPS 13 i3 owners have?

 

It is fast enough for just about anything one would do on an ultrabook. The only times you would be able to notice any difference is when it comes to things such as rendering scenes/complex 3d photos movies, unpacking/packing files and so on. None which are applicable to any normal daily situation if you don't work with those tasks professionally.

Battery life is the same as i5 there is basically no difference to be had, things load instantaneously with these things and the load affects the watt they use specifically, so higher speeds=higher watt usage. Only time there would possibly be any difference is if things takes minutes to load and the drain of the screen etc while you wait would affect it. Something which will usually never happen for any of the uses that you mention. Buy it with confidence and be happy about the great price is my advice.

 

Thanks for your reply. One more thing: have you heard about the issues with the i3 being stuck at 0.6 Ghz? Doesn't seem to be a problem in the i5.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/xps-13-i3-performance.770398/