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    Dell XPS 15 vs. Sony CB

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by derekmor54, Jul 19, 2011.

  1. derekmor54

    derekmor54 Newbie

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    I've pretty much narrowed my choices to these two machines. Dell is about $30 or so cheaper. I do mostly word processing, web browsing and non-video intensive games (sports management simulations), except for MS Train Sim which presses the processor (physics calculations) and the video.

    I'm looking for 4-5 hours battery life doing word processing (mostly for international flights - I carry 2 just in case I wind up on a flight without a usable power source.)

    My questions:

    1) Sony or Dell? Sony has a better rep for service and fewer machines received with issues.

    2) is an i5 a better bet over the i7 2630QM? For some reason, at Dell the i7 model comes out $100 cheaper than an identically-configured i5, but I think I might get better battery life out of the i5. Whether it's significantly better, I don't know.

    Specs:

    i5 (2520 preferred) / i7-2630QM
    1920x1080 FHD screen
    750 GB HDD (That's an awful lot. Been living with 80 on my 5-year old Gateway)
    6 GB RAM
    regular keyboard (I can't see backlit keys in regular light)
    Blu-ray (If I have a power source on an international flight)
    525 card - 1 GB video RAM
    9-cell battery (x2)

    Thanks in advance!
     
    derekmor54, Jul 19, 2011
    #1
  2. weapon

    weapon Notebook Guru

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    The i7 is definetely an upgrade. If its cheaper, jump on that.
     
    weapon, Jul 19, 2011
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  3. leavenfish

    leavenfish Notebook Geek

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    You are only going to get one answer here I am afraid.

    For your needs, I don't know that it matters.
     
    leavenfish, Jul 20, 2011
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  4. synce

    synce Notebook Consultant

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    What makes the XPS 15 stand out from other laptops is the quality of its 1080p screen and 2.1 speakers. So it's great for entertainment. You can save yourself a lot of money if that doesn't matter to you. Dell and HP have the most returns of any PC brand. As for i5 vs i7, they draw the same power unless under max load. If you're mostly using Firefox and Word or just watching video, then go with the i5.
     
    synce, Jul 20, 2011
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  5. madmattd

    madmattd Notebook Deity

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    I get around 6 hours casual web surfing/word processing on my i7-equipped XPS 17, the 15 is similar. Like others said, under low load the power draw is the same between the i5 and i7.

    You say you have some CPU-intensive stuff at times, so get the i7. Even the "lowly" 2630QM is a terrific performer. It blows the gen 1 i7's for laptops out of the water, even the extreme version when not overclocked. And that is the BASE i7 (2630).
     
    madmattd, Jul 20, 2011
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