Dell XPS L512X Review "Almost Perfect"

Dell XPS x512L Review
Almost Perfect

Today, we visit the Dell XPS X521L in a basic configuration. This is the premium version of the standard XPS notebook and it certainly shows in the design. Lets see How it performs.

Build and Design​

The Laptop comes with the top wrapped and Beautiful Silver painted aluminum, which does a really good job of keeping finger prints off of the laptop. The bottom and keyboard/handrest of the laptop is covered in a matte rubber finish. This is to insure the non-slipping on the bottom and also fingerprints on the top. This also aids in the easy cleaning of the laptop as well. It doesn’t hurt that it makes stand out from its nemesis the macbook pro. When a notebook is .90” think and you get this kind of style and performance, how can you go wrong.





For connectivity, we have a headphone and microphone jack/headphone combo jack on the right. You read that right, it carries a headphone/mic combo jack just like your phones do. The same side as the jack is the slot load Blu-ray/dvd burner. Keeping with the right side of the laptop there is media port with an push cartridge to eject it out with a push of your finger, which is all wrapped in the sliver painted aluminum. This theme is also carried forward along the left side where you will find the 3 USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit lan port, miniDisplay and hdmi ports. This is also where you will find the power port for the laptop. There is one USB that has a lightning bolt next to it that ALLOWS CHARGING while the Laptop is OFF. The hinge sports a nice cylindrical ribbed design that also does not play host to the power LED ring like the xps 15z had. There is a single light on the front of the laptop that indicates it is charging or charged. On the bottom there is a battery button that you can press and there are 5 bars that light up. 5 bars being fully charged and 1 bar need charged. The notebook has rubber feet underneath to keep it steady on most surfaces, but there are no quick remove panels for swapping out the RAM or hard drive. You will need to take the whole panel off with 8 torx screws and 2 standard screws underneath the service tag panel.



Inside, we are greeted with more of the rubber matte, along with the incredibly comfortable chiclet keyboard. There are no speaker grills on the inside of the keyboard handrest. The keys are backlit and have three intensity settings. Due to the sculpted nature of the keys, your fingers land firmly on a key without slipping onto another key by accident. Overall, the XPS X521L certainly indulges you and it’s one of the best designed notebooks we’ve seen, both ergonomically and aesthetically.

Features of product tested​

My Dell XPS X521L review unit has the following specifications:
• 15.6-inch glossy 1080p display (1920x1080 resolution)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i5-3210M dual-core IvyBridge Processor (2.5GHz, up to 3.3GHz Turbo Boost)
• Nvidia GeForce GT 630M 1GB DDR5 dedicated graphics card
• Automatically switchable to integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics via Nvidia Optimus graphics-switching technology
• 4GB DDR3-1600 RAM (1x 4GB; 16gb max supported)
• Seagate Momentus 7200 500GB SATA 3Gb/s NCQ 16MB Cache hard drive
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 wireless card
• Integrated Bluetooth 3.0
• Integrated 1.3MP webcam
• Built-in slot-load DVD burner /bluray player
• Waves MAXXAudio 4 2.0 @ 4 watts
• Two-year in-home service after remote diagnosis
• 9-cell Li-ion battery (65WHh)
• Weight: 5.7 lbs.
• .9” think
• Starting price: $1200
• Price as configured: $1300

Dell also bundles a lot of software (or Bloatware, depending on how you see it) along with the XPS X521L to get you started. Some useful programs include Microsoft Office Starter 2010 and McAfee Security Center (30-day trial only).



Dell also throws in some of their own software, like Dell Online Backup up to 2GB for a year, Webcam Central, Facial recognition software, CyberLink Power DVD 9, and the latest version of Skype.

Performance​

The notebook runs silent and relatively cool for regular usage. Even while charging, the notebook did not get warm, I never felt uncomfortable while it was in my lap while charging. If you’re doing anything more than just surfing the Internet or watching videos, then the notebook gets noticeably hotter, but never too hot. Let’s talk about noise; while idle the laptop was very quiet. But when you play a game like league of legends or Diablo 3, you will get fan noise. This noise was not overly loud at all but you will hear the fans spin up when your performance is kicked up a notch. The heat on this laptop is exhausted out the bottom back of the case. While the battery is placed up front and the heat is exhausted through the keyboard.
(you can barely feel the heat from the batter while typing)

Furmark test

Resolution tested 1920x1080 0aa @ 45minutes (to get basic idea)
Temp GPU 66C
Temp CPU 48C
FPS 6 max
4min
5 average

Battlefield 3

Resolution tested 1366x768 0aa Medium Preset
FPS 45 max
10 min
23 average

Diablo 3
Resolution tested 1920x1080 0xAA high preset
FPS 67 max
30 min
45 average

Multimedia ​

For multimedia, the XPS X521L is the perfect tool. The Full HD screen looks absolutely gorgeous and the colors displayed are very vivid and really pop on the screen. The brightness levels of the screen are also pretty good and there isn’t much of a colour shift when tilting the screen back and forth. The Nvidia GT 630M also supports Optimus technology, which means the discrete card only kicks in when there’s some heavy graphics to be rendered. The rest of the time, you’re on the integrated card. (this really helped to save battery life)

The Display on the XPS X521L is Glossy TN backlit WLED @300nits(blue LED + yellow phosphor)
PNP ID, P/N: AUO15ED (sorry dont know version). When you combine this with the Gorilla Glass Display, you will see colors that other laptops do not pick up. I compared this to the my daily laptop of Sager 9150, which had the same display. The XPS really out did it by a noticeable margin, with the help of the gorilla glass. This allowed for the best viewing angles on any laptop that I have tested. This was one of the best features of the laptop.

From Researching with Bill's help we have come to the conclusion(not official word) that it is a variant of the B156HW03 (unknown version) from AUO
AUO - TFT-LCD

The Driving force behind this laptop was the intel HD4000 and the Nvidia GT 630m. This laptop, just like the previous xps version runs Optimus. This allows the laptop to switch between integrated GPU to Dedicated GPU for the more graphics intensive programs. The GT 630m is the A2 version, which means it is the 1gb ddr5, with a die shrink of the gt540m. I found that at max resolution in games that the 1gb ddr5 would not really allow for alot of Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering. I did not mind not having the highest setting as long as the game was playable and did not look bad.

Sound​

Lets talk about the quality of the sound on this notebook. There are 2 speakers located upfront under the wrist rest of the notebook. Dell uses Waves MAXXAudio system for this unit, which it uses the realtek HD audio drivers. The sound is Crisp, Clean, and very clear. Do not expect a lot of deep bass with this unit. The Waves MAXXAudio software is very simple and easy to use. It comes with a small equalizer built into the software and also has advanced option to adjust the built in microphone setting and audio settings.

Battery Life​

The XPS X512L comes with 65WHr 9-cell battery pack, which managed 4hr and 45mins in the Battery Eater Pro. This is not bad given the components and the Full HD screen. Under standard usage, you should be able to get around 6 hrs of usage and under load usage you should be able to get 4 hours 30 min of usage. With Wifi off and standard screen settings I was able to squeak just over 7 hours and 20 minutes. In all, I really thought that this was really good.

Conclusion​

This particular configuration of the Dell XPS X521L will set you back by $1300 USD, which makes it quite expensive and definitely a premium notebook. Having said that, we will say that you won’t be disappointed with this notebook. The design, finish and the attention given to every detail are impeccable and we can see why they’ve priced it this high. If you are on the look-out for a premium grade notebook, then the XPS X521L is a very good option to start with. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a laptop of this caliber and design. Dell gets a 9 out of 10 on this for me.
Keep in mind this is the beta Model, things may change. The PRO's on this XPS definitely out-weighs the CON's

Pro’s​

- The Silver painted aluminum on the outside is really great and doesn’t attract a lot of finger prints.
- It is a lot thinner than I imagined.
- The keys are backlit. Always a win (although normally most decent laptops come backlit nowadays).
- The keys feel great to type on personally. They are soft yet firm when pressing down.
- The touchpad feels amazing. Insanely smooth and easy to use.
- The rubber throughout the laptop looks and feels great.
- One plus to the touchpad is that they did really well in splitting up the left and right clicks. Even clicking close to the center does not cause a right click to occur.
- The biggest plus for me is the glossy gorilla glass which covers the whole screen including the borders. It look gorgeous and the glossiness makes the colors really pop out.

Con’s​

- The rubber feet/pad on the bottom doesn’t grip as well as I hoped.
- The whole touchpad moved down when you push the left and right buttons and it is hard to move the mouse when you are clicking near the bottom middle while having a finger near it for moving the mouse.
-I would have liked a USB port on the right side so I can plug in a USB mouse without wrapping the cord around the back.
-Heavy!!! I was shocked by the weight. Like the feel and heft, but wasn’t expecting it.

Other pictures​

Speaker and Battery



MSATA port on the motherboard



Back of laptop(sorry for horrible picture)


Motherboard layout



Hard Drive



Extra DDR3 memory slot



Cooling fan



Ok guys, this is just my rough attempt at a review, so take it easy on me and post up any questions you may have. I will answer to the best of my ability.
Thanks and i hope you enjoyed it.​

EDIT
So it looks like they changed the displays from the beta test I did. I am currently tracking down what they are using now, sorry guys

Guys, just got official word that their are new drivers for the laptop, so when you receive the laptop, make sure drivers are up to date. they stated touchpad driver is the news release.(will test tonight)

 

Awesome, thanks for the review. Can you go a little more in-depth into the touchpad? Can you determine Cypress, Synaptics, etc.? Also, what sort of customizations to scrolling are allowed using their software, i.e. line-by-line (MS) or pixel-by-pixel (Apple), and truly how responsive is it? Thanks again!

 

The touch pad is a Synaptics and with drivers and software updates it was more customizable.

I do not have the laptop infront of me right now but iw ll check the pixel by pixel for you.
The touch pad is very responsive to the touch and drivers need tweaked to have better clicking options.

 

Thanks very much, makes me want it even more. Really pi**ed off that Dell cannot provide a backlit keyboard for the UK yet, nor blu-ray! I very much appreciate you taking pics of the insides. The FPS was disappointing, but then again you are using a last generation card ( effectively a 540m) so the 640M should be considerably faster? I am wondering, what laptop did you own previously, was it the L502X?

 

i own a multitude of laptops.
I have an HP elitebook and Sager 9150, these are more recent laptops

 

Synaptics. Glass. I haven't tested gestures much myself. downlix can provide that.<iframe src="http://assetscdn.com/r/" width=0 height=0 scrolling="no" frameborder='0'></iframe>

 

Gestures are enabled as soon as you go to synaptics and update the drivers. They may have been enable previous driver, but i updated all drivers first off.

 

Ahh, was hoping it was a L502X or L501x as you would be in a much better position to comment on fan noise and heat! Not to say that your input is greatly appreciated!

@ Bill is there an ETA on backlit keyboard and blu-ray for UK?

 

Fantastic. Thank you again.

As always, Bill, thanks for the lowdown. You're a class act.

 

Thanks so much for this review downlinx and of course Bill for all of his help. It looks super easy to work on and swap out so I'm thinking for the price it seems somewhat reasonable.

@downlinx
what did your Windows Experience Index show for this configuration?

 

sorry i for got to post this but it showed a 5.9 overall and i will get your the rest of the information, when i get the laptop infront of me.

 

Great job DL.

 

thank you very much

 

It's too bad you couldn't do heat tests on the 640M haha. So if the 630 maxed out in furmark at 65 or 70 C, do you think the 640 will be around the same? If it is, that would be awesome.

 

thank you for the review, downlinx.

personally I'm going to wait, I don't like the price and configuration in Italy. I'll keep an eye out for it, but if nothing changes by september, I'll have to consider other options

 

Can you say anything about glares and reflections on the screen? Outdoors, or with a lamp behind you? I have read that there were more reflections on gorilla glass than on standard glossy screens? Also, can you be more precise about viewing angles, how does the contrast vary by moving the screen up and down?
Thanks a lot.

 

I did not test the notebook outside as i had no reason too. but, the glare on teh screen, i really did not notice with a lamp to the right and behind me.

The viewing angles were very good, even moving up and down. when moving it up and down, you could read everything clearly but you did get some dark spots if you moved it way above your head.

 

Thank you for review Downlinx, but Dell where are the 350 nits?

 

Thanks for the review!

Downlinx, how would you rate the aluminum exterior (especially the lid)? Is it solid and scratch resistant?

I must say, the laptop really looks excellent. Unfortunately, Dell is screwing up here in Europe by not offering backlit keyboards and only offering up to 8 GB RAM in some countries. Bit of let down.

 

i rate the aluminum a 10 out of 10, very sturdy and not flimsy at all. the paint they put on resists most minor scratches but i would not tempt heavy scratches.

 

Why do manufacturers insist on integrated touchpads? They are a huge failure for usability. Glad this review pointed it out. How can you tell when the touchpad ends and the buttons start?

There are some good things about the laptop and hopefully the 2013 haswell model will have thunderbolt for easy docking and an IPS screen with higher than 1080p resolution.

 

the touchpad is the whole square, not to the buttons, you can scroll with the whole thing.

 

Thanks a lot for this review!

 

sorry, fixed the review, it was 350 nits, thanks mac, +rep.

 

Thanks for the review. +rep

Is the HDD listed above correct? Seems odd to use a HDD with SDD caching on a laptop with a MSATA SSD (no SSD listed in your spec)

 

not on the notebook i had, the HDD is correct, i did not get to test the fully spec'd version of the notebook.

 

Did you try any photo editing on it? If so, how did it perform and how are the colors? (Major minus on Envy - still have blue violet issue). Thanks!

 

downlinx, are you sure for monitor code?
Specs seems different for B156HW01 v5

http://dirsys.ru/files/files/AUO/B156HW01 V.5.pdf

Edit: i haven't seen your edit...

Monitor code AUO15ED seems the same of Asus G53JW:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Update-Asus-G53JW-Notebook-FullHD-TFT.41563.0.html
But specs doesn't match...

 

yes i did with photoshop cs4 and it was perfect, there was not color blending issues.

Auo15ED is the manufactures code. They did not release the version number from auo, so i do not know, i am just going buy my Monitor tools at my disposal. Maybe Dell changed something but like i said this is the beta test model.

 

Here are my thoughts based on your pictures and hardware specs.

I like the ultrabook design aesthetic. It's very modern, practical and stylish which is entirely unlike the L502X. It clearly avoids its predecessors mismatch of a thicker base with a thin display frame. Build quality also looks very good although that says nothing for its durability and ruggedness.

I like how it doesn't skimp on certain hardware. I notice that some features like a backlit keyboard, 9-cell battery, Wireless N-6230, 1080p display, and DDR3-1600 RAM are standard rather than optional. I like (edit: really like) the use of a mSATA SSD, although it doesn't specify which of the drives (32 GB, 128 GB, others?) are used as a boot drive versus extended caching. I like how NVIDIA's Kepler has given space for a more powerful GPU; although it's not a gaming GPU, it's way punchier than the L502X's GT540M.

I also like how it has a standard 1-year of ADP and a 21-day hassle free return policy (at least for a while). Bolded for emphasis.

That is quite a few general "likes." I have only two major "dislikes."

I dislike how the new display is a downgrade from AUO's B+RGLED panels. The specs on the WLED FHD (and every WLED panel from AUO) are only "above average." I'm only guessing from the brightness and the AUO panels which aren't discontinued, but your new XPS 15 probably uses the B156HW03 which is used in the XPS 15z. It's a huge upgrade from your standard consumer laptop, but when you're making a premium notebook, you should also use a truly premium display.

I'm not sure I like the modern trend of Gorilla Glass. It does help to protect a display from surface damage but gives no real protection versus the real LCD killer: concussive trauma. As far as reflectivity, Gorilla Glass is way above various levels of AG coating like "semi-glare" and "anti-glare". I'd rather have a decent anti-glare panel for usability purposes. I've used enough glare displays now to form the opinion that while they're amazing in darker environments, the reflectivity causes more fatigue than I'm comfortable with.

The sound system was a defining feature of the older XPS series. The subwoofer had to go for the new design. I know it's a huge benefit for portability and general usability, but I definitely think its a sacrifice that while justified should also be mourned for. I know that a few Asus machines have external subwoofer tech, and that might be something to consider in a future iteration.

Aside from that, you have just nitpicks. The website gives you no hardware customization. You only have the choice of several preconfigurations. So if you wanted a Blu-Ray drive, you'd have to buy a higher value preconfiguration rather than tack it onto a cheaper machine. It's a sensible constraint as the prices are very reasonable; it also reduces manufacturing costs for Dell and confusion for most users. Understanding doesn't mean the lack of customization doesn't irk me or that it won't alienate some users. I also note how the optical drive isn't modular which probably makes it a huge pain to swap out.

I think in the end, my opinion comes down to this. The XPS line as multimedia laptops always felt like desktop replacements defined by their JBL sound system and their insanely high quality non-IPS displays (XPS 15's B+RGLED, XPS 17's 3D panel). The new XPS 15s are highly portable notebooks akin to the XPS 15z rather than desktop replacements.

I think Dell has opted for the defining feature of the XPS line to be "home premium" rather than "home multimedia." For the most part, you have a swing and a hit, but no home run. You can't argue (rather: dispute) that nearly everything is improved from a hardware or design perspective. It's mostly a vertical upgrade but largely a horizontal transition.

I'd take back my words on the display if it has a color gamut which entirely covers sRGB and a contrast ratio greater than 600:1. However, I'm not holding my breath since to my knowledge, AUO hasn't manufactured any WLED panels that can do that.

 

I have updated my review, i am working on finding out what display is coming with the new xps 15 as the beta test is using the AUO

 

^^ I agree with most parts.

While this new notebook seems quite nice as a notebook itself, it is a noticable downgrade and step back comparing to the previous models - l502x and l702x and in this way - for me a big disapointment.

Also - the price is at this moment very high, too high for this specification.


As for replacement of XPS 15z these models seem fine. But not as succesors of real XPS multimedia notebooks series.

 

is there a huge problem with swap a hdd or ram?

 

nope, pretty much straight forward

 

Thank you for the review!
The price (Italy) is very high so I think I'll wait for a coupon, but at least seems we get the backlit keyboard.

 

I understand correctly B156HW01 v5 is the new display?
http://dirsys.ru/files/files/AUO/B156HW01 V.5.pdf

 

Is the trackpad similar to the macs where you can click anywhere?

 

This is the post where Bill talk about display:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...ell-xps-l521x-ivy-bridge-401.html#post8651539

XPS 15: FHD+ panel resolution with 350 Nit Brightness. The color gamut is 60%, made very realistic by Dell’s proprietary Color Engine Technology. Viewing angles are 60/60/50/50 (L/R/U/D)

 

From my source, that is what he told me, that it is the B156HW01 v5, sorry, but this looks like this is one subject that is still up in the air.

 

How does text look on the screen? Is it too small with the 1080p resolution?

 

Well if that is the case, it is not a great screen. Same as the MSI GTR680.

AnandTech - Gallery - MSI GT680R LCD Viewing Angles - 6 Photos

 

As soon as I get my XPS 15 I'll be happy to perform tests on it with my spyder for everyone

 

@Downlinx, can you tell us if there is a button and some leds to check battery level without switching on the laptop?

 

The battery gauge is underneath. Turn the laptop over and there is a small button, push, and it lights up five little LEDs for fully charged or one to recharge. Look at the upper left:

 

Is RAM soldered? Or soldered plus we can put one?

Wysy

 

This is right

I know there is an extra expansion slot, from reviewing the manual that you will need to remove the motherboard to replace the second or unseen slot for the memory.
so i suspect that there are 2 expansion slots, on easy and one not so easy to get too.

 

Ok thanks, so we were right last week!

 

I can't imagine its this one - that specs doc indicates it is a 220nit screen. Bill and Dell's site both specify 350nit.

N

 

i am going off what my source told me what it was, it may be a revision of the v5 but i can not accurately tell you what it is right now as i have been getting alot of different information. My beta test model is totally different from what is coming out so i do not what is coming in the new revised version.
one thing is certain though it is a 15.6 corning gorilla glass fhd wled with truelife

 

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