My thoughts and informal review of XPS 16

This isn't a full review but I wanted to post my thoughts after a few days with the Studio XPS 16. Maybe this will help others considering this notebook among others to make a decision.

I ordered it from the Outlet, $1149 for SXPS 16 with P8600, 1GB ATI 4670, RGBLED screen, 500gb drive, Intel 5300 wifi, DVD/RW. I got the 9 cell for additional $80. This seemed like too good a deal to pass up, particularly since it was "previously ordered new" rather than refurbished or scratch/dent.

It arrived prompty in as-new condition. First thing I did was put a fresh install of Win7 RTM x64 on the main partition. Never even booted Vista.

Anyway I love this notebook. Maybe I got a real peach but none of the problems often described have been an issue. Considering the capabilities of this computer, it is very portable and battery life is quite good with the 9 cell (about four hours with wifi and web use). This is longer than a 17" MBP running Windows; only with OSx -- which I am not a fan of -- does the Apple get longer run time.

With regular use it does get warm but barely and not to the point of being uncomfortable. The fan is only audible in a very quiet room. With heavier use of CPU and GPU, the fan speeds up but isn't obnoxious and the heat is not excessive. I have been using the 9 cell battery mostly which does elevated the rear end of the notebook and this does facilitate air movement. But even with the 6 cell the temperature is very reasonable. Some reviews commented that the screen blocks the exhaust vent. While in some positions it may partially cover the vent it is definitely not blocked, the hot air just comes out a bit more forcefully from the open slots if others have a restriction.

The ATI 4670 is probably the best GPU available right now in anything that can be considered reasonably mobile that can run for more than an hour on battery. Seems like it can do a decent job running just about any game at 720p.

The RGBLED screen is phenomenal. As I think is typical with wide gamut displays, it requires some work to get the colors right. With Win7 this can be done using just an appropriate ICC file (I used one that was posted here) with manual adjustment of brightness (approx 40%). Keep the CCC color controls off. I really like the "edge to edge" display as it keeps dirt and dust from getting stuck around the edge of the screen. I've looked carefully under the cover and have not seen any dust.

The P8600 seems plenty powerful for general computer use and gaming. Obviously if you spend a lot of time doing things where the CPU is the bottleneck, i.e. 3D rendering or media encoding, you can spend more and get a processor that can do the same work in less time. I doubt the P8600 will be a bottleneck with any modern game running at 720p or beyond. Obviously desktop video is a lot more powerful so a faster CPU may be needed to keep up with the latest and greatest Nvidia and ATI boards.

The 500gb HDD runs quietly and seems quick. It is the 5400rpm Samsung. It will be replaced with the 256GB Dell (Samsung) SSD which I have on order. i am going to use the 500gb externally on the eSATA combo port using a Newmodeus.com cable.

Intel 5300 wifi seems to work well. No problems connecting to various wireless networks. Range and speed are definitely better than the 3945ABG my old notebook used.

Slot load drive does what it is supposed to. They are always a bit noisier with loading and unloading than tray drives, but once spinning it is pretty quiet. Had I ordered new I probably would have gotten the Blu-Ray combo drive, but probably would not have used it much.

The keyboard is a pleasure to use, with good key travel and tactile feedback. I don't detect any flex. The backlighting works really well too and is a big plus for me as I do use the computer frequently in the dark. This, along with the more up to date hardware i.e. 1066mHz DDR3, were big selling points over the Sony FW which can be purchased for cheap these days.

The touchpad is, like most Windows notebooks, rather small. But it has a nice texture and works well. With the latest Synaptic drivers, it has similar capabilities to the Macbooks with two finger scroll, pinch and zoom, etc. This isn't nearly as fluid compared to the Macbooks, iPhone, etc but hopefully will continually improve as the driver evolves. The buttons have good feel and are illuminated like the keyboard.

The AC adapter is pretty small and light, as is much flatter (but somewhat wider) than most. The AC cord has a 90 degree connector for the transformer. The plug on the computer end fits snugly. If you accidentally yank it, it will come out pulling the computer off the desk. But it does not fall out on its own.

I have a Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard and Microsoft 5000 mouse, both of which are bluetooth. My machine did not have the bluetooth board installed, but I bought it separately from Dell and installed it on my own. It was less than $30 shipped and went in easily. No need to use a dongle now.

Overall I have to say construction quality is very good. No it is not a full magnesium chassis but there is much more metal than plastic. The screen does not flex and the hinges work very well. The ports are well placed and the important ones are all present including Displayport which I will use with an external monitor, probably the U2410 Dell is releasing soon. The eSATA combo port allows use of an external drive at SATA speed with a single cable. Besides the cable from newmodeus.com, Delock makes an eSATA chassis that connects with a single cable. There are no US distributors at this time but they will sell direct from Taiwan for $33 plus about $27 EMS shipping.

To sum up, it is a really well designed notebook that offers desktop replacement power with decent portability and battery life. The Seiko-Epson RGBLED is wonderful once a proper profile is set. It is not a cheap upgrade, particularly outside the USA, and the slightly smaller WLED screens are probably excellent too. I have no complaints coming from two plastickly HP notebooks (dv2700t and dv9700t) and a Sager 9880, which weighed over 12 lbs and run for under an hour on battery.

Good job Dell! You won me back from HP and Sager. And I highly recommend buying from the outlet, not only do you get immediate shipping but the quality control is very good. I assume they check for and resolve any deficits others have with new machines before approving them for release on the outlet.

 

Thanks, you bring up interesting points and details.

I think this would have been an even better laptop if Dell used a switchable GPU solution, it would give more battery life.

 

One thing I'll mention: My power plug, like many others, has no resistance to pulling out. Perhaps that was flaw addressed in his, or his build quality differs. My USB points on the other hand require some serious concentration to unplug

Joe

Also, the slot load DVD player makes a loud and obvious noise when loading....but I pretty much never hear mine when it spins later on. I.e. During movies there is Zero noise.

 

Nice review and I concur with almost all the points.
One thing I find very interesting regarding the RGB screen. When I was researching all the various laptops available in this size and with comparable hardware, I kept comng back to this machine. But what sold me on it was the across the board raves about the RGBLED screen. Great color, inky blacks and fantastic contrast for text. There was not a review to be found that did not like it, and virtually all raved about it. It's ironic that this really terrific screen is so nitpicked here on these boards. I have seen some awful screens in my day, and this is one of the best ever made. This screen is the very detail that convinced me to buy it and pay the extra and I am very glad I did. After taking some time to adjust the controls I think it is damn near perfect.

 

Modular GPU would be great but I've pretty much lost hope for this. Even the "standardized" MXM cards are often not interchangeable because of modifications that have to be done, power and cooling requirements, etc. Seems the major benefit of the modularity goes to the manufacturer, simplifying assembly and repair, rather than the end user.

My power plug is good. If it comes out too easy, maybe use a nail file to rough up the outer metal which should help it grip. This must be a QC issue as others have reported it.

I think all slot load optical drives are loud with loading and unloading. More important to be quiet when running, which it is. My HP had tray drives which whined quite a bit when running, also in the past I've damaged trays that were left out...

My first thought of the RGBLED was ... funky color! I was getting disappointed when I couldn't get it right using ATI CCC, and wondering if I made a mistake by not getting the cheaper WLED screen. Then I set set ATI CCC to default and used the ICC file posted in the forum, set the brightness to 40%, and WOW -- best looking TN screen I have ever seen! Very bright, very white, good blacks, and stunningly realistic colors. Reds in particularly look totally different and much more vivid (in a good way) compared to the Sager and HP panels. I do plan on getting a good H-IPS 24"-27" external monitor to use on Displayport... new Dell models look promising. May also try the Apple LED Cinema since I found an inexpensive male Displayport > female Minidisplayport adapter which should allow use with the SXPS16. I have the big 3007WFP-HC r(which I like) but will probably sell it as it only has a dual-link DVI and there is no adapter from HDMI or Displayport to DL-DVI; using a HDMI-DVI adapter I am pretty sure it will only run at 1280x800. And it is really too big for my desk

 

Which ICC file did you find most accurate? Link?