Studio XPS 16 Thicker, Hotter, and Heavier Than M1530?

Is it just me, or does it look like the Studio XPS 16 is thicker, heavier, and hotter than M1530?

 

I believe this thread is being used for any *discussion* on the XPS Studio 1340/1640:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=339394




Cin.

 

Could not agree more. It looks more like the Studio 15 from the side than the Xps m1530. I just snagged a refurb Xps m1530 with LED for my wife yesterday as i personally think its a better machine than the studio xps 16 especially because its lighter. It may have outdated technology but i think weight and portability are more important in a laptop.

 

Thread is too big to search through. Studio XPS questions will eventually populate the XPS section anyways.

 

Perhaps, but for now they are populated in that thread. It was merged by a Mod.

And, yes it will expand...like this one has.
This was the first Windows 7 Beta Thread in the XPS forum..and yet more have been created!
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=339044


Cin.

 

Am I seeing right? Cin without any smilies in her post?

 

Well, normally I do...you know that...
These past few days...they have been rough.
How's this...

Edit: Sorry...didn't mean to take from thread topic at hand......
And, on that topic...I would really like to handle the 1640 to see..it would be neat to feel the actual differences!


Cin.

 

That is understandable, now it has the name Studio in it, meaning it is a step below “just” XPS, besides it’s a 16” so it is larger = heavier.

 

You do realize that Studio is replacing Inspiron and Sudio XPS is replacing XPS, right? This isn't going to be like an "in between" model. This is the high end model, the way "just" XPS has been in the past.
The real issue is all of Dell's quality has been down lately.

 

I know that is the general impression; but is it really the case ? I mean will they rename next version of 17" gaming notebook to Studio XPS too ? Or will they leave it as XPS. Looking at the desktop series naming, Studio XPS looks to me like a "in between model".

Besides, if you compare the design and spec of Studio XPS 16 vs XPS M1530 (to the time when it came out), I think Studio XPS 16 is more like a glorified Studio than a renamed XPS. It doesn't have top of the line components nor the "cool factor" like M1530 did, when it came out.

 

thats right, but they still have xps on sale, how long are they gonna last... interesting how dell switched to ati graphic solution on the 16 ich, and kept nvidia for the 13 inch studio xps, to my understaing, m1330 got higher failure rates of nvidia faulty cards, cause it was small and didnt have proper cooling, heat dissipation.. they should have kept nvidia for the 16 inch, and put ati in the 13 inch studio.... right? i think nvidia get better performance and overall its better than ati, even with lower clock speeds or whatever, and to be honest i dont like, not even a little that new studio xps line, if my m1530 gets deffective, and dell offers me a new studio xps, i would go with fixing the m1530, mobo, graphic, whatever it is, rather than switching to those studios xps :S

The only thing i would change is this:

http://www.notebookreview.com/shared/picture.asp?f=39915

see how dell redesigned the heatsink? now graphic card got its own coppe, and cpu and chipset, got separate one.... i bet that with this heatsink m1530 nvidia problems and temps would be different!

 

Yeah, Studio XPS 16 don’t even has the big and shinny “XPS” logo

16 inch laptop is big and I don’t like it.
Great for desktop replacement but not for mobility.

For 15 inch class laptop,
I’m worrying that most of laptop makers are now switching from 16:10 15.4 inch to 16:9 16 inch
I know there is 16:9 15.6 inch but that’s only minority.

 

Studio XPS 16 DOES NOT means XPS M1540.

I bet Dell is working in the next REAL XPS right now.

 

or NO XPS at all

remember alienware ? That will be the next so called 'xps'

hahaha

 

I agree with the sentiments of others that this looks like a re-badged Studio 15. The ATi package is a step up wrt GPU reliability but I don't know how well the new ATi GPU stacks up against the 8600m GT? I have a Vostro 1700 with the 8600m GT and that thing is a beast even with 256 MB of onboard VRAM.

 

well, from reviews, they say it runs REALLY HOT, and that new design is not really effective, seems dell cant come up with a good heatsink... and still they use aluminum on their pads rather than copper, cheapies....

i do hope they continue the xps "solo" line, it has so much potential, killing it now would mean a big hit for dell, cause not all of us like alienware, imagine an uber backlit-keyboard, top of the line xps laptop... hey, it OK to dream

 

That is no different to the M1530 heatsink. The graphics card has its own 'arm' on the M1530 also.

The heatsink on my M1530 looks substantially better than that one, it uses copper pads (rather than alu) and uses larger copper arms (ie more conductivity potential).

 

This, basically. Many have speculated Dell isn't going to be doing the high end Dells anymore since they have bought Alienware. Alienwares have also become much more reasonably priced as well, so it's not a long stretch to believe at all.

 

When did Dell acquire alienware though?? It's been a few years at least. If there strategy is to make alienware the only high-end option, they should have done it a couple years ago. Doing so now just indicates that they have virtually no coherent strategy....

 

Well, it's primarily because of HP's recent acquisition of Voodoo.

 

HP has layers of computer offerings too though...between the HDX, DV, and now VooDoo. So Hewlett Packard's new strategy is to become the Dell we knew in 2006? (And HP is still offering mid-range graphics options in their mainstream laptops, whereas Dell is now offering budget graphics cards). I'd to see a gross margin breakdown by product for Dell and HP...that would be interesting. Anyway....too far off topic for this thread I suppose...

/end hijack

 

16 inch doesn't bother me too much just because if you think about why 16 inch is trying to become the standard is because WUXGA (Full HD) resolution doesn't look like it has microscopic text on the display. Though I still feel they could have accomplished that without increasing thickness and heat though. :/

 

There's only been one review so far on the 1640. we can cross our fingers and hope that something was amiss.

I'm no expert, but see how the hs all point to the center of the rig? if you look at the outside distribution you can see that it's hottest in the middle. If most of the heat of most components is distributed therewards, there may be a slim chance that all the readings are due to a single faulty component in the test system. maybe it's not as bad as we think. maybe it's just wishful thinking though.

 

i hope its not that bad, i'd like to see some other opinions...

 

I don't think it will be *so* bad. It will be nice to factually see the 1530 lined next against the 1640 ~ and some detailed photos!

And, it probably won't be that long before we see something like this happen!


Cin

 

It is an in between model, I think Dell is testing the waters on 16" laptops that have been catching on lately. Personally I think 13 & 15 are the perfect sizes with 17 being great for full desktop replacements. 16 inchers just feel awkward, and most bags/carrying cases are built for 15 or 17. I still like the new Studio XPS, I think it looks really sharp and the keyboard looks nice. I still don't like it better than the XPS m1530, but that's because I have one

 

I think Dell's plan is for:

- 13 inch,
- 16 inch replacing 15.4 inchers, and
- 18.4 inch (like the ones out now) to replace the 17 form factor.

With the 16:9 aspect, the depth of the laptop is preserved (eg. 16 vs 15.4).

 

That's what I was sort of thinking too.

I prefer my 1530..cuz I have it and enjoy it. If, I was going to replace with a new lappy..I might go with a 13"

It will be neat to see the Notebook bag manufacturer's coming out with all these different sized bag's to accomodate for the new sized lappys.

The Studio XPS line is nice, though!


Cin

 

The XPS M1540 is actually thicker than then XPS Studio 16, and in terms of bulkiness the difference is of only 4cm² or 8 cm³ (factoring in height).

The difference in terms of weight is just 290g. This is the weight of 2 iphones! You won't make me believe carrying 290g more is going to break your back!


XPS M1540:
2,62 kg
Depth: 23,7 mm to 35,1 mm = 29,4 mm average
Bulkiness: 357 mm width x 263 mm x 29,4mm = 276,36 cm³

XPS Studio 16
2,91kg
Depth 24,1 mm to 33,95 mm = 29 mm average
Bulkiness: 384,9 mm width x 254,6 mm x 29 mm = 284 cm³

The main advantages of the XPS Studio 16 for me are:
1- RGB LED display that represents colors to their full saturation (100% gamut instead of 60%-80% for other laptops in the market) and contrast of 750:1 instead of 500:1 to 600:1 in competitor models - simply put, the best display in any laptop on the market
2. HDMI output which allows to output 5.1 sound without using a sound adaptor. This is great for those who don't want to have too many cables connected to their laptop.
3. Montevina Platform

 

Hmm, no it's actually 290g, not 29g

 

Have editted the original text. It still remains very reasonnable considering the superb display.

You are all comparing with the M1530 but I have sold my M1730 and for me the screen size remains about the same (usable surface for HD films) but the XPS Studio 16 has half the weight and is much smaller!

The reason I sold my M1730 was the lack of HDMI versus competitors (HP, Apple).

But now the XPS Studio has just blown out competition. Apple MacBooks don't have a Bluray player and both HP and Apple have poorer panels.

Still I am considering purchasing a second laptop when the new Alienware XPS comes out. Dell and Alienware have teamed up for the new gaming models that will integrate the ATI Mobility 4870 X2 / Crossfire.

And actually the current Alienware laptops can be purchased through Dell with Dell support...They are going to kill competition there too, considering the only weaknesses of Alienware were support and non-proprietary design (reliance on Arima / OCZ for their barebone)

 

I agree. I nearly ordered XPS 16 but ended up with a XPS 13. I really need to get the weight down.
Hopefully we'll see more reviews in the end of the week on both models, and that they compare these with the old models.

 

I have found quite a few reviews in English, German and French and all of them except one were extremely enthusiastic and most were considering the XPS Studio 16 to be the new multimedia king, thanks to its excellent design and great panel!

Also most tests didnt have the 2,8Ghz version, so with 2,8Ghz the XPS 16 is a clear performance winner for me.

People often misunderstand heat. Heat is a good sign of passive cooling. The more heat the cover transmits to the external environment the better. This actually helps the fans.

Personally I am used to gaming laptops where heat dissipation is key so heat is the least of my concerns. But I can understand that some people may find this bothersome.

 

As nice as the system may look the 16:9 ratio is what will keep me from purchasing an XPS when I need an upgrade.

 

I've mentioned in another thread. We are in new times, economically...

The studio name was placed for a reason. It's a cost cutting factor, by merging features by both lines.

Peple who have purchased the XPS. Savor it...and enjoy it. We won't see another build of that, "Quality", for quite some time...

 

Why, what's wrong with a 16:9 ratio?

Anyway, I wanted to ask about the GPU in the Studio XPS 16. It's a newer ATI RADEON M86XT is based on the Radeon HD 3670 or something?

I hope it's okay to ask here but do you think that it would be a problem installing a Linux OS on it? I was wanting a business-oriented notebook but can't find any that include all of the specs I want. The Studio XPS 16 comes closest although the screen is a bit large but that's okay since I want to watch movies on it from time to time. But, I wanted a mobile Nvidia GPU since Nvidia is still a better bet for using Linux with. Even though ATI is open source with Linux, it's still a PITA to install either proprietary drivers or open source drivers. Also, I was concerned that even if you could, that there might be problems with heat since there are not a lot of Linux-based graphics fan utilites that work with ATI GPU cards let alone a mobile one.

Can anyone comment on this? Sorry if I went on a bit of a tangent but it is still related and specific enough, right?

Other than that, the Precision series seems good although they have DDR2 RAM and are pretty expensive, right? How does that screen compare? Would they not get as hot?

 

I'm one of those who finds it extremely bothsersome. The heat dissipation maybe good for the laptop and the fans but definitely not good for the crotch & the thighs

 

Is the Intel P9600 not really out yet? It seems like this would be a good use of that processor. With a TDP of 25W vs the 35W of the T-series (9400/9600), it would help the heat issue without sacrificing speed. That coupled with a SSD would theoretically go a long way to cooling things down.