XPS 15 v 17

Hi,

I have been looking at the Dell XPS laptops for a while now and would like to know how the following compare when gaming…?

XPS 15 (1366x768) 720p
Intel Core i5 460M 2.53GHz
4GB RAM
1GB GT 420M
£575

&

XPS 17 (1600x900) 900p
Intel Core i5 460M 2.53GHz
4GB RAM
1GB GT 435M
£625

I am aware that the 435 is a better gpu than the 420 – but I don’t know how much screen res affects performcance?

For example: How would they compare when playing COD Black Ops / AC Brotherhood on native res (720p & 900p respectively)?
Will the 435 still outperform the 420 despite the increase in screen size?
What about when you connected it up to a TV?

For those who are wondering why I am interested in 2 diff sized laptops....
Getting the XPS 15 with the 435 would mean getting an i7 (which i dont need) and set me back £675 (which I can't afford)!!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks!

 

Yeah the 17 seems like a better deal. I wouldn't worry about the screen res (of which 900p is definitely better), the 435M card can handle those games just fine.

 

Thanks guys! Will prob go for the xps 17 with the 435.

Im still not clear on how screen res affects graphics performance...
surely the same GPU can't produce the same performance/level of detail on a 720p screen than it can on a 900p (or when scaled up to a 1080p TV)?!

 

The 435M will definitely perform better at 900p than the 420M at 768p.

If you plan on using the HDMI Out, the 435M will also serve better at 1080p.

 

Cheers guys!! I'm sold

 

actually you can overclock the 420 to the same speed as the 435. The 435 is just a higher clocked 420. People have even clocked the 420 higher then the 435 so actually you can get the same power out of the 420 as you can the 435 and since you have the same power its gonna run the 768p rez better once the clocks are the same or even higher on the 420. The xps 15 will also be a bit cheaper and the smaller screen will make the battery last longer

 

Im not bothered about battery life and I have been told that there is no guarantee of being able to clock the 420 to the speed of the 435.... it's just pot luck....

I think id rather spend a little more (as it's still within budget) and know what Im getting - plus you can still OC the 435...

 

You are right and it's better to have a 435 doing what it should than an OC 420 especially when you are not worried about battery length (which aint much different anyway) and you get a better 900 screen compared to what people have been saying is a terrible basic one.

 

Then again I wouldn't listen to me too much as I just asked my girlfriend to buy me some Nvidea facewash from the Supermarket. I was promptly reminded it was Nivea and that I am spending too much time on my computer.

 

The 420m is better than the 435 on the 15, since it's the same thing as the 435m except it's bundled with a dual core processor. All things considered, if you do not mind overclocking, there is no reason to get a 435m unless you absolutely need the extra cores on the 15-- and you probably don't. If it's the 15 vs 17, I would go for the 17 however.

 

what? the 435m is typically 20-25% faster than the 420m in game.


keep in mind the 17 is quite large.

 

Iv been told they are essentially the same card but the 435's stock clock is higher than the 420's - so how can the 420 be better than the 435??

Im not sure I understand what Gloomy is trying to say.... are you suggesting that if the 420 was paired with a quad core it would match the 435?? Or that the 435 performs the same as a 420 when bundled with a dual core??

It sounds like (maybe) you are suggesting that graphical performance is driven more by CPU than GPU on the XPS 15!!!??? (Which would be contrary to what most people have suggested)!

 

No! Hahah, of course not. What I was suggesting was that the i5 bundled with the 420 on the l501x is all-around a better processor than the i7 that comes with the 435, and since the 420 can simply be overclocked, the i5+420 bundle makes a lot more sense. However, this only applies to the XPS 15.

Between the 15 with a 768p display, or the 17 with a 900p display and better graphics, the choice is pretty clear. As long as you intend this laptop to be for your house and not carried too far away from it. It is pretty big.


The best combination imo would be the XPS 15 with the screen upgrade, and i5+420m combo.

 

Thanks for clearing that up Gloomy!!

Just as I thought I was just getting the hang of how everything works... your post confused me - but now you've explained it, my confidence is restored!!

I am not worried about the size as it will be confined to a desk (& the mains) either at home or in hotel rooms!!