HP Elitebook 8560P vs Dell XPS L502X - Please help me decide

First off, I know they are different types of notebooks, one being a businness notebook, the other a multimedia notebook. I like the design of both notebooks, Elitebook being a little ahead on that front.

I will mostly use this notebook for Web surfing, typing in MS Word, Music encoding and editing. I play games seldomly and watch films rarely. However I wouldn't like missing out on these features just because I use them rarely. In short, I want to squeeze the most out of the money I will pay for this laptop.

I did a configuration for each model and I would like to hear your opinions about which one to choose.

HP ELITEBOOK 8560P

- FreeDOS
- Intel i7 2720qm processor
- 15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD+ anti-glare (1600 x 900)
- AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M (1 GB gDDR3)
- 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (1D)
- 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
- 500 GB 7200 rpm 2.5-inch hard drive (Instead of Optical drive)
- Integrated 720p HD Webcam
- DualPoint Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
- HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth® 2.1 Wireless Technology
- Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
- No HP Mobile Broadband
- 56k v.92 Modem
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- HP 6-Cell 62 Wh Li-Ion Battery
- 3/3/0 Warranty (Only available if (Modem) is selected.)
- 90W DSC hardware kit

Total price was 2503 $ but with the 30% discount I've been offered the total price became 1752 $.


DELL XPS L502X

- Windows 7
- i7 2720qm
- 15.6' Full HD 1920x1080 Screen
- GT 540m with 2 GB RAM
- 6 GB RAM
- 256 GB SSD
- Blue Ray Reader + DVD-RW Combo
- Intel Centrino 6230
- Backlit Keyboard
- JBL 2.1 Speakers + Creative SoundBlaster X-FI MB 1.2

Total price is 1984 $.
If I go with the 750 GB HDD option instead of the SSD the total price is 1464 $.
And I will try to get some discount from Dell, too.

...

I colored the difference in components that hold me off from being able to decide on which model to purchase.

1. The GPU of the Elitebook is obviously much weaker than that of L502X; but it should satisfy a non-hardcore gamer, shouldn't it?

2. The screens are completely different. 1080p screen of the L502X has been praised greatly by users. How are the resolution and quality of the Elitebook's screen compared to that? How would watching a film indoors on an anti-glare screen be different from wacthing that film on the bright L502X screen, for instance?

3. Does placing an HDD in the Elitebook along with the SSD nullify the benefits of having an SSD and even make having it pointless? How would they perform together; for instance when encoding a video found on the HDD would there be speed difference?

I like the design of the 8560p with it's new look, island style keyboard, slim form, so I wouldn't consider 8540p or 8540w just because it has better GPU.

Also I really don't care for the blue ray drive the L502X has, so that's not an advantage on L502X's account for me.

Please tell me what you think...

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

It was all about the screen for me. Have loads of HP chargers and have enjoyed their machines so would've loved HP to give me an alternative. I think their screen was Radiance - but it seems like they had a set number of them and not sure they ever made it to the UK. Depends on your priorities I spose. You can always put an SSD or HD in the optical drive bay of the Dell, which takes out that choice...

They're both going to be fast as you like - all the time you spend deciding you're without the goodness!

 

Here is the specsheet:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/...d Features (availability may vary by country)

Is that a good display on the 8560p? Or is the L502X's screen better?

I strongly believe that there's no 1080p option for the 8560p, not yet at least.

Quating from a review:

"From what I’m told, these are the same LED backlit, matte displays used on their respective predecessors. Also, do note the lack of a DreamColor screen for the EliteBook 8560p; I’m also told DreamColor is still reserved for HP’s Mobile Workstation notebooks, so expect to see it make a comeback on the EliteBook 8560w."

...

Replacing the optical drive with an hdd on the L502X is possible? Wouldn't there be compatibility issues? And since the tray would be gone, wouldn't there be a hole on the side, if the optical drive is replaced with an hdd?

I'm a total newbie in the notebook world, so I appreciate your help, but could you elaborate more on your previous reply. Also if you could reply any of my questions in my first post too, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

Get the dell cause of the significantly better gpu and design. END OF STORY!

 

Dreamcolour - that was the screen I meant.

The HP site does list a full HD screen option for that machine, but then says that it might not be available to purchase. I cant find a review of that specific screen but in the past the non-dreamcolor screens had a significantly smaller colour gamut than the screen in the Dell XPS 15. That means that colours would be reproduced less accurately or that a smaller range of colours can be displayed. That was important to me, for photography stuff.

If you look in the L502x threads in the Dell forum, you'll see where people have fitted HDD in the optical drive bay. No compatibility issues - both are SATA III after all. You buy a metal bracket that fits the optical drive bay and holds the HDD and then clip the bezel from the original optical drive to the outside of this bracket. So no hole (though it'll have an unused button to open the drive tray).

It's hard to tell you what to do - it depends on your priorities. I will say that the full HD screen on my L502x makes my 40" Bravia flatscreen TV look pale and dull in comparison - it's a great screen, and that was the deciding factor. If dreamcolor does reappear on the Elitebook then that could be as good, but that's not what you're being offered. I feel confident saying that the Dell screen will be better than the one you're being offered. People have said that the full HD screen on the L501x / L502x is pretty much the best you can get on a laptop, though that maybe excludes the Dell Precision 6500 I think.

Not sure how happy you are inside computers but you should bear in mind that Dell seem to charge more than market rates for memory and SSDs (and dont - or didnt - use the best SSDs) so you could save by getting the base config in those areas and upgrading yourself. Memory is easy to fit, swapping the HDD for SSD in the internal bay less so.

For me, the off-centre touchpad and typing position of the HP would be something I'd want to try in a shop before buying. It seems a bit odd and like it might not be comfortable.

Is the HP even coming with Windows? It's not listed - only FreeDOS. Maybe you can play Wolfenstein and Railroad Tycoon like it's 1995

For the things you list, both will be fine. Better than fine - they'll be idle most of the time. The processors are outrageously fast, there's tonnes of memory, the graphics processing will be fine unless you want to play the latest games at high settings. So then your choice is around the screen, keyboard, styling, ports etc.

Not sure if that helps. Not sure there's a straight answer. I'd buy the Dell. Or, I did buy the Dell. Despite generally preferring HP stuff.

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain to me in detail what you think.

Apart from the screen qualities, what are the advantages and disadvantages of 1920x1080 and 1600x900 screen resolutions?

And lastly... Do you know the brand names and model codes of SSD, HDD and RAM units installed on the cuurrent XPS L502X models? I will check the local prices for these items and decide whether I should go with a less expensive model and upgrade the parts later.. That is after I find out which brand and models of SSD, HDD and RAM units are the ones to buy...

 

It takes more graphics power to run things (mostly games) at a higher resolution, so some people have concerns there.

You have more desktop area and things look sharper at a higher resolution. At either resolution you'll most likely want to increase the windows DPI setting to 125% to make things readable. Maybe there's some benefit to being able to play 1080p movies at native resolution rather than them being scaled - would seem reasonable but i'm not sure.

To be fair, those are both pretty high resolution screens, rather than the usual pants in laptops. The other aspects of the dell screen were more to me than having higher resolution than eg the new MacBook Pro.

Maybe you'd be best going to a shop to see them, if they're stocked anywhere nearby.

I'll answer that in the Dell forum thread...

 

Thanks so much again for the detailed reply.

By the way I contacted the sales rep of Dell and asked about the SSDs and RAMs used in L502X models and his reply was this:

"There is no guarantee as to the manufacturer of parts, however the SSD would more than likely be Samsung and the memory would be Kensington."

So what would be the SSD and RAM brand/models you would recommend me to get separately, if I choose to get the most basic L502X model (320 gb hdd and 4 gb ram)?

And would there be noticable differences between different brand/models of SSDs and RAMs?

 

I wouldn't worry about the make of RAM - it's just that Dell charge a lot more for an extra 2Gb than you would pay if you bought it yourself.

SSDs are a bigger thing - some are a lot better than others and it can be hard to choose even based on test results. Have a look at the article below (not recommending that SSD, but there are lots of drive benchmarked in there and Anandtech has written some great SSD articles that explain the issues, if you want to get into it - they'll be linked from that article).

The Crucial m4 (Micron C400) SSD Review - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

Alright. So if I buy an 2.5" SSD would there be any compatibility issue? I'll just remove the hdd and install the SSD, right?

I'm considering buying a Vertex 3 SSD (240 GB) for 500 $.

 

display:
- HP, if it's the same screen as the previous generation, even the 1600x900 screen is well above average. Look it up on notebookcheck.net
- Dell, if I'm not mistaken, the screen is great with 90% color gamut. BUT... it is a gloss screen.
- Furthermore, if you're not happy with the HP screen, you'll probably be able to upgrade it to an AUO screen that is used in the Dell or Lenovo W510.

battery life:
- HP is the winner with more options

GPU:
- Dell wins, no contest

keyboard:
- I haven't tried the Dell XPS, but HP Elitebooks are typically amongst the best.

mouse:
- Though I haven't tried the new glass touchpad, I'd have to give it to HP again because I love the nubbin.

build quality/durability:
- It really doesn't get any better than an HP Elitebook

warranty:
- I'd say a tie. Dell and HP have always been good to me.



If you decide to go with the HP, I would say save your money and just get the cheapest HDD. You can easily find a quality ~120gb SSD for $200 or so. newmodeus makes a HDD caddy for a fraction of HP's price and you'll have the option to go with 750gb @ 7200rpm or even a 12.5mm 1tb. Same applies to RAM.

 

So as an Elitebook owner you seem to be favoring the Elitebook, right? I like its design and thinness, but I'm just not sure...

There is no user review of the new Elitebook 8560p yet and there were some Elitebook versions in the past that got lower grades on notebookcheck.net especially in the heat and noise emissions area. And that's one of the things that worry me. Do you have any idea concerning the heat and noise emissions of the Elitebook 8560p in idle mode and under load?

Too many questions I know... Thanks in advance for your help.

 

AUO = AU Optronics, a screen manufacturer. Many Dell XPS 15 owners report that this is the manufacturer of the FHD B+RG LED screen, part # AUO B156HW01 V.7. There are many variations of this screen, Lenovo uses a similar screen (B156HW01 V.4) but is anti-glare, which is what I ordered to upgrade my HP 8540w (not that it really needs an upgrade).

HP 8540p
Review HP EliteBook 8540p Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Dell XPS 15
Review Dell XPS 15 FHD Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

As you can see, the HP is no slouch. Out of the box, the Dell will probably be better suited for graphics/photography/etc. Playing a 720p and 1080p on a 15.6" screen will not noticeable and definitely not worth the extra storage space in my opinion.

A cheap anti-glare screen looks dull and pale. The HP Elitebook 12" and 14" seem to get cheap screens, while the 15"+ get better screens. Other benefits of an anti-glare... less glare from indoor lights and since you don't have to crank up the brightness to compensate for glare, you might save a good amount of battery life.

Battery options, I mean you can use secondary batteries (ie: battery slice)

I've read many reviews on the Elitebooks and the only ones that I've read about with heat issues were the smaller 12" models. I've owned an HP Elitebook 6930p, 8540p, and currently 8540w and temps are reasonable. However, the latest generation 8560p is yet to be tested.

BUT... as you said, you don't want to sacrifice any power and you definitely will be with the HP 8560p. You'll be lucky to be able to play any recent games on 1366x768 low settings. My advice, wait for the 8560w to be released. If previous pre-config models are any indication, you can get a well equipped 8560w for less than your HP 8560p CTO model. And just to clarify, anything I've mentioned is mostly speculation on the 8560p/w. Who knows, HP may decide to throw decide to throw in cheaper components this time around.