Help me decide!! XPS 15 vs dv6tqe

Here are the two configurations I've come to, and I'm ready to make the purchase, depending on which offers the most features. Both prices are including shipping/tax:

XPS 15 - $988.54

- Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB graphics
- Blu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM)
- 15.6 inch FHD (1080p) B+RGLED Display with 2.0 MP webcam
- Internal Backlit Keyboard - English
- 750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 and Bluetooth 3.0
- 8 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)


dv6tqe - $937.29

- 2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
- 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6770M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
- 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
- High Capacity 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5.75 hours of battery life +++
- 15.6" diagonal Full HD HP Anti-glare LED Display (1920 x 1080)
- Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
- HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
- Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN with Wireless Display Support
- Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad

So, here are some of my thoughts/questions:

1) I've heard the B+RG FHD screen on the XPS 15 is fantastic. I'm just wondering if the dv6tqe FHD screen is anywhere close to the awesomeness of the XPS 15 screen.
2) The 6770M is obviously a better card than the 525M. I won't be doing a ton of gaming, but would at least like to run current games on high, not ultra.
3) XPS 15 has 8GB, dv6tqe has 6GB. Big difference? Note: I don't plan on adding my own RAM.
4) Build quality of XPS 15 vs dv6tqe? I don't want my laptop breaking down every few months.
5) dv6tqe has OpenGL issue, and I do plan on doing a lot of photoshop/3D work. But perhaps HP/AMD will fix the OpenGL issue in the near future?

In total, which one do you guys think is the best bang for the buck? Thanks!

 

You may want to upgrade the XPS 15 graphic card to thr 540m for a better comparable to the 6770m. But even with that i would say the DV6t QE, the XPS is too bulky and you get better "permanant" specs with the DV6t qe

 

Dv6 screen is matte which is i think much better than glossy. However, ymmv.
I think dv6 is better but biased

 

The only good thing about the XPS is the backlit keyboard, and possibly the wireless card depending on whether you use the 5.0Ghz frequency. Personally, I don't need the backlit keyboard and think it's over hyped. Choice goes to HP dv6.

 

How can you guys recommend the DV6TE? He says he'll hardly game but use photoshop/3d modeling a lot.

The DV6 has the matte display but the XPS has better color, and quality trumps comfort under his usage. The GPU is also pretty much going to be unused if he goes w/ the DV6 and 33% more RAM goes a long way for what he's doing.

 

See...the thing is you can't just say don't get it because you use Photoshop. Photoshop can run easily on HD 3000, and many 3d programs too. It depends entirely on how complex his tasks are. For the average photoshop user, a discrete card is not even necessary.

Some people don't realize that the HD 3000 is 2-3 times the power of older integrated chips.

In the end, the people who cannot run their programs on the HD 3000 will know, we won't have to tell them. If they currently run their programs on a weak mobile card, the HD 3000 will be sufficient. If they currently use some advanced discrete card, then they will know that they must have a discrete.

You get the XPS 15 if:

1) You need to do 3d work that requires a discrete card.
2) You want a nice color reproduction screen.
3) You need a backlit keyboard.
4) You need better build quality and durability.
5) You don't want any switchable graphics problems (at least not as bad as AMD's kind).

You get the dv6t if:

1) Need the best specs for the best price (i7 quad, 6770m).
2) You are fine with OpenGL running on the HD 3000 and switchable graphics bugs.
3) You want a thin, sleeker, and arguably better looking laptop.
4) You want a matte screen that is anti-glare. This is relevant for graphic designers, who I have heard cannot use glossy screens because of picture depending on the viewing angle. (my personal opinion matte trumps glossy every time)
5) You want to save money.

 

I returned my dv6tqe in favor of the XPS 15. For me, the dynamic switchable graphics issue was simply unbearable - neither HP nor AMD released any public announcement/fix about it, and I simply couldn't justify the possibility that a solution is in the works.
The 525m/540m is not powerful, yes, but with a little overclocking it should be slightly more bearable.

Someone mentioned that the XPS 15 is bulky, but considering the small difference in weight (0.18 lbs) I don't think it'' be much of a concern.

 

How would the XPS have better build quality than the dv6?

 

I am in the same boat. So far, I haven't seen any good discount for the XPS, however, there's good discount for the dv6tqe. Also, I cannot stand how thick the XPS is compared to the dv6tqe. I think I am leaning toward the dv6tqe.

 

I think you might be confusing the XPS 15 with the XPS 15z.

I personally had three problems with my dv6t.
1. The dv6tqe that I returned had problems with the keyboard. Besides the flex, the "clips" that clamped the keyboard would come off every now and then and I would have to force them back into place. I later learned that the only thing securing the keyboard to the chasis were those clips - no screws whatsoever. No wonder they came off so easily
2. The mouse pad was slightly arched out from the chasis. I'm guessing that it was forced into place during the build process, causing it to bulge out and warp its flat shape.
3. Throughout the laptop I saw slight gaps in between the main casing and the frames. It isn't much of a concern build quality-wise, but nonetheless it made the machine look cheaper than it was.

When I went to my local electronics store and checked out the XPS 15, I didn't see any of these issues. Although not the deciding factor, the difference in build quality certainly was one of the reasons that I switched to the XPS 15.

 

I was in the same boat, and opted for dell xps15 but I couldn't find one with FHD display so I have to get hp dv6tqe.(60xx) so no OpenGL problem (manual switching)
I handled the two laptops and can definitely say that the build quality of dell xps15 is better than hp dv6tqe (I can see gaps in the case and mine came with loss fan cable so I had to fully dissemble my laptop to get it right).
Dell xps15 has better keyboard, speakers but less powerful GPU.

If I can get dell xps15 with FHD display, I definitely choose it over hp dv6tqe.

 

The XPS 15 does have better build quality IMO....

And the bulkiness isn't derived from the weight, it's derived from the thickness

You can get XPS 15 with a FHD display.

 

XPS has much better color gamut, but its glossy while the dv6 one is matte. It's a matter of preference. However, if you need professional color reproduction with Photoshop, you may want the XPS.

525M will not give you "high" for most modern games. If you buy the XPS, at least get the 540M.

Not really.

It's about the same. These are consumer-grade models; don't expect fantastic build quality from either one.

I am not holding my breath. That said, you don't need the discreet GPU for Photoshop -- Intel's graphics are more than enough.

I bought the dv6tqe, but it depends a lot on what you want to do with it.

 

Dell Driver Support, I find are superior than HP. Also, another advantage, the xps 15 has no OEM dependency on their drivers, so you can straight up install the latest drivers directly from components designers.

To me, was the deal breaker and worth the extra 200 bucks. Hardware is pretty useless without software support.