Design
Design shouldn't be taken for granted at this stage, no matter how big the laptop. To its credit, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is one of only two desktop replacement laptops that use aluminum on the top and bottom half of its frame. Despite Dell's luxury-class treatment, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is thick and clunky compared with the svelte Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt). It's over a pound heavier, too, at 6.6 pounds.
Design shouldn't be taken for granted at this stage, no matter how big the laptop. To its credit, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is one of only two desktop replacement laptops that use aluminum on the top and bottom half of its frame. Despite Dell's luxury-class treatment, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is thick and clunky compared with the svelte Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt). It's over a pound heavier, too, at 6.6 pounds.
There isn't a screen better than the one on the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge). The RGB LED screen option is a must-have if color accuracy and a wide color gamut are critical to your profession or hobby. In other words, it's a flat-out stunning, razor-sharp screen. The RGB LED screens also has a 1,920-by-1,080 (1080p) resolution, which is the highest available on a desktop replacement laptop and a boon for high-definition enthusiasts. The changes to the keyboard are significant, as Dell has succumbed to the pressures of its peers and adopted a chiclet-style made popular by the MacBook Pro and HP Pavilions. All the keys are elevated slightly higher than those of the Apple 15-inch and HP dv7-4283cl, for a mushier typing experience, which I liked. A full-size numeric keypad is there for frequent number-crunching or the mere convenience of entering a product key. More impressive are the LED backlights underneath the keys, the kind that make the MacBook Pro 15-inch invaluable in low-lit areas. Though the touchpad isn't as spacious as the one on the MacBook Pro 15-inch, it's incredibly responsive and detached from the two dedicated mouse buttons.
Features
The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s feature set is vast and arguably the most impressive in its class. It comes with 3 USB ports (two of which are USB 3.0, the other an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port), DisplayPort, HDMI, and an HD Webcam. The Webcam, which allows you to shoot video in 720p, was the first for a laptop until the Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt) included one of its own. Unlike the Apple 15-inch, this one is Skype-certified, which means you can video chat in high definition through Skype; the HD resolution only works with its own Facetime client software).
The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s feature set is vast and arguably the most impressive in its class. It comes with 3 USB ports (two of which are USB 3.0, the other an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port), DisplayPort, HDMI, and an HD Webcam. The Webcam, which allows you to shoot video in 720p, was the first for a laptop until the Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt) included one of its own. Unlike the Apple 15-inch, this one is Skype-certified, which means you can video chat in high definition through Skype; the HD resolution only works with its own Facetime client software).
The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s long list of wireless features includes 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX (4G), and mobile broadband (CDMA and GSM 3G technologies). If you're the type who likes to hook a laptop up to an HDTV (via an HDMI cable), Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) does the same thing—minus the cable. The transmitter is built into the laptop, so there's no dongle hanging off of a USB port. A pair of JBL speakers and a subwoofer is included, because regular ones just won't cut it. Volume levels and bass response, as you would expect, are beyond what you can achieve with the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch and HP dv7-4283cl. In addition to studio-quality sound, there are microphone enhancements such as echo cancellation and noise reduction.
Performance
It wouldn't be a gut-cleansing without the latest components from Intel and Nvidia. As you can tell from name itself, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) moves to new Intel architecture, which consists of a 2GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor and a whopping 8GB of DDR3 memory; the previous Dell XPS 15 came with a dual-core processor. The two extra cores play a pivotal role in boosting the performance of the other two—a technology Intel calls Turbo Boost. It's the kind of power that video and photo professionals will absolutely want to have at their fingertips.
It wouldn't be a gut-cleansing without the latest components from Intel and Nvidia. As you can tell from name itself, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) moves to new Intel architecture, which consists of a 2GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor and a whopping 8GB of DDR3 memory; the previous Dell XPS 15 came with a dual-core processor. The two extra cores play a pivotal role in boosting the performance of the other two—a technology Intel calls Turbo Boost. It's the kind of power that video and photo professionals will absolutely want to have at their fingertips.
A big battery should not be taken for granted, especially when there are a great number of users who need a big powerful laptop on the road. Fortunately, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) can be configured with a 92WH battery or smaller one, for weight savings. With the 92WH battery in our review unit, the payoff was huge. The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) scored 6 hours 58 minutes in MobileMark 2007, blowing past the Asus N53SV-A1 (3:51), HP dv7-4283cl (5:46), and Apple 15-inch (4:40).
The Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is a phenomenal desktop replacement laptop regardless of which desktop replacement ended up on top. It was a tight race between it and the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt), and the decision didn't come easy. On the one hand, the XPS 15 has the kind of screen quality and features (Blu-Ray, extensive wireless antennas, speaker oomph, etc) that you won't find in the MacBook Pro. On the other hand, the XPS 15 isn't as well designed or as powerful as the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt). These are two of the most sophisticated machines and picking the right one will depend on your computing needs.
Specifications
Type: Gaming, General Purpose, Media, Desktop Replacement
Processor Name: Intel Core i7-2630QM
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor Speed: 2 GHz, RAM 8 GB
Weight/Screen Size: 6.6 lb/15.6 inches, widescreenNative Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce GT 540M
Graphics Memory: 1024
2nd Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 3000
2nd Graphics Memory: 64
Storage Capacity: 750 GB
Rotation Speed: 7200 rpm
Networking Options: 802.11n
Primary Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW DL with Blu-Ray
Wireless Display Capability (WiDi): Yes
WiMax: No
Battery Type: 92 Whr (Watt hours)
Tech Support 1 year parts and labor.
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