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Dell 2015 XPS 13: Smallest 13" Notebook With Broadwell-U, QHD+ Display Reviewed 118

Posted by timothy from the if-you-can-defy-them-they're-only-guidelines-of-physics dept.
MojoKid writes Dell's 2015 XPS 13 notebook made a splash out at CES this year with its near bezel-less 13-inch QHD+ (3200X1800) display and Intel's new 5th Gen Core series Broadwell-U processor. At 2.8 pounds, the 2015 XPS 13 isn't the absolute lightest 13-inch ultrabook book out there but it's lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Air and only a few ounces heavier than Lenovo's Core M-powered Yoga 3 Pro. The machine's Z dimensions are thin, at .33" up front to .6" at its back edge. However, its 11.98" width almost defies the laws of physics, squeezing a 13.3" (diagonal) display into an 11.98-inch frame making it what is essentially the smallest 13-inch ultrabook to hit the market yet. Performance-wise, this review shows its benchmarks numbers are strong and Intel's Broadwell-U seems to be an appreciable upgrade versus the previous generation architecture, along with lower power consumption.
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Dell 2015 XPS 13: Smallest 13" Notebook With Broadwell-U, QHD+ Display Reviewed More

Dell 2015 XPS 13: Smallest 13" Notebook With Broadwell-U, QHD+ Display Reviewed

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    • well per the review:
      Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 5500
      and priced at $1399 as configured

      • well per the review: Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 5500 and priced at $1399 as configured

        Damn. I was hoping I could get my 8-bit fix on this machine by playing Minecraft.

        Seems it's a bit underpowered.

        (The difficulty in which we fight to render circa 1980's graphics on hardware today is clear proof that time machines exist.)

        • Umm Minecraft seems playable [youtube.com] on a Intel HD 5500 to me.

        • Broadwell-U is actually a solid upgrade in graphics and the integrated HD5500 GPU actually competes with low-end discrete AMD and NVIDIA mobile solutions.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mlts ( 1038732 )

          I hope the RAM is installed is replaceable. If not, 8GB was something acceptable back in 2008... but a laptop should be at 16, if not 32 gigs of RAM. This is the biggest turnoff of the MacBook Airs. Disk space can be worked around using the third party SSD that goes in the SD card. Network connectivity can be augmented via a Thunderbolt or USB NIC. The CPU is good enough for most tasks, but RAM is the biggest bottleneck.

          The paucity of RAM is my biggest complaint. For a lightweight laptop, the other st

          • "8GB was something acceptable back in 2008... but a laptop should be at 16, if not 32 gigs of RAM."

            On what basis are you saying that? What are these deal-breaker applications that will need 32 or 16 gigs of RAM? Mind you, this post is about an ultra portable 13" laptop - I would assume that no one in their right mind would want to use this as a full blown workstation. I would imagine most users would use a laptop like this for standard stuff like browsing, Office apps, for presentations, etc.

            Maybe a few wou

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by csirac ( 574795 )

              I bought my 2009 X61s, a 12" thing, with 8GB RAM. That model was released in 2007. My X230, bought early 2012, has 16GB RAM. I don't know why this 12-13" form factor noadays has gone *backwards* back-to-7-years-ago specs... is it because "UltraBook" has to mean "one DIMM slot"? It's infuriating. Instead of replacing my X230 (the X240 only does 8GB RAM) when the screen broke, I bought parts to repair it. Which was probably for the best anyway (my X230 still does the job), but it's still weird I no longer hav

            • I'm writing this on a Dell Latitude with 16GB of RAM. I'd like twice as much. I do OpenStack development and regularly run a couple of controller nodes and a couple of compute nodes. That uses pretty much all of my RAM.

              I'd like to be able to simulate a couple of storage nodes as well, and I'd like to be able to have multiple NUMA nodes per compute node to test out the code for simulating NUMA in the OpenStack guest instances.

            • The current recommended amount of RAM for building current versions of Android is 16GB. That's just one example.
      • Even though I've not been a dell employee for a few years I still have the employee purchase plan. I wonder how much I could get one for.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      It runs the Intel 5500, part of the new broadwell-u. Decent jump from the 4400, but you won't be running firestrike on it....

    • Re:OK, based upon notebook shopping thus far (Score:5, Interesting)

      by fuzzyfuzzyfungus ( 1223518 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @01:10PM (#48932393) Journal
      I suspect that in a computer of that size you wouldn't want anything other than integrated graphics. Sure, AMD or NVIDIA could provide a part low clocked enough, or cut down enough, to fit within the size and thermal constraints; but once they've done that they probably won't be much better than the already-integrated graphics.

      Unless you have enough room for a proper GPU, low end discrete GPUs are increasingly somewhat pointless, since they always add complexity and cost; but don't necessarily outperform integrated ones by all that much.
      • Cooling hi-perf components in such a small package is a nightmare. There was a review a while back of a Samsung ultra portable, the specs were pretty impressive, but performance was identical to the previous model with less powerful GPU and CPU. Because they made so much heat they had to be throttled down.

      • Unless you have enough room for a proper GPU, low end discrete GPUs are increasingly somewhat pointless, since they always add complexity and cost; but don't necessarily outperform integrated ones by all that much.

        Here are game benchmarks [notebookcheck.net] for the Intel HD5500, nVidia 820m, and AMD R7 M265 (older 35 Watt tech I throw in only for comparison since their current lowest-end R9 is equivalent to an 840m).

        The 820m is a 15 Watt part, and best case hits nearly 2x the framerate of the HD5500. Probably about 1.7x

        • The trouble is that the entire i5-5200u, CPU and GPU, is also 15 watt part. Unless Dell is somehow just throwing away usable space inside that case, I suspect that fan noise, battery life, or both are going to hurt if you double the demands of the core silicon.

          I don't know exactly how much you save if you wholly disable the GPU portion of the intel part, probably a little less than half, so even in that case you are talking about a pretty substantial bump in thermal load.

          I don't deny that the integrat
      • MSI and Gigabyte both make notebooks in the 4 pound class with 1080p displays and serious NVidia GPUs. (One of the new models has a GTX 965M.) But their battery life is terrible if the GPU actually turns on; they use NVidia Optimus so the GPU is only on when you need it. They throw off a LOT of heat when the GPU is running and the fans roar. And that still makes them over a pound heavier than the Dell, with lower resolution displays and poorer build quality. But if you need graphics on the go, systems like
    • I've been waiting for a decent and affordable laptop ever since Toshiba first came out with color screens on theirs. I still don't have a laptop.

      • I've been waiting for a decent and affordable laptop ever since Toshiba first came out with color screens on theirs. I still don't have a laptop.

        I don't know what you call "decent and affordable", but I bought a new laptop last year - quad core, 8 gig ram, 500 gig hd hdmi out, usb3, for $401.00. At the local big-chain pharmacy (they sell everything these days). They also have lower-spec machines for less if you can make do with 4 gig ram and dual core.

        • Aye. I got a 17" HP Pavilon, AMD A8-5550M Radeon HD, 2.1Ghz with 8GB Ram (single-stick, 2 slots) for $450 (@Office Depot). I'll add another 8GB of RAM and an SSD this year (into the DVD slot). While it certainly wont win any races, or run recent Triple-A PC games... then again who wants to run recent Triple-A games ?? ;-)

    • That's called compromise. And what you have to do in a small package.

      Can you fit a V12 in a Mini?

    • If weight and price aren't problems, there are a ton of vendors selling high res displays with nice GPUs and lots of RAM. Including Razor and Apple.

    • WTF? If you want a super portable game machine, buy a gameboy.

    • ...if it has a screen resolution I like, AND a good processor, that probably means it has Intel Integrated Graphics or something, or an awful pointing device, right?

      We did consider a model where the GPU is hanging on the side off a Thunderbolt cable, but our test group preferred the integrated one.

      I still wonder if we made the right choice, though -- the bag-on-the-side would really have differentiated our product from the rest.

    • Problem is that it probably comes w/ either Windows 8.1, which is unusable, or Windows 7, which is fast getting dated. So until Windows 10 is out, this great thing ain't worth buying.

  • What the Macbook 13" should be (Score:3)

    by dciman ( 106457 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @01:06PM (#48932351) Journal

    This is the form factor the 13' Macbook Pro should be.

    I love my Mid2014 13", but the form factor needs an update. Especially with competing models like this coming out.

    I'll still take the build quality and metal construction of my Macbook though.

    • The 11" Macbook is 11.8" wide x 7.6" deep. This Dell is 12" x 7.9"...

      If I could get a 13" retina display on a 11" Macbook, I would be very happy.

      • Love my 11" MacAir, but the bezel around the display is frickin huge, it's nuts. 3/4" top and bottom, 7/8" on each side. That's a lot of wasted real estate in such a small package.

    • Re:What the Macbook 13" should be (Score:5, Insightful)

      by BaronAaron ( 658646 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @01:51PM (#48932729)

      The Dell 2015 XPS 13 uses machined aluminum and carbon fiber. How is this different in terms of build quality than a Macbook?

    • I'd have a hard time to trust Dell re. specs & perfs. Couple of years ago, a not-so-tecky colleague bought a Dell Latitude 15" (roughly) at the time I bought the MBA 13" (and helped her to config etc...). The Dell battery was ~2h (5h MBA) while 5-7 h advertised - the Dell was already much heavier, much thicker compared to the MBA (ok, 13" vs 15" but look at the MBA 15"..) ... but the advertised battery life was valid "if you purchase the [ugly] battery extension" that makes the device even more thicker.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Guspaz ( 556486 )

        For all the beefs that people have with Apple, their battery life ratings are not one of them. It's generally agreed that Apple's battery life figures are reasonably accurate for the described scenarios.

      • Dell has the widest selection of quality of all computer manufacturers.

        The most annoying part is that series or prices are not good measurements.

        Dell is like a box of chocolates ;)

    • This is the form factor the 13' Macbook Pro should be.

      More like a Mackbook - not exactly carry-on luggage for your daily commute.

  • The question is if it does make an electric noise like the 2013 model did. http://en.community.dell.com/s... [dell.com] Otherwise I think even the 2013 model is a good laptop and runs Linux great. I own one of those and it makes that noise but it's not that bad. It's just that 1k5€ laptop shouldn't have such issues.
  • Until they come with Windows 10 installed. I hate Windows 8.

  • Laws of Physics? (Score:5, Funny)

    by NaCh0 ( 6124 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @02:06PM (#48932891) Homepage

    Wow, squeezing those 13 inches into a 12 inch chassis almost defies the pythagorean theorem!!!

    Just wow.

    • In other news, the LHC routinely almost breaks the fundamental speed limit of the universe!

      These maniacs must be stopped.

  • Love the XPS 13 series (Score:5, Interesting)

    by trawg ( 308495 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @02:42PM (#48933219) Homepage

    I normally avoid hardware review posts but I'm on my 2nd Dell XPS 13" laptop so wanted to check this out.

    I have been super happy with these devices. The first one was the XPS M1210, which in all seriousness was one of the best computers I've ever owned. It's a bit dated now - it was pre-Macbook Air, so by comparison looks huge and chunky, but compared to previous lappys it was a joy to travel with.

    The first battery piked after a couple years but this is back in the Good Old Days when buying replacement parts was easy.

    The screen crapped out after about 4 years - still usable but had weird patterns all over it. I could have replaced it but by then the newer model was out, and the change in weight profile was significant enough to justify the change.

    I've had the new one for over two years and have been really happy with it. I basically only use it when I travel, and it's slimline form is great.

    The model I have (2012 I think) only has 4GB of RAM, which has been a bit of a hassle, and the CPU is a bit on the slow side compared to my desktop - but this new one with 8GB looks like it would be great.

    It has a nice keyboard with broad, easy to press keys, making it as not-terrible as possible to type on for extended periods (if I'm using it for ages I still plug in a real keyboard though).

    If you're looking at a slimline laptop and don't want a Mac, then I seriously recommend checking the XPS series out.

  • Hothardware.com has all of its headlines in English, but using Hebrew script instead of Roman, making the site unreadable. Or is that just me?

    • Possibly just you. I noticed the headline font changed after I loaded up the page - maybe it went bananas on you for some reason.

  • Why do I have to buy a i7 to get a 512GB ssd?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Hrrrg ( 565259 )

      Same answer as always: Because Dell thinks it can maximize it's profits with this lineup. How badly do you want the 512 GB SSD? Yep, I thought so...

      • So what they get instead is a call asking if the SSD is user serviceable and depending on that answer I either don't buy it or I buy the 128GB and buy a replacement on newegg.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ranton ( 36917 )

          So what they get instead is a call asking if the SSD is user serviceable and depending on that answer I either don't buy it or I buy the 128GB and buy a replacement on newegg.

          You are not a standard customer. A standard customer either lives without it or ponies up the money.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by T0min ( 3792055 )
      Well, you could probably replace the SSD. At least on the 9333 model (aka late 2013 model) it's very easy. It's a standard mSATA SSD and it's quite easily accessible. Just some torx screws on the bottom and then a phillips screw that holds the SSD.

  • if you don't see all the build options... (Score:3)

    by Tumbleweed ( 3706 ) on Thursday January 29, 2015 @03:24PM (#48933623)

    Go into the Dell "Work" section of the site - you can get this with i7 CPU, more SSD capacity options, etc.

  • Dammit, Why do all laptop makers think that nobody does real work on their laptops. 17" 4K display in as small of a body as possible.

    GIVE IT TO ME!!!!

  • MobileTechReview covered the non-touch 1920x1080 version here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP6oTd_OhoA [youtube.com]

    The size comparison to the Surface Pro 3 (12") is very impressive, almost hilarious.

    The Achilles heel of the Macbook Air has always been the display. Not only is it lower resolution (currently 1440x900), but it's a TN panel with poor color gamut (about 60% sRGB). I suspect this is deliberate market stratification by Apple, to give people a reason to pay extra the Macbook Pro. So the MBP gets a
  • Dell Precision M6800 Workstation: Windows 7 Professional: £2,299

    Dell Precision M6800 Mobile Workstation: Red Hat Linux: £2,506 ..

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