great review. it's actually because of your review that I bought my 2013 xps 15 9530 edition. it's been two years, and it is still an amazing laptop. I got mine for $800 on eBay buying a factory refurbished model (with confirmed dell warranty). awesome understated product
These are buyer guides not reviews!(I mean that in a good way) You're reviews have lead me to making some great purchases! One of which was the HP Spectre x360. I love this laptop and may not have bought it if I hadn't seen your review. I watch them just because I can learn so much more from them than from a standard reviews.
We're waiting the 1080p model review of the Dell Xps 15, I prefer mat screen it's so relaxing for the eye and has more natural type toned colors (not so saturated) thanks for this great review.
Been watching a number of your videos lately as i explored the surface pro 4, and have been looking at other options. I just really appreciate the objective detail you put in. it's well done.
Great review as always. You consistently manage to provide a comprehensive overview while at the same time delivering a straight down the middle assessment of all those features and parameters that rely on subjective and personal preferences. The technical specifications and the non-technical aspects provide the listener with a very good perspective. Appreciative in Plano.
Thanks Lisa, good as always!. ordered mine last week: i7, 8GB, 256pcie, FHD, 56w batt with the extra 18000mAh battery for $90. Look forward to your 1080p review too.
Lisa you're the best! Thank you for all of your wonderful and in-depth reviews. Everyone I know at my grad school who's in to electronics watches your vids. :) Amazing dedication and work!
Dell XPS 15 9550 still kickin in 2024 since purchase in 2015! How has it almost been a decade? This thing 100% has rivaled any Macbook Pro's I've owned over the years. Sad that Dell recently hasn't been great with the line-up as of recent.
Great to hear. I just bought the top end 9550 used on eBay for my step mom as a solid internet/light database machine for her for $350. I'm very excited for her to get it and see how she likes it!
Thank you Lisa for the heads-up on the lack of 4k support on external monitors. I had not considered that. I run an XPS-13 driving a Dell-branded 4k display at 60hz. It had not remotely occurred to me that the newer, XPS-15 would be less capable.
Very detailed review. I been waiting for your review of this machine and the day finally came. Thanks. This surely will be my next laptop. Though am a business man who travels a lot and currently use the Latitude E7250 with 1080p display, it wouldn't hurt if I go for this and at my spare time play some game. And the 4k infinity display is future proof upgrade.
Great job! Really looking forward to your review of the Dell Precision 5510. It will be a moot point, because I ordered it today, but you do such a great job with these that I'll listen as soon as I see it's available.
I love this new 9550 model of the XPS. I got the 4K touchscreen and the 1 TB SSD hard drive. It is amazingly quiet. The palm rest is smoother than the previous model. I am not an Apple girl, and I've always had good luck with Dell. I have a feeling this 9550 will serve me very well. Thank you, Lisa, for your review, and for the heads up on the Intel driver update.
Lisa, I hope you do a smack down between this XPS and the Apple MacBook Pro 15" with comparable setup. I realize Apple has not done a refresh yet on there 15" MacBook Pro though
+Steven Kornreich Yeah, the XPS 15 will slaughter the 15" Retina MacBook Pro on hardware until Apple refreshes the Mac. It wouldn't even be much of a smackdown right now-- no contest.
+Connor Mackenzie they only added force touch. i'm assuming this generation is the last generation before a redesign. i'm betting Apple is going to push for USB type Cs only on the next model, so they can make the laptop look super thin. ofc they'll sell a bunch of adapters for everything, at least until the standard gets wholly adopted.
What an amazing laptop! I just got one and I would recommend it to anyone! The 4k UHD infinity edge screen was the main selling point for me and it sure does have the wow factor! I am not a gamer, I will be using mine for graphic design and animation but If you are intending to use your laptop purely for gaming, then maybe you might consider some of the other gamer laptops on the market. This XPS would still be a great choice though, plus the build quality by Dell is bang on. I want to clear up a couple of things I heard in previous reviews when I was trying to choose a laptop. The XPS keyboard in my opinion is really nice to use. Yes it has short key travel but that's really not a problem. I personally was expecting the keyboard to be really small being the size of a 14" laptop, with the keys being really close together but they're not. The keyboard is a joy to use and the back-lit keyboard looks stunning! Along side the carbon fibre palm rest, the aluminium shell, the 4K infinity edge screen and the tapered 11-17mm thickness of the laptop. This laptop is sleek and stylish, which in my opinion, you don't find in gamer laptops. I have also not had any driver problems and everything seems to be working as it should. I think when the XPS was first released there were a couple of issues but as far as I am aware, Dell has rectified these problems.
When I was looking into buying mine, I briefly looked into the 2 in 1 laptops like the Surface Book and Zenbook etc but found they are really expensive if you want similar specs to the XPS, but the good thing is they are portable. What about getting a Wacom pen tablet separately? Wacoms pen tablets are definaitely at the top of their game. The money it would cost to buy a Surface Book with similar specs to the Dell, you could buy the Dell AND a Wacom tablet. It all depends on your personal requirements really, you might need to weigh up what you need most from your laptop, whether its portability or high specs. Hope this helps! :)
The Artful Rogers Thanks for the reply and advice. I've only used Dell Workstations until now and will be keeping the previous generation (upgrades). I will be sure to look into those Wacom Tablets. A pen, Scrivener, light photo coloring, is all I need from a portable machine... The Pen would be the only deal breaker, since I have other machines for other stuff and a 15" MacBook Pro Retina which serves all my other needs. I never gamed, nor will ever game on a laptop/notebook. Again, thanks for your suggestions and all your help... Those tablets look like they will be ideal for the job I need them to do. Cheers.
I just bought mine yesterday as a xmas gift for myself. I cannot wait for it to arrive. I wish the shipping delays weren't so extensive. Either way very happy to own this.
This is such a lovely notebook to use, fast and the screen is a thing of beauty. My only complaint is the battery life , I manage maybe 2-3 hours just on the web/email/youtube.
Great review Lisa! So the scaling at 200% is still as sharp as the recommended 250%? I did not even try that. I agree looking a a white web page at night blows my eyeballs! I have to have it on 25% at night even plugged in.
For folks concerned about security, these awesome little machines (contrary to what a Dell salesperson told me) actually do have a TPM factory installed (1.2). If you're using Bitlocker, though, keep a hold of that recovery key because flashing the BIOS will apparently reset it and Bitlocker will need the recovery key to continue.
Thank you, Lisa! Awesome review as always. Helped me make up my mind about my purchase. Will wait for the Surface Book smackdown, but feel like the screen size and GPU make XPS 15 the one I'll go for ^__^
Love your reviews. I love watching full in-depth tech reviews, which yours always are...Thank you :) Can you do a Dell XPS 15 9550 vs. ASUS Zenbook UX501, please? I recently got the Zenbook. I think reviews should stick with comparisons between direct competition, which the UX501 is with XPS 15 (and not the Surface Book, etc.)
+shameer aboobacker Again, if all you're going to be doing is accounting, you should not be looking at this laptop. This is for people who are looking to do heavy lifting like AutoCAD, tons of programming and gaming etc. The cheaper inspiron series should be more than enough. (And they have numpads) Though I do agree with you that they should have included the num pad.
+shameer aboobacker Just an idea, but if you really use a number pad a lot, you can get an wireless or usb external numberpad for under $20. www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=number+pad
+D Mentia From what i gathered in her video review, you can do it yourself later. The problem seems like the RAM required is just coming to market and is hard to get (and probably pricy) right now.
I'm almost glad this XPS has those limitations - no DP or at least hdmi 2 port, OK rather than good keyboard, and that the dock station isn't yet available. Stops me jumping for this quite so easily. I'd appreciate reviews of the recent skylake workstations at some point - the new Dell Precisions (5000 & 7000 15inch) and the new HP zbooks. This XPS could be the cheap alternative that does 90% of the job.
This is my favorite laptop for 2015, puts a 15.6" display on a 14" laptop, you also get QuadCore 40W Skylake CPU, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD and best of all is the Nvidia GeForce 960M. With Nvidia GeForce 960M you can play most games at High or Ultra settings at 1080p and get more than 30fps.
Hi Lisa, in your review you mentioned that the F1,F2, etc function keys default to the Dell laptop shortcuts, like screen brightness, volume, etc. To use the F1,F2, etc buttons however you need to use the Fn key to make those work. Some games I play actually use those keys for actions. Is there a toggle or override option to allow the default to change to the F1,F2 keys?
+Jhoane Audrey There is for north america (I have one on order). Depending where you live, not all configurations are sold in every country. It's best to check the dell website for your country/region to see if it's available to you.
I've watched this review a few times. I have been going back and forth between the XPS 15 and the newest MSI GS60 (1080P) Skylake. This is mainly because I will be leaving consoles at home going off to school. But I do want something to game on. Is it possible that these two or even the 4K GS60 would be in a future smackdown. Thanks for the great reviews, this is my go to review channel.
My XPS 15 2015 is bigger and heavier, but I'll take it any day over this new, gorgeous model. No DisplayPort is a big problem, and so is the single USB 3 port. Mine has 4 USB ports and I use them all more often than I thought I would. The inclusion of a USB C 3.1 is commendable, but we'll probably have to wait a year or two for it to be widespread.For those neither needing DisplayPort nor lots of USB 3 ports, this XPS 15 is probably one of the best 15 inch laptop on the market, and if the quality equals that of my model, it is outstanding.I have the 3200x1800 display, the '4K' of its time. It too cost about 500 $, which is a super pricey option. There is no denying the screen is absolutely stunning. But I would advise people considering this new XPS 15 to really think if they really want the 4K option.If you spend most of your time on the go, then please do your eyes a favor and purchase the 4K version.If you work quite often on your own desk though, I would advise purchasing the Full HD version, and purchasing a nice 27" 4K display with those 500 $. Btw,even if Windows 10 display scaling still isn't perfect, and applications aren't always updated to take into account high dpi screen, it works quite well with simple scaling, such as 4K/Full HD or 1600x900 / 3200x1800.
+Dolty Pley Because it does not have enough space for a separate number keypad. Even though this is a 15" laptop the body size is smaller than all the other 15" laptops.
I currently have the 2014 model (top spec). It has been an ok workhorse, but there have been various issues. This newer model seems to iron those out. It seems a bit more refined. Good job Dell.
HI Lisa, thanks a lot for this review. I have a question regarding the hdd/ssd. I am interested in ordering this machine, however I am from germany. And the cheapest option we are offered comes with a 1TB, 2.5", 5400 RPM (*yuck*) HDD. Now at 9:30 you show the machine opened up, however I am unable to make out a spot where the 2.5" drive could possibly fit in. Since google also didn´t come up with any further teardowns just yet, I´d like to ask you if you could find a spot somewhere in the machine for such a drive. Or do they really vary the internals, depending on the order of the customer? I can´t really imagine they would do that... Best regards!
Hi Lisa, I love your reviews. You are the best laptop reviewer. Are you going to review the Samsung ativ book pro with skylake processor and 4k display?
Lisa, I was wondering if you could briefly show the Webcam when doing reviews. For example, I always hear about the "chin" camera but never see any visuals of it.
Lisa, your review is very informative and professional as always. I was waiting for BF and CM laptops, but your review convinced me to buy this laptop. Do you know if these will ever go on sale? I've noticed that Dell XPS lineups do not usually go on sale! Thus, if I have a particular configuration that I want (i7, 84Whr, non-touch FHD), should I wait for a discount in the future or buy now? I have a netbook, which is light years behind the current generation of laptops, but I can wait for a couple of months if there is going to be a significant discount. Thank you very much in advance!
Really excellent review Lisa. Still torn between getting this or the Surface Book. I love the Dell's more power, a larger higher res screen & better value for money tag but I also really want the Surface Book's incredible versitility. I can't wait for the SMACK DOWN!
+Yanano Bere I've debated that too, but i'm finally leaning toward the Dell. The Dell is just all around better for laptop use and as an added bonus - less expensive. I've used the surface pro 3 for several months now and found I never seem to use the tablet or pen features. I always end up using the mouse/keyboard, so I guess I'm a laptop guy. Also the surface book's 3:2 aspect ratio isn't going to be as good for watching movies on or playing games. If I could get the Dell laptop with the high resolution without touch I'd probably get that. Good luck on your choice, how you plan to use it will be the deciding factor for you.
+V King Me too. I've decided to pick up a lower end, i5 Surface Pro 4 & a Dell XPS 15. It's going to cost me quite a bit of money but the Surface Book that has the 16GB of RAM I need and fast enough write speeds for 4k video editing is going to cost me $3500 to import and that's just way too much.
Great Review! I am really waiting for rMBP refresh and then I'll decide to get this or MBP. It really will depend on how apple will upgrade their internal hardware
Thanks Lisa. Considering the colors are really extreme on this model, for professional photography, what would you rate as the best windows laptop for photoediting then. Many thanks for your videos. I would rate you as one of the best reviewers I've ever come across on the net with the way you rate, offer specs and experience. ;)
There is a little mistake, not all the SSD configurations mount the 84 Whr battery. I want to buy the 1399$ model that mount the 256Gb SSD but is coming only with the 56 Whr battery, so there is a huge empty space instead of the HDD. It's crazy that to have the bigger battery I have to spend 1699$, I don't need 16Gb of ram neither 512Gb SSD.
+Alessio Battaglioli I have bought the same model as you mentioned. I am planning on adding another hdd for now and maybe in the future, upgrade the 56 Whr battery to the 84 Whr when it's available to purchase.
Thanks a lot for all these nice reviews! Could you also do one on the new Dell Precision 15 5000 series? It looks more like the XPS 15, but with an enhanced performance...
great review! Very helpful. I decided to purchase this laptop, and I am trying to figure out my external hard drive setup for video editing. Can I use the thunderbolt 3 port for an external hard drive to get the 20-40gbps speed? I don't totally understand the new technology. Thanks again for the review!
Lisa, I recently got an XPS 15 and I'm anxiously awaiting Thunderbolt 3 accessories., especially a dock. I'm also very interested in the fact that according to Intel, Thunderbolt 3 can extend the PCIe 3.0 bus. They have some demonstrations of Thunderbolt 3 compatible "PCI enclosures" that let you do crazy stuff like use desktop GPUs. Even though docks and PCI enclosures are on the "not mobile" side of laptop use, will you show them off for us when they're becoming available for Thunderbolt 3?
Nice review. Are you running Windows 10? I was not a fan of 8 and appreciate the traditional layout for my laptops. Performance wise, seems like the updated Yoga 900 and the XPS do very well. Does it seem faster than Spectre? Thanks again.
Nice video and nice headshot! I think this is the first windows laptop that actually transcends the 15 inch Macbook Pro with Retina. Asus UX501 or the Razer blade are more or less trying to reach the 15 MBPR as a product, but Dell has really made something remarkable after MBPR. The HDMI and lack of MiniDP is a bit disappointing, but in reality I guess it's not a big issue to put an extra Displayport to that new thunderbolt connector with 4K displays. And I think it really looks better without a numpad and probably the palmrest assembly has more stability this way. And it's really nice to see they have the DDR4 RAMs replaceable because on XPS 13 they are soldered on board. I have a question though - how stable is the carbon fiber palmrest? because like the Asus UX501 it bends a bit when you press the chassis in the middle. Or is it as solid as the Macbook's unibody?
so many people over at notebook review forums have been waiting for your review of this laptop, an excellent job coving everything important as always
great review. it's actually because of your review that I bought my 2013 xps 15 9530 edition. it's been two years, and it is still an amazing laptop. I got mine for $800 on eBay buying a factory refurbished model (with confirmed dell warranty). awesome understated product
AWESOME, and this is the first real review I could find too! Lisa never disappoints :)
These are buyer guides not reviews!(I mean that in a good way) You're reviews have lead me to making some great purchases! One of which was the HP Spectre x360. I love this laptop and may not have bought it if I hadn't seen your review. I watch them just because I can learn so much more from them than from a standard reviews.
Lisa be playin bf4 on a touchpad... Beast! You go girl!
We're waiting the 1080p model review of the Dell Xps 15, I prefer mat screen it's so relaxing for the eye and has more natural type toned colors (not so saturated) thanks for this great review.
Been watching a number of your videos lately as i explored the surface pro 4, and have been looking at other options. I just really appreciate the objective detail you put in. it's well done.
been waiting for this Lisa nice one thanks
Lisa - your reviews are super useful and well done. The style and way you communicate the most important and interesting details is much appreciated!
Great review as always. You consistently manage to provide a comprehensive overview while at the same time delivering a straight down the middle assessment of all those features and parameters that rely on subjective and personal preferences. The technical specifications and the non-technical aspects provide the listener with a very good perspective. Appreciative in Plano.
30 minutes video on this laptop which i plan to get!! dang I love this channel! you're awesome lisa!! (and mobiletechreview)
Thank you for finally putting this up! Put the order through after your review.
Thanks Lisa, good as always!. ordered mine last week: i7, 8GB, 256pcie, FHD, 56w batt with the extra 18000mAh battery for $90. Look forward to your 1080p review too.
Lisa you're the best! Thank you for all of your wonderful and in-depth reviews. Everyone I know at my grad school who's in to electronics watches your vids. :) Amazing dedication and work!
Dell XPS 15 9550 still kickin in 2024 since purchase in 2015! How has it almost been a decade? This thing 100% has rivaled any Macbook Pro's I've owned over the years. Sad that Dell recently hasn't been great with the line-up as of recent.
Great to hear. I just bought the top end 9550 used on eBay for my step mom as a solid internet/light database machine for her for $350. I'm very excited for her to get it and see how she likes it!
Thank you Lisa for the heads-up on the lack of 4k support on external monitors. I had not considered that. I run an XPS-13 driving a Dell-branded 4k display at 60hz. It had not remotely occurred to me that the newer, XPS-15 would be less capable.
Very detailed review. I been waiting for your review of this machine and the day finally came. Thanks. This surely will be my next laptop. Though am a business man who travels a lot and currently use the Latitude E7250 with 1080p display, it wouldn't hurt if I go for this and at my spare time play some game. And the 4k infinity display is future proof upgrade.
THE review I was waiting for. As great job as always, Lisa! :)
30 minute review ?! Hell yeah ! That's what I'm talking about.
Great work, ma'am !
Great job! Really looking forward to your review of the Dell Precision 5510. It will be a moot point, because I ordered it today, but you do such a great job with these that I'll listen as soon as I see it's available.
The XPS machines are really phenomenal this year. Been using the XPS13 since Feb. Zero complaints.
Thank you! I've been waiting so long for this review.
Awesome review. This has become my new favorite tech review channel.
I love this new 9550 model of the XPS. I got the 4K touchscreen and the 1 TB SSD hard drive. It is amazingly quiet. The palm rest is smoother than the previous model. I am not an Apple girl, and I've always had good luck with Dell. I have a feeling this 9550 will serve me very well. Thank you, Lisa, for your review, and for the heads up on the Intel driver update.
I'm ditching my 2015 MBP Retina for this XPS 15. It will be the first Windows laptop I've purchased since 2009. Pretty pumped up for it.
Lisa, I hope you do a smack down between this XPS and the Apple MacBook Pro 15" with comparable setup. I realize Apple has not done a refresh yet on there 15" MacBook Pro though
+Steven Kornreich Yeah, the XPS 15 will slaughter the 15" Retina MacBook Pro on hardware until Apple refreshes the Mac. It wouldn't even be much of a smackdown right now-- no contest.
+Steven Kornreich They didnt? They didnt add new cpu's and force touch?
+Connor Mackenzie they only added force touch. i'm assuming this generation is the last generation before a redesign. i'm betting Apple is going to push for USB type Cs only on the next model, so they can make the laptop look super thin. ofc they'll sell a bunch of adapters for everything, at least until the standard gets wholly adopted.
Each to their own but I can't stand Mac or their OS.
Kenttheclark I hope they dont. Id like it to charge by USB c as my phone does too. But i agree, it definitely should have other ports as well.
What an amazing laptop! I just got one and I would recommend it to anyone! The 4k UHD infinity edge screen was the main selling point for me and it sure does have the wow factor! I am not a gamer, I will be using mine for graphic design and animation but If you are intending to use your laptop purely for gaming, then maybe you might consider some of the other gamer laptops on the market. This XPS would still be a great choice though, plus the build quality by Dell is bang on.
I want to clear up a couple of things I heard in previous reviews when I was trying to choose a laptop. The XPS keyboard in my opinion is really nice to use. Yes it has short key travel but that's really not a problem. I personally was expecting the keyboard to be really small being the size of a 14" laptop, with the keys being really close together but they're not. The keyboard is a joy to use and the back-lit keyboard looks stunning! Along side the carbon fibre palm rest, the aluminium shell, the 4K infinity edge screen and the tapered 11-17mm thickness of the laptop. This laptop is sleek and stylish, which in my opinion, you don't find in gamer laptops.
I have also not had any driver problems and everything seems to be working as it should. I think when the XPS was first released there were a couple of issues but as far as I am aware, Dell has rectified these problems.
I'm just hesitating because I think I really need a pen... For storyboard drawing what equivalent laptop would you recommend?
When I was looking into buying mine, I briefly looked into the 2 in 1 laptops like the Surface Book and Zenbook etc but found they are really expensive if you want similar specs to the XPS, but the good thing is they are portable. What about getting a Wacom pen tablet separately? Wacoms pen tablets are definaitely at the top of their game. The money it would cost to buy a Surface Book with similar specs to the Dell, you could buy the Dell AND a Wacom tablet. It all depends on your personal requirements really, you might need to weigh up what you need most from your laptop, whether its portability or high specs. Hope this helps! :)
The Artful Rogers Thanks for the reply and advice. I've only used Dell Workstations until now and will be keeping the previous generation (upgrades). I will be sure to look into those Wacom Tablets. A pen, Scrivener, light photo coloring, is all I need from a portable machine... The Pen would be the only deal breaker, since I have other machines for other stuff and a 15" MacBook Pro Retina which serves all my other needs. I never gamed, nor will ever game on a laptop/notebook.
Again, thanks for your suggestions and all your help... Those tablets look like they will be ideal for the job I need them to do.
Cheers.
Wish I found your channel sooner. Really nice and detailed review. Thanks!
I just bought mine yesterday as a xmas gift for myself. I cannot wait for it to arrive. I wish the shipping delays weren't so extensive. Either way very happy to own this.
This is such a lovely notebook to use, fast and the screen is a thing of beauty. My only complaint is the battery life , I manage maybe 2-3 hours just on the web/email/youtube.
Great review! Very impressed with the depth that you went into. Keep it up! :)
I've been wanting to see this laptop since they announced the xps 13 with infinity display! The 15 in a 14 body. This laptop is perfection for me
I liked the video before watching it fully. Because I love this channel so much
very nice review, touches on points that few others do when reviewing tech.great job!
At last, an actual review. Thanks :)
I have been waiting this review, thanks!
Many thanks Lisa- a good and thorough review that's helped me make up my mind. I'm buying one.
Great Review Lisa! I really like the XPS 15
This is the color accuracy and portability I was looking for! I wish the XPS 2-in-1 offered this.
Excellent review! Ordered the XPS 15.
yes!!! the review i've been waiting for. thank YOU!
really like your reviews, very detailed and unbiased! thanks!
I really like this thorough review. It's between this and the soon to be revealed MacBook Pro for college. Leaning towards Dell right now
An awesome review.Detail & exhaustive.I appreciate this quality review.Thank You.
Reason why they put in an HDMI 1.4 port instead of 2.0?
So they can sell the HDMI 2.0/TypeC/Ethernet adapter for $70
+Tim Nguyen To quote MKBHD: "Hope you like dongles...."
+Tim Nguyen I'll wait for the 2016 XPS 15 refresh with a built in HDMI 2.0 or the DP 1.3
Great review Lisa!
So the scaling at 200% is still as sharp as the recommended 250%? I did not even try that. I agree looking a a white web page at night blows my eyeballs! I have to have it on 25% at night even plugged in.
For folks concerned about security, these awesome little machines (contrary to what a Dell salesperson told me) actually do have a TPM factory installed (1.2). If you're using Bitlocker, though, keep a hold of that recovery key because flashing the BIOS will apparently reset it and Bitlocker will need the recovery key to continue.
Love your reviews Lisa!
Thank you, Lisa! Awesome review as always. Helped me make up my mind about my purchase. Will wait for the Surface Book smackdown, but feel like the screen size and GPU make XPS 15 the one I'll go for ^__^
That's it .. i'm getting one , and thank you so much for the thorough review ..
probably the best looking notebook ive seen.Bezels are so sleek!!
Thank you for your beautiful review Lisa :)
Love your reviews. I love watching full in-depth tech reviews, which yours always are...Thank you :)
Can you do a Dell XPS 15 9550 vs. ASUS Zenbook UX501, please? I recently got the Zenbook. I think reviews should stick with comparisons between direct competition, which the UX501 is with XPS 15 (and not the Surface Book, etc.)
i have been watching her videos for about a year and im just know subscribing to her
Just ordered mine after watching this review. This laptop is definitely the MacBook pro Killer! Thanks Lisa, you made my mind up...
Please review the Dell XPS 13 Skylake. Thank you for another great reiew of the XPS 15.
Mine will be here Fri. In the Top Of the Line version. I7 1TB and 16Gigs with Touch. Look forward to it.
As always, the best reviews out there, cudos!
Just a question, what's your opinion on the sound quality? With headphones?
great review as usual. Please do a Dell Precision 5510 Mobile Workstation review
Fantastic review, you really know what you're talking about!
I'm a person who does accounting dont you feel they had enough space for a number pad lisa?
+shameer aboobacker Again, if all you're going to be doing is accounting, you should not be looking at this laptop. This is for people who are looking to do heavy lifting like AutoCAD, tons of programming and gaming etc. The cheaper inspiron series should be more than enough. (And they have numpads)
Though I do agree with you that they should have included the num pad.
+shameer aboobacker
Just an idea, but if you really use a number pad a lot, you can get an wireless or usb external numberpad for under $20. www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=number+pad
+shameer aboobacker Just hook up an external keyboard with a numpad
+shameer aboobacker can always buy a wireless number pad if it means that much to you
+shameer aboobacker There are like hundreds of laptops with a numpad, just pick one of those.
so good! thanks for the great review I love this laptop!
Excellent review! Excellent piece of tech.
YESSS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!!!!!!!
I wish I'd never gotten so attached to OSX. The PC laptop ecosystem is just incredible the last few years.
Awesome review. Thank you so much. I'll get the XPS 15.
Hi Lisa,
Excellent review as always. Much better than that annoying Linus guy.
Do you know by any chance when can we expect to see a 32 GB RAM model?
+D Mentia Yes, I'd like to know that too!
+D Mentia From what i gathered in her video review, you can do it yourself later. The problem seems like the RAM required is just coming to market and is hard to get (and probably pricy) right now.
I am not really good at that. I was hoping that they might eventually release the 32GB model.
I'm almost glad this XPS has those limitations - no DP or at least hdmi 2 port, OK rather than good keyboard, and that the dock station isn't yet available. Stops me jumping for this quite so easily. I'd appreciate reviews of the recent skylake workstations at some point - the new Dell Precisions (5000 & 7000 15inch) and the new HP zbooks. This XPS could be the cheap alternative that does 90% of the job.
Hey Lisa, when's the FHD version of this review coming? Can't wait for it!
This is my favorite laptop for 2015, puts a 15.6" display on a 14" laptop, you also get QuadCore 40W Skylake CPU, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD and best of all is the Nvidia GeForce 960M.
With Nvidia GeForce 960M you can play most games at High or Ultra settings at 1080p and get more than 30fps.
Hi Lisa, in your review you mentioned that the F1,F2, etc function keys default to the Dell laptop shortcuts, like screen brightness, volume, etc. To use the F1,F2, etc buttons however you need to use the Fn key to make those work. Some games I play actually use those keys for actions. Is there a toggle or override option to allow the default to change to the F1,F2 keys?
is there a none touch screen version for intel i7?
+Jhoane Audrey There is for north america (I have one on order). Depending where you live, not all configurations are sold in every country. It's best to check the dell website for your country/region to see if it's available to you.
+MosGuy ooooh thanks!
it's 1699 for the 6700hq and 512gb storage and 1080p display, it's what I bought
+Ryan Easley How do you like the mat screen? Is is Adobe RGB 100%?
the screen is very bright and is very sharp but I haven't calibrated the screen to test it yet so I wont know till my screen calibrator gets here soon
Great review as usual!
Yep i asked for it and its now here thanks lisa
I've watched this review a few times. I have been going back and forth between the XPS 15 and the newest MSI GS60 (1080P) Skylake. This is mainly because I will be leaving consoles at home going off to school. But I do want something to game on. Is it possible that these two or even the 4K GS60 would be in a future smackdown. Thanks for the great reviews, this is my go to review channel.
My XPS 15 2015 is bigger and heavier, but I'll take it any day over this new, gorgeous model. No DisplayPort is a big problem, and so is the single USB 3 port. Mine has 4 USB ports and I use them all more often than I thought I would. The inclusion of a USB C 3.1 is commendable, but we'll probably have to wait a year or two for it to be widespread.For those neither needing DisplayPort nor lots of USB 3 ports, this XPS 15 is probably one of the best 15 inch laptop on the market, and if the quality equals that of my model, it is outstanding.I have the 3200x1800 display, the '4K' of its time. It too cost about 500 $, which is a super pricey option. There is no denying the screen is absolutely stunning. But I would advise people considering this new XPS 15 to really think if they really want the 4K option.If you spend most of your time on the go, then please do your eyes a favor and purchase the 4K version.If you work quite often on your own desk though, I would advise purchasing the Full HD version, and purchasing a nice 27" 4K display with those 500 $.
Btw,even if Windows 10 display scaling still isn't perfect, and applications aren't always updated to take into account high dpi screen, it works quite well with simple scaling, such as 4K/Full HD or 1600x900 / 3200x1800.
Can't wait for the review of the 1080P model, it should be a great Linux machine. Does the model you are receiving have the larger battery as well?
It would have been really nice if it had a full-sized keyboard... What's the point of having all that empty space.
+Dolty Pley Because it does not have enough space for a separate number keypad. Even though this is a 15" laptop the body size is smaller than all the other 15" laptops.
Dolty Pley Well, they're Dell. What can you expect, right?
I would prefer dells design over the ugly ass choice of a narrow num pad on the side
+QuantumBraced Ask the MacBook Pro and how well it sells.
How goo is the XPS' keyboard? :o
I currently have the 2014 model (top spec). It has been an ok workhorse, but there have been various issues. This newer model seems to iron those out. It seems a bit more refined.
Good job Dell.
It would be great to see all the benchmark on the screen and not just in audio.
HI Lisa,
thanks a lot for this review.
I have a question regarding the hdd/ssd. I am interested in ordering this machine, however I am from germany. And the cheapest option we are offered comes with a 1TB, 2.5", 5400 RPM (*yuck*) HDD. Now at 9:30 you show the machine opened up, however I am unable to make out a spot where the 2.5" drive could possibly fit in. Since google also didn´t come up with any further teardowns just yet, I´d like to ask you if you could find a spot somewhere in the machine for such a drive. Or do they really vary the internals, depending on the order of the customer? I can´t really imagine they would do that...
Best regards!
Hi Lisa, I love your reviews. You are the best laptop reviewer. Are you going to review the Samsung ativ book pro with skylake processor and 4k display?
Lisa, I was wondering if you could briefly show the Webcam when doing reviews. For example, I always hear about the "chin" camera but never see any visuals of it.
Extremely helpful and detailed review. Did you see any issue with finger oils smearing on the wrist pad? Thank you!
Looking forward for the $1700 model review!!! And when are they going to be launched in India ????
+ashish verma I read a comment by dell on their channel. there is no India release planned, in the foresee-able future at least.
Lisa, your review is very informative and professional as always. I was waiting for BF and CM laptops, but your review convinced me to buy this laptop. Do you know if these will ever go on sale? I've noticed that Dell XPS lineups do not usually go on sale! Thus, if I have a particular configuration that I want (i7, 84Whr, non-touch FHD), should I wait for a discount in the future or buy now? I have a netbook, which is light years behind the current generation of laptops, but I can wait for a couple of months if there is going to be a significant discount. Thank you very much in advance!
Really excellent review Lisa. Still torn between getting this or the Surface Book. I love the Dell's more power, a larger higher res screen & better value for money tag but I also really want the Surface Book's incredible versitility. I can't wait for the SMACK DOWN!
+Yanano Bere I've debated that too, but i'm finally leaning toward the Dell. The Dell is just all around better for laptop use and as an added bonus - less expensive. I've used the surface pro 3 for several months now and found I never seem to use the tablet or pen features. I always end up using the mouse/keyboard, so I guess I'm a laptop guy. Also the surface book's 3:2 aspect ratio isn't going to be as good for watching movies on or playing games. If I could get the Dell laptop with the high resolution without touch I'd probably get that. Good luck on your choice, how you plan to use it will be the deciding factor for you.
+V King Me too. I've decided to pick up a lower end, i5 Surface Pro 4 & a Dell XPS 15. It's going to cost me quite a bit of money but the Surface Book that has the 16GB of RAM I need and fast enough write speeds for 4k video editing is going to cost me $3500 to import and that's just way too much.
When will the 1080P version review be posted? Really looking forward for that.
+Raphael Chao They're waiting on the review unit from dell, it hasn't arrived yet.
Great Review! I am really waiting for rMBP refresh and then I'll decide to get this or MBP. It really will depend on how apple will upgrade their internal hardware
Thanks Lisa. Considering the colors are really extreme on this model, for professional photography, what would you rate as the best windows laptop for photoediting then. Many thanks for your videos. I would rate you as one of the best reviewers I've ever come across on the net with the way you rate, offer specs and experience. ;)
There is a little mistake, not all the SSD configurations mount the 84 Whr battery. I want to buy the 1399$ model that mount the 256Gb SSD but is coming only with the 56 Whr battery, so there is a huge empty space instead of the HDD.
It's crazy that to have the bigger battery I have to spend 1699$, I don't need 16Gb of ram neither 512Gb SSD.
+Alessio Battaglioli I have bought the same model as you mentioned. I am planning on adding another hdd for now and maybe in the future, upgrade the 56 Whr battery to the 84 Whr when it's available to purchase.
+Alessio Battaglioli That's their marketing technique, they force you to spend more.
+Bardo sad but true..
+Adil Lalani (AvenNova) how good is the battery life in it?
+mauricio Paras 5-7 hrs
Lisa, can you publish the settings you went with for your cursor? I am a noob with these new trackpads. BTW, love the detailed review!
Thanks a lot for all these nice reviews! Could you also do one on the new Dell Precision 15 5000 series? It looks more like the XPS 15, but with an enhanced performance...
great review! Very helpful. I decided to purchase this laptop, and I am trying to figure out my external hard drive setup for video editing. Can I use the thunderbolt 3 port for an external hard drive to get the 20-40gbps speed? I don't totally understand the new technology. Thanks again for the review!
Lisa, I recently got an XPS 15 and I'm anxiously awaiting Thunderbolt 3 accessories., especially a dock. I'm also very interested in the fact that according to Intel, Thunderbolt 3 can extend the PCIe 3.0 bus. They have some demonstrations of Thunderbolt 3 compatible "PCI enclosures" that let you do crazy stuff like use desktop GPUs. Even though docks and PCI enclosures are on the "not mobile" side of laptop use, will you show them off for us when they're becoming available for Thunderbolt 3?
Hi Lisa will you be doing a review of the new Thinkpad Yoga 260 soon?
Nice review. Are you running Windows 10? I was not a fan of 8 and appreciate the traditional layout for my laptops. Performance wise, seems like the updated Yoga 900 and the XPS do very well. Does it seem faster than Spectre? Thanks again.
Awesome review ... thanks
Nice video and nice headshot!
I think this is the first windows laptop that actually transcends the 15 inch Macbook Pro with Retina. Asus UX501 or the Razer blade are more or less trying to reach the 15 MBPR as a product, but Dell has really made something remarkable after MBPR.
The HDMI and lack of MiniDP is a bit disappointing, but in reality I guess it's not a big issue to put an extra Displayport to that new thunderbolt connector with 4K displays. And I think it really looks better without a numpad and probably the palmrest assembly has more stability this way. And it's really nice to see they have the DDR4 RAMs replaceable because on XPS 13 they are soldered on board.
I have a question though - how stable is the carbon fiber palmrest? because like the Asus UX501 it bends a bit when you press the chassis in the middle. Or is it as solid as the Macbook's unibody?
that panel is beautiful.