The new Dell XPS has the same set of ports we saw in the XPS back in November, and that’s OK, since those ports already were pretty up-to-date. Though the XPS lacks an ExpressCard slot, it comes with two USB 3.0 ports, an optional TV tuner(included on our config), and HDMI 1.4 with Nvidia 3DTV Play, allowing playback of 3D games or Blu-ray content onto a 3D HDTV via an HMDI cable. You’ll need a 3D TV to even take advantage of this feature, of course, and we doubt many people will.
Configurations for the Dell XPS 15 vary across a tremendous spectrum, starting at$799 and climbing into the$1, 500 range. Like many Dell laptops, the number of customizable extras can seem daunting: nearly every feature has an upgrade. That HD Webcam, confusingly, has two options, one of which adds facial recognition for$20, a feature most would assume comes as a standard software feature; there are WiMax and Bluetooth options; the keyboard comes in standard or backlit(an extra$40); and the JBL speaker system has a completely confusing and unnecessary$20 upgrade option on Dell’s Web site. You get the picture.
The important basics to note: the starting CPU is a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M; the top CPU, a 2.3GHz Core i7-2820QM, costs an extra$500. RAM can be upgraded to 8GB from the base 4GB for$120. A 256GB SSD drive option is available for$600. GPU options are limited: either the Nvidia GeForce GT 525M, or the GT 540M, with twice the memory, for an extra$100. A TV tuner will cost you$50.
Our configuration came with a quad-core 2.0GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU, which costs$175 over the base CPU. This is one of Intel’s new Sandy Bridge 2011 processors. In our benchmarks, performance was excellent and clear improvement over last year’s dual-core Core i5-not surprising, since that was a last-gen processor and a lower-end CPU option. However, even against other 2011 laptops with Intel Sandy Bridge next-gen CPUs, it more than held its own, making a considerable speed leap over last year’s Intel CPUs. We ran multiple windows of processor-intensive tasks and experienced practically no slowdown, although the side vents blasted some very hot air from time to time.
Graphically, this XPS is another step up from an already solidly performing 2010 version we reviewed. The Nvidia GeForce GT 525M Optimus automatic-switching GPU has 2GB of video memory; Unreal Tournament III ran at 53.1 frames per second at full 1, 920x1, 080-pixel resolution, and 81.5fps at 1, 440x900 pixels with medium settings. Our benchmark of Street Fighter IV at full-screen and full-HD resolution played perfectly, at a buttery 59.8fps. As you’d expect from a laptop priced this high, it’s more than capable of playing cutting-edge games on its HD screen.