So many laptop sizes, so little time. While other laptop manufacturers are going with even numbers for their laptops’ dimensions, Apple is going odd. The company has just announced the much-anticipated MacBook Air 15. Priced at $1,299 to start, the latest addition to the vaunted MacBook line brings the iconic good looks of its brethren along with the promise of excellent performance and endurance by way of its M2 chip. But is that enough to give this plucky, young upstart the edge against its opponent, whose long ruled the roost as one of our top-rated 15-inch laptops?

Speaking of the challenger, the Dell XPS 15 is no stranger to duking it out with heavyweights. The current iteration of the laptop is stacked with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Plus, you’ve got a ridiculously pretty 15.6-inch, 3.5K touch panel with its barely there InfinityEdge bezel. And while it’s tempting to call the XPS 15 a MacBook-clone, it does enough on the design side to stand out from the crowd. The end result is a solid thin-and-light that can handle just about anything you can throw at it –– even gaming. 

So which is the better laptop? Read on to see how our contenders stack up.

Pricing and Configurations

One thing's for certain Apple doesn't do cheap, but for a MacBook, this is damn near affordable. With a starting price of $1,299 ($1,199 for education), the MacBook sits squarely between the MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro 13. And of course, the more RAM and storage you want, the more exorbitant the price will be. We don't have pricing yet, but the Air 15 can support up to 24GB of unified memory and a maximum 2TB SSD/

Dell is a little more forgiving on the price point, at least at first. The base model costs $1,299 and has a 13th Gen Core i7-13700H CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, an Intel Arc A370M Graphics and a 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1200 non-touch display.

The unit we review cost considerably more at $2,499. However, that doubles the RAM and storage. You also get a discrete Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a 3.5K (3456 x 2160) touch display. 

Totally tricked out with Intel vPro, 8TB of storage and 64GB of RAM, the XPS 15 costs $3,899.

Winner:  Draw

Design

Just once, I wish Apple would be more adventurous when it comes to MacBook color. There's only so much Space Gray and Silver a girl can take. Thankfully, the laptop will also come in Midnight and Starlight. But alas, those are the only colors the MacBook Air 15 comes in. None of the colors are bad, mind you, it's just that'd it be nice if Apple could throw a curveball every once in a while and go bold like it does with the iPhone.

Color palette aside or lack thereof, the MacBook Air looks just like every other member of the lineup. From its smooth anodized aluminum finish with the glossy half-eaten apple logo on the lid, to the black Magic Keyboard with the bright white backlighting making the font on each key glow brightly, it's all there. It's a shame the Air's old-school wedge design has gone the way of the dodo as it would have been a treat to see just how slim Apple could have gone with the system.

As for the XPS 15, I've got to levy the same complaint in regards to hue as it  features only one shade. Again, there’s nothing wrong with the XPS 15's anodized aluminum Platinum Silver lid with the shiny Dell on in the middle. Nor is there anything offensive about the black carbon fiber interior. It's just been done to death at this point. It's time for a change in aesthetic.

The Dell XPS 15 weighs 4.2 pounds and measures 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches.  Compare that to the MacBook Air which weighs in at 3.3 with its 0.4-inch frame, earning it the title of world's thinnest 15-inch laptop. 

Winner: MacBook Air 15

Ports

Dell didn't hold back on the ports, giving us a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full SD card reader slot, headset jack and wedge-shaped lock so you can protect the laptop from any sticky-fingered purloiners in the vicinity. The company even included a USB-C to USB-A dongle in the box, just in case.

Apple has gotten better with its port offerings, but not much. The MacBook Air only has a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a headset jack and a MagSafe charger. 

Winner: Dell XPS 15

Display

In the battle between miniLED and traditional OLED, which panel wins. Well, for now, I'm going to give it to the Dell. The 15.6-inch, 3456 x 2160p OLED touch panel put up some great results during our benchmarking, including an impressive 137.9% on the DCI-P3 color gamut. The panel has an average brightness of 371.2 nits. And Dell has this thing on lock with its four-sided, incredibly teenie-tiny InfinityEdge bezels that give viewers more screen real estate.

Now that's not to say that the MacBook Air is or is going to be a slouch in the color gamut department. It's just that looking at the MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch, I'm pretty sure the Air 15 will have similar benchmarking results. However, I think the Air will really shine (pun intended) is display brightness. Apple has estimated that the 15.3-inch screen will average 500 nits of brightness. 

The Air 13 for example, got 78.6% on the color gamut test, but got a dazzling 473.6 nits. The MacBook Pro 14 reproduced 82.9% of the DCI-P3 gamut with a brightness of 453.2 nits. Lastly, the 16-inch MacBook Pro yielded 83.2% of the gamut and an average brightness of 455 nits. 

Winner: Draw

Performance

This is going to be a battle for the ages once we get the Air 15 in for review. How will its 8-core M2 chip fare against the likes of Intel and AMD. Well, if the previous models are anything to go by, people with their eye on the MacBook Air 15 have nothing to worry about as it’s rumored to be on a par with the MacBook Air 13. 

When we look at the test results for the Air 13 and its 8-core Apple M2 chip processor, the notebook really held its own. It got a multi-core score of 9,824 on Geekbench 6.0. That’s good, but nowhere close to the XPS 15’s (Intel Core i7-13700H CPU) 12,171. The MacBook Air was also bested on our video transcoding test where it took 9 minutes and 31 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p compared to the Dell’s 5:01.

Unfortunately, I can’t give you an apples-to-apples comparison on the drive test as MacOS has never played nice with our file transfer test. But what I can tell you is that the Air’s 256GB SSD did very well on the BlackMagic Read/Write test with a read speed of 1609.5 megabytes per second and a write speed of 1535.4MBps. The XPS 15’s 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD got 2,060.9MBPs on our file transfer test. 

Winner: Dell XPS 15

Graphics

With an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU under the hood, the XPS 15 all but has this round in the bag. Out of all of Nvidia's 4000 series chips, this one is a staff favorite as it splits the baby when it comes to gaming performance and affordability.

The silvery dynamo delivered 115 frames per second on the Sid Meier Civilization 6 benchmark at 1080p. The frame rate dropped to 69 fps when the resolution was increased to 4K. The MacBook Air’s 8-core Apple M2 GPU delivered 46 fps. 

I've personally seen what games optimized for Apple can do. Resident Evil Village runs just as smooth and is just as scary on Mac as No Man's Sky is just as expansive. But when it comes to the power of a discrete graphics chip, Apple silicon has a ways to go.

Winner:  Dell XPS 15

Battery Life

Outside of performance, one place I'm sure the MacBook Air 15 will shine is its battery life. Look at the previous model's performance on the Laptop Mag battery test. The MacBook Air 13 lasted a serious 14 hours and 33 minutes. Plus, Apple is rating the system for 18 hours of battery life. 

Unfortunately, the XPS 15’s beautiful super high-res display and demanding GPU come back to bite it in the ass. The laptop only lasted 8:58. It's a respectable score considering the previously mentioned handicaps, but it'd be nice to get to the 10-hour mark.

Winner: MacBook Air 15

Bottom Line

This is a close one. When it comes to overall and graphic performance, the Dell XPS 15 has it on lock. At least until we can get the MacBook Air 15 in for testing. But while the MacBook might overtake the XPS 15 in overall performance, unless  the M2 GPU gets a serious boost, it’s unlikely to come anywhere near the Dell XPS 15’s results. It’s a draw with the display as the XPS 15 has it on lock with color reproduction while the Air 15 will outshine the competition. 

We come to another draw on pricing, as both systems start at $1,299. The XPS 15 is generous with ports and dongles, but the Air 15 is all but guaranteed to outlast the Dell and many other challengers at 18 hours of battery life. In terms of design, the MacBook Air 15 absolutely takes the round as the world's slimmest 15-inch laptop. Plus, it's got a bigger color palette. True, they're the same colors we've been seeing for some years, but some is better than none. 

Overall, if you'll looking for a serious workhorse that can go from work to play seamless, the Dell XPS 15 is the way to go. If you want an extremely portable laptop that brings power and endurance, the MacBook Air 15 is a great choice. 

Sometimes all you need is a little refresh to shake things up. Such is the case of the Dell XPS 15 ($1,499 starting, $2,799 reviewed), a premium laptop targeting creative professionals. But don’t get it twisted. With its 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, the laptop can also serve as a powerful productivity machine and a passable gaming rig. It’s got a captivating 3.5K OLED touchscreen and a great speaker setup that makes a strong case for the XPS 15 being a serious multimedia machine. 

But this jack-of-all-trades machine does have a few flaws in a mushy keyboard and a below-average (but still longer than 8 hours) battery life that could give some consumers pause. But the Dell XPS 15 has earned a spot on the best laptops, best video editing laptops and best 15-inch laptops pages. Read on to learn more about this mobile powerhouse. 

Dell XPS 15 pricing and configurations

I had the pleasure of reviewing a semi-tricked out model of the Dell XPS 15. It costs $2,799 and has a 2.4-GHz Intel Core i7-13700H processor with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD with an Intel Iris Xe Graphics chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM and a 15.6-inch, 3456 x 2160 OLED touch display. 

The base model costs $1,499 and drops the configuration down to 16GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, Intel Arc A370M Graphics and a 1920 x 1200 non-touch display. The top configuration will put a real dent in your wallet at $4,649. For that price, you get an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, 64GB of RAM, a whopping 8TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM and a 15.6-inch, 3456 x 2160 touch display. 

Dell XPS 15 design

Pretty as ever, the Dell XPS 15 strolls in like a silvery dream. The stately minimalist design is accentuated by the glossy Dell logo in the center of the anodized aluminum lid. The sides of the laptop gleam, drawing attention to the few ports nestled within. Open the aluminum beauty and you get a carbon fiber weave interior that’s soft to the touch. The keyboard sits towards the top of the deck, sandwiched between the speaker grilles with a huge trackpad below. The glossy display sits ensconced in Dell’s ultra-slim Infinity Edge bezels. 

Weighing 4.2 pounds, the 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7-inch XPS 15 sits on the heavier side of the scale compared to its rivals, but not by much. It matches the Asus VivoBook Pro 16 (4.2 pounds, 13.9 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches), is lighter than the MacBook Pro 16 (4.8 pounds, 14 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches) but heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra (4 pounds, 4 x 9.86 x 0.65 inches).

Dell XPS 15 security

The XPS 15 doesn’t offer much in the way of security, but what it does have adds a layer of security that most systems don’t. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader, which when paired with Windows Hello makes for faster, secure login. 

Dell XPS 15 ports

The XPS 15 doesn’t have a lot of ports, but what it does have won’t disappoint. On the right sits a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with a full-sized SD card reader and a headset jack. A pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports reside on the left with a wedge-shaped lock slot. And unlike Apple, Dell is kind enough to ship the XPS with a dongle adapter. 

Dell XPS 15 display

Ah OLED, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. In the case of the XPS 15, it’s all about the vibrancy and sharpness of the 15.6-inch, 3.5K (3456 x 2160) OLED touch display. First, let’s talk about sharpness. From the Flerken-induced scratch marks peeking out from Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) eye patch to Monica Rambaeu’s (Teyonah Parris) 3B curl pattern during The Marvels trailer, I didn’t have to squint to make out the finer details. Kamala Khan’s (Iman Vellani) bedroom was an explosion of color including bubble gum pinks, ocean blue and persimmon. Hell, I was even impressed by the Captain Marvel doll’s strawberry-blonde tresses. 

But if you want to tweak display settings, you have two options. In the My Dell App under Color & Display, there’s Dolby Vision which allows you to switch between Bright, Dark and Vivid presets. Dell goes a little further with presets for Internet, Cinema, HD Video, Photo and Vibrant. Plus, the OEM-branded software provides sliders for Brightness, Contrast, Black Level, Temperature and Gamma if you want to create a custom setting. 

The XPS 15 knocked it out of the park when we tested the display’s color gamut, reproducing a stunning 137.9% of the DCI-P3 gamut. It proved to be much more vivid than the 90.2% premium laptop average, the Galaxy Book (86.2%) and the MacBook Pro (83.7%).

The Dell experienced a setback on our brightness test, averaging only 371 nits, which is below the 383-nit average. The MacBook Pro hit 477 nits while the Samsung reached 378-nits on standard mode and 509 nits in HDR mode.

As loath as I am to touch such a beautiful panel, I have to do it for you dear reader. I’m happy to report the display is agile and responsive to my touch, but I’d definitely recommend investing in either a microfiber cloth or a stylus.

Dell XPS 15 audio

Loud, clear audio with a truckload of thump, that’s what awaits with the XPS 15’s quad speaker setup. Made up of a pair of tweeters and woofers, Armani White (feat. Denzel Curry)’s “GOATED.” came with that boisterous knock you’d expect from a song titled like that. While the lows can’t compete with a pair of computer speakers, I was jamming to the clean bass. 

But the audio also does a great job on the mids and highs on Haitus Kaiyote’s “Red Room” which allowed me to groove along to lead vocalist Nai Palm's disaffected alto. The soundstage was spacious enough to accommodate a guitar (down to the twang of the strings getting plucked), piano, percussion and bass. However, at maximum volume, I did notice the piano started sounding a tad distorted.

If you want to create your own custom acoustics or cycle through one of the 23 EQ presets, simply go to the My Dell module under Audio and have at it. I found myself cycling between R&B, Hip-Hop - Soft and Pop.

Dell XPS 15 keyboard and touchpad

Despite its bright white backlighting and generous spacing, the XPS 15’s island-style keyboard is a bit mushy. Although the keys do depress with a gentle click, the large keys didn’t deliver enough feedback for my tastes. Still, I managed 69 words per minute on the 10fastfingers test which is just below my usual 70 wpm. 

And where the keyboard is mushy, the touchpad is the total opposite, delivering firm, springy feedback. My fingers glided along the smooth surface, performing multitouch gestures with the aplomb of Kristi Yamiguchi. 

Dell XPS 15 performance

Supreme domination… almost, anyway. Armed with its 2.4-GHz Intel Core i7-13700H processor with 32GB of RAM, the XPS 15 beats up on its foes like Superman with the exception of the MacBook Pro 16, which has Kyrptonite stashed somewhere in its CPU. However, the notebook definitely proved its mettle during my real-world multitasking testing where I launched 75 Google Chrome tabs with a mix of Google Docs, Sheets and Presentations along with several YouTube and Twitch channels, a healthy mix of news sites and some social media for good measure. The XPS 15 handled it like a champ, and it’s only when I ran CyberPunk 2077 in a background window that I started to experience some hitching. 

But on to the synthetic tests. On Geekbench 6, our overall performance test, the XPS 15 scored 12,171, defeating the 7,803 premium laptop average. The Dell however, had some tough competition starting with the Galaxy Book 3 (12,405) which has its own Core i7-13700H CPU. Next we have the VivoBook Pro 16 (12,438, Intel Core i9-13900H CPU) and the MacBook Pro’s (12-core Apple M2 Max CPU) 14,626.

The XPS 15 trancoded a 4K video to 1080p in 5 minutes and 1 second, smoking the 8:18 category average. That’s faster than the Vivobook Pro 16 and Galaxy Book 3’s times of 5:50 and 5:26, respectively. The MacBook Pro was the fastest at 3:59. 

During the File Transfer test, the Dell XPS 15’s 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD delivered a transfer speed of 2,061 megabytes per second, dusting the 1,352.5 MBps category average along with the Samsung’s (1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD) 2,076 MBps. Unfortunately, the MacBook Pro doesn’t play nice with our SSD test. However, it does run the BlackMagic Read/Write test where it reached 5,717/6,664 MBps. 

Dell XPS 15 graphics and gaming

In the mood to play Star Wars: Jedi Survivor? Don’t grab your Alienware or G-series gaming laptop as the XPS 15’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB VRAM is more than up to the task. In fact, for the money, we actually recommend the 4070 over the all-powerful 4080 and 4090 graphics chips. 

The XPS 15 did well during our benchmarking. It blew through the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI 51-fps premium laptop average, hitting a strong 115 fps at 1080p. The Galaxy Book 3 with its RTX 4050 GPU wasn’t too far behind at 95 fps. The MacBook Pro achieved 58 fps. When we ran the test at native resolution, the XPS 15’s frame rate dropped to 69 fps, while the MacBook Pro notched 59 fps. The Galaxy Book 3 came out of left field at 92 fps.

Running the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test, the XPS 15 produced 67 fps, which falls short of the 75-fps average, but is better than the Galaxy Book 3’s 54 fps. At native resolution, the laptops were in a dead heat at 24 fps, which is below the 30-fps category average.

When we ran the Borderlands 3 benchmark, the XPS 15 obtained 65 fps at 1080p, which is great, but below the 92-fps category average. A switch to native resolution saw the XPS 15’s frame rate fall to 26 fps, which is 10 frames shy of the 36-fps average. 

For those moments that you’re not gaming or photo or video editing, the XPS 15 will switch over to its Intel Xe Graphics GPU.

Dell XPS 15 battery life

The XPS 15 lasted 8 hours and 58 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test which consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi over 150 nits of brightness. The laptop falls victim to its super high resolution screen and the higher-end GPU. The result is a time that’s shorter than the 10:25 premium laptop average and the MacBook Pro’s ridiculous 18:56. At a 60Hz refresh rate, the Galaxy Book 3 lasted 9:03 and 8:48 when the panel’s set to 120Hz. 

Dell XPS 15 heat

Despite its mid-tier GPU, the XPS 15’s aluminum chassis stayed relatively cool. After running a 15-minute fullscreen video we measured specific spots on the laptop, including the touchpad, which measured 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The center of the keyboard and the undercarriage reached 90 and 92 degrees, all of which are below our 95-degree comfort threshold.

Dell XPS 15 webcam

The XPS 15 is premium in almost every way, but its 720p webcam is not one of them. I tried shooting in different lighting environments, but the result was the same. Good color accuracy with mediocre detail. That meant that while my cocoa skin looked great in terms of tone, there was a level of fuzziness that gave the appearance of a filter. I had no problem reading the text on my shirt and the book in the background. 

If you want a sharper viewing experience, you’ll want to check out our best webcams page. 

Dell XPS 15 software and warranty

Outside of the usual Windows 11 applications, the Dell XPS 15 doesn’t have much bloatware to speak of. As far as OEM-branding utilities, Dell preinstalled Digital Delivery, which installs the software you purchased while ordering your system. There’s also Dell Update which ensures that all of your software is up to date. The MyDell hub is where you toggle power, audio and display settings while SupportAssist allows you to troubleshoot any potential problems or reach out to the company’s tech support team. 

Third-party software includes Killer Intelligence Center that allows you to prioritize network bandwidth. GeForce Experience is also preinstalled and offers a suite of gamer-centric utilities designed to optimize your gaming experience. 

The Dell XPS 15 ships with a 1-year of premium support. See how Dell fared during Tech Support Showdown, our annual special report. 

Bottom line

Edit photos and videos? Check. Run a bunch of spreadsheets and multitasking tasks? Check. Run games at a reasonable frame rate? Check. The Dell XPS 15 can do all that and then some. Dell has created a serious powerhouse of a system with a 13th Gen Intel processor and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and doesn’t skimp on the multimedia with a vivid 3.5K OLED touch display and a banging 4-speaker setup. And while Dell is targeting creative professionals, the XPS 15 can make just about any PC fan happy.

However, for $2,799, I wish the brightness was better and the battery life was longer. Now if you’re a Mac fan, you should definitely look into the MacBook 16, but bear in mind the system I reviewed costs an eye-watering $5,299. Overall, the Dell XPS 15 is a jack-of-all-trades laptop that does pretty darn well at everything. 

The Dell XPS 15 is one of the best laptops of 2021 and while it is a bit pricey, this Black Friday laptop deal will save you hundreds.

Right now, you can pick up this Dell XPS 15 for $1,499 at Dell, a $400 savings off this model which includes an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 and RTX 3050 graphics.

• More: Best laptop deals
• Best laptops for video editing

While we haven’t reviewed this specific model, we’re confident in recommending it given our glowing Dell XPS 15 OLED (2021) review, giving a 4.5-star score to the model which adds a 4K OLED display to an otherwise nearly identical feature set.

This laptop will tackle a wide range of tasks with its powerful Intel Core i7-11800H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and unlike the 4K model you should be able to make it all-day on this battery. 

Plus, the range of I/O and adaptors included in the box ensures you’re prepared for any accessory put in front of you. Wi-Fi 6 built-in keeps data transfer speeds as fast as the internals.

Put simply, there’s a lot to love here: a spec list that will handily crush intensive tasks from gaming to 3D renders in After Effects, a svelte chassis, a mind-bogglingly beautiful display and a huge battery for a long period of usage. Pick this one up if you’re on the lookout for a new rig for your work and play.

Black Friday 2021 is underway and we expect to see tons of excellent holiday deals on laptops. Be sure to bookmark our Black Friday laptop deals hub for the best discounts.

In a way, the XPS 15 OLED (9510) is the laptop I've long-awaited. I purchased an XPS 15 in 2017 when it was the only true Windows alternative to the MacBook Pro, and it has been a reliable companion over the years. I've taken my XPS to tradeshows, slipped it into my carry-on during international flights, used it to edit countless photos for reviews, and even played some games on it.  

The XPS 15 OLED is a better version of the laptop I've consistently praised over the past several years. It fixes past problems (remember the nosecam?) while refining every inch of the package. The highlight of this particular configuration is the stunning 3.5K OLED display with its jaw-dropping colors, contrast and brightness. It's a panel befitting of the XPS 15's stylish and portable design that blends a machined aluminum exterior with a woven pattern on the inside. On the deck are a gargantuan touchpad, spacious keyboard and powerful speakers. 

But just as we saw with the XPS 13 OLED, opting for the high-end panel means trading in hours of battery life. It'd be tough to say goodbye to this display, but I'd ultimately go with the FHD+ screen for the extra endurance and lower price. And for me, upgrading to this new model would mean losing a USB-A port and relying on the included adapter, a compromise many are justifiably unwilling to make. Shortcomings aside, the XPS 15 OLED is one of the best video editing laptops and best 15-inch laptops around and worth its steep price. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED price and configurations 

If you're on a tight budget, the XPS 15 starts at $1,299, but you'll forgo some premium components. This base model has an FHD+ display along with a Core i5-11400H CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and UHD graphics.

For whatever reason, Dell's online configurator makes you purchase a Core i7-11800H CPU, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU when you upgrade to 16GB of RAM. Rather annoyingly, this raises the price to $1,899.  

Our 3.5K OLED touchscreen model with a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and RTX 3050 Ti graphics costs $2,401. However, as of writing, you can get the same config with a 1TB SSD for $2,400 at Best Buy. If you want to go wild, a $3,799 config comes with a 4K display, Core i9-11900H CPU, 64GB (!) of RAM, a 4TB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

Dell XPS 15 OLED design 

This is the Porsche of laptops — elegant, refined and precision-crafted. 

Before making any comparisons to the MacBook Pro, let's set the record straight — this XPS 15 is no clone but a refinement of a design language Dell debuted years ago.

The thin slab of aluminum flaunts an attractive deck available in either soft-touch carbon fiber black or the snow-white weave on our unit. The Arctic finish has a subtle texture on the deck, and don't worry, coatings were applied to prevent this bleached surface from collecting dirt and smudges. 

If Dell did take a page from Mac, it's with the XPS 15's gigantic touchpad, which takes up about half the length of the deck. Flanking the keyboard are grills for two top-firing tweeters, which pair with a set of woofers to deliver excellent audio quality (more on that below). The top-firing speakers were introduced in 2020, but what hasn't changed is the understated lid featuring a centered Dell logo in reflective dark chrome.

Dell started the thin-bezel trend years ago and it continues to do it better than any other company. Bordering the XPS 15's 15.6-inch display are the thinnest of frames — this laptop has a true edge-to-edge panel; no chin, no forehead. Other modern features include a fingerprint sensor embedded in the keyboard and an IR camera, both enable convenient and safe login. 

The XPS 15 is an ultra-thin laptop, but don't mistake it for an ultra-lightweight model. Both the lid and undercarriage are made of solid machined aluminum, a material that gives the XPS 15 a uniquely premium aura at the expense of portability. Measuring 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches and weighing 4.3 pounds, the XPS 15 is lighter and thinner than the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 (14.7 x 8.8 x 0.9 inches, 5.3 pounds) and the same size as the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (14 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches, 4.4 pounds). Despite having a 16-inch display, the MacBook Pro (14.1 x 9.7 x 0.6 inches, 4.3 pounds) is about as portable as the XPS 15.

What you trade in portability is gained in build quality. The XPS 15 is among the most airtight laptops I've reviewed. There is no flex on the keyboard or lid, you won't find any strange hairline gaps, and the hinge is stiff without requiring too much force to rotate.

Dell XPS 15 OLED ports 

The XPS 15 is one of the few remaining laptops with a full SD card slot. But that godsend for photographers and videographers comes at the expense of a fourth USB-C port when you're comparing the XPS against the MacBook Pro.

On the left side of the laptop, next to a lock slot, are two Thunderbolt 4 inputs for charging, connecting peripherals or transferring data. Flip to the right side and you'll find a USB 3.2 Type-C input alongside a full SD card slot and a headphone jack.

I'd take the card reader over a fourth Thunderbolt port (seriously Apple, who needs so many?). The glaring omission on both laptops is a USB Type-A input although Dell includes a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter as a consultation. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED display 

Have you ever stared mouth agape at the OLED TVs beaming vibrant colors from the back wall of your local electronics store? Now imagine one of those panels gracing you each time you open the lid of your laptop. I've had the XPS 15 OLED for a few days now, and I'm still entranced by the lock screen, home screen background, and other static interfaces I normally wouldn't pay any attention to. Everything looks better on the XPS 15's 15.6-inch, 3.5K (3456 x 2160-pixel) OLED touchscreen.

I couldn't get through this review without playing one of those 4K nature videos on YouTube. I landed in the Philippines where the ocean looked as blue as an aquamarine gemstone and the lush island foliage was every shade between orange and green. Adjusting the display presets in the Dell CinemaColor app had a marked impact on the image, with the Animation setting increasing contrast to the point of oversaturation. I found Movie mode to deliver the best balance between punchy and accurate colors. 

If I owned this XPS 15, I'd skip the theater and watch No Time to Die once it arrives on streaming platforms. I say that because the 007 trailer looked magnificent on this screen. I didn't need to squint to see minute details, like a small cut on Bond's lip or the ridges in Safin's grotesque face. In each scene, Daniel Craig's sapphire blue eyes electrified the room, and the gorgeous scenery of Southern Italy made me yearn for the pre-pandemic days when travel wasn't such a risk.

Don't pay too much attention to our display benchmarks because they don't tell the true story of this panel. According to our colorimeter, the XPS 15 OLED covered 85% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. That is a great result, topping the MacBook Pro (78%) and the premium laptop average (83%), but I expected it to be ahead of the Razer Blade 15 (89%) and much closer to the ZenBook Pro Duo 15's OLED panel (144%). For what it's worth, we saw similar results on the XPS 13 OLED (83%).

If there is a downside to OLED beyond the potential for burn-in, it's that these panels don't usually get very bright. That isn't the case with the XPS 15, which reached 398 nits and outshone the premium laptop average (382 nits). The XPS 15 was edged out by the ZenBook Pro Duo (422 nits) and the MacBook Pro (435 nits), but don't worry, you can easily use the Dell in bright conditions thanks to its exceptional contrast.

Dell XPS 15 OLED keyboard and touchpad 

The keyboard is one of my least favorite things about this laptop; it’s unexceptional. Maybe my expectations are too high because of how damn good the rest of this notebook is, but this just doesn't do it for me. While not particularly shallow, the keys don't have much of a tactile click and, as a result, feel somewhat squishy.

This isn't a deal-breaker, by any means. The keys are responsive and their low actuation force means your fingers can quickly skip from one to the next. In fact, I found myself typing faster on this XPS than on my mechanical keyboard — my fingers just weren't as comfortable. Those with big hands will appreciate the size of this keyboard though Dell needs to be careful here — any larger and I'd struggle to reach the esc and backspace buttons without lifting my hand. Also worth pointing out is how the white backlighting against the white keycap paint can make letters and numbers difficult to see if you're a hunt-and-peck typist.

On the 10fastfingers.com test, I typed at 118 words per minute with a 96% accuracy, both of which topped my usual 109-wpm with a 5% error rate. There is a disclaimer attached to these scores: my personal laptop of three years is an XPS 15 so my fingers are already molded to the layout.

Let me emphasize: this touchpad is enormous. My palms brushed the top of the surface when my fingers were on the home row; fortunately, the touchpad is smart enough to prevent accidental swipes. Navigating the cursor on the XPS 15 evoked the feeling of running my hands down silk curtains; the satiny glass-coated surface reacted to my rapid movements and Windows 10 gestures, like pinch-to-zoom and three-finger swipes, registered instantly. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED audio 

Excuse the colloquialism, but these speakers are bumpin'. I instinctively bobbed my head to Slenderbodies' "superpowerful" when the chorus erupted into a flurry of electric guitar twangs and drum beats interlacing smooth, powerful vocals. Each instrument in this complex tune had its own position in the soundstage; I could hear the finger snaps behind the electric guitar plucks and hushed falsettos.

I threw the speakers a curveball with The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," a song that typically devolves into a cacophony of loud noises on most laptops I test. That wasn't the case on the XPS 15, which put the vocals at the forefront and expertly separated the overlapping guitar twangs. Those who own an older XPS 15 should take solace in knowing the sound quality on this latest model is transformatively better.

I was never hip enough to host a college party, but I'll go out on a limb and say the XPS 15's quad speakers are powerful enough to blast clear, dynamic music through your dorm hall. So, against our usual advice, skip the computer speakers and use your laptop to jam out.

Dell XPS 15 OLED performance

The XPS 15 is like the climbers at my local bouldering gym. It may look lean on the outside, but any problem can be solved when the muscles are flexed. On the XPS 15, those muscles are a Core i7-11800H CPU with 16GB of RAM — powerful components that shrugged when I opened 35 Google Chrome tabs, four of which played 1080p YouTube videos. I then streamed a World Cup qualifier between Germany and Liechtenstein without experiencing a hint of lag. 

On the Geekbench 5.4 overall performance benchmark, the XPS 15 reached an outstanding 7,477, which tops the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 (7,028) and smoked the Razer Blade 15 Advanced (6,531). How much faster is the XPS than others in this category? The average score for premium laptops is 4,789. Oh, and the MacBook Pro with the M1 chip? It topped out at 7,306.

It took the XPS 15 OLED only 8 minutes and 10 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution using the Handbrake app. The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 needed another seven seconds while the premium laptop average (15:07) is nowhere near these powerhouses. Apple fans win a small victory here with the MacBook Pro with M1 completing this task in 7:44. 

Speedy storage rounds out an excellent performance package; the 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD in our review unit took 33 seconds to duplicate a 25GB multimedia file for an 825.6 megabytes per second transfer rate. It beat the premium average (868.7 MBps) and the Blade 15 (890.2 MBps) but the ZenBook Pro Duo (950.1 MBps, RTX 3070) was a bit quicker and the MacBook Pro (2,754 MBps) is still king. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED graphics 

Ultraportable by day, gaming rig by night. With its Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, the XPS 15 can double as a gaming laptop so long as you don't need to play at 4K on Ultra. 

When we ran the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark, the XPS 15 notched 67 frames per second at 1080p and 42 fps at native 3.5K resolution. The MacBook Pro, which relies on integrated M1 graphics, sputtered to just 29 fps. 

On synthetic tests, the XPS 15 scored 8,433, ahead of the premium laptop average (5,411) but predictably behind the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Dell XPS 15 OLED battery life 

With its 3.5K OLED panel and discrete graphics card, the XPS 15 faced an uphill battle in our Laptop Mag Battery Test. So I wasn't surprised when the laptop clocked out after just 6 hours and 58 minutes. 

Seven hours isn't a terrible result for this decked-out configuration, but an extra hour or two would've provided some reassurance to those who work away from an outlet. But even then, the XPS would fall short of the premium laptop average (10:33) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro (10:55). That much is expected given the lower-res panels on these competitors — the XPS 15, to its credit, outlasted the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 (6:50) with its 4K screen.

Dell XPS 15 OLED webcam 

The XPS 15 has one of the better 720p webcams I've tested. And while that isn't saying much, a selfie I snapped in my dimly lit room looked surprisingly clear. Even with its low-res camera, the XPS captured fine details in my face, like stray hairs I failed to comb before they set and the subtle gradient in my shirt. Colors were accurate with my face ranging from Texas-tanned brown to the red underlining my eyes, evidence that sleep hasn't come easy during this pandemic.

This is an adequate webcam, but I'll continue to advocate for 1080p resolution. If you need the best video quality for those important conference calls, an external webcam is a worthwhile investment. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED heat 

With heat dispersed across its large metal undercarriage, the XPS 15 never caught a fever. In fact, it warmed only to the average human body temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit after we played a 15-minute, 1080p video. That is slightly above our 95-degree comfort threshold, but nothing to be too concerned about. Better yet, the keyboard and touchpad reached only 92 and 75 degrees, respectively. 

Dell XPS 15 OLED software and warranty 

A single do-it-all program instead of the eight separate Dell-branded apps on the XPS 15 would've been appreciated —  but at least this clutter is useful. The self-explanatory Dell Update is where you'll get the latest BIOS updates and drivers while Dell Power Manager shows your battery health and lets you change thermal settings.

Dell CinemaColor is important on this OLED panel as it lets you choose between color profiles. Movie mode produces punchy yet accurate colors, Night mode saves your eyes, Sports ensures smooth motion, and animation boosts the colors to ridiculous saturation levels. For more granular controls, Dell PremiereColor provides professional calibration settings for sRGB, Rec. 601 and other standards. You can even manually calibrate the display so long as you own a colorimeter. 

Also worth highlighting is Dell Cinema Guide. It's a beautiful app where you can find TV shows and movies then quickly see which streaming apps they're available on. 

The XPS 15 comes with a one-year warranty. See how Dell fared on our Tech Support Showdown and Best and Worst Brands special reports. 

Bottom line 

The XPS 15 OLED is the best Windows laptop for power users who need to take their work (or play) on the road. Its attractive design screams luxe, the OLED display is stunning, and the oversized touchpad would impress even a MacBook user. Combine those XPS staples with excellent performance from 11th Gen Intel and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti chips and it's easy to recommend this machine to students, business users or content creators, like photographers, videographers or graphics designers. 

But let me pause my praise because this isn't the model I'd recommend to most people. For one, it's expensive. And while the 3.5K OLED panel is marvelous, seven hours of runtime isn't enough to get you through a full day. Dell tends to use top-rate 1920 x 1200-pixel panels, so I recommend that anyone who cares about battery life opt for the FHD+ display. 

Would I, the pleased owner of a three-year-old XPS 15, upgrade to the latest version? I have no doubts it would suit my needs. However, the market is more competitive today than it was just a few years ago. I'd consider lighter options like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon or more flexible 2-in-1 laptops like the HP Spectre x360 14 before committing. 

As for the inevitable comparison, the XPS 15 is a better choice than the current 16-inch MacBook Pro, a laptop I wouldn't suggest to anyone given the imminent launch of a new version with a custom Apple chip. We'll compare this XPS 15 with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro once it arrives. Until then, those on the market for a portable laptop with a large screen can do no better than the XPS 15.

The latest laptops for creators normally come with a sky-high price tag that is never discounted. So, consider us surprised when we saw this gem of an offer over at Dell.

Right now, save $349 on the new Dell XPS 15 with 11th Gen Intel Core i9 and RTX 30-series graphics, taking the price down to just $2,400.

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While we haven’t reviewed this specific model, we’re confident in recommending it given our glowing Dell XPS 15 review, giving a 4.5-star score to the model beneath this.

Let’s check its credentials alongside the creative pro checklist. We can give the components and screen (with 100% Adobe sRGB color) a big tick. Alongside this, a slim, sleek and stylish design makes this portable to take with you and you won’t be embarrassed taking this out at meetings.

Plus, the range of I/O and adaptors included in the box ensures you’re prepared for any accessory put in front of you, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protects that gorgeous display from the wear and tear of a prosumer lifestyle, and Wi-Fi 6 built-in keeps data transfer speeds as fast as the internals.

Put simply, there’s a lot to love here: a spec list that will handily crush intensive tasks from gaming to 3D renders in After Effects, a svelte chassis, a mind-bogglingly beautiful display and a huge battery for a long period of usage. Pick this one up if you’re on the lookout for a new rig for your work and play.

Aside from the processor and graphics chip, your laptop's display is one of the most important features on the machine. And if you're going to spend hours per day staring at said display, it should shine brighter than the competition. With that in mind, there's nothing more lovely than an OLED panel, which makes bright colors pop right out of the screen and into your living room. 

Keep an eye out for more OLED laptops on the horizon. The new Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 15, for example, both have OLED offerings this year. (Though it'll cost a few bucks for the upgrade.)

Read on to find the best laptops with OLED displays. And if you're looking for more machines with great screens, check out our best 4K laptops page along with our roundups of the best laptops for video editing and photo editing.

The 4K OLED HP Spectre x360 is one of the best laptops available for those in search of a premium Ultrabook. Not only does this laptop have a vibrant 15.6-inch 4K display, but it also possesses other excellent qualities, like strong performance, a comfortable keyboard and a gorgeous design. 

But it's really all about the display. When we watched the It Chapter Two trailer, we could see each strand of hair on that one crazy old woman's head, and when James McAvoy took the stage, his green-and-brown flannel shirt absolutely popped on the Spectre x360's display. The Spectre x360 will have you mesmerized. 

See our full HP Spectre x360 review. 

The latest Dell XPS 15 marks the first time this excellent laptop has gotten an OLED display, which is in itself monumental. But the system also packs an overclockable Core i9 processor and pairs it with a discrete Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, making for one beautiful beast. (Yes, they also fixed the webcam placement.) In short, it's a workhorse of the highest caliber. 

Watching the Queen & Slim trailer, we were transfixed by how the amber street lights glowed against actress Jodie Turner-Smith's warm mocha skin and accentuated each twist in her long box braids as she rode in the car. 

See our full Dell XPS 15 review.

How do you make a great gaming laptop even better? By adding a seriously beautiful OLED display to the slimmest laptop in Alienware's catalog -- and not skimping on high-powered components, of course. This is easily one of the most satisfying gaming laptops we've tested. 

As we mentioned in our review, watching the Gemini Man trailer was a thing of beauty, particularly the rich gold, red and green of the Myanmar flag as it fluttered lazily in the breeze during a Will Smith monologue. Details were sharp enough that the tiny furrows in his forehead were clearly visible, along with beads of sweat traveling down his temple.

See our full Alienware m15 OLED (2019) review.

Gigabyte got a lot of things right with the Aero 15, including its sturdy, all-aluminum, jet-black chassis, gorgeous OLED panel and satisfying, clicky keyboard. Its gaming and performance benchmarks are decent, too. The Aero 15 is an excellent choice for content creators. Photo and video editors will benefit from the Aero 15’s color-accurate 4K panel, but they’ll also enjoy the pleasures of diving into one of their favorite triple-A titles after a long day of work.

See our full Gigabyte Aero 15 with 4K OLED (2021, RTX 3070) review.

The Razer Blade 15 has always been a beautiful laptop, but with a 4K OLED panel, it's a head-turner from the inside out. Equipped with a Core i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, the notebook has more than enough power for play (and work, if you're so inclined). If you're looking for a thin-and-light gaming laptop that serves up power, speed and endurance with a beautiful 4K OLED display, the Razer Blade 15 is a cut above the rest. 

See our full Razer Blade 15 Base Edition (2021) review. 

Dell is giving two of its best laptops a refresh, bringing Intel's new Tiger Lake-H CPUs and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPUs to its XPS 15 and XPS 17.

The revamped versions of Dell's XPS line (excluding the smaller XPS 13) are set to release sometime this summer, and will also introduce Nvidia's RTX 3050 Ti GPUs. However, it isn't just the specs under the hood that have been tweaked, as Dell has changed a few other features on both the XPS 15 (9510) and XPS 17 (9710). 

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Dell XPS 15

Prices for the refreshed Dell XPS 15 will start from $1,249.99, with different options including Intel's upgraded 11th Gen H-Series processors available. Expect options up to Intel Core i9-11900H CPU and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (with 4GB GDDR6, 45W). 

The XPS 15 will also boast up to 64GB DDR4-3200 RAM, along with up to 4TB PCIe SSD. With these new specs, the new XPS 15 looks to blow away its already impressive predecessor.

In terms of design, the laptop will largely stay the same as its previous version. However, this time Dell has named it the "smallest 15.6-inch performance class laptop," boasting a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio and new InfinityEdge display bezels. We like the sound of that.

Dell has also added a special feature from its XPS 13, now offering a 15.6-inch 3456 x 2160 OLED touchscreen as an option for the XPS 15. There will also be a 3840 x 2400-pixel touch display panel and a 1920 x 1200-pixel non-touch available.

As for other features, the XPS 15 will come with either a 56 or 86 watt-hour battery (WHr), along with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. As for ports, expect two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

Dell XPS 17

Dell's XPS 17 isn't just a step up in size, as it will bring better performance compared to its smaller sibling — if the spec sheet is anything to go by. 

The XPS 17 will be priced from $1,449.99, offering up to Intel Core i9-11980HK CPU and up to RTX 3060 GPU (with 4GB GDDR6, 70W). Like the XPS 15, expect up to 64GB DDR4-3200 RAM, along with up to 4TB PCIe SSD. Dell also brings up the XPS 17 is the "smallest 17-inch laptop" with a screen-to-body ratio of 93.7%. We're intrigued.

For its display, don't expect the same 3456 x 2160-pixel OLELD touchscreen. The 17-inch display panel, however, will come with a 3840 x 2400 touchscreen or a 1920 x 1200-pixel non-touch screen.

In terms of ports, expect four Thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack, along with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.

Dell's previous XPS 15 and XPS 17 are some of the best laptops out there, and this refresh seems to make them even better. We'll let you know once we get our hands on both laptops.

Dell regularly cuts the price of its laptops, which makes it easy to miss some of its best laptop deals when they come and go. This Dell XPS 15 saving is a key example of that.

For a limited time, you can pick up a fully loaded 4K Dell XPS 15 for just $1,322.99 using a special coupon code. That's a huge $527 saving!

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Dell XPS 15 deal

As you can see in our Dell XPS 15 review, we’re big fans of its sleek chassis, which packs plenty of power along with an incredibly vivid and detail-rich 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display. 

Keeping that gorgeous screen running at its most fluid is the powerful pairing of an Intel Core i7-9750H processor and dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB GDDR6 RAM.

Multitasking is handled with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB PCIe SSD provides a generous amount of high-speed storage.

All of this, alongside super fast Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6, decent battery life, and all the I/O you need for working on-the-go, makes for a great option at an even better price point.

Packed with a 4K OLED display, Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, the Dell XPS 15 is a powerful premium laptop with a seriously sleek design. And now, with this deal, it’s even better.

Right now, you can save $533 on this beasty XPS 15, which brings the price all the way down to $1,616.

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Reading our Dell XPS 15 review, you can see how much we love it based on the fact it got a coveted Editor’s Choice award. The 4K OLED display up top is purely jaw-dropping — offering vivid colour and razor-sharp resolution.

Powering it is an Intel Core i7-9750H CPU with dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics (with 4GB GDDR5). For multitasking, there’s 32GB of DDR4 RAM and you can stuff this full of apps and files on the 1TB M.2 SSD.

And all of this is crammed into a svelte chassis that is portable at just 11mm thin with a weight of merely 4 pounds.

Add all the I/O you need along the sides, a comfortable keyboard and generously sized trackpad, and you’ve got a prosumer powerhouse that can do it all at a really good price. For more offers, check out our best laptop deals hub.

Dell’s XPS 15 laptop is easily one of the best premium laptops out there, featuring a 4K OLED display, 9th Gen Intel Core i7 and a GTX 1650 GPU. And now, thanks to this deal, it’s even better.

Use the code SAVE15 at checkout to save a massive $519 on the Dell XPS 15 performance laptop. This is a huge discount to start your year off right with a portable powerhouse capable of handling any intensive task you throw at it. 

•  More: Best laptop deals 
•  Dell XPS 15 (2019) review 

Dell’s XPS line has always been a great option if you’re looking for a laptop with serious horsepower, which doesn’t come with all the wacky looks and go-faster stripes that usually come with portable rigs of this spec. 

The XPS 15 is no different — an understated design that conceals a 9th gen Intel Core i7-9750H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 256GB PCIe SSD.

All of this fuels a gorgeously sharp 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display with 400 nits of brightness. So, if you’re on the lookout for a powerful rig for a seriously good price, the XPS 15 is a great option. This may be the last-gen machine (you can check out our review of the new XPS 15), but the capabilities of this system are more than enough for most creative professionals and PC gaming hobbyists out there.

But maybe you want to shop around? We can help with that — take a look at our best gaming laptop deals hub or the best 4K laptops list for equivalent options to this beast. 

The XPS 13 has strutted its alternate ivory white color scheme for years while its 15-inch sibling, available only in silver and black, has looked on in envy. But that changes today as Dell announced a new Frost version of the XPS 15.

The XPS 15 is already available in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe and Asia at a starting price of $1,299. It will now come in a frost aluminum with an arctic white woven glass palm rest for an additional $50.

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Until today, the XPS 15 could be purchased in only one colorway, with a silver aluminum lid and a black carbon fiber deck. Now there is a second color option that sports a frost, or off-white, lid with a pure white palm rest. Instead of a carbon fiber weave, the deck will have the same woven glass pattern seen on the white XPS 13. It's a striking look that is sure to turn more heads than the fairly reserved default colors. 

We haven't seen the white XPS 15 in person yet but the images Dell provided us have us pining to get our hands on this bleached version. It seems like the XPS 15's larger footprint and wider deck only help to accentuate the bold choice in colors. Oh, and don't worry about it getting dirty; Dell treats the materials so they won't stain or discolor over time. 

The XPS 15 is the best 15-inch laptop on the market thanks in part to its gorgeous, compact design that's highlighted by a truly bezel-free display. You can now add a stunning white option to the long list of reasons to buy this powerful laptop.

Disclaimer: This comparison came out a few years ago. If you're looking for newer models, check out our roundups of the best Dell laptops, best Microsoft Surface laptop deals, and, of course, our ranking of the best laptops overall, all written by reviewers with hands-on experience.

The original article follows below as we explore the performance of these two laptops.

If you need a 15-inch laptop that runs Windows 10, look no further than the Dell XPS 15 and Microsoft Surface Book 3. Designed for business users, college students, or content creators (videographers, photographers, etc), the XPS 15 and Surface Book 3 have gorgeous displays, deliver fast performance and flaunt premium designs. 

But there are some crucial differences between these two notebooks that you should be aware of before you take the plunge. To help you make an informed buying decision, we're going to run through each aspect of these laptops and pick a winner. Without further ado, here is our heated face-off between two of the most premium Windows laptops around.

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Dell XPS 15 vs Surface Book 3: Specs compared

Value and configurations 

These are both expensive laptops but the Dell XPS 15 is the better value if you look at specs and price alone.

The base model of the Dell XPS 15 starts at $1,299 and has an Intel Core i5-10300H processor with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, an Intel UHD Graphics GPU and a 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1200 display. 

The model we reviewed costs $2,399 and has an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU and a 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2400 touch panel.

The Dell can be configured with up to an Intel Core i9-10885H processor, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB PCIe SSD, but it will cost you more than $3,000.

The $2,299 base model Surface Book 3 with a 15-inch display comes with an Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q GPU. 

Our $2,799 review unit upped the ante with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. On the high end, there is a $3,399 version with a Core i7 CPU, 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. 

And if you want to go for broke (literally), you can get a similar config with a 1TB SSD and Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000 GPU with Max-Q for $3,699.

Winner: XPS 15

Design

The XPS 15 is a traditional clamshell laptop whereas the Surface Book 3 is a detachable 2-in-1 with a lid that turns into a tablet. 

The Surface Book 3's flexibility enabled by its unique form factor is what makes it stand out from the pack. If you don't need a laptop/tablet hybrid, look elsewhere (perhaps at the Surface Laptop 3) because the design is what makes the Surface Book 3 so expensive. 

As a laptop, the Surface Book 3 looks like it was cut from a slab of concrete. Matte-gray magnesium coats the chassis and gives it a subtle texture. The unassuming design is simple and elegant, but an unsightly gap between the deck and lid when the laptop is closed, along with thick display bezels, ruin the impression of it being a modern machine. 

As with the previous models, the standout feature of the Surface Book 3 is the detachable display. With the press of a key, you can detach the 15-inch panel and use it as a discrete tablet. This means that, unlike most laptops, the Surface Book 3's components are housed in the lid, not the bottom portion. The tablet detaches with a firm yank and reattaches when you line up the connectors and prongs with those on the deck.

In comparison, the XPS 15 is your traditional clamshell laptop — nothing twists, detaches or folds. Redesigned for 2020, the XPS 15 has an ultra-compact chassis highlighted by a four-border InfinityEdge display. In short, there are no bezels surrounding the XPS 15's screen. 

The XPS 15 has a fancy platinum silver CNC aluminum lid with a Dell logo engraved in the center. Open the lid and you'll notice black carbon fiber on the deck, along with speakers flanking the keyboard underneath which sits a massive trackpad. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Unlike the Surface Book 3, the XPS 15 does not have an IR camera for quick login.

At 4.5 pounds and 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches, the XPS 15 is thinner and smaller but heavier than the Surface Book 3 (4.3 pounds, 13.5 x 9.9 x 0.9 inches).

 Winner: XPS 15

Ports

The XPS 15 surprisingly has a full SD card reader on the right side next to a USB-C port and a headphone jack. On the left side are a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports and a lock slot. 

Although it doesn't have a Thunderbolt 3 port, the Surface Book 3 has a wider selection of ports, which includes two USB 3.1 ports and an SD card slot on the left side. On the right side are a USB-C input and a Surface Connect port for charging. The headphone jack is on the top-right corner of the lid (for tablet mode)

Winner: XPS 15

Display

You'll have no complaints watching Netflix shows or editing photos on these laptops as they both flaunt stunning panels. However, the XPS 15's 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2400-pixel display (with a 16:10 aspect ratio) has the edge in both color and brightness compared with the Surface Book 3's 15-inch, 3240 x 2160-resolution screen (3:2 aspect ratio). 

According to our colorimeter, the XPS 15's screen covers 132% of the sRGB color gamut whereas the Surface Book 3's screen hit just 101%. The premium category average is 121%. 

The XPS 15's panel reaches 434 nits, outshining the 402-nit display on the Surface Book 3. Both get significantly brighter than the average premium laptop (368 nits). 

Winner: XPS 15 

Keyboard and touchpad

The Surface Book 3 is one of the most comfortable laptops to type on thanks to its snappy backlit keys, which deliver a decent amount of travel considering how thin the laptop is. There is a nice heftiness to each keystroke, which is rewarded with a satisfying tactile bump. Microsoft could have used the extra space to spread the keys out more, regardless, my fingers never felt cramped. 

The new XPS 15 has larger keycaps than the versions before it, which makes it easier to type on if you have large fingers. The keys are well-spaced and offer bouncy feedback, although they aren't as plush as those on the Surface Book 3. 

But the XPS 15 wins some points back with its absolutely gigantic touchpad, which would even make Apple blush. At 5.9 x 3.5 inches, it is 62% larger than the one on the previous model. Fortunately, the palm-rejection is top-notch and the surface was responsive to our swipes.

In contrast, the 4.1 x 2.7-inch touchpad on the Surface Book 3 is disappointingly small, although we had no problems using it to execute Windows 10 gestures, like pinch-to-zoom.

Winner: Draw 

Performance

If raw performance matters most to you, then get the XPS 15. It uses 10th Gen Intel H-series CPUs, which are more powerful than the U-series processors in the Surface Book 3. 

Specifically, our XPS 15 came with an Intel Core i7-10750H processor and a whopping 32GB of RAM. It delivers faster performance than the Surface Book 3 we reviewed, which has an Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU and 32GB of RAM. 

The Surface Book 3 notched a 3,831 on the Geekbench 5.0 overall performance test, which is well short of what the XPS 15 (6,147) achieved. It also fell short of the category average (4,224).

We then tasked the Surface Book 3 to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution using the Handbrake app. It did so in 21 minutes and 31 seconds, which is far slower than the XPS 15 (10:15) and the average (18:35). 

• Laptops with the Best CPU Performance

The 512GB PCIe SSD in the Surface Book 3 is its saving grace. The drive duplicated 5GB of multimedia data in 6 seconds for a transfer time of 862.6 megabytes per second. The XPS 15 (726 MBps) couldn't keep the pace.

The Surface Book 3 also has a slightly better discrete GPU if you opt for the more premium models. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q GPU (4GB of vRAM) it uses drove the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark (1080p, Very High) at 63 frames per second whereas the XPS 15 played the same game at 42 fps with its GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (Max-Q) GPU. 

If you're doing more work than play, the Surface Book 3 now offers a Quadro option in the Quadro RTX 3000 GPU

Winner: XPS 15 

Battery life

The XPS 15 with a 4K display lasted a respectable 8 hours and 1 minute on our battery test, which involves continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits. 

• Laptops with best battery life

That's a decent result for a 4K laptop, although the Surface Book 3 endured for several additional hours, clocking a runtime of 11 hours and 10 minutes in laptop mode. The tablet itself lasts for 3 hours and 27 minutes.

Winner: Surface Book 3 

Overall winner: Dell XPS 15

The XPS 15 edges out the Surface Book 3 in this contest but it's not as easy as saying "Buy the Dell." It's hard to quantify the value of the Surface Book 3's flexible design, but it must be taken into account when you're considering these laptops. With that said, if you need a tablet, or like the idea of using one for watching TV, showing presentations or reading, then buy the Surface Book 3 — no other device gives you the experience of using a full laptop and tablet in one. 

On the other hand, if you prefer a traditional laptop form factor, then the XPS 15 is the best 15-inch laptop on the market thanks to its fast performance, gorgeous displays, and improved keyboard and touchpad. And don't worry about battery life. We only tested the battery life of the 4K model, but based on that result, we expect the 1080p version to last a full day on a charge.

In conclusion, the XPS 15 and Surface Book 3 are some of the Windows laptops you can buy; your decision should ultimately come down to price and your preferred form factor. 

Update May 13: The rumor was right! Dell unveiled several new laptops including the XPS 15 and XPS 17. See our full XPS 15 review. 

The wait is finally over — the Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17 are both rumored to be revealed sometime this week. 

Forbes is saying the XPS 15 and XPS 17 will be announced "mid-week." While the site didn't provide any source or details about how that information was obtained, we wouldn't be surprised to see these two flagships launch soon. All signs point to a May release, although a specific date has eluded us thus far. 

• The best video editing laptops in 2020
• Best 15-inch Laptops 2020
• XPS 15 and XPS 17 leak on Dell website, revealing fascinating specs

We already know everything about the XPS 15 and XPS 17 thanks to several leaks from reliable sources -- the most revealing on Dell's own French website. That leak gave us a full breakdown of both notebooks, confirming their design, display, specs and features. 

Dell XPS 15 9500

If the XPS 15 9500 is revealed to the public this week, we expect to see a redesign from the stellar 2019 model. Like the XPS 13 2020, the XPS 15 will have a truly edge-to-edge screen without a bottom bezel. As a result, the XPS 15's size is reduced to 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches and 4 pounds from the previous model's 14.1 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches and 4.5 pounds.

We haven't heard any plans for an OLED option thus far but the 15.6-inch display on the XPS 15 will have a 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution and reach up to 500 nits of brightness. There will also be a 4K option, and all panels will have a taller 16:10 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the XPS will pack up to a Core i9-10885H CPU, up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. Graphics will max out at a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (sorry, no RTX). 

XPS 17 9700

The XPS 17 is a larger, more powerful version of the XPS 15 and an interesting competitor to the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Based on leaks, the aluminum-with-carbon fiber laptop comes in at 14.7 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches and 5.5 pounds. 

The XPS 17 has a 17-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel non-touch panel and 4K touch screen options. CPU options are the same as the XPS 15 and RAM goes up to 64GB. The big advantage of the XPS 17 is the graphics card, which goes up to a GeForce RTX 2060. 

Small tweaks add up to big changes. That’s the lesson Dell has been teaching me this year. First with the Dell XPS 13, and now with the new Dell XPS 15 ($1,299 starting, $2,349 as reviewed). It kept the winning components of the laptop, such as its beautiful industrial design, discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU and jaw-dropping 4K display. 

But Dell didn’t stop there. The company managed to make the laptop 5.5% smaller than the previous model while making the keys and touchpad significantly larger. And while that might seem minor, the four-border InfinityEdge bezel has made possible one of the highest resolution displays on the market. Plus, armed with a 10th Gen processor and discrete Nvidia GeForce GPU, the Dell XPS 15 is a serious force to be reckoned with and a worthy addition to the Best laptops and Best 15-inch laptops pages.

Dell XPS 15  pricing and availability

The base model of the Dell XPS 15 starts at $1,299 and is toting a 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5-10300H processor with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, an Intel UHD Graphics GPU and a 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1200 display. The model I reviewed costs $2,399 and has a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD, an Intel UHD Graphics GPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU with 4GB of RAM and a 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2400 touch panel.

The Dell can be configured with up to an Intel Core i9-10885H processor, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB PCIe SSD, but it will cost you north of $3,000.

Dell XPS 15 design

When I opened the XPS 15’s box, I was immediately impressed. I don’t know if it was the premium packaging or simply the sheer beauty of the laptop, but I felt like I had unearthed some long buried treasure. The platinum silver CNC aluminum lid and undercarriage is striking. And the glossy Dell logo engraved into the lid adds a dollop of sophistication.

Upon opening the lid, you’re treated to a large palm rest made of black carbon fiber. A gigantic touchpad occupies the center of the palm rest and sits below the keyboard, which is flanked by a pair of speakers. The power button is located in the top-right corner of the Fn key row and doubles as a fingerprint scanner. 

At 4.5-pounds, 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7-inches, the XPS 15 is on a par with the competition, including the HP Spectre x360 (4.5 pounds, 14.2 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro (4.3 pounds, 14.2 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches). The new XPS 15 is actually 5.5% smaller than the previous model. 

And while I’m a fan of the silver and black, I’m hoping Dell will roll out a silver and Frost White version of the laptop similar to its little brother, the XPS 13. Or I would love to see a gold or rose gold take on the system.

Dell XPS 15 security

In case you have important files you want to protect, the XPS 15 has two points of security. You have the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button and the IR webcam, both of which are Windows Hello compatible. Simply go through the steps to setup Windows Hello and you’ll have the ability to unlock the laptop with either your finger or your face. 

Dell XPS 15 ports

Most current laptops don’t have any legacy ports or slots, which is why I was surprised to see a full SD card reader displayed prominently on the laptop’s right alongside the USB Type-C port and headset jack. On the left, you get a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports and a wedge lock slot. You’ll definitely need a dongle if you want to plug in a mouse. Luckily, Dell ships a USB Type-C-to-Type-A adapter. 

Dell XPS 15 display

The XPS 15’s display is one of the highest resolution screens I’ve seen on a laptop thanks to Dell’s innovative InfinityEdge. This time around, the company found a way to get rid of that stubborn chin, drastically reducing the borders on all four sides. That means I was gazing into a 15.6-inch display made of durable Corning Gorilla Glass 6 with a 16:10 aspect ratio, bringing the resolution to an arresting 3840 x 2400. Plus, it’s 5% larger than its predecessor and Dell managed to somehow fit it in a smaller chassis.

Watching The High Note trailer, it’s obvious that the color red was made for actress Tracee Ellis Ross. Whether it was her sparkly sequined dress or her chic power suit, the color burst off the screen and played up the pink tones in Ross’s light-brown skin. Crisp details showed off the mole by the actress’s right eye, and the delicate threading connecting the rhinestones on her beautiful hat. 

The panel can reproduce 132% of the sRGB color gamut, which is more vivid than the 123% premium laptop average. That result is also better than the MacBook Pro’s 114%, but not the Spectre’s ridiculous 258%.

When it comes to brightness, the 434-nit XPS is no dim bulb, outshining the 367-nit average and the MacBook Pro (429 nits). But the Spectre was by far the brightest, at 483 nits.

If you want to adjust the display’s color temperature, the Dell PremierColor software is the way to go. You get nine presets (Vibrant, Internet (sRGB), Custom, SD Video, HD Video, Cinema, Low Blue (D40), Photo and Low Blue Light (D45). While I prefer the Vibrant, which is the default, Cinema is also nice while the Blue Light settings come in handy for night reading. 

Not only is the XPS 15’s touch panel spacious, it’s quick and responsive. I drew a flower under a sunny sky in a matter of minutes with no sign of lag. 

Dell XPS 15 keyboard and touchpad

Just like the XPS 13, the XPS 15 is sporting larger keycaps on its full-sized keyboard. Despite the larger size, the keys are well spaced and offer bouncy feedback. That made the time I spent writing this review incredibly comfortable. When I took the 10fastfinger typing test, I reached 73 words per minute, which is slightly above my usual 70 wpm average. 

At 5.9 x 3.5 inches, this touchpad is the largest one I’ve ever seen or touched. It’s 62% bigger than the one found on the previous model. In action, my fingers hardly ever hit the edges, and navigating websites and documents was a smooth experience. The palm rejection is top-notch, with the cursor staying put as I interacted with the keyboard. Windows 10 gestures, such as two-finger scroll and three-finger tap, were agile and accurate. 

Dell XPS 15 audio

Now this is the kind of sound I expect from a premium laptop. Dell loaded the XPS 15 up with four top-firing speakers powered by Waves NX 3D audio. Between the four of them, you get a pair of primary speakers and two tweeters. These might be the best speakers I’ve heard on a premium laptop, and that’s because the XPS 15’s multiple speakers allow for a better spatial 3D audio experience. 

When I listened to Laura Mvula’s “Phenomenal Woman,” the funky track filled my duplex with loud audio. And I’m not exaggerating about how well the sound carried. I left the laptop upstairs on my couch, went downstairs and still heard the song loud and clear.  Some of the finer details were lost due to the distance, but it still was very impressive. 

But the audio isn’t just loud, it’s also clean. If fact, it’s cleaner than any laptop speakers have any right to be. Even at full volume, the synthesized components of the tracks were accurate as was the keyboard and the bass guitar. Mulva’s alto was warm and full and her soprano backup singers were nice and bright. 

My only complaint is that the bass isn’t as forward as the highs and mids. That meant that while I could hear every beat on the drum machine during songs like Kanye West’s “Mercy” and Jay-Z’s “Blue Magic,” the 808s didn’t attack the track as much as I would have liked. Dell can fix this slight problem by figuring out how to add a subwoofer to the mix next go around. But as it stands, there are few laptop speakers that can compare with the XPS 15.  

Dell XPS 15 performance

The XPS 15 is one of the first laptops I’ve touched with Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake H-series processors. One thing’s for sure, that 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7-10750H processor is not to be trifled with. I watched an episode of Astronomer’s Club on Netflix with 35 additional Google Chrome tabs open in the background running Twitch, YouTube and TweetDeck, and the XPS 15 never stuttered. 

The notebook held its own on our synthetic tests. We started with Geekbench 4.3, an overall performance test, where the XPS 15 reached 25,934. It was enough to conquer the 17,203 premium laptop average and the Spectre x360’s (Core i7-8565U CPU) 17,195. However, the MacBook powered through with its Core i9-9980HK CPU and hit 31,178.

The XPS transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 10 minutes and 6 seconds. That’s much faster than the 18:44 average and the Spectre’s 21:13. But the MacBook Pro was notably faster, at 8 minutes.

On the File Transfer Test, the XPS 15’s 512GB PCIe SSD duplicated 4.97GB of multimedia files in 8 seconds for a transfer rate of 726 megabytes per second, cruising past the 657.3MBps category average. The Spectre x360’s 1TB SSD was much slower at 424MBps. The MacBook Pro’s 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD reached 1,017.9MBps.

Dell XPS 15 graphics

Like its predecessor, the new XPS 15 is packing a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU with 4GB of RAM, which is great for photo and video editing or data-heavy spreadsheets. You also get an integrated Intel UHD Graphics GPU for less-demanding tasks, like writing a review or watching videos. 

In case you get the urge, the XPS 15 can be a passable gaming laptop in a pinch. The laptop reached 135 frames per second on the 1080p Dirt 3 benchmark, blowing past the 63-fps premium laptop average and the Spectre (118 fps, GeForce MX150 GPU). At 4K, the XPS 15’s frame rate dropped to 70 fps, but that’s well above our 30-fps playability threshold. 

On the Grand Theft Auto V test, the XPS 15 scored 42 fps at 1080p, which is just a few frames behind the 45 fps. At 4K, it matches the 38-fps average. The laptop achieved 48 fps on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark at 1080p, shattering the 17 fps average. On 4K resolution, we saw a frame rate of 29 fps, slipping past the 14-fps average. 

Dell XPS 15 battery life

4K laptops typically have poor battery life, but the XPS 15 lasted 8 hours and 1 second on the Laptop Mag Battery Test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness). It’s shorter than the 9:08 premium laptop average, but again, for a 4K panel, this is great. Plus, it outlasted the Spectre x360 (7:46) and its 4K OLED panel. But the MacBook, with its lower-res screen, clocked in at 10:55.

Dell XPS 15 heat

With all those powerful specs, the XPS 15 can get a bit hot under the collar. We ran a fullscreen HD video for 15 minutes after which we measured strategic points on the laptop. The touchpad’s temperature hit 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below our 95-degree comfort threshold. The center of the keyboard and the undercarriage measured 103 and 99 degrees, respectively. 

Dell XPS 15 webcam

The XPS 15 has the same 720p webcam as the XPS 13. The 0.08-inch webcam is proprietary and one of the smallest shooters you’ll find integrated into a laptop. The webcam is fine for video conferencing, delivering accurate color with semi-fuzzy detail. My skin was glowing in my test shots and there was just enough detail to make out the gradients in my black and white couch. Still, for sharper and more color accurate shots, you should  invest in an external webcam. 

Dell XPS 15 software and warranty

The XPS 15 has a fair amount of software. Thankfully, most of it is useful for optimizing your laptop. Dell Power Manager helps manage power consumption via preset profiles to extend battery life or to squeeze out every bit of performance. Customer Connect quickly puts you in touch with a Dell technician for troubleshooting assistance. Digital Delivery keeps tabs on all your software downloads and restores them after a system wipe or crash. 

The company recently updated Dell Mobile Connect, so it now plays nice with the iPhone. Now everyone can swap images, documents and videos seamlessly between your smartphone and laptop. 

Third-party apps include Killer Control Center, which lets you set network bandwidth priority. And if Dell PremierColor isn’t your cup of tea, you have Dolby Access, which houses presets for Dolby Vision. You also have Dolby Atmos for headphones that will add spatial audio effects to whatever you’re listening to. The laptop also comes with a 20GB of free Dropbox storage for a year. There is, of course, some Windows 10 bloatware such as Netflix, Farm Heroes Saga and Candy Crush Friends.

The Dell XPS 15 ships with a one-year hardware warranty with onsite and in-Home service after remote diagnosis. See how Dell fared during our annual special reports: Tech Support Showdown and Best and Worst Brands.

Dell XPS 15 bottom line

The sum of all its parts. It’s a phrase that really applies to the Dell XPS 15. The laptop was already a great system and Dell found ways to improve on an already-winning formula. Outfitted with a 10th Gen Comet Lake H-Series CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU, the $2,399 Dell XPS 15 is plenty powerful, ready to tackle any task you can throw at it. 

On top of that Dell somehow managed to add  bigger keys and a massive touchpad, all while making the laptop smaller and shrinking the bezels on all sides in order to house one of the highest-res displays on the market. And 8 hours of battery life on a 4K panel is not too shabby, either.

However, if you’re looking for a laptop with better battery life and performance, you’ll want to check out the 16-inch MacBook Pro. However, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny at $3,899. But if you want a powerhouse with a gorgeous display, excellent audio and a host of other premium features, the Dell XPS 15 is the absolute way to go. 

Photographers who labor over a photo's every pixel require a machine with speedy performance, a decent graphics card and a fast hard drive. Of course, a beautiful display capable of accurately reproducing a wide range of colors is another must. Using these criteria, we put together a list of the best photo-editing laptops. Here are the best of the best.

There is no better laptop for video-editing than HP's Spectre x360 15. The highlight of this machine is a 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display that is exceptionally vivid and blindingly bright. That panel is the only thing that will take your eyes off the Spectre x360 15's elegant chassis, which looks like something only the rich and famous could afford. 

Photographers will also appreciate that the laptop's discrete MX150 GPU offers enough graphics oomph to run demanding photo-editing programs with some help from a Core i7-8565U CPU. And the keyboard on the Spectre x360 15 is one of the best around.

Lenovo took a chance with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the first metal ThinkPad, and it paid off. While we still love the signature matte-black carbon-fiber found on most ThinkPads, the aluminum and magnesium ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a gorgeous change of pace.

Not only does it have a slim design, but this convertible 2-in-1 flaunts a bright display. Oh, and you get a best-in-class keyboard and long battery life. You also get loads of extra goodies, like a built-in stylus slot and webcam cover. 

The HP ZBook Studio x360 G5's 15.6-inch 4K display is extremely detailed and vibrant. Coupled with blistering workstation-class performance, this beastly machine is an excellent option for photo editors who need the most powerful setup to run demanding programs. Better yet, the x360 G5 has a rugged chassis for those times you're out in the field, and its lengthy battery life means you don't need to stay near an outlet. 

The x360 G5 can be configured with premium components, including an Intel Xeon E-2186M CPU (with Quadro P1000 graphics), 32GB of RAM, and two 2TB SSDs. (We suggest photo editors opt for the 4K touch screen over the FHD model.)

The slim Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had to be practically perfect to dethrone HP's excellent Spectre x360 13 -- and it is. Dell's newest flagship 2-in-1 packs strong performance thanks to its 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake processors. Battery life is also fantastic. On top of that, you get a unique 13.4-inch (16:10 aspect ratio) display that is bright and vivid.

Editor's Note: Not sure you need a convertible 2-in-1? The clamshell XPS 13 is also an outstanding laptop with a gorgeous 4K display. 

Our favorite detachable just got even better with the Surface Pro 6, which significantly improves battery life and performance when compared to its predecessors. Now equipped with a quad-core CPU, the 2-in-1 can run Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom without breaking a sweat. The 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1823 resolution display is everything a photo editor could ask for — it's bright, vivid and accurate. You'll have to buy the Surface Pen and the Type Cover separately, but they add a ton of functionality to this lightweight (1.7 pounds) tablet. 

Photographers who want the benefits of a business laptop should look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. The 15.6-inch laptop takes everything we love about the ThinkPad series to the next level. It has an excellent keyboard, tons of security features and a wide range of ports, all included in a sleek, durable chassis. And while its battery life could be better, the X1 Extreme is one of the fastest laptops ever. But the crown jewel of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme is its jaw-dropping 4K HDR display. 

Gaming laptops are inherently great for photo editing. Why? Because they come with discrete graphics, which is a major perk when you're running GPU-intensive programs like Photoshop. An excellent balance of price and performance, the Lenovo Legion Y7000 is the best gaming laptop for photo editing— at least, for most people. The Y7000 sports a vivid 15.6-inch, 1080p display and its keyboard is up to the quality that we expect from Lenovo.

The latest HP Envy 13 is an excellent all-around laptop that has a sleek, stylish aluminum chassis, fast performance and plenty of battery life (on the 1080p model). The Envy 13 is a cheaper alternative to the Dell XPS 13, but offers some features Dell doesn't, including a webcam kill switch and a unique elevated hinge.

You haven't seen a good laptop display until you've feasted your eyes on the OLED panel gracing the Dell XPS 15. With exceptional brightness and color reproduction, this pricey upgrade is a photographer's dream. The 15.6-inch laptop gives you tons of power to run even the most demanding photo-editing software, all packaged in a chassis that can be easily transported from shoot to shoot. 

When photographers touch-up their pictures, they need to see every last detail, which is why the editing is often done on a massive monitor. But how can you get the same precision when you're on the go? Meet the LG Gram 17, a remarkably portable laptop with excellent battery life and a large, high-resolution 17-inch display. 

How portable is it really? Get this: the Gram 17 fits a 17-inch display into a featherweight 3-pound chassis that's about the size of a 15-inch laptop. Another reason photographers will love the Gram 17 is for its display. The laptop's bright and vivid panel has a resolution of 2560 x 1600, and its unique 16:10 aspect ratio lets you see more content at once without scrolling.

Asus' ZenBook Pro Duo is unlike any laptop we've ever tested. Instead of having just one display, the Duo flaunts a primary 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display along with a secondary 14-inch, 4K panel on the deck. The dual displays are great for multi-tasking, and allow photographers to move their tools onto another screen while keeping their main canvas clear of any clutter. Combine those gorgeous displays with fast performance and adequate cooling, and it's easy to see why the ZenBook Pro Duo is one of the best laptops for photographers.

We spend enough time with products to give you a comprehensive look at the devices' potential, but all online reviews have some inherent limitations. For example, there is no good way to test quality control, battery longevity, or long-term durability and performance in the few days (or weeks, if we're lucky) we have to test products.

So, when my personal Dell XPS 15 hit its two-year anniversary, I thought it'd be a good idea to reflect on my experience with the laptop. I purchased the XPS 15 in December 2017 from Dell's eBay store for $1,299. I opted for a model with a Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. 

Now, two years later, I can share my long-term impressions of the XPS 15, to give you an idea how of Dell's flagship laptop holds up over time. 

Why the XPS 15?

Two years ago, I had just graduated from college and started working for a tech publication, where I used my personal laptop to write articles, cover events, and edit and publish photos and videos. With such a wide range of responsibilities, I needed a laptop to be a jack-of-all-trades.

My previous laptop, the final Dell XPS 13 without the InfinityEdge display, was the perfect companion in college. It was compact enough to slip into my backpack and carry to class and fast enough to run programs like Tableau and Photoshop, and it had enough endurance to get through classes held in old University of Texas at Austin lecture halls without outlets. 

Going into the real world, I knew I wanted something similar — a portable machine with long battery life — but I considered getting a 15-inch laptop to improve my productivity. After reading dozens of reviews, I narrowed my choices to the Dell XPS 15, the Dell XPS 13 and the HP Spectre x360 13. 

A short drive to my local Best Buy proved futile. The retailer only had the Spectre x360 on display, but as much as I swooned over its design, I couldn't get over the dim display of that 2017 model. A quick Google Maps search revealed that Microsoft hadn't yet expanded its budding stores into my area and that the laptop selection at Fry's is nothing like the range of components it sells.

After much deliberation, I chose the XPS 15 for its larger display, which I hoped would reduce the typos my editors would have to fix (it hasn't). I also wanted the option to play video games with my brother but didn't need to run anything too demanding. 

In the end, I found a good deal on eBay and spent $1,299 on an XPS 15 with a 1080p display, a Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU.

I hadn't gotten any hands-on time with the XPS 15, so I relied on reviews and impressions from sites like this one to make my decision. But the reality is that I had not seen it in real life. So, when the box landed at my door, I was filled with excitement and worry. My biggest fears were that the 15-inch laptop wouldn't be portable enough for me to take it to events or on flights, and that it would power down in front of Tim Cook before I could publish my coverage of the latest iPhone. 

• Best Dell and Alienware Laptops

Fortunately, those fears were unwarranted. The XPS 15 proved to be an excellent choice, although I've had to compromise on a few things. 

A sturdy and (fairly) portable chassis 

An important part of my job is event coverage. I've stashed the XPS 15 in my backpack and hauled it through airports and crowded, football-field-sized expo halls more times than I can count. On top of all that travel, I fly from New York to Detroit once or twice a month to visit my fiancée, and I bring my XPS 15 to get work done and stream Netflix. 

The XPS 15 has held up really well so far. The hinge feels as rigid as it was out of the box, and there aren't any visible scars on either the carbon-fiber deck or the aluminum lid. It was portable for a 15-inch laptop for its time, but competing laptops, like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, have overtaken it in that regard. 

Dell did a good job of making the XPS 15 as small as possible, but it's still a bit bulky for my taste. The laptop is too large to be used comfortably on an airplane (at least the budget ones I fly on). For that, I recommend buying a tablet or detachable 2-in-1, like the Surface Pro 7 (or the Surface Pro 6 if you want to save some money). 

It's also a tad hefty, at 4.6 pounds. I've never had to leave it at home or take off my backpack because of its weight, but I've definitely grown envious of some of the featherweight laptops I've brought home to review. 

A great display then, a great display now

I love my XPS 15's 15.6-inch, 1080p nontouch display and have no regrets about turning down the optional 4K panel. In fact, I'd choose the 1080p display over the 4K option even if they cost the same. 

It's not that the 1080p panel looks better than the 4K display. Rather, the full-HD screen is still gorgeous by today's standards and doesn't sap nearly as much power.  

I have binged everything from The Leftovers to The Expanse on the XPS 15, and I've been really impressed by its sharp picture, vivid colors and blinding brightness. In addition to having a great screen for streaming shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO, the XPS 15 is great for watching early-morning Bundesliga matches of my favorite soccer club, FC Bayern. 

I've lusted for only a handful of laptop displays since purchasing the XPS 15, and those were 4K HDR or OLED panels on much more expensive machines. If I could do it all over again, I'd stick with the 1080p panel, but I might upgrade to a touch screen. 

• Dell XPS 15 vs. MacBook Pro (15-inch): Which Powerhouse Is ...

The XPS 13 I previously owned had a touch screen, and I occasionally miss the feature on my XPS 15. Sometimes, I find myself tapping lazily on the display when I'm lounging on the couch, only to remember that I cheaped out on the nontouch panel. A touch screen remains a nonessential feature for me, but it's something I'll consider upgrading to in the future. 

Performance is never an issue

Another reason I chose the XPS 15 over the XPS 13 is that the larger model is powered by Intel's H-series processors. My 2017 model packs an Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU. This quad-core processor has plenty of power, but it's a definite step down from the six-core processors of the current generation. 

Regardless, I haven't run into any serious performance problems in the past two years. In fact, I can't think of a single application that didn't operate smoothly on the XPS 15, apart from a few games at maximum settings. 

Just as important, the XPS 15 has never warmed to a point where it burned my skin, and I've never had to worry about the stability of the lithium-ion battery inside. Yes, the fans get pretty noisy when I'm gaming, but the humming is nothing a pair of headphones can't muffle or my noise-cancelling Sony WH-1000XM3 don't completely cancel out. 

Now, about those gaming limitations. The XPS 15 let me play StarCraft: II with my brother — something the XPS 13 couldn't. As mentally taxing as it can be, playing StarCraft II, one of the greatest PC games of the decade, is how I relax after a long day at work. The GeForce GTX 1050 GPU in my XPS 15 can play the military-strategy game at comfortable frame rates up to medium graphics settings. I could probably get away with high settings, but any bit of lag can lead to your imminent death in SC II, so I drop things down to low in ranked play.

If I wanted to play newer games, or older ones at higher settings, I'd need to buy a proper gaming laptop, like the Alienware m17 R2. The GTX 1050 was a decent low to midrange card for its time, but it doesn't compare to the new RTX chips. 

Great battery life (for now)

I was really happy with the endurance of my 1080p XPS 15 — for a while, at least. For the first year or so, I was consistently getting around 8 hours of battery life after regular use, which involved browsing the web with dozens of tabs open, watching YouTube videos and streaming Google Play Music with the display typically at around 80% brightness. 

Now, I'm getting around 5 hours on a charge. I can only blame chemistry. As with all lithium-ion batteries, the one in my XPS 15 is degrading over time. A Windows 10 battery report told me the battery in my laptop has a full-charge capacity of 78,033 MWh,compared with the out-of-box capacity of 97,003 MWh. Some quick math shows that my laptop's battery drained by about 20% in the past two years.

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We reran our battery test (which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness) on my aging XPS 15, and it lasted for 8 hours and 41 minutes. That excellent result surprised me until I remembered that I leave dozens of tabs open when I work, and the screen brightness is always above 50%. So it's no wonder my real-world results aren't that high. 

Stop looking up my nose

I knew what I was getting into when I bought the XPS 15, but I didn't realize how stupid the "nosecam" was until I tried it out. The view up my schnoz is unflattering, but a bigger problem is that my fingers block the camera when I type because the lens is positioned right above the keyboard. 

It took explaining to my first interviewee why my webcam was covered before I quickly made the decision to purchase a Logitech HD Webcam C920, which remains the best external webcam after several years on the market. As great as the C920 is, remembering to pack the webcam everywhere the laptop goes hasn't gotten any easier. The nosecam is especially annoying because I'm in a long-distance relationship and video chat regularly with my fiancée.

Though I missed out, there's good news for anyone who is considering this laptop: Dell fixed the notorious nosecam problem earlier this year by placing its new custom-made webcam on the slim bezel above the latest XPS 15's display. Too bad it's two years too late for me. 

Always connected to Bluetooth

Whether I'm hooked up to my Edifier bookshelf speakers or Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, I'm always connected to an audio device via Bluetooth so that I don't have to listen to music through the XPS 15. The laptop's speakers just don't sound good. Music is muddy, and voices can be difficult to decipher at lower volumes.

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I can't tell if something is wrong with the speakers or if they're just not tuned properly. Thinking back, they sounded fine out of the box. But that lasted for a few days, so it's possible they failed at some point. Whatever the case, the XPS 15's speakers are one of its few shortcomings, and the speakers on the newest model fall short of the sound from competing laptops. 

Quality control can be an issue

Thrilled with my new laptop, I wholeheartedly recommended the XPS 15 to my brother about a year and a half ago. An amateur photographer, he purchased the 4K model for editing photos in Photoshop. But what should have been the perfect laptop for his needs quickly turned into a series of problems.

My brother started getting hit with blue screen errors a few weeks into using the laptop. He'd be browsing the web, editing photos or watching a YouTube video when a blue screen would appear out of nowhere. The error message would signal the death of his session, and he'd have to restart the laptop. 

While this doesn't appear to be a widespread issue, it doesn't seem to be an isolated instance; a number of XPS 15 customers have complained on various forums about the "blue screen of death." Dell has a support page explaining that the Blue Screen Error is for when Windows encounters "an error it cannot recover from without losing data."

My brother's hatred for the XPS 15 intensified when his touchpad mysteriously started lifting. This was caused by battery bloat, or swelling, an issue that forced Dell to offer free replacement batteries for certain XPS 15 models, even those out of warranty. 

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These are the types of problems we can't foresee as reviewers, so we always recommend looking at user reviews (and praying to the laptop gods) before buying a laptop. We've reached out to Dell for comment on these problems but haven't heard back. 

If my XPS 15 died today ...

I would replace it with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. I know; I just spent some 2,000 words praising the XPS 15 and concluding that it has practically no faults. And don't get me wrong; I'm really glad I landed on this laptop. 

It's been a reliable workhorse these past few years. I love the large, colorful display and the premium materials, and I love that it looks practically new after surviving dozens of flights, both domestic and international. 

Still, if I needed a new laptop today, I'd get the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. As compact as the XPS 15 is, Dell hasn't yet embraced the "light" part of "thin and light." The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a business laptop, offers a compact chassis that's also super-lightweight. 

The same goes for the HP Elite Dragonfly, although I'm not sure I'm willing to drop back down to 13.3 inches, even for that majestic dark-blue machine. 

Performance, especially when it comes to graphics, would be the biggest trade-off when going from the XPS 15 to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The XPS' H-series chips are more powerful than the U-series ones in the Lenovo laptop. But I don't think I need so much power. I'd have a harder time giving up the XPS 15's discrete GPU — but I plan on buying the Xbox Series X when it arrives, so my days of PC gaming are numbered. 

Don't let this dissuade you from getting the XPS 15 if you think it's the right fit. To give you a strong indication of how I feel about it, I have no plans of getting another laptop anytime soon.

Editor's Note 7.19.21: Laptop Mag does not generally recommend laptops two years or older. If you are in the market for Dell XPS 15, please check out our review of the Dell XPS 15 (2020).

Dell's XPS laptops are considered the gold standard when it comes to premium notebooks, and the latest XPS 15 is no exception. Priced at ($999 to start, $1,399 as tested), this is one of the most powerful laptops on the market, thanks to its Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics. It's also drop-dead gorgeous with its slim, modern industrial design, incredibly thin bezels and lovely display. The 15-inch still suffers from the XPS line's biggest flaw -- an ill-placed webcam -- but, overall, this is one of the best laptops you can buy and a formidable foe to Apple's much pricier 15-inch MacBook Pro. It's also one of the laptops with best battery life.

Dell XPS 15 price and configurations

I took the $1,399 iteration of the Dell XPS 15 for a spin. It has a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q GPU with 4GB of VRAM, an Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU and a 1920 x 1080 panel. (Note: Dell now sells this model with 512GB of storage)

The base mode costs $999 and drops the CPU down to a 2.3-GHz Intel Core i5-8300H chip with 8GB of RAM, a 1TB 5,400-rpm hard drive, an Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU and a 1920 x 1080 display.

Want a 4K screen? Be prepared to fork over at least $2,099, which will get you the 3840 x 2160 touch screen, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD. If you want even more power, Dell has a $2,449 model that offers an overclockable 2.9-GHz Intel Core i9-8950HK CPU.

Dell XPS 15 design

With its clean industrial silver aluminum lid and undercarriage sandwiching a soft-touch black interior accentuated by smooth, rounded corners, the latest XPS 15 looks pretty identical to its predecessors. It's not a bad thing, as the laptop is very sleek and looks great in an office. 

The laptop is a little underdressed for a LAN party, but it's still an attractive system no matter how you slice it. Similar to the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro, the laptop sports only one adornment -- the glossy Dell insignia in the center of the lid. It's a minimalist chic that I dig.

Swathed in soft-touch black-carbon-fiber, the laptop's interior is just as familiar as its exterior, down to the power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader in the top-right corner. The barely there InfinityEdge bezel surrounds the 15.6-inch display, giving way to the large bottom bezel housing the webcam.

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Measuring 14.1 x 9.3 x 0.5-0.7 inches, the 4.2-pound XPS 15 is one of the slimmer notebooks in its class. The Microsoft Surface Book 2 also weighs 4.2 pounds, but has a much thicker profile at 13.5 x 9.9 x 0.9 inches, much like the HP Spectre x360 (4.6 pounds, 14.1 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches). The Apple MacBook Pro (13.8 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches) is slimmer and lighter at an even 4 pounds. The Huawei MateBook X Pro is the smallest of the bunch at 2.9 pounds, 12 x 8.5 0.6 inches, but it also has a smaller 14-inch screen.

Dell XPS 15 ports

The XPS 15 has enough ports to allow for a solid work or gaming battlestation.

On the right sits a USB 3.1 Type-A port, an SD card reader, a Noble lock slot and a battery status indicator flanked by five lights.

There's another Type-A port on the left alongside a Thunderbolt 3 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a headset jack and a port for the AC adapter.

Dell XPS 15 display

We tested the XPS 15 with both a 4K, Ultra HD touch screen and 1080p non-touch screen. As evidenced by the fine veins and deep red color of the flower in the XPS 15's wallpaper, the matte 1920 x 1080 display is capable of producing rich color and sharp detail. When I watched the trailer for Support the Girls on the 15.6-inch panel, Regina Hall's honey-brown skin seemed to radiate, despite her silver-frosted eyeshadow. Details were clear enough that I could see individual strands of the actress' chestnut-brown hair, including her honey-blonde lowlights.

Given how vivid the color is on the XPS 15's panel, I wasn't too surprised to learn that it can reproduce 115 percent of the sRGB gamut.  That's a very good result, but if you want the best display, you'll want to upgrade to the 4K panel, which covers 160 percent of the sRGB spectrum. Both models coast past the 111-percent premium laptop average. When it comes to color, the competition falls somewhere between the XPS 15's 1080p and 4K displays, with the MacBook Pro, Spectre x360, MateBook X and Surface Book registering 117 to 131 percent, respectively. 

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The XPS 15 performed a bit better on the brightness test, averaging 371 nits, which was enough to outshine the 310-nit average as well as the Spectre x360 (340 nits) and the MacBook Pro (354 nits). However, the Surface Book (417 nits) and the MateBook X (458 nits) were significantly brighter. Unfortunately, the 4K panel on the XPS 15 was dimmer than I would have liked, at 322 nits, which just tops the category average but is less luminous than its rivals.

Dell XPS 15 audio

I wasn't expecting much from the XPS 15's speakers, but I was happy to be enveloped in loud, relatively clean audio. The laptop's bottom-mounted speakers filled our conference room with Kevin Ross' gorgeous voice as he sang Andre 3000's "Prototype" a cappella. 

The melodies were nice and clean while the mouth pops and finger snaps were precise. The only rough spot was when the singer went for the high notes, which introduced significant distortion that I tried to smooth out with the pre-installed Waves Audio software, to no avail.

Dell XPS 15 keyboard and touchpad

Normally, if a keyboard had shallow travel like the XPS 15 (0.7 millimeters), I'd be ripping it a new one, since it falls beneath our preferred 1.5mm. But the island-style keys' saving grace is the above-average 70 grams of actuation force that adds some much-needed bounce to the typing experience. I hit my typical 70 words per minute on the 10fastfingers typing test without bottoming out.

The 4 x 3.1-inch touchpad provides plenty of space to navigate web pages and documents, and was quick and responsive to boot. I had no problem pinch-zooming to enlarge or decrease images or doing a three-finger tap to launch Action Center.

Dell XPS 15 performance

For such a relatively slim system, the XPS 15 packs quite a punch. For this review, we tested two high-end configurations. The 1080p XPS 15 packing a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 16GB of RAM had no problem running Windows Defender while I watched an episode of My Hero Academia with 20 open Google Chrome tabs -- some of which had Twitch streams and Slack running. Unsurprisingly, the 4K model with a Core i9 CPU didn't slow down during our real-world tests, either. 

The XPS 15 did equally well on Geekbench 4, where it notched 19,775, besting the 11,492 premium laptop average. It cruised passed the Surface Book (1.9-GHz Intel Core i7-8650U), the MateBook X (1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-8550U) and the Spectre x360 (3.1-GHz Intel Core i7-8705G), and their respective scores of 12,505, 12,913 and 15,340. But the MacBook Pro and its overclockable 2.9-GHz Intel Core i9-8950HK took the win with a score of 23,138.

During our Excel productivity test, the Core i7-equipped XPS 15 paired 65,000 names and addresses in 44 seconds, crushing the 1:32 category average. The Core i9 model was even quicker, completing the test in just 38 seconds. The MacBook Pro came in second at 0:52, with the Spectre x360 right behind at 0:57. The Surface Book and the MateBook X clocked in at 1:31 and 1:49, respectively.

When we ran the hard drive test, the XPS 15's 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD duplicated 4.97GB of multimedia files in 23 seconds, which translates to a write speed of 221.3 megabytes per second. That matches the Spectre x360 (512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD) but misses the 419.7MBps average. The MateBook X (512GB NVMe PCIe SSD) was a bit faster at 282.7MBps, and the Surface Book (1TB PCIe SSD) did even better at 318.1MBps. But the MacBook Pro and its humongous 2TB PCIe SSD scorched the competition with a ridiculous 2,599.6 MBps. The 1TB PCIe SSD in our 4K XPS 15 beat all but the MacBook Pro, duplicating 4.97GB of multimedia files in 4 seconds for a rate of 1272.3 MBps.

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The XPS 15 rebounded on the Handbrake Video Editing test, taking only 10 minutes and 12 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p, smoking the 21:35 average. The 4K model with a Core i9 required even less time, at 9:51. The MacBook Pro wasn't too far behind at 10:16. The Spectre x360 clocked 15:01, while the Surface Book and the MateBook X posted times of 23:00 and 27:18.

Dell XPS 15 graphics, gaming and VR

Beneath the silvery skin of this premium mainstream laptop beats the heart of an entry-level gaming laptop. Outfitted with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q GPU with 4GB of VRAM, the XPS 15 can crunch numbers with the best of them and play a game or two at low-to-medium settings. The laptop demolished our Dirt 3 benchmark with a frame rate of 189 fps. 

That's more than half the 71-fps premium laptop average. The Spectre x360's AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU wasn't far behind with 182 fps. The MateBook X (GeForce MX150 GPU) and the MacBook Pro (Radeon Pro 560X) delivered respective scores of 117 and 83 fps.

The XPS matched the 22-fps average for Rise of the Tomb Raider (1920 x 1080 on Very High), but missed our 30-fps playability threshold. The Surface Book and its GTX 1060 GPU obtained 33 fps. The Dell performed much better on the Hitman test, achieving 60 fps, but it couldn't match the Surface Book's 72 fps.

When you aren't trying to save the world from impending doom via zombies, demons or aliens, the XPS will automatically switch to its integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU via Nvidia's Optimus technology.

Dell XPS 15 battery life

The XPS 15 with a 1080p display can conduct a master class on endurance. The notebook lasted 11 hours and 53 minutes on our battery test, which consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. It easily outlasted the 8:26 category average, the Spectre x360 (5:20), the MateBook X (9:55) and the MacBook Pro (10:21). The Surface Book came closest to matching the winner with a time of 11:34, which dropped to 3:12 when we tested the tablet on its own.

As expected, the 4K display and Core i9 CPU take a toll on battery life, but even the decked-out XPS 15 lasted a respectable 7 hours and 34 minutes on our test.

Dell XPS 15 heat

Despite its metallic lid and undercarriage, the XPS 15 did a good job of staying cool. When we measured key points of the laptop after streaming a full-screen HD video for 15 minutes, the touchpad hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The center of the keyboard reached 83 degrees, while the bottom registered 92 degrees. Each measurement was well within our 95-degree comfort threshold.

Dell XPS 15 webcam

While I appreciate super-slim bezels, Dell and other companies have to find a better place for the webcam than positioned right above the hinge. When I launched the camera app, the "nose cam" lived up to its name, capturing my chest and nose in the shot. It took quite a bit of adjusting on my part to get an appropriate angle.

Still, the XPS 15's integrated camera managed to perfectly capture the color in my bright pink dress. Details were sharp enough to capture some pilling on the garment as well as striations in the fabric.

Dell XPS 15 software and warranty

Dell pre-installed several helpful branded utilities, including Power Manager, which allows you to run diagnostics on the system's battery as well as adjust fan speed and power consumption for more demanding tasks. Mobile Connect lets you access your smartphone from your laptop, including calling a Lyft or playing a mobile game like Futurama: Game of Drones. If you need to troubleshoot an issue, Dell also included Help & Support, which features informative videos, shows your warranty status and runs system diagnostics.

The Dell XPS 15 ships with a one-year limited-hardware warranty. See how Dell fared in our Tech Support Showdown and Best and Worst Brands ranking.

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Unfortunately, the system has its fair share of bloatware, including Cooking Fever, Candy Crush Saga, Royal Revolt 2: Tower Defense and Netflix. There are, however, more useful third-party applications such as Killer Control Center, which lets you prioritize network bandwidth. Dell also included McAfee Security, and 20GB of cloud storage via Dropbox for a year.

Bottom line

Productivity, multimedia and even a bit of gaming -- the Dell XPS 15 can do it all -- and do it well. For $1,399, you get a system that has an attractive, slim design that's bursting with power, including an Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q. The keyboard is surprisingly comfortable, and the display is simply lovely. Throw in nearly 12 hours of battery life, and you've got a certified beast. It's just enough to overlook the annoying camera placement.

But if you're hungry for power and have ridiculously deep pockets, there's the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $2,399 and commands a hefty $2,899 when you step up to a Core i9 CPU and Radeon Pro 560X graphics. But if you're looking for a relatively unassuming powerhouse that can do a little of bit everything relatively well, the Dell XPS 15 should be at the top of your list.

Credit: Laptop Mag

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Memorial Day may be a distant memory, but Dell's XPS sale lives on for another 24 hours.

Today, the PC manufacturer is adding its just-released XPS 15 9570 to the mix, which makes it the first time this laptop receives a dollar-off discount. 

Buy on Dell

Shoppers can take 10 percent off Dell's premium laptops via coupon code "XPSMEM10". After coupon, the base XPS 15 9570 starts at $899.99 ($100 off), which is traditionally the sale price of the base XPS 13. The base XPS 15 packs a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS LCD, 2.3GHz Core i5-8300H quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB HDD.

If you need more power, you can get the XPS 15 w/ GTX 1050 for $1,259.99 after coupon ($140 off). This model houses a 2.2GHz Core i7-8750H six-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and a 4GB GTX 1050Ti graphics card. If it's a hybrid that you seek, all configurations of the XPS 15 2-in-1 are also on sale with prices starting at $1,169.99 after coupon ($130 off).

For smaller budgets, you can also use the coupon on the previous-gen XPS 13 9360 from $836.99 ($163 off) or the new XPS 13 9370 from $1,079.99 ($120 off).

Buy on Dell

Dell's XPS coupon expires May 30 at 11:59pm CT.

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Dell's XPS series of laptops offers an industry-leading combination of lightweight, gorgeous screens, strong battery life and plenty of performance. At present, the company makes three major models of XPS laptop: the XPS 13, XPS 15 and XPS 13 2-in-1. If you love Dell's design language and really want a convertible, you can go with the XPS 13 2-in-1, which is great looking but offers sub-par performance and endurance. But unless you are dead-set on using your laptop as a tablet, you have to choose between the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15.

The differences between the XPS 13 and 15 go far beyond their screen and body sizes. To help you decide, we've compared the two laptops, based on seven different criteria.

Design

Sporting a silver or gold lid and a soft-touch, carbon fiber body, both laptops have the same exact design language. Owing to its smaller, 13.3-inch screen, the XPS 13 is significantly lighter, tipping the scales at 2.8 pounds.

By comparison, the XPS 15 weighs a full 4.6 pounds, which is pretty light for a 15-inch laptop, but not exactly ultraportable. Both laptops are about the same thickness, with the XPS 13 measuring 0.6 inches at its thickest point while the XPS 15 is just 0.66 inches thick.

Winner: Tie. The XPS 13 is lighter, but if you want the larger screen, you have to accept a heavier laptop.

Display

Both laptops are available with several different display options. The base model XPS 13 has a 1080p, non-touch screen, but more expensive configs come with either a 1080p touchscreen or a 3200 x 1800 touchscreen. The XPS 15 also comes standard with both 1080p non-touch screen and a full 4K (3840 x 2160) touch display. We haven't tested the 1080p touch panel on the XPS 13 or the 1080p non-touch panel on the XPS 15, but we have tried the other options.

In our tests, the XPS 15 with 4K display was amazingly colorful, reproducing an impressive 188 percent of the sRGB color gamut. The Dell XPS 13's 3200 x 1800 display, which we tested on a 7th-Gen Core model, managed 105.7 percent of the gamut while the 1080p screen, which we tried on an 8th-Gen Core config, got a strong 112 percent. 

When it comes to brightness, the XPS 13's 1080p screen rules the roost, hitting 368 nits of brightness while the 3200 x 1800 panel clocked in at 305 nits. The XPS 15's 4K screen scored a much lower, 282 nits, but that's still more than enough luminosity for strong viewing angles and a great experience overall.

Winner: The XPS 15's 4K screen is much more colorful and sharper than either of its little brother's panel options. Video editors will appreciate being able to work on 4K  videos in their native resolution.

Performance

The XPS 13 is available with an Intel 8th-Gen Core i7-8550U processor that has four cores and uses up to 15 watts of power. Its larger sibling uses up to an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, which uses 45 watts. The XPS 15 is also available with an optional Nvidia GTX 1050 GPU while the XPS 13 only comes with integrated Intel graphics.

Despite having a CPU that uses a third of the power, the XPS 13 came out ever-so-slightly ahead on some performance tests. On Geekbench 4, a synthetic test that measures overall performance, the XPS 13 with Core i7-8550U scored 14,158 versus 13,911 on the XPS 15 with Core i7-7700HQ CPU scored 13,911. The XPS 13 took just 3 minutes and 9 seconds to match 20,000 names with their addresses in OpenOffice Calc while its sibling was a little slower, completing the same task in 3 minutes and 23 seconds.

However, when it comes to graphics-intensive workloads, the XPS 15 and its GTX 1050 card dominate. The XPS 15 scored a really strong 134,459 on 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, a synthetic graphics test while the XPS 13 managed only 81,837. The XPS 15 played Rise of the Tomb Raider, a fairly demanding game, at a smooth 41 fps while we wouldn't even attempt it on the XPS 13. Creative professionals will be able to use the XPS 15's graphics might for better video editing, 3D design and animation.

Winner: Dell XPS 15's strong graphics performance puts it over the top. 

Battery Life

The XPS 13 is one of the longest-lasting laptops on the market while the XPS 15 offers good, but not great endurance for its size. The non-touch Dell XPS 13 with 8th Gen Core i7-8550U CPU lasted a full 16 hours and 5 minutes on the Laptop Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi while a model with a 7th-Gen Core i7-7500U CPU and a 3200 x 1800 screen conked out after 9 hours and 11 minutes. The XPS 15 with 4K display and Core i7-7700HQ CPU endured for 8 hours and 23 minutes, which is still an hour and a half longer than the typical 15-inch laptop.

Winner: Dell XPS 13 provides epic battery life.

Value

The XPS 13 is unquestionably less expensive than its 15-inch sibling. The base model costs $799, but it has a low-end, Core i3 processor and just 4GB of RAM, specs that belong in a sub-$500 laptop. To get the XPS 13 with good specs -- a Core i7-8550U CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD -- costs $1,199, though that configuration has occasionally been on sale for under $1,000. To get the XPS 13 with its 3200 x 1800 touch screen, the Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM, you'll pay a hefty $1,549.

The base model XPS 15 costs $949, but as with the low-end XPS 13, this is a Core i3-powered model that no one should buy. You can step up to a Core i5-7300HQ CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and the important GTX 1050 graphics card for $1,199. You can step up to the 4K display for an extra $400 ($1,599) or spend $1,899 to get a model that's decked out with a Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. 

Winner: Dell XPS 13 is a little cheaper at each configuration, but the XPS 15 offers higher-end specs.

Bottom Line

With each laptop winning two rounds and tying in another, there's no clear winner. Which Dell XPS you buy should really depend on your needs. General consumers and productivity workers should get the XPS 13, because of its lighter weight, longer battery life and lower price. Anyone who needs to do professional graphics work should look no further than the XPS 15, because of its superior screen and discrete graphics card.

Credit: Laptop Mag

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Taking a cue from its groundbreaking 13-inch notebook, Dell has redesigned the XPS 15 with a sleeker design and edge-to-edge display, and lowered the starting price to $999. This 15-inch notebook, which has an aluminum lid and carbon fiber deck—and up to 17 hours of (rated) battery life—goes on sale today. 

This notebook isn't just about looks. Those who crave serious power can step up to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M GPU and a speedy PCIe SSD.

Dell's Infinity display—which shrinks the bezel to less than half an inch—also helps decrease the overall footprint of the XPS 15 to 14 x 9.3 inches. At its lightest, the notebook weighs just under 4 pounds, but that will increase if you opt for discrete graphics and a higher-capacity battery.

Like the last generation XPS 15, you can configure this one with a 4K (3840 x 2160) display. However, Dell says this one is capable of producing 100 percent of the Adobe RGB gamut, which should appeal to photo editors and graphic designers looking for the greatest fidelity when retouching images. 

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The one downside of the bezel-less display is that, like the XPS 13, the XPS 15's webcam is below the screen, so Skype callers will have a good look at what's up your nose. At least on the XPS 15, Dell was able to move the camera closer to the center, so that they will be able to see more than just your left side.

Apart from the design, the biggest change to the XPS 15 is its starting price of $999, which is $600 less than last year's model. For that price, consumers will get a 6th-generation Intel Core i3-6100H processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1080p non-touch display, integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300 and a 500GB HDD with 32GB of Flash memory.

However, Dell offers a large number of upgrades, including the 4K touchscreen panel, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and up to 32GB of RAM. There are also a number of hard drive configurations available, but if you opt for a 256GB SSD or higher, it'll be PCIe, which offers more than double the performance of mSATA drives.

Another benefit of opting for an SSD is that, because of the extra space not needed for a mechanical drive, Dell adds more battery capacity. We're talking 84 watt-hours, as opposed to 56 watt-hours on the XPS 15 with a mechanical hard drive. That change will boost the XPS 15's runtime to as much as 17 hours when surfing the Web, according to Dell.

Ports include HDMI, two USB 3.0, one Thunderbolt 3 (which supports USB 3.1 Type-C), and an SD card reader. The notebook also comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

Dell has crafted a notebook that can compete with the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro with Retina, in terms of looks, performance and price. With a redesigned chassis, better specs and a lower starting price, the new XPS 15 could dominate.

The 2013 Dell XPS 15 enters the premium 15-inch notebook arena with the highest resolution screen we've seen yet (3200 x 1800 pixels), a 4th-gen Intel Core processor and a 512GB SSD wrapped within a sleek and thin design. Priced at $2,299 (starting at $1,499), this Windows 8.1 laptop is a productivity workhorse and has plenty of entertainment value, thanks to its Nvidia GPU and powerful speakers. But can it outshine competitors such as the 15-inch MacBook Pro?

Design

The Dell XPS 15 keeps it simple on the exterior, with a bare aluminum chassis that features a black Dell logo in its center. A subtle checkerboard pattern runs through the notebook's carbon fiber bottom panel, which has a long horizontal speaker on its top edge, a vent at the bottom, and a small aluminum flap in the center that flips up to reveal the device's service tag.

Inside, the XPS 15 has a 15.6-inch Gorilla Glass NBT screen surrounded by a black bezel. The notebook was easy on our wrists, with a soft-touch covering that extends across the bulk of the body and wraps around the power button on the top left. The cozy material extends across the curved island keys, which sit in the body's depressed center.

The XPS 15 measures 14.6 x 10 x 0.7 inches, making it a smidge wider and longer than the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (14.1 x 9.7 x 0.71 inches) but slightly shorter than the 15 x 10 x 1.2-inch, $1,939 ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz-DH71.

Weight-wise, the 4.6-pound XPS 15 is on a par with the 4.6-pound Zenbook UX51Vz and 15-inch MacBook Pro (4.5 pounds). Despite its large footprint, we found the notebook easy to carry.

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Ports

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15 packs all of its ports on its thin left and right edges. The left side hosts a power input, HDMI, a mini DisplayPort, two USB 3.0 ports, and a headphone jack. On the right, you'll find a 3-in-1 media card reader, a USB 2.0 port, and an additional USB 3.0 port.

Display

Dell claims that the XPS 15 is the highest-resolution 15-incher on the market, as our fully loaded configuration came with a 3200 x 1800-pixel UltraSharp QHD touch-enabled display. This is higher than both 15-inch MacBook Pro's 2880 x 1880 Retina Display as well as the 1920 x 1080 screen found on the Zenbook UX51Vz.

Click to EnlargeThe HD trailer for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" dazzled on the Dell, as the wrinkled skin of Professor X was just as crisp and detailed as the blue facial scales and glowing yellow eyes of Mystique. Thanks to the XPS 15's 160-degree viewing angles, the video remained bright and vivid at various viewing points.

The XPS' screen was just as impressive when viewing a hi-res photo of a wet daffodil, as we could clearly see each individual bead of water surrounding the flower's bright yellow petals.

The XPS screen is quite bright, as it measured 341 lux on our light meter. That's brighter than the 324-lux MacBook Pro 15-inch, the 277-lux Zenbook UX51Vz, and category average of 208 lux.

Audio

Click to EnlargeEven with speakers on its bottom, the XPS 15 delivers impressive audio. When jamming Kings of Leon's "Supersoaker," we could clearly hear the jumpy bass interweaving with the twangy guitars. Kanye West's "All of the Lights" was equally satisfying, as the notebook's speakers were able to retain the song's thumping drums and haunting horns.

The included Dell Audio app allows for some basic equalization, with sliders for bass, treble, dialog, and stereo. There's a bass boost option if you have external speakers plugged in, and the Midnight switch will instantly bring your music down to a non-disruptive volume.

The XPS 15 played a 84-decibel tone on the LAPTOP Audio Test, making it slightly softer-sounding than the 87-decibel category average.

Webcam

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15's HD webcam will get the job done for video chats, but you won't be wowed by its picture quality. The self-portrait we snapped on the notebook was lacking in facial detail, and the entire photo was filled with fuzzy pixelation.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Click to EnlargeThe contoured island keys on the XPS 15 delivered springy feedback. We were able to type 65 words per minute on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, which is 2 wpm higher than our experience with the Zenbook UX51Vz.

Common secondary functions such as play, pause, brightness, and volume control are located within the F1 to F12 keys. (We wish these were direct action keys.) The notebook doesn't have the Zenbook UX51Vz's numpad, but as a result, the layout is more comfortable.

The Dell keyboard's backlight was mostly bright throughout, but we noticed less light coming from the Function and Windows keys at the bottom, as well as both sets of Ctrl and Alt.

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15's 4.1 x 3.1-inch touchpad is comfy and intuitive, with a soft-touch texture and a small gray indicator that separates left and right click. The touchpad was responsive to both clicks and taps, and we had no issues performing various functions, such as sliding left to right to switch apps and pinching to zoom.

Heat and Noise

Though the XPS 15 has an attractive and slim design, it occasionally became a bit too hot for our liking. After 15 minutes of streaming HD video, the laptop's touchpad registered a cool 74 degrees. However, both the laptop's underside and G and H keys reached temperatures of 98 degrees, and the area near the laptop's main vent reached a troubling 120 degrees. We consider anything above 95 degrees uncomfortable.

The notebook was even hotter after playing 15 minutes of "Bioshock Infinite," as the touchpad reached 89 degrees, the G and H keys 111, and the middle of the underside hit 103 degrees. The notebook's normally quiet vent also became very noisy after our play session.

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Performance

Click to EnlargeWe reviewed a fully loaded XPS 15, which packs a 3.2-GHz Intel Core i7-4702HQ processor with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of flash memory. By comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Pro we tested has a 2.3-GHz Core i7 processor with the same RAM and 256GB of flash memory, while the Zenbook UX51Vz contains a 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM and dual 128GB SSD drives.

The XPS 15 booted Windows 8.1 in 14 seconds, which is equal to the 15-inch MacBook Pro (loading OS X) and just a second longer than the Zenbook UX51Vz's boot time.

We streamed "The Hunger Games" on Netflix with 10 tabs open in Chrome to test the XPS 15's everyday use capabilities, and didn't experience a hint of slowdown.

The notebook netted 11,630 on the Geekbench 3 performance test, falling short of the MacBook Pro 15-inch's whopping score of 13,652 but beating the 9,599 category average.

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The XPS 15 scored a 573 on the the Cinebench CPU test, which is just under the 15-inch MacBook Pro's 598 and much higher than the category average of 154.

The XPS 15's SSD transferred 4.97 GB of files in 22 seconds, equaling a transfer rate of 231.3 MBps. That's not quite as speedy as the 15-inch Pro (309 MBps) or the Zenbook UX51Vz (238 MBps), but it's still more than four times as fast as the 51 MBps category average.

To further test the XPS 15's real-world capabilities, we ran our OpenOffice test, which has a notebook pair 20,000 names and addresses. Our XPS 15 completed the task in 4 minutes and 14 seconds, which is tied with the MacBook Pro 15-inch and faster than the Zenbook UX51Vz (4:59) and the 5:31 category average.

Graphics

Click to EnlargeOur maxed-out XPS 15 sports a Nvidia GeForce GT 750M GPU with 2GB of graphics memory. By comparison, our configuration of the 15-inch MacBook Pro has the same GPU while the older Zenbook UX51Vz features an Nvidia GeForce GT650M GPU with 2GB of VRAM.

When playing "World of Warcraft" on Ultra settings, the game ran at 30 fps at the Dell's native 3200 x 1800 resolution. That's less than the category average of 38 fps, but the MacBook Pro was a lower 25 fps at these settings, while the Zenbook UX51Vz outperformed both at 43 fps. To be fair, the Zenbook's native resolution is much lower than the Dell and Mac.

The more visually lush "Bioshock Infinite" ran at 23 fps on Ultra settings at the XPS 15's native resolution, which is higher than the 16 fps category average. Things ran more smoothly when dialed down the resolution to 1080p. We saw 56 fps on low settings, though an unplayable 23 fps with the settings on high.

Another graphically demanding game, "Metro: Last Night," was nearly unplayable on Ultra settings, running at 13 fps at 1366 x 768 and 4 fps at native resolution. Still, the notebook's 1366 x 768 Ultra performance matches the 13 fps category average.

Battery Life

The XPS 15's 91-Whr battery provides above-average endurance. The notebook lasted a solid 7 hours and 7 minutes when surfing the web continuously on the LAPTOP Battery Test. The Dell beat out the Zenbook UX51Vz (5:56) and category average of 5:37, though it failed to topple the 15-inch MacBook Pro's impressive runtime of 8:57.

Software

Click to EnlargeThe Dell XPS 15 runs Windows 8.1, which brings some small upgrades to Microsoft's touch-friendly OS. Aside from Microsoft apps like SkyDrive, Xbox Music, and Office, the XPS 15 comes preloaded with several Dell applications.

The My Dell app allows you to scan your laptop and back up files, while Dell Audio provides customizable sound settings for your speakers, headphones, and microphone. The Dell Shop app allows you to shop Dell products and purchase repair packages without opening your browser.

The bundled PocketCloud storage app provides 2GB of cloud storage with a free PocketCloud account. A paid account will allow you to access files from any nearby PocketCloud-enabled device.

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The Windows 8.1 app store is still growing, as it recently gained an official Facebook app as well as new Microsoft offerings like the "Halo: Spartan Assault" game and the free Movie Moments video sharing tool. You'll find common entertainment apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Kindle as well as productivity tools like OneNote and Adobe Reader Touch.

One limitation, though, is that few Windows apps are optimized for the XPS 15's high-resolution displays.

Configurations

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15 starts at $1,499 with a 3.4-GHz Intel Core i5-4200H processor, 8GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400, and a 1920 x 1080 touchscreen. The $1,899 model steps it up on all fronts, delivering a 3.2-GHz Intel Core i7-4702 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M GPU with 2GB of VRAM, and a sharper 3200 x 1800 display. Both models pack a 61-WHr battery.

We reviewed the high-end $2,299 version of the laptop, which has the same memory, GPU, CPU, and screen as the $1,899 version, but includes a beefier 91-WHr battery and a 512GB mSATA SSD. All configurations include one year of Dell's standard technical support.

To put this price in perspective, the $2,599 model of the 15-inch MacBook Pro packs a 2.3-GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of flash storage, and both Nvidia GeForce GT 750M discrete graphics and Intel Iris Pro integrated graphics.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeThe Dell XPS 15 delivers powerhouse performance at a premium price, and you're getting a sharper screen than the MacBook Pro for $300 less (similarly configured). We also like the comfortable soft-touch deck and robust speakers. The notebook occasionally gets hot and isn't great for demanding games, but the XPS 15 makes up for those shortcomings with a 7-hour battery life that will last through the bulk of your workday.

One of the XPS 15's biggest rivals is the $2,599 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, which has the same RAM and SSD size as the fully-loaded XPS 15. We prefer the MacBook Pro for its larger selection of Retina-ready apps and longer battery life, but if you're looking for a Ultra HD Windows multimedia notebook, this Dell is a delight.

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Dell's XPS series of notebooks are known for high performance and high-end design. The  Dell XPS 15 (starting at $1,299, $1,699 as tested) follows that tradition, placing a quad-core Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and Nvidia graphics into a stylish chassis that's sure to draw comparisons to the MacBook Pro. Dell also throws in Waves MaxxAudio. But how does the XPS 15 stack up to the competition?

Design

Click to EnlargeFrom the outside, the Dell XPS 15 looks like a dead ringer for the 15-inch MacBook Pro (albeit a darker one). A chrome Dell insignia sits in the center of the silver machined aluminum lid instead of the backlit, half-eaten Apple logo. An thin band of silver aluminum wraps around the sides. The MacBook Pro similarities end there. 

Inside you'll find a magnesium alloy deck with a matte black soft touch finish. This material not only looks cool, it feels comfortable on the wrists when typing. A black, backlit keyboard sits in a slightly recessed area in the center of the deck.

The rubberized motif continues on the bottom of the laptop. A gray matte soft touch band sits along the notebook's silicone underside surrounding a black soft touch panel with a small metal panel in the middle. 

Although the design feels solid and premium, the XPS 15 is relatively hefty. It weighs 6 pounds and measures 14.6 x 9.8 x 0.91 inches. Both the Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435 (0.99-1.3 inches and 5.8 pounds) and the HP Envy 15 (1.1 inches, 5.8 pounds) are thicker but lighter. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is lighter and slimmer, measuring 0.71 inches and weighing 4.5 pounds, as is the regular 15-inch MB Pro (.95 inches, 5.6 pounds).

Display

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15 screen is a sight to behold; it's easily one of the best we've seen on a 15-inch notebook. The full HD panel (1920 x 1080 pixels) delivered rich, vibrant color and crisp text on its edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass display. While watching a 1080p "Total Recall" trailer, we saw a pair of orange-and-gold koi swimming on a translucent screen hiding a woman clad in a blood red dress, which made for a visually sensuous scene. We could easily see the scars from probable bullet wounds on Colin Farrell's body, though there was a hint of graininess in darker scenes.

When we watched a 1080p trailer for Skyfall, details like the stubble on his beard were sharp. Better still, the display offered wide viewing angles; colors remained true as we moved as much as 90 degrees to the right and left of center.

With a display brightness of 323 lux, the XPS 15 outshone the 260 lux mainstream category average as well as the MacBook Pro (223 lux), HP Envy 15 (243 lux) and Acer Aspire V3 (212 lux). However, the display's glossiness was a distraction at times, reflecting everything from the lights to ourselves. 

Audio

Click to EnlargeAudio on the Dell XPS was loud and relatively clear, provided we used the Movies setting on the MaxxAudio-powered Dell Audio control panel. The remaining presets (Music, Gaming, Voice and MaxxSense) didn't deliver the volume or high level of audio quality of the Movies preset. As we listened to Frank Ocean's "Thinking Bout You," Ocean alternated between his staid monotone tenor and a lilting falsetto. The whole track was held together by heavily synthesized instrumentals and a throbbing bass line. Despite the better-than-average audio, there was a bit of distortion in the vocals.

Keyboard

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15's island style keyboard is spacious, and we appreciate the slight curvature to the keys. Overall, we typed quickly and accurately on this layout, but we prefer the somewhat deeper travel offered by the HP Envy 15. A larger Enter key would also be nice. On the plus side, the backlighting was plenty powerful and evenly distributed.

When we took the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, we hit a word rate of 47 wpm with a 0 percent error rate. That's pretty close to our usual 50 wpm with a 1 percent error rate. 

Touchpad

Click to EnlargeWe couldn't keep our fingers off the 3.9 x 2.8 inch, glass Synaptics touchpad. The soft-touch surface made navigating the desktop silky smooth. Multitouch gestures such as two-finger rotate, pinch-zoom and two-finger scroll all worked well, as did three-finger flicks. You can also four-finger swipe down to show the desktop.

When making selections the touchpad provided strong tactile feedback with a reassuring click. Our only nitpick is that the pad got stuck when we accidentally placed the edge of our left palm on the pad while trying to navigate with our right index finger. 

Heat

After running a full-screen Hulu video for 15 minutes the notebook's touchpad measured 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The space between the G and H keys and the notebook's underside measured 86 and 89 degrees. The hottest point of the notebook was the small metal panel on the bottom of the laptop that measured 92 degrees. However, this was below our 95 degree comfort threshold. In fact, we used the XPS 15 in our laps for over an hour in total comfort.

Webcam

Click to EnlargeThe XPS 15's 1.3-megapixel webcam captures stills and video in 1280 x 1024 using Dell Webcam Central. Images were somewhat dark under fluorescent light. We saw better color accuracy in a natural light setting. However, there was a high level of visual noise in both instances.

Ports

Click to EnlargeA slot-loading Blu-Ray player, a 3-in-1 card reader, jacks for a headphone and a microphone/headphone combo and a Kensington lock slot sit on the XPS 15's right. There's a trio of USB 3.0 slots on the left side along with a mini-DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet and an AC adapter jack.

Performance

The Dell XPS 15 has some serious hardware inside its sleek silver-and-black chassis. This machine comes with a quad-core 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7-3612QM processor, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200-rpm hard drive with 32GB mSATA SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M GPU with 2GB of VRAM, the XPS 15 notched 3,599 on PCMark07. That's 1,269 points above the mainstream category average. The Dell even outgunned MSI's 15-inch gaming notebook, the GT60, which scored 3,336. 

Click to EnlargeThis showing also beats the $849 Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435's score of 2,595 (2.3-GHz Intel i7-3610QM; 6GB RAM; 500GB 5,400-rpm drive; Nvidia GeForce GT 640M GPU) The MacBook Pro with Retina Display scored considerably higher (4,779), but that $2,199 notebook benefits from an SSD. 

The XPS 15's 32GB mSATA SSD booted Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) in 46 seconds, slightly faster than the 55 second category average. The Aspire V3 and its 500GB 5,400-rpm hard drive matched the average, while the GT60 took 53 seconds.

This notebook duplicated 4.97GB of multimedia files in 2 minutes and 17 seconds for a transfer rate of 37.1 MBps, slightly faster than the 36MBps average. The the Aspire V3 notched a sluggish 19.6 MBps and the GT60's dual hard drive reached 74.8 MBps.

During the OpenOffice spreadsheet macro test, the XPS 15 took 4 minutes and 54 seconds to match 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses. That's 1:23 faster than the 6:17 average. However, the Aspire V3 turned in a faster time of 4:35.

Graphics

Click to EnlargeThanks to its Nvidia GeForce GT 640M GPU with 2GB of VRAM, the Dell XPS 15 can play some of the most graphically demanding titles--just not at the highest settings. 

During the "World of Warcraft" benchmark, the XPS 15 notched a frame rate of 57 frames per second with everything maxed out at full HD resolution. The Aspire V3 turned in a higher 78 fps, but that was at a lowly 1366 x 768 pixels. If you flip the settings to auto on the Dell you'll see a sky-high 113 fps at full resolution.

When we played the more taxing "Batman: Arkham City," the machine managed a brisk 36 fps at 1366 x 768 with the settings on low, but we got a barely playable 28 fps when we upped the resolution to 1920 x 1080. You can forget about maxing everything out, as we saw only 13 fps. A dedicated gaming rig like the MSI GT60 got 47 fps with the settings on high at 1366 x 768, thanks to its higher-end 3GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M graphics card.

The XPS 15 delivered solid results on our synthetic benchmarks. The laptop registered 1,801 on 3DMark11, far above the 997 mainstream category average. However, the Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435, which also has a Nvidia GeForce GT 640M GPU with 2GB of VRAM, scored 1,929. Here, too, the Acer probably benefitted from its lower-res display. In Boot Camp mode the MacBook Air with Retina Display beat the XPS 15, scoring 2,275.

Battery Life

Click to EnlargeDuring the LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous web surfing via Wi-Fi on 40 percent brightness), the XPS 15 lasted 5 hours and 7 minutes. That's 19 minutes short of the 5:26 mainstream category average, which isn't bad considering that this notebook has such a sharp and bright display. The Aspire V3 clocked in at 4:46. 

Software and Warranty

The Dell XPS 15 is blissfully free of the bloatware found on other systems. Dell Support Center is there to take care of the majority of our maintenance and diagnostic needs with PC Checkup and Backup and Recovery. Dell Webcam Central offers a number of whimsical scenes and effects such as an ominous storm cloud background with flashes of lightning.

There's also MaxxAudio-powered Dell Audio control panel that comes with a number of presets for the ideal listening experience. 

Third-party software includes Microsoft Office Starter, Skype, Adobe Reader X, Windows Live and a 30-day free trial of McAfee SecurityCenter. The Dell XPS 15 comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty. See how the company fared in our Best & Worst brands report.

Configurations

Click to EnlargeOur $1,699 review unit of the Dell XPS 15 comes with with a 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7-3612QM, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200-rpm with a 32GB mSATA SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M with 2GB of VRAM. The $1,299 base model features a 2.5-GHz Intel Core i5-3210M CPU with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB 7,200-rpm hard drive with a 32GB 32GB mSATA SSD and a Nvidia GeForce GT 630M GPU with 1GB of VRAM. The $1,999 top model has the same processor and GPU as our review unit with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB 5,400-rpm hard drive with 128GB mSATA SSD.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeThe $1,699 Dell XPS 15 offers an impressive combination of beauty and power. The full HD screen is bright with eye-popping color, and the speakers are capable of delivering robust sound. We also love the luxurious soft-touch deck and appreciate the well-designed touchpad. We just wish the keyboard felt a little snappier and that the webcam were sharper.

In many ways, the XPS 15 is a good MacBook Pro alternative. You would have to pay $200 more to get a 15-inch MacBook Pro sans Retina Display with a 2.3-GHz Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU and a full HD screen. We prefer the keyboard on the Envy 15 and its Beats Audio, but HP doesn't offer that 15-inch system with a 2GB graphics card like this Dell.

Shoppers on a tighter budget can get similar graphics performance, but without the 1080p display, from the $849 Acer Aspire V3-571G-9435. And gamers should gravitate towards the MSI GT60 for $1,599. However, if you want a premium multimedia notebook, the Dell XPS is a very good and well-rounded choice.

In our quest to help readers find the perfect laptop for their needs, we often receive questions from readers looking for the fastest, lightest or most budget-friendly laptop on the market. Until now, however, we'd never received a question about the best audio.

Val from V-Moda writes: 

I'm not a fan of Beats Audio, but I am a DJ. I'm looking for a Windows machine that's fully tricked out with top-of-the-line specs that will be good working as a DJ. What would you recommend?

Clearly, sound quality is a top consideration for Val, but a DJ needs more than just excellent speakers. Does any laptop offer the perfect combination of excellent audio and robust sound controls? We go sleuthing to find the ultimate DJ-friendly notebook.

Although Val already said up front that she's no fan of Beats Audio, we feel obligated to at least mention the HP Envy series. We gave both the 15-inch HP Envy 15 and 17-inch Envy 17 4 stars and Editor's Choice awards, citing - among other features - their excellent audio and dedicated volume button as reasons for the laptops' high marks. The fluid motion of the volume control dial gave our reviewer the impression of being a "DJ for a party of one", and the Beats Audio control panel allowed her to adjust the audio quality to her liking.

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But Val isn't interested in Beats Audio, so let's take a look at other high-end laptops that are perfect for audiophiles! The Dell XPS 15, as we said in its review, boasts best-in-class audio. The notebook features JBL Speakers and a bottom-mounted subwoofer good enough to serve as a home stereo. Even at maximum volume (which blows other laptops away with its ability to fill a room), the XPS 15 delivers clear and true sound. Individual instruments on tracks such as "Thus Spake Zarathustra" can be easily discerned.

Moreover, the 15-inch XPS 15 features Wave MaxxAudio sound enhancement software, which allows you to make fine adjustments to each audio setting or set the audio presets for music, movies, gaming, or voice conferencing. Our reviewer's favorite feature was the "leveler," which automatically adjusts the speakers to deliver the highest fidelity sound at maximum volume.

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The 17-inch Dell XPS 17 sports the same high-quality JBL Speakers and subwoofer as its smaller cousin, as well as the excellent MaxxAudio control panel. The XPS 17 adds support for 5.1 surround sound via HDMI output to the mix as well, making it an ideal choice for a DJ looking to hook their laptop up to a full set of speakers. The XPS 17 also features SoundBlaster X-Fi software, which boosts the sound of effects and music in games.

If the XPS series isn't to your liking, the ASUS N43SL Jay Chou Special Edition might scratch your audio itch. The N43SL, designed in collaboration with Taiwanese pop superstar Jay Chou, features a top-facing speaker - powered by Bang and Olufsen ICEpower and ASUS's own SonicMaster technology - that easily filled our test room with sound. When we listened to Radiohead's "Reckoner," the sound quality was almost as good as if we were playing the track through a home stereo system.

If you have a question about fixing a technical problem or buying a new product, drop us a line and we’ll respond to the most interesting questions in this section.

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When we last reviewed the Dell XPS 15, we praised the notebook's strong performance, best-in-class audio, and colorful screen. Now Dell has upgraded its premium 15-incher with Intel's second-generation Core Series processors and Nvidia GeForce GT 500 series graphics, which promise even better performance. We had a chance to test out a high-end $1,488 configuration of the XPS 15, complete with a 2-GHz quad-core Core i7, 8GB of RAM, a 1080p screen, and Nvidia GT540M graphics. These specs promise--and deliver--remarkable processing and media prowess, but is the whole package worth nearly $1,500?

Editor's Note: Portions of this review were adapted from the original XPS 15 review.

Design

The Dell XPS 15 sports a matte silver anodized aluminum lid that doesn't pick up fingerprints, but it seems a bit dull. Fortunately, Dell offers 200 different Dell Studio lid patterns (an $85 add-on). On the plus side, we appreciate the small black bar that sticks out behind the lid, which has a backlit XPS logo that pulses when the system is asleep. We also like that the matte finish continues on the sides and bottom, areas too often ignored by other notebook makers.

The dark brushed aluminum deck on the inside of the machine and the diamond-cut, silver trim that surround the keyboard and touchpad look more modern. The JBL speakers, which sit on either side of the keyboard, have a unique pattern that looks a bit old-fashioned.

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At 15 x 10.4 x 1.5 inches and 6.6 pounds with the nine-cell battery, the XPS 15 is one of the bulkier 15-inch notebooks we've tested. It barely fit into a standard notebook bag, and it weighs a lot more than the 5.6-pound 15-inch MacBook Pro and the IdeaPad Y560d (6.2 pounds). Also, because the nine-cell battery tilts the system upward, the back side increases to 2.25 inches tall.

Click to enlarge

Heat

Throughout our testing, the Dell XPS 15 stayed pleasantly cool. Even after streaming a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured the touchpad at a reasonable 91 degrees Fahrenheit, the keyboard at 93 degrees, and the bottom at 93 degrees. We consider temperatures below 95 degrees comfortable.

Keyboard and Touchpad

At first glance, the XPS 15's keyboard has a lot going for it: an adjustable backlight, large, well-placed keys, and a generous, comfortable palm rest. However, the keys themselves were somewhat stiff. This led us to be more deliberate when typing. We notched a 74 word-per-minute score on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, 6 wpm lower than our typical average.

Click to enlarge

Above the keyboard sit a few status lights and three touch-sensitive buttons. The first button launches Windows Mobility Center, a mini control panel that allows you to easily manage your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and display settings; we particularly appreciated being able to set the keyboard backlight's brightness. The second button is user-configurable, and the third button launches Dell Audio by Realtek, an audio control center.

The large 3.9 x 2.2-inch touchpad on the XPS 15 offers just the right amount of friction and smoothly executes multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. It also has two discrete mouse buttons that offer good tactile feedback.

Display

The 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution display on the XPS 15 is one of the brightest and most colorful we've tested. Even at viewing angles of nearly 90 degrees to the left or right, images stayed sharp and bright.

Click to enlarge

The XPS 15 played every video we threw at it without hesitation, from a 1080p QuickTime trailer for Thor to a 720p Episode of Fringe streamed from Fox.com to a Blu-ray movie of Hitch. The screen is so sharp that it exposed some film grain in the Hitch Blu-ray.

Audio

The XPS 15 is good enough to serve as your home stereo. The JBL Speakers and bottom-mounted sub-woofer offer incredibly loud and accurate sound. Whether we were listening to a bass-heavy R&B song such as "Forget Me Nots," a funk classic such as Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness," or a classical tune such as Richard Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra," sound was bright and true, even at maximum volume. In fact, when listening to these songs we were able to hear a clear separation of instruments, from the twanging of the bass line in "Forget Me Nots" to the percussion in "Summer Madness."

The Wave MaxxAudio sound enhancement software plays a huge role in providing this level of fidelity. When you hit the Waves MaxxAudio button that sits above the PrtSrc key, you get a control panel where you can turn MaxxAudio on or off and make fine adjustments to its settings. The software also includes preset levels that are optimized for music, movies, gaming, or voice conferencing. However, our favorite feature is the Leveler, which automatically adjusts your speakers to give you the best possible fidelity at maximum volume, It also has a "midnight" setting that gives you lower volumes for late-night listening.

Ports and Webcam

The Dell XPS 15 has a few high-end ports. On the right side are a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and an S/PDIF connector, along with a USB 2.0/eSATA combo port. On the back, the XPS 15 has an HDMI port, Ethernet, mini DisplayPort, Kensington lock slot, and a USB 3.0 port. On the left side is one more USB 3.0 port. The front lip contains a 9-in-1 card reader. The XPS 15 doesn't have a VGA connection for video output, but that's not a big deal for the target audience.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

The 2-megapixel webcam provides 720p video output that works with Skype HD. The low-light performance seems improved over that of the XPS 15 we tested last fall. In both our dim living room and a dark cubicle, we were able to get reasonably bright images when using Skype or taking photos with Dell's Webcam Central software. Dell's software offers a wide array of additional features, including the ability to use one of 10 "avatars" in lieu of your face. These choices include a baby, a kitten, and an alien.

Intel WiDi 2.0 and 3DTV Play

Like other notebooks with second-generation Intel Core Series processors, the Dell XPS 15 supports Intel's Wireless Display technology for sending the contents of your desktop to an HDTV with a compatible adapter attached (such as the Netgear Push2TV HD). The technology supports full 1080p transmissions, but it does not yet work with DRM-protected content.

Though the XPS 15 does not have a 3D-capable display or emitter, its Nvidia GT 540M video card can stream three-dimensional video to a 3D-enabled television using Nvidia's 3DTV Play software and the system's HDMI 1.4 port. 3DTV Play will display photos or videos you capture with a 3D camera or camcorder, as well as content from the web. To take full advantage of this software, though, you should equip the XPS 15 with a Blu-ray drive that can play 3D Blu-ray movies.

Performance

With its 2-GHz Intel quad-core Core i7-2630QM, Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics, and a 7,200-rpm hard drive, the XPS 15 offers plenty of performance. On PCMark Vantage, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall speed, the XPS 15 scored a whopping 8,548. That showing is about 50 percent above the mainstream notebook category average of 5,012 and better than the Core i5-powered ASUS N53JF (5,895) and even the newest 15-inch MacBook Pro (7,648).

The XPS 15's 750GB 7,200-rpm hard drive took 53 seconds to boot Windows, which is faster than the 66-second category average. The XPS 15's drive took just 2 minutes and 33 seconds to copy 4.97GB worth of mixed media from one folder to another; that's a rate of 33.3 MBps, well above the 24.8 MBps category average but behind the MacBook Pro 15-inch (36.4 MBps) and slightly behind the ASUS N53JF (33.9 MBps).

When it comes to transcoding video, the Dell XPS 15 is one of the fastest notebooks yet. It took only 36 seconds to convert a 5-minute 1080p video to iPod touch format using CyberLink MediaEspresso. That's way faster than the 2:10 category average and even the 1:24 time offered by the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Encoding a 114MB MP4 to AVI using Oxelon Media Encoder took only 42 seconds, 19 seconds better than the 1:01 category average but a little bit slower than the MacBook Pro's 37-second mark.

Graphics

The XPS 15's powerful Nvidia GeForce GT 540 graphics chip uses Nvidia Optimus technology to switch automatically between integrated graphics and high-speed discrete mode. On 3DMark06, which measures overall graphics prowess, the XPS 15 provided a strong score of 8,101, which is more than double the category average of 3,740. That score is also better than the ASUS N53JF (6,823), but less than the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (10,359), which has an AMD Radeon 6750 GPU. On the more modern 3DMark11 benchmark, the XPS 15 scored 1,006, better than the category average (846), but a little behind the MacBook Pro 15-inch (1,345).

In World of Warcraft, the XPS 15 managed a strong 88 frames per second with the resolution at native and effects on the recommended setting. That's well above the category average of 81.4 fps and a lot better than the MacBook Pro's 63 fps and the ASUS N53JF's 70 fps (which has NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics). When we turned the special effects up, that rate dropped to 53 fps, which was still better than the 29 fps category average and the MacBook Pro (43 fps). It's all the more impressive considering the XPS 15's display is a higher resolution than the MacBook Pro--1920 x 1080 vs. 1440 x 900.

In the more demanding game Far Cry 2, the XPS 15 managed 56 frames per second in 1024 x 768 resolution and 29 fps at 1920 x 1080. Those numbers both best the category averages of 36.4 and 17.5 and the ASUS N53JF (50/18 fps).

Battery Life and Wireless

When equipped with a bulky nine-cell battery, the Dell XPS 15 lasted 4 hours and 26 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi at 40-percent brightness. That's a little better than the 4:02 mainstream notebook average and way better than the 3-hour mark provided by the ASUS N53JF, but it pales in comparison to the 8-hour and 23-minute time of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Considering that the notebook will die in a lot less than four hours if you turn up the brightness or play a video, the XPS 15 isn't the most portable system around.

The Intel Centrino 6230n 802.11n wireless card managed decent transfer rates of 33.7 and 20.7 Mbps at distances of 15 and 50 feet from the router, respectively. Those scores are on a par with the category averages of 33.7 and 22 Mbps.

Configuration Options

The MSRP for our Dell XPS 15 review unit was $1,488. For that price, you get a 1080p screen, a 2-GHz Core i7-2630QM CPU, Nvidia GT 540 graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200-rpm hard drive, Blu-ray, and an extended battery.

However, the XPS 15 starts at just $799 with a 1366 x 768 screen, 2.6-GHz Core i5-560M CPU, 4GB of RAM, Nvidia GT 420M graphics, a 500GB hard drive, and no Blu-ray. On Dell.com, you can configure the system with more RAM, a bigger hard drive, a better video card, and a faster CPU, among other options. Whatever you do, we highly recommend splurging $170 for the 1920 x 1080 screen option, though you can save money by sticking with only 4GB of RAM and skipping the extended battery ($40).

Software and Warranty

The XPS 15 has a fair amount of pre-loaded software, all of which is available from the Dell Stage navigation bar which sits near the bottom of the Windows desktop. You can also add your own application shortcuts to the Dell Stage navigation bar by dragging their shortcuts onto it. However, you could save desktop space by closing the Stage Bar and just pinning your shortcuts to Windows 7's taskbar.

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Dell's Music Stage is an attractive music organizer that sorts your tunes by album, artist, and genre while also providing integration with Napster's paid all-you-can-play streaming service and Radio Time, a service that helps you find online radio stations around the world. PhotoStage is a stylish but simple picture gallery and organization tool that even lets you do a little basic editing such as cropping, rotating, or red-eye correcting. VideoStage allows you to play local videos, DVDs/Blu-rays, and purchase downloadable titles from CinemaNow.

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StickyNotes allows you to create cute little stickies that pop up from the Dell Stage Bar, but unlike Windows 7's built-in notes, these cannot stick to the desktop itself. Web tiles allow you to add thumbnail shortcuts to up to four of your favorite sites.

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Dell backs the XPS 15 with a standard one-year warranty on parts and labor. To see how Dell did on our tech support showdown, click here.

Verdict

At $1,488, the Dell XPS 15 with Intel's second-generation Core i7 processor offers blistering performance, strong graphics, and stellar video and audio playback. If you don't plan on moving your notebook much, the larger Dell XPS 17 offers a 3D 17-inch display, the same great audio, and similar specs for the slightly lower cost of $1,474. And if you're looking for a more portable machine with longer battery life--and are willing to spend more--get the $1,799 15-inch MacBook Pro. Overall, though, those looking for a powerful 15-inch multimedia machine at a reasonable price should put the XPS 15 at or near the top of their shopping list.