Dell XPS-15 L502x

Dell XPS-15 L502x

High-Octane Entertainment

A high-performance 15" laptop with 2nd Gen Intel® Core™, JBL speakers and sharp graphics

The good: Dell's new XPS 15 offers a high-resolution screen and excellent JBL speakers. Intel's new Core i-series CPUs and Nvidia graphics are standard, but there are also plenty of configuration options.

The bad: The extremely bulky, uninspired design of the XPS 15 doesn't suit its price, and though the battery life is very good, it's not as great as Apple's MacBook Pro. Some configuration options feel like they should have been included for free.

The bottom line: Equipped with second-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs and improved Nvidia graphics, the new Dell XPS 15 performs even better than its predecessor, although it's still just as bulky. Also, keep in mind that the XPS 15 ranges greatly in price, from $799 up to $1,500.

One of last year's most impressively priced high-end multimedia laptops was the Dell XPS 15. Though it was certainly not svelte, the $849 entry-level model we reviewed had an excellent set of specs and some of the best-sounding speakers we've ever heard on a portable.

The new XPS 15 looks a lot like the old one--which isn't that old, really: we reviewed it back in November 2010. Still, there are a few key differences with the 2011 update. First and foremost, all XPS models now have new second-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs. The GPUs have also been revamped, incorporating newer Nvidia GeForce GT 500-series graphics. The keyboard has also been given some tweaking, which we'll go into in more detail. Finally, the built-in Intel Wireless Display is now WiDi 2.0, incorporating HD streaming up to 1080p.

The base model of the new XPS 15 is actually even cheaper than last year's, at $799. It comes with a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GT525 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB, 7,200rpm hard drive.

That's not the one we reviewed, though. Unlike last time, Dell sent us a top-of-the-line fully rigged model, the XPS15-L502X, running around $1,488 on Dell's Web site: a quad-core 2GHz Core i7-2630QM CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200rpm hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics, a Blu-ray drive, and a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution screen, along with a chunky but longer-life nine-cell battery.

It's a heavy beast, and expensive, too, but if you're looking for a media laptop that can blast movies, play games, and show them off on a great screen, the new XPS 15 could be just what you're looking for. But don't feel like you have to spring for all the upgrades; the base model should be more than enough for most--unless you're looking for Blu-ray and a full 1080p display.

Price as reviewed / starting price	$1,488 / $799
Processor	2.0GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM (quad-core)
Memory	8GB, 667MHz DDR3 RAM
Hard drive	750GB 7,200rpm
Chipset	Intel HM67
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce GT540M + Intel GMA HD (Optimus)
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Dimensions (WD)	15 x 10.4 inches
Height	1.3-1.5 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	15.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	6.7 / 8.0 pounds
Category	Mainstream

The size and shape of the Dell XPS 15 is best described as beefy and bulky, with a flat, wide silver profile that looks like plastic but is actually metal. A thick, slightly tapered base and wide, flat, brushed-aluminum lid look, at first glance, like they belong on a budget laptop. Especially with the extra riser added by the nine-cell battery option, the overall effect is one of the thickest laptops we've seen on the market. The XPS has undeniably throwback looks, and not in a good way.

The hinge-forward design on the XPS mirrors other recent Dell laptops, such as the Inspiron R and Mini 10, pushing the screen forward a little in relation to the keyboard but giving the rear end significant chunk. The XPS uses that back lip for a handful of rear-facing ports, including HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Ethernet, the power jack, and one of its two USB 3.0 ports. It nearly acts like a dock, giving this XPS a very desktop-friendly feel for keeping wires out of the way, but making access a little tough for lap use.

The thick chassis has some noticeable flex on the sides, giving an impression of being not quite as solidly built as other high-end laptops such as the MacBook Pro and HP Envy. However, this is a laptop that gets a lot better once you actually start using it. A wide, generous palm rest and keyboard deck is covered in more brushed metal, with a raised chiclet-style keyboard centered right in the middle between two speaker grilles.

The keyboard is new, a shift from the flat keyboard with raised key surfaces seen on many of last year's Dell laptops. It's a nicer look, but it doesn't add up to anything significantly more ergonomic than the previous XPS. Typing feels very comfortable, although there could have been room for a number pad in the wide chassis.

We do have a few gripes: the backlit keyboard is now a $40 upgrade instead of an included feature on the entry-level model. And, though last year's XPS had function-reversed volume and media control keys, they've flipped back to requiring pressing the function key in this year's model. It's a bit of a drag. We're not huge fans of the column of page up/down buttons lining the right side of the keyboard, relegating the Enter/Shift keys to inner positions that aren't instantly touch-intuitive, but it's a trend that's growing for laptop keyboards everywhere.

A few backlit touch controls lie on the upper-right side above the keyboard, to the left of a slightly off-from-center power button. A settings button launches a pop-up of useful controls, ranging from Bluetooth to battery mode; we wish more laptops had such a hot key. Another button can be customized to instantly launch any program, and a third brings up fine-tuning controls for the Waves MaxxAudio system that runs through the JBL speakers.

Dell's onscreen dock, much like the icon dock in Mac OS X, provides an instant-access strip for commonly used programs, augmenting Windows 7 nicely. It's not new or unique, but we appreciated it once again on the XPS 15.

A large multitouch touch pad is nearly the size of the MacBook Pro's, and it controls better than many touch pads we've seen. Simple wide buttons beneath do their job without fanfare, but reliably.

Like last year's XPS, the included 5.1-speaker/subwoofer array is one of the best we've ever heard in a laptop. Music and movies play with crisp pop, punch, and separation, and gaming shows off the surround-simulating effects. They're so good, they're going to be one of primary features you'll show off to friends and family, and they'll probably make you skip using headphones--to the chagrin of neighbors or roommates.

The 15.6-inch LED-backlit glossy 16:9 display in our high-end XPS 15 configuration has a 1,920x1,080-pixel full-HD display, which costs an extra $150 on Dell's Web site to customize. Based on our experience, it's worth the upgrade: colors popped, images were extremely vivid, and movies and games looked spectacular. Combined with the XPS' powerful sound, it adds up to one of the best portable home-theater offerings in any recent laptop we've seen. The Blu-ray drive--an extra $100, or $175/$275 for two different speeds of BD-write capable drives--makes sense in a laptop with media features this strong.

An HD Webcam records video at resolutions up to 1,600x1,200 pixels, or at 1,280x720 pixels in HD H.264 format. Though frame rates are choppy using normal settings, the HD recording mode produces smooth, very watchable clips. The Webcam is also compatible with SkypeHD for HD streaming, a pleasant bonus. A noise-canceling microphone adds to the chat package, pushing its chat capabilities closer to that of a business laptop.

	Dell XPS 15-L502X (Core i7, Sandy Bridge)	Average for category [Mainstream]
Video	HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, TV tuner	VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo 2.1 speaker/subwoofer, 2 headphone jacks (one S/P DIF), 1 microphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0/eSATA combo, SD card reader	4 USB 2.0, SD card reader, eSATA
Expansion	None	ExpressCard/54
Networking	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, optional mobile broadband/WiMAX	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive	Blu-ray drive	DVD burner

The new Dell XPS has the same set of ports we saw in the XPS back in November, and that's OK, since those ports already were pretty up-to-date. Though the XPS lacks an ExpressCard slot, it comes with two USB 3.0 ports, an optional TV tuner (included on our config), and HDMI 1.4 with Nvidia 3DTV Play, allowing playback of 3D games or Blu-ray content onto a 3D HDTV via an HMDI cable. You'll need a 3D TV to even take advantage of this feature, of course, and we doubt many people will.

Configurations for the Dell XPS 15 vary across a tremendous spectrum, starting at $799 and climbing into the $1,500 range. Like many Dell laptops, the number of customizable extras can seem daunting: nearly every feature has an upgrade. That HD Webcam, confusingly, has two options, one of which adds facial recognition for $20, a feature most would assume comes as a standard software feature; there are WiMax and Bluetooth options; the keyboard comes in standard or backlit (an extra $40); and the JBL speaker system has a completely confusing and unnecessary $20 upgrade option on Dell's Web site. You get the picture.

The important basics to note: the starting CPU is a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M; the top CPU, a 2.3GHz Core i7-2820QM, costs an extra $500. RAM can be upgraded to 8GB from the base 4GB for $120. A 256GB SSD drive option is available for $600. GPU options are limited: either the Nvidia GeForce GT 525M, or the GT 540M, with twice the memory, for an extra $100. A TV tuner will cost you $50.

Our configuration came with a quad-core 2.0GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU, which costs $175 over the base CPU. This is one of Intel's new Sandy Bridge 2011 processors. In our benchmarks, performance was excellent and clear improvement over last year's dual-core Core i5--not surprising, since that was a last-gen processor and a lower-end CPU option. However, even against other 2011 laptops with Intel Sandy Bridge next-gen CPUs, it more than held its own, making a considerable speed leap over last year's Intel CPUs. We ran multiple windows of processor-intensive tasks and experienced practically no slowdown, although the side vents blasted some very hot air from time to time.

Graphically, this XPS is another step up from an already solidly performing 2010 version we reviewed. The Nvidia GeForce GT 525M Optimus automatic-switching GPU has 2GB of video memory; Unreal Tournament III ran at 53.1 frames per second at full 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, and 81.5fps at 1,440x900 pixels with medium settings. Our benchmark of Street Fighter IV at full-screen and full-HD resolution played perfectly, at a buttery 59.8fps. As you'd expect from a laptop priced this high, it's more than capable of playing cutting-edge games on its HD screen.

Specifications

Color	Silver
Series	Studio XPS
Operating System	Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor Type	Intel Core i7
Processor Speed	(2.20GHz Turbo Up To 3.10GHz)
Processor L2 Cache	6 MB
Processor Model	i7-2670QM
RAM Capacity	4 GB
RAM Type	DDR3
Hard Disk Capacity	750 GB
HDD RPM	7200
HDD Interface	SATA
Screen Size	15.6 inch
Screen Type	LED
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
Video Memory	2 GB
Optical Drive	DVD/RW
USB Ports	3
Bluetooth	Yes
Webcam	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
HDMI	Yes
Fingerprint Reader	No
Ethernet Card	10/100/1000
Battery Cells	6
Dimension	381 (W) x 32.2 (H) x 265.4 (D) mm
Weight	2.78 kg

Features

Movies, games, music and web chat come to life with amazing visuals and incredible sound - all powered by the latest Intel processors. Its top-of-the-line adaptable speed and responsiveness makes the second-generation Intel Core i5 processors the ideal choice for visibly smart performance.

• Get new, faster second-generation Intel processors
• Experience leading-edge NVIDIA performance graphics that bring your media to life
• Get high-fidelity JBL speakers with Waves MaxxAudio 3
  

High-Octane Entertainment
Powerful graphics. Powerfully smart. The XPS 15 laptop has what it takes to take you to new levels of performance. Its top-of-the-line adaptable speed and responsiveness make the second-generation Intel Core i7 processor the ideal choice for visibly smart performance.

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Second-Generation Intel Core i7 Processor
Whether it's HD or 3D, multitasking or multimedia, this processor can handle it all. Its top-of-the-line adaptable speed and responsiveness make the second-generation Intel Core i7 processor the ideal choice for visibly smart performance at its best.Second-generation Intel Core i7 processors are up to 42 percent faster on content creation than previous-generation i7 processors.

Spend more time creating and less time waiting.

• Edit video from camcorder faster - Up to 47 percent
• Create digital photo memories faster - Up to 35 percent

Razor-Sharp Graphics Come Standard
XPS 15 laptop comes standard with Intel's new HD Graphics 3000, which are up to 6x faster on mainstream gaming than previous-generation i7 processors and integrated graphics2.
The XPS 15 has leading-edge NVIDIA performance graphics for powerful photo and video editing and high-resolution gaming with breathtaking detail.

Smart Power Management
Long media marathons are no problem with smart power management that helps extend battery life when you need it. NVIDIA Optimus technology automatically optimizes your battery life while maintaining the graphics performance you expect - completely, seamlessly and transparently - whether you're watching an HD movie, surfing the Web or playing a 3D game.

Mind-Blowing Audio
XPS laptops are designed to be the loudest, clearest and cleanest laptops on the planet.

High-fidelity JBL speakers combined with Waves MaxxAudio 3 technology produce rich, full sound that delivers booming bass and razor-sharp clarity to your favorite movies, music and games.

Treat your ears with up to 20W of peak audio performance on the XPS 15.Using the same award-winning Waves algorithms heard on hit records, major motion pictures, and popular video games the world over, MaxxAudio is designed to deliver better dynamic range, frequency response, and imaging, with maximum transparency, clarity, and natural sound. Waves Pro Audio tools are endorsed by many of the biggest names in show business, including twelve-time Grammy award winner Kanye West.

Plus, your sound is fully customizable - personalize, store and dial up your own precision presets. With a touch of your finger, the exclusive Waves button on your XPS laptop gives you instant access to the MaxxAudio interface. The ultimate laptop sound is only a touch away!

Your Life in Hi-Def
XPS laptops have the tools that bring your world to you, wherever you are.

Ultraclear. Ultraflexible.
Connect with your loved ones across the globe in stunning high definition using the internet and XPS 15's HD Webcam. It's the first Webcam to offer HD video streaming for ultraclear 720p resolution. That means you can go to full screen while chatting and still maintain a very crisp image of your loved ones.

Experience the moment as if you were there. You can also record and share videos at low resolution, for sending via email or at high resolution, to post to YouTube.

Connect to the World
Video conferencing is now even easier with Dell and Skype. The new XPS 15 is one of the first laptops to be certified by Skype and offers preinstalled Skype software standard on every XPS 15.

3D at Home on the Big Screen
XPS laptops are the first Dell laptops to offer integrated NVIDIA 3DTV4 Play technology. This technology enables you to leverage the 3D processing power of GeForce graphics to create an immersive 3D experience in your own home, on a compatible 3D TV.

Simply connect your laptop to a 3D-enabled TV and effortlessly project your favorite Blu-ray5 3D movies and 3D photo slideshows for a real-life theater experience. Then, bring your 3D-enabled games6 to life. With the power of your laptop and a 3D TV, you can step into an eye-popping 3D gaming experience right in your living room. To harness the 3D power of your XPS 15, all you need is a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable, optional Blu-ray Disc drive, an NVIDIA compatible 3DTV, 3D glasses and 3D media.

Commitment to Quality
We've made a number of customer-initiated refinements to our XPS laptops. The XPS design process incorporates rigorous testing that is developed to align with our real-world customer feedback and use. We even step out of the testing labs and have our own employees and customers beta-test these laptops to provide ongoing feedback to engineering.

We stress-test all XPS laptops as performance gaming systems to help ensure you get the performance you expect out of your new high-powered XPS laptop and to ensure they keep their cool under the most performance-hungry situations. Power adaptors exceed average customer consumption needs to help ensure you have the power to support even the most difficult tasks.

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