New Dell XPS 15 Config Questions

Hi all,
I posted this in another forum but am struggling to get any traction. I'm hoping to buy a new Dell XPS 15 and have a couple of questions regarding config options. Here is a full list of the available configurations: https://app.box.com/s/nlzmc9x01j4j2vcd2awpbyoxgxvovo6z/1/15998526969/119424865785/1

First off, my understanding is that even if it comes with a 1050 or 1050 TI, it will not be VR compatible no matter what, is this correct?

Second is regarding choosing either a 1080p or 4k screen. I don't really care about touch screen but 4k sounds good to me. The problem is that I have always preferred matte screens to glossy and my understanding is that the 1080p is matte and the 4k is glossy. I've never had a glossy screen so I am open ears if you think the difference is minimal but I'm comfortable with my matte display so I'm nervous to rock the boat though happy to hear opinions telling me I am being silly. I'm also afraid that if I choose the 1080p, it may cause compatibility issues when trying to cast (or whatever other form of connection) 4k content to my 4k TV. Is that an issue or can a 1080p laptop easily project 4k content to a 4k display?

My primary uses for the laptop are projecting content to my TV, the occasional game, and some database management. My day to day use isn't overly intensive on the computer but my costs are not constrained for this purchase. With that said, of course I don't want to pay for features I won't be able to make use of and if the laptop won't be usable for VR, I'm not that concerned with it being a stacked gaming rig so long as it can give average performance for the once a year game I may buy.

Given that kind of use and a flexible budget, what components would you be likely to max out on and what, if anything, would you prefer to keep more basic? SSD? 16 or 32mb ram? Max out video card? i3, i5, or i7 processor? All input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Hi, unfortunately the page you are mentioned is offline...did you take a screenshot?
The decision of your configuration might depend on your budget. Do you need the bigger battery? I really liked the 4k screen for watching movies etc. but it Drains your battery faster. For CPU the i5 might do its job for you but having the i7 for future needs might be good.
Did the document mention the option for upgrading the 1050 to 1050ti?

 

I have yet to be convinced about the merits of 4k resolution on a notebook screen which is used at arm's length. Very high dpi also introduces potential scaling problems with any software which isn't properly scaling-aware. More pixels also result in increased computational requirements and also more power drain. I've got the Precision 5510 (equivalent to the XPS15 9550) with the FHD display and am very happy with my choice.

The Intel graphics driver is clever enough to handle different resolutions on different display devices provided you treat external displays as extended. However, mirroring one display onto another requires them to be at the same resolution.

Regarding components, RAM and the SSD are easily upgradable but you can't change the CPU. You have to live with the CPU and whether you need the fastest (which always carries a price premium). Notebookcheck has a very useful mobile CPU benchmark list. The i5 quad core doesn't have hyperthreading but if you aren't likely to be running programs with more than 4 threads then it's fine.

John

 

Thanks guys. Rockstar, the link in my post seems to still be working for me and shows the config options. No 1050 ti listed (I am pasting the info below this post but its not formatting right so better with the link).

How big of a difference do you expect from a i5 to an i7 for mostly just watching videos, general browser work, occasional game, and some database management? I assume SSD is very clearly superior to an HDD for day to day use but can the same be said between an i5 and an i7?

So you are confident that when extending the laptop to a 4k TV, 4k content can be viewed well on the TV without issue if I choose the 1080 screen? I'm really on the fence between the two. Budget is not a big concern but I don't want to pay for anything unless I genuinely want it and can't tell what's 'better' here. I'm not obsessed with battery life but there are definitely real trade offs going with the 4k.

Should I just give up altogether thinking I'll ever be using VR hardware with this laptop?






Options:
XPS 15
Feature Technical Specifications
Processor Options 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-7100H processor (3M Cache, up to 3.0 GHz)
7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-7300HQ Quad-Core processor (6M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz)7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ Quad-Core processor (6M Cache, up to 3.8 GHz)Dimensions Height: 0.45-0.66 inches (11-17mm) / Width: 14.06 inches (357mm) / Depth: 9.27 inches
(235mm)
Starting at weight* Starting at 4 lbs (1.8kg) with 56Whr** battery, SSD, and non-touch displayStarting at 4.5 lbs (2kg) with 97Whr** battery, SSD and touch displayDisplay options 15.6” FHD (1920x1080) InfinityEdge display15.6” UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) InfinityEdge touch display
350-nit, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 72% typical on FHD, 100% minimum Adobe RGB on 4K Ultra HD,
170° wide viewing angle - 85° / 85° / 85° / 85°
Capacitive touchscreen – 10-finger touch support
Construction CNC machined aluminum
Edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass NBT™ on 4K Ultra HD displayCarbon fiber composite palm rest with soft touch paint
Memory* Options 8GB, 16GB or 32GB DDR4 at 2133 MHz (2 x SoDIMMs)
Graphics* Intel® HD Graphics 630NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5 graphicsBattery 56Whr or 97Whr Battery (built-in)*
*Battery is built-in to the laptop and is not replaceable by the customer.
AC adapter 130W AC adapterStorage options* 500GB HDD + 32GB Flash or 1TB HDD + 32GB Flash with Intel® Smart Response Technology
256GB PCIe SSD, 512GB PCIe SSD, or 1TB PCIe SSD
Keyboard /Touchpad
Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard; 1.3mm travelPrecision touchpad, seamless glass integrated button
Wireless connectivity Killer™ 1535 Wireless-AC 2x2 + Bluetooth 4.1Intel® 8265 Wireless-AC 2x2 + Bluetooth 4.1Miracast™ capable
Audio Stereo Speaker, Dual Microphones, High Definition Audio with Waves MaxxAudio® Pro
Webcam Widescreen HD (720p) webcam with dual array digital microphonesPorts and connectors HDMI, USB 3.0 (x2) with PowerShare; Headset Jack (1); SD card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC);
Kensington Lock slot; Thunderbolt™ 3 (1)
Thunderbolt™ 3 supports: Power in / charging, PowerShare, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps bi-directional), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps), VGA, HDMI, Ethernet and USB-A via Dell Adapter (soldseparately)
Operating System Windows 10
Software Skype™, Microsoft Edge, Dropbox
Commercialmanageability andsecurity options
Factory Installed with Dell Command | Update and Dell Command | Power Manager, pluscompatible with all Dell Client Command Suite tools. Dell Data Protection | Encryption (availablevia volume licensing )*, Dell Data Protection | Security Tools, BitLocker Data Encryption withHardware TPM 2.0, optional Computrace, Configuration Services: Static Image, BIOS settings,Asset Tagging & Reporting

 

Listed as not-VR-ready, but no clue what this actually means.

4K is, surprisingly, actually a little bit better even on 15". But there is also the issue that some old softwares don't play well with high DPI. 4K is much more valuable on an external 30"-or-so display.
I prefer matte but I can live with glossy. It gets nastier outdoors, but I don't use it outdoors often.
The 4K UHD has a wider color gamut, 100% AdobeRGB vs 100% sRGB. If you use color-managed programs, wider gamut is good. I f you don't or don't know what this is, you may be bothered by oversaturated colors in non-CM programs. There is Dell PremierColor to switch profiles manually, but... You may be better off with the FHD if you don't know that you really want 4K and wide-gamut, and save a few bucks here.
Surely you can connect an external 4K display. Mind on the 9550 4k doesn't work via the HDMI port - so a TB3-DP adapter cable is needed, or a hub/dock if you want to want to connect sth else there. You may not be aware that making TB3 work properly has been a major nightmare for many vendors incl Dell, with the TB15 dock dropping connections and overheating, I hope the replacement TB16 works finally.

 

Surely. Mind the SSD variants come with the bigger battery option in the 9550 (extending into the HDD bay space). If you prefer two disks to battery, you might want the HDD option, with the 32GB cache replaced with a proper m.2 NVMe SSD for the system.

 

_sem_, thanks a lot for the advice. Regarding extending to a 4k TV...Right now I am using an ancient WiDi adapter that has worked beautifully for years. It never seemed to catch on but I can turn my TV Into a second wireless monitor to my TV with basically no lag and no issues. After I get my new computer I will also be upgrading my TV and want to make sure I can do this seamlessly and get 4k content wirelessly from my laptop to my TV.

Does it make any difference at all whether the laptop is 1080p or 4k for this to work? What would be the best way to go about this?

I assume a single 512gb SSD would likely be the best option. I'd prefer 1tb but not sure it's worth the extra $200. If that means I can have a bigger battery, that sounds like a plus to me.

Would also like to hear your opinion on the value of the i5 7300hq vs i7700hq. I am not doing any video editing or anything niche like that on the computer. It's for general use, work, occasional games, etc. I have a decent budget, love the portability of it, and it will be my first 15" laptop after consistently using 17" in the past. I'm really hoping to avoid screwing this up so I want to make sure I have my main bases clear before purchase. VR is not a must but being able to extend high quality video is important for me.

 

Connecting 4K decently at 60Hz means a considerable data throughput, hence trouble with older connection standards.
Check the bandwidth illustration here:
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme...s-usb-compatibility-at-full-thunderbolt-speed
Specs say Miracast capable, but I don't know what resolution and frequency it supports. There may also be a dynamic lag involved.

I'd take the i7.

 

What screen you have built in won't effect what resolution you can use for external displays or miracast. Only if you are mirroring (same thing showing on both screens) do they need to be the same resolution. I *think* miracast can handle 4k, but it may not be suitable for video or gaming on.

The 4k screen is glossy and *TOUCH*. The FHD (1080p) screen is matte and not-touch. The 4k will use a bit more power, but comes with a much larger battery.

There's a i7/FHD/16GB/512GB config you could look at, or go for overkill top config (i7, 4k, 1TB, 32GB). On the HDD, look at how much you are using now, double that, and round up to the next available drive option.

 

How do you like having a touch screen? My first thought is that I have no need at all for it. It isn't a tablet, but open ears if I am being naive.

 

I've got a surface book right now. I quite like having the touchscreen. Depends on your usage, but its why I'm going 4k on the 9560 I'm getting.

 

Thought the same for a long time, but for me 4k on the 9550 was a god send in terms of eye strain.
So if you experience eye strain after a few hours of programming work on your notebook without an external screen
I'd at least test a high dpi screen to see if it helps.

I also can't say I have problems with DPI scaling anymore, when I got it in March last year it was horrid, but now
nearly everything I use scales well, this can of course be different for people who use other software genres.

 

Regarding the touch screen on your surface book, you use it even when it's in laptop mode? Again, this isn't a 2-1 so I am curious how useful touch is for a traditional laptop.

Is experiencing LESS eye strain a common claim by users of 4k glossy vs FDH matte? That would be important to me as I'm staring quite a lot at the screen but always though matte was softer on the eyes.

 

I do. Especially if I'm using it while laying in bed (like I am right now). I'll use it for pressing buttons or scrolling through pages. For some stuff its easier than the touchpad. For precision stuff I'll use the pad, but for most stuff the touchscreen is faster and easier.

 

I find matte screens better for extended work-type use. Glossy screens are more spetacular for videos. I have the 9550 FHD and like it quite a bit but the 4k screen is spetacular. Reviewers generaly note how good the Dell 4k screen is but also comment the anti-glare coatings are better with Apple products. I don't find laptop touch screens ergonomic or useful.

RAM and SSD prices have skyrocketed in the past few months. Laptop makers will pass that through to users via higher prices and lower-spec SSD. If I were in your shoes, I would by lower spec from Dell and upgrade to 16GB+ of RAM and at least a 500GB SSD. That will save you some money and give you the opportunity to buy a very high performance SSD.

Regarding SSD, you need to allocate say 50GB to windows and another say 30% empty for optimal performance. My laptop has a 250GB SSD and one (large) program installed so there is no more space. So 500GB is not all that large. Also, SSDs may perform better as capacity rises from 250GB to 500GB etc.; but you need to research there.

I have the i5 which is excellent; cost no object I would get the i7.

The 9550/9560 is right at the thermal limits so you need to keep the fan intake under the computer clear. You can't use this laptop on a bed without a decent laptop (desk-piece of wood etc.) unless you want to block the intakes for overheating and fill the inside with lint.

 

Thanks guys. Again, really helpful.

I hate hearing that you think it will come loaded with a substandard SSD and overpriced RAM. I'm not great with dealing hardware, prefer to avoid it when possible, and I assume once you swap out dell components your warranty won't apply the same which is also a problem for me. I rely on their next day warranty support as I can't send in my computers for fixing which is one of the reasons I stick with Dell. Their at home next day warranty has been a savior many times for me and my laptops tend to get a fair bit of wear and tear from the way I travel and use them.

 

Dell's warranty applies to whatever Dell supplied. Replace any parts using the procedure in the user manual and Dell won't complain that you have been inside unless you have caused physical damage (so use good quality tools). I always keep any components which I have replaced so that I can restore the computer to the supplied condition before calling for warranty. Being able to put back Dell's original SSD provides a way to confirm that a problem isn't caused by software.

It's wrong to refer to Dell's SSDs as substandard but they use several sources for which benchmark results will vary. You would struggle to tell the performance difference in everyday usage without running benchmarks.

John

 

On 4K I don't see individual pixels anymore, the legibility of small fonts is much better, and less zooming is needed with photos.
Regarding matte vs glossy antiglare coatings, matte obviously reduces the reflection problem. With certain panels, glossy versions of the same panel were found to have more gamut, I guess this is why the UHD is glossy. Matte might also reduce sharpness at high DPI, act as a low-pass filter. I've got a 30" external display which is also 100% AdobeRGB yet matte which I prefer. But it is "mere" 2560x1600 and I am becoming annoyed with the pixels I see in it beside the XPS, the DPI discrepancy. A FHD laptop and a 4K big display must be a better combination, with zero DPI scaling issues

 

Touch screens are amazing for people who write or read a lot.

 

Interesting. Sitting in front of a laptop now the notion of reaching so far to swipe the screen rather than just use my mouse seems hard to imagine as that convenient but I realize I can't know until I've tried. It also seems like a big trade off if I am on the fence in general and then I have to take into account that the 4k touch screen will be glossy, the laptop will weigh more, and the battery life will be significantly less. But as I keep saying, please try to convince me if you think I'm wrong. I really am open minded here.

Appreciate the tip John. Do you think for a user like myself it's worth the trouble of buying premium replacement parts rather than just getting decent specs from the get go? Again, mostly just streaming to my TV, some database maintenance, and a bit of gaming but not at all serious. All I ever read is how SSD's keep getting better/cheaper so it's confusing to hear that their prices are skyrocketing.

I wish the XPS 15 could be VR ready but that seems impossible at this point.

 

I can't imagine reaching to put fingerprints on the screen instead of using touchpad or mouse.

Dell's price premiums for higher capacity SSDs or more RAM are sometimes more than it costs to buy the extra components. Check the price difference for adding better specs to your order compared to buying the parts for yourself. The notebook is easy to work on - see the User Manual for detailed instructions on removal and replacement of parts. I like to read the manual before buying a notebook as it helps my understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the product.

The long term trends for both RAM and SSDs are more capacity for less money but the prices for both these components have bucked the trend during the past 6 months. However, it' s possible that Dell has long term supply contracts for these components which are at the first half of 2016 prices and is passing on the savings (compared to current component prices).

John

 

When Im using the touchscreen Im in bed and the rear of the laptop is around my belly button. So its very nearby and natural. I wouldn't do that at a desk or something.

 

I'm really torn on that screen choice. It appears that you can only get a 56WHr battery with the 1080 and a 97WHr with the 4k. How much of a difference do you expect that to be in counteracting the extra power drain that 4k and touch will add? It also appears you cannot get 4k without touch. Wouldn't there be a demand for that since touch in itself causes power drain and some people simply don't want it?

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/productdetails/xps-15-9560-laptop


Correction: It appears there is a 1080p laptop listed with a 97WHr battery. How big of a difference is that?

Do you see anything else interesting from the now on sale laptops compared to the general specs link I posted earlier?

How much of a difference is 16gb vs 32gb of ram for the general uses of streaming to TV, database management, and light gaming? The high end 1080p option has only 16gb of ram and says upgrades are sold separately.

Sadly, I also don't see the option to upgrade the SSD size in the customization options which stinks. 512gb feels a bit too small so I want to go with the 1tb but could it be that you cannot combine a 1080p and 1tb?

 

The top configs have 1TB SSDs, but you have to spend the bucks to get there. Dell has a lot of stuff limited.

 

I see that, but I can't seem to combine a 1tb SSD with a 1080p screen. Do they have a history of adding options soon after launch or would you say what you see is what you get for a decent time going forward?


Is it really that niche to want a 1080p screen combined with an i7 and a 1tb SSD? Seems like a maxed out 1080p would be a relatively high demanded product given that many people simply don't want a 4k glossy touch screen but still want the best hardware available.

 

Since this is a more niche question, it probably is better here. If you are playing online poker, and you try to fit four tables of poker not over lapping (tiling) on a 15" screen, do you think it would look different/better/sharper on a 4k display vs the 1080p? Any elaboration here would be much appreciated.

 

wrong place to ask this and multiple posts for the same thing are frowned upon.

 

alright. i had given up on this thread so was ready to watch it fade away. not sure why you bumped a 4 day old post to shame me but i get it. sorry i posted the same question in two places but my first attempt to post it in the more general thread was drowned out by other stuff so i thought maybe it was better suited here. had i thought more about it, i would have started here in the first place but don't really think it's a big deal.

 

Probably because you're the only one wondering about playing poker on this laptop. Of course a 4k is going to be better than a FHD panel when it comes to cramming stuff on the screen.

 

Well thanks. That's what I have been asking to anyone I can find and no one seemed to address how much more visible small text detail is on a 4k vs a FHD when the size is the same.

 

Well it surely is much more visible, but it is difficult to describe how much, and it depends on how good your eyes are
I've got an unfortunate combination of the UHD laptop panel and a QHD external 30" display, and same absolute size small fonts that are clearly legible on the UHD are illegible pixelated mess un the external one.
And you should check if the particular software you use scales well.

 

4k is 4x more than FHD so it is 4 times better, basically you are cramming 4 1080p panels into the screen

 

Hi all
Concerning glossy screen - I have ordered mate screen protector for mine 9560 4k touch screen
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...ywords=dell+xps+15+9560+mate+screen+protector.
Used similar on my cell phone with event higher DPI - looks fantastic, just it a bit more complex to apply to 15 inch display
So now waiting it to arrive...

 

DELETE, wrong thread sorry.

 

A bit, I gained more grey hairs doing a 10" tablet, take a shower with all the windows shut, that should generate enough steam to keep the dust at bay if you do the protector straight after!

 

I've been lucky to order it with "application kit" which makes whole process a lot (A LOT) more easy ...
Felt same as you when tried to apply antiglare to my phone (no application kit -> broken protector ... good I ordered two just in case) ....
But everything related to 15 inch NB went just fine ... I had ordered two protectors ... actually applied first - second left as spare. The only issue appear is to remove protector from protector (it actually 3 layers, one protect adhesive side.. another protect ... dunno what it protect ... but must be removed and it was really hard to remove because when I try to remove it - it usually start separating adhesive layer from screen )

 

That's a bummer, I think it's there to stop the applicator scratching it.

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