Which processor to choose for XPS 15 ?

Here are the i7 processors available for configuration for the XPS 15. I do general web surfing, listen to lossless music files, do office apps, occasional video editing (usually just shortening and re-encoding videos) and a lot of music conversion that is time consuming on my older PC/processor.

Can anyone who knows about processors please comment? I know that usually the highest processor is such a high premium upgrade price that it's not worth it, but what about the others? Which are the ones that are worth the price and would make a noticeable difference to the performance?


Intel Core i7 Processors
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2860QM processor 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.60 GHz [add $400.00 or $11.00/month1]
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM processor 2.40 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.50 GHz [add $200.00 or $6.00/month1]
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.10 GHz [Included in Price]
2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2640M processor 2.80 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.50 GHz [add $100.00 or $3.00/month1]

 

Since you do video editing and music conversion, I suppose the 2670QM (which is the cheapest quad core CPU) would be what I would pick.

 

2670 or maybe the 2760. The quad cores will be good for encoding. The 2670 should be plenty for you though. The 2860 isn't worth the upgrade price for what it nets you.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

First, before you even acknowledge the fact that there are multiple processors to choose from, make sure you upgrade to the 1920x1080 B+RGLED display. Never buy an XPS 15 with 1366x768.

 

Yeah, yeah, we've all seen your posts on that a hundred times. This thread is about processors.

 

I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one to notice that same post dozens of times. Sometimes it even has a helpful screenshot with a giant red X through the 720P display lmao. one begins to wonder if he's got stock in the company that manufactures 15.6 1080p display.

 

He's more than annoying.

 

Because I don't give inconsistent advice. I give the same advice to everybody who is looking to buy a Dell XPS 15 and I will not concern myself with how bothersome it may be to a select ~1% of the population while the other ~99% benefit from my advice.

No I do not own stock in 1080p displays. Both the 720p and 1080p displays most commonly used in the XPS 15 actually happen to be made by the same company, AU Optronics.

 

You're highjacking threads that have nothing to do with your repeated posts. Someone could just as easily post in every thread that one must buy the backlit keyboard, as the laptop isn't complete without it. That would be just as unwelcome as your intrusive, repetitive posts.

 

It is not hijacking the thread. It is ensuring that an important piece of information regarding the XPS 15 is known.

Nobody makes these posts about the backlit keyboard, because the backlit keyboard is not quite as 'essential' of an upgrade as the screen is. The backlit keyboard is a nice upgrade but the default keyboard isn't nearly as much of a 'limiting factor' as the 1366x768 display is.

The fact is that Dell's marketing causes unsuspecting customers believe that the 1366x768 display is an "above average high definition true-to-life display" which is a lie. Another fact is that while processors and GPUs have improved significantly over the years, screens have gone backwards. If I don't intervene and state the facts about this, fewer people will realize this and more people will unwittingly buy the 720p display and take other upgrades instead, without having considered the screen upgrade as heavily as they should have and without factoring in the facts why the screen upgrade generally makes the most difference out of all of the upgrades available.

I have no way of knowing whether or not you have seen my posts before, I can't keep track of the thousands of usernames on this forum.


EDIT: Plus, I'm not saying that suggesting the backlit keyboard in a large number of threads would be a bad thing either. It's just not as essential of an upgrade.

 

I never said I don't agree with your post or see the need for it. However it begs the question that if it's so important that it must be known, why not just make a thread regarding the sup-par 1366x768 display? Surely that'd be more effective than tracking down every inquiry regarding the XPS 15 and ensuring that you notify the individual about the screen.

 

Because not everybody will see the thread. In order to make the thread even close to being as effective as individual posts, it would have to be a NBR-wide announcement covering all of the forums, with a descriptive-enough eye-catching title.

If you do not find my posts "helpful," simply ignore them
But whining about them will not stop me from giving my advice to others.

 

Not whining. Just wondering.

 

You're like a lot of self-righteous people: you're convinced that your opinion matters more than anyone elses's, so you believe you're justified in breaking rules and annoying others.

 

*sigh*

Self-righteous? Look. Whether you get a 720p or 1080p screen doesn't affect me at all. I'm giving you what my experience tells me is the best advice: to prioritize the screen over the processor, and worry about the processor if you still have the budget for it after upgrading the screen. If you are so determined not to take my advice, then don't. But saying my advice is for self-centered purposes is incorrect.

Basically: If your usage is not performance intensive, take the cheapest processor you can get. If you play CPU-intensive games or run CPU-intensive software (e.g. Video Editing), take the i7-2670QM or i7-2760QM (only the 2760QM if it's particularly intensive or if you need the VT-d/AES instructions) - but not instead of the 1080p screen.

Not necessarily you, just in general.