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Dell Studio XPS 13 and 16- what sets these new Laptops apart?

As I had earlier mentioned in my previous entry about Dell XPS 1330 and Dell XPS 1530 models, Dell has come up with its refreshed line up of XPS namely Dell Studio XPS 13 and Dell XPS 16, a cross between its studio and XPS line.Lets have a look what makes these newer models a compelling buy, if you are planning to upgrade your laptop.

Dell studio XPS 16 and Dell Studio XPS 13

Processors : 

The Studio XPS models use the centrino 2 architecture for both its models which promises less battery consumption and more processing power. Studio XPS line starts with Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor which has a FSB of 1066MHz a considerable improvement over the previous XPS models which mostly had 800MHZ (T5800,T6400,T8100,T8300 and T9300 processors). 

The lineup also includes Intel Core 2Duo 8700,T9600 for Dell Studio XPS 13 and   Core 2 Duo P8600,P8700,T9550 and T9800 processors for its Dell Studio XPS 16 models. All these processors are from Penryn family of processors (45nm) and all the x9***  processors have a 6MB L2 Cache.

[Note : Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 doesnot have native 64 bit computing ie EMT64,  but has better power usage with 25watts usage compared to 35watts for other processors mentioned above]

Memory :

I was waiting for this.. the RAM coming with Studio XPS lineup is DDR3 which are at 1066MHz making a huge improvement over the previous XPS 1330 and 1530 which had DDR2 RAM with 667MHz. And at a minimum both the Studio XPS models have 4GB RAM upgradable upto 8GB. DDR3 combined with penryn processors deliver markedly huge perfromance gain.

Graphics :

Studio XPS 16 comes with a  ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 3670 512  MB card and it delivers good HD performance in either 720p or 1080p Full HD (as configured, default is 720p). Studio XPS 13 also has a improvement with NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M and 9500M as options.

Hard disk :

The default Hard disk 320GB at 7200RPM and still the price of the laptop is not very high compared to XPS 1330 and XPS 1530. The hard disk can be configured upto 500GB (5400 RPM)

Other improvements the look and feel has improved considerably and also the Full HD screen of Studio XPS 16 should be a great feautre for gaming and movie buffs. The inbuilt speakers have a huge improvement over the previous models and good enough for watching TV or Movie.

[For those who might be surprised about processor numbers Dell  upgraded the processor lineup two days ago leaving its early adaptors disappointed . Earlier it had Intel core 2 Duo T9400 and T9600 in place of T9550 and T9800]

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Intel core 2 duo T5800 vs T6400 Notebook processors comparision

Notebook Intel Core 2 Duo processors comparision T6400 vs T5800
Notebook Intel Core 2 Duo processors comparision T6400 vs T5800

Specs:

T6400 – 2 GHz 2MB L2 Cache , 800MHz FSB, 45nm (lower better), 35watts, Penryn Family of processors.

T5800 – 2 GHz 2MB L2 Cache , 800MHz FSB, 65nm(lower better) , 35watts, Merom Family of processors

And both the models support native 64 bit computing

Review:

T5800 was the popular model of Intel’s midrange laptops but it has got a upgrade with a new T6400 processor after the 2008 Christmas season. Almost all the major laptop brands have started sidelining their T5800 models in favour of T6400 with almost the same spec.

Many have asked me what is the difference between T5800 and T6400. Typically should be no major difference between the two, but if you have the choice and the price difference is less than or around 50$ always go for the newer model(T6400), the newer models have better architecture better support and your laptop might get a better resale value if you decide to sell.

The only difference in terms of specs is T6400 follows 45nm technology and belongs to the penryn family, whereas the T5800 follows the 65nm architecture.

CPU Benchmark (cpubenchmark.com) values of a very small sample of T6400 show a markedly high improvement over the T5800, im not sure if this is because of the overall higher configuration associated with current T6400 based laptops or maybe inaccurate performance measurement at cpu benchmark. I haven’t included the benchmark values as it could be misleading.

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Dell XPS 1530 vs Dell XPS 1330 vs Dell Studio 15 -best performance price ratio?

This is one of my favorite topics, computer hardware. Many of my friends bought one of these laptops recently. Lets have a look at each of them, though Dell Studio’s basic models are pretty basic, lets bring Dell Studio’s advanced lapops to compete against the XPS models.

 

But first the looks factor

Dell XPS 1330

13.3 inch display, sleek and sexy. This simply wins most by its small footprint and looks.Comes in 5 colors Tuxedo black,Alpine white,Blue,Ping and Red(product red)

Dell XPS 1530
15.4 and though this model is supposed to be 15 inch version of the XPS 1330 looks arent really that great and has the boxy looks of old Dells. Comes in 4 colors Tuxedo black,Blue,Ping and Red(product red)

Dell Studio 15
This is a balancing act between the XPS and inspiron of Dell. It somehow reminds of How typical HP is built. Though not built for style, the Studio 15 closely follows or for some better than XPS 1530 in looks. It has more colour options and designer imprints on the cover.

 

 

 

Performance vs price :

 

Personally I prefer a powerful performer more than looks. In this categoy you might be surprised to see how much difference the looks and build affects cost.

lets take we are going to spend 1000$ and see what we will get for the price

 

Dell XPS 1330

 

For $999 we get

Processor – Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5800 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
RAM – 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
HDD – 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Graphics – Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (Inbuilt,poor performance)
Wifi – 802.11 b/g
Battery – 37Whr Lithium Ion Battery
Sound – High Definition Audio 2.0
Fingerprint – Biometric Fingerprint Reader

To match below XPS 1530 performance XPS 1330 would cost : $ 1129
To match below Studio 15 performance XPS 1330 would cost : $ 1529 + (Actually XPS 1330 cant match Dell Studio 15, as most of the Dell Studios featurs are advanced and not available in XPS 1330)

 

For $ 999 with Dell XPS 1530

Processor – Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T5800 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
RAM – 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
HDD – 250GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Graphics – 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GS
Wifi – 802.11 b/g
Battery – 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Sound – High Definition Audio 2.0
Fingerprint – XPS 1530 Fingerprint Reader

To match below Studio 15 performance XPS 1530 would cost : $ 1359 + (Actually XPS 1530 cant match Dell Studio 15, as most of the Dell Studios featurs are advanced and not available in XPS 1530)

 

Dell Studio 15 (with new Centrino 2) for 999$ you get

Processor – Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8400 (2.20GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache) (centrino 2 fastest and battery saving)
RAM – 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz (Look at the 800MHZ tranfer rate)
HDD – 320GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Graphics – 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 (256 MB and powerful)
Wifi – Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn Half Mini-Card (Intel not cheap Dell card)
Battery – 56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Sound – Integrated Sound Blaster® Audigy™ Advanced HD Software Edition
Fingerprint – Fingerprint Reader

Penny to Penny or even if you choose the maximum options available in XPS and Dell Studio models, surprisingly Dell Studio lands a knockout punch to both the XPS models.

So if you are someone looking for some real work go grab a latest Dell Studio or else if you consider style over performance pick a XPS 1330 , but I strongly believe during Christmas season a new XPS will be available with better processor and Memory.

But now Dell Studio 15 is the winner by a quite a margin in this battle.

See my next article for the exciting comparison between Centrino and Centrino 2 Processors. Also comparison between Dell,HP and Lenovo top performers.