Dell XPS 15 9550 (Core i7, FHD) Notebook Review

[Redaktion]

Finally on its feet. After a series of software issues, we decided to check up once again on a different SKU of the XPS 15 to see if those problematic areas have been patched up. The results are outstanding.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-9550-Core-i7-FHD-Notebook-Review.158875.0.html

[Adriano]

What an amazing machine. I ordered one... in november from an external supplier. I have cancelled the order and reordered this exact SKU, it's the PERFECT combination for me. I hope one day it will be delivered...

[Adriano]

What an amazing machine. I ordered one... in november from an external supplier. I have cancelled the order and reordered this exact SKU, it's the PERFECT combination for me. I hope one day it will be delivered...

To those reading, I also stress the fact that the updates done by DELL are BIOS only. They have nothing to do with hardware updates, so anyone with an XPS15 can benefit from them.

[Ramón Luerna]

You must be kidding. Are you going to pay 1800€ for a laptop with screen flickering and with 56ºC of surface temperature? So you will pay a lot of money to get your eyes burned along with your thighs. I guess you must work for Dell.

[Adrian]

You must be kidding. Are you going to pay 1800€ for a laptop with screen flickering and with 56ºC of surface temperature? So you will pay a lot of money to get your eyes burned along with your thighs. I guess you must work for Dell.

Your guess is wrong. You seem quite partial: if you can find me a similarly specced laptop, similar in size and weight, for a cheper price, please go ahead and link it: I'd love to see it.
Minor flickering occurs, according to the review, only at very low brightess, and very high surface temperature only in very stressful CPU + GPU load. Not even gaming can cause that kind of heat buildup, you need simultaneous furmark and Prime95 or similar.
Luckily, I use very low brightness very rarely and never use simultaneous and long CPU + GPU stresses (only light gaming).

[Ramón Luerna]

Sure I can. Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15.4" Laptop with Retina Display can be bought in Amazon.com for 1849€. Unlike Dell XPS 15, that seems more focused to play games, MacBook Pro Retina 15 is a really outstanding device for video and photo editing. It does not come with a NVDIA card (that I do not need at all having Iris Pro graphics), but it has an amazing screen with great color accuracy, great keyboard and touchpad, and a battery that will keep working long time after XPS 15 will need to operate with its battery charger (I have had XPS in the past, and I will never make the mistake of buying one of them again). When it comes to professional use, I know I can rely on my MacBook. And I do not work for Apple.

[Adrian]

Sure I can. Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15.4" Laptop with Retina Display can be bought in Amazon.com for 1849€. Unlike Dell XPS 15, that seems more focused to play games, MacBook Pro Retina 15 is a really outstanding device for video and photo editing. It does not come with a NVDIA card (that I do not need at all having Iris Pro graphics), but it has an amazing screen with great color accuracy, great keyboard and touchpad, and a battery that will keep working long time after XPS 15 will need to operate with its battery charger (I have had XPS in the past, and I will never make the mistake of buying one of them again). When it comes to professional use, I know I can rely on my MacBook. And I do not work for Apple.

Some notes compared to the unit in review:
1) It has a different OS and little to none Linux support. Not everyone likes Mac OSX and I, for one, would be extremely crippled using it. The unit in review, imho, is the best Windows laptop available, and Linux (which is what I use) goes well with it too.
2) You are comparing apples with pears. You either need a discrete GPU, or don't. The discrete GPU in the XPS is much superior to the Iris graphics. I understand you don't need it, but others may. Even the non-Iris integrated GPU in the XPS is superior to the old Iris graphics in the Mac Pro. Deal with it.
3) The Macbook does not have USB-C ports, which are frankly amazing and a must for any up-to-date notebook. It is outdated. (damn you Lenovo!)
4) The MacBook sports a 2 genrations old processor and IGP. Do you like buying already-old devices paying them as new? I do not.
5) The Mac has half the storage space. To get to 512GB you have to shift an additional 400$. (!!!)
6) Want to upgrade something? Want to replace the battery? Have a laugh.
7) According to Notebookcheck's review the Apple's battery life is shorter once you update the Dell's BIOS. You can say whatever you want, but the numbers are there.
8) The XPS has a good keyboard and reportedly the best Windows touchpad you can find. Yet, I agree, the Mac's touchpad is unsurpassed.
9) The UHD XPS offers touchscreen, which for some may be important.
10) The UHD XPS's display is great and, though not as colour accurate as the Apple's, it has higher resolution. That's a matter of taste (I prefer just a FHD display).

I agree: Apple makes some amazing products, and if it wasn't for the terrible OS (personal opinion) and difficulty in installing Linux, I'd be a loyal customer. The new MacBook Pro will be, I'm sure, a magnificent machine. But it has not been released yet, the current version is outdated both in terms of CPU/GPU performance and in terms of ports, and offers no maintenance and upgrade options whatsoever.

Of course, overall it is a matter of taste and usecases. Neither is hugely superior or inferior. Please consider there may be people with different tastes and necessities.

[Adrian]

By the way the Apple Mac you are considering costs 2300 euros on Apple's site. The fact that you can get it for less elsewhere means nothing: the same is or will be true of Dell's XPS too. In fact you can already find it online at prices more competitive than Dell's site.

[Ramón Luerna]

You are right, it is a matter of taste. I bought a Dell XPS 15 and I will never buy another Dell laptop again, maybe it works for you; it did not work for me. I have had a lot of issues with that laptop, it has spent more time being repaired that being used and it was not the first Dell device I have had that failed: I had too a Dell Latitude E6410 whose motherboard broke after the warranty expired, I thought it was an isolated case and then, recently, I bought the Dell XPS 15... I wish someone had told me what I am telling you and I have not bought that computer. You say I am not partial, of course I am not, it is hard to be partial when you waste a lot of money in a device you have to retire when it is still new because it barely works. I do not mind if Dell technical service fixes it if it breaks again in a few days and I need to borrow a laptop to finish my project in time.
Maybe your brand new XPS works okay, mine did not, so I bought a MacBook Pro because I needed a device I can rely and all the people I knew that owned a Mac they had no issues with them; also, I did not care if it works with Mac OS, because I can install in my Mac Windows using Boot Camp or Linux if I wanted to. So far I can tell you it has been working flawlessly, that is more I can tell from the Dell XPS 15 I have collecting dust in my garage.

[Adrian]

You are right, it is a matter of taste. I bought a Dell XPS 15 and I will never buy another Dell laptop again, maybe it works for you; it did not work for me. I have had a lot of issues with that laptop, it has spent more time being repaired that being used and it was not the first Dell device I have had that failed: I had too a Dell Latitude E6410 whose motherboard broke after the warranty expired, I thought it was an isolated case and then, recently, I bought the Dell XPS 15... I wish someone had told me what I am telling you and I have not bought that computer. You say I am not partial, of course I am not, it is hard to be partial when you waste a lot of money in a device you have to retire when it is still new because it barely works. I do not mind if Dell technical service fixes it if it breaks again in a few days and I need to borrow a laptop to finish my project in time.
Maybe your brand new XPS works okay, mine did not, so I bought a MacBook Pro because I needed a device I can rely and all the people I knew that owned a Mac they had no issues with them; also, I did not care if it works with Mac OS, because I can install in my Mac Windows using Boot Camp or Linux if I wanted to. So far I can tell you it has been working flawlessly, that is more I can tell from the Dell XPS 15 I have collecting dust in my garage.

I guess it was the previous version of the XPS, or you would have at least 1yr of warranty. So I don't see the point in bashing this product based on experiences with the previous version.
With the Mac you are paying a premium, and you get a product that meets high standards. We all know that Apple is among the best for reliability (and among the worst for repair prices), but there are many brands that can compete (e.g. Samsung). I've never had anything but excellent experience with Dell laptops, but their customer care and support, at least in EU, totally suck. But Dell's next day repair warranty is actually excellent and quite cheap. Still, I usually don't base my decisions on such a limited sample size as personal experience only allows.

[Ramón Luerna]

"I usually don't base my decisions on such a limited sample size as personal experience only allows", you wrote, so you trust more other people's opinion than yours. Funny, you would be good material for a sect. I prefer to follow my senses and my experience to avoid repeating mistakes. It is your money, you wanna waste it in a 1800€ frying pan, it is up to you.

[Adrian]

"I usually don't base my decisions on such a limited sample size as personal experience only allows", you wrote, so you trust more other people's opinion than yours. Funny, you would be good material for a sect. I prefer to follow my senses and my experience to avoid repeating mistakes. It is your money, you wanna waste it in a 1800€ frying pan, it is up to you.

Is it even worth it to reply to your gratuitous and disgusting offenses?
I'm a scientist, and I trust analysis carried out on thousands of notebook more than the experience gained from 2. The sample size matters, this is basic statistics, not rocket science. Even a *whatever-maker* fanboy should be able to understand this.
Reliability records exist, and people can read them and choose accordingly. For me, the added realiability from Apple compared to Dell usually does not balance the premium they ask and the closedness of the system. Especially when considered that longer and stronger next-day warranties offered by Dell, Lenovo and the likes cover me very well, still keeping the cost under Apple's machines at comparable specs.

In this case, considering the 500 euro price gap (buying from the manufacturer, as most companies - mine included - do) and the fact that the Mac sports outdated silicon, it's no brainer. With those 500 euros, if I want, I can buy a 4 year next day on site full cover warranty, also covering accidental damage. And I will not  have to worry about reliability.
At the same total price the Apple offers a 1-year, not on site, not accidental-damage-covered warranty. Even if the specs where to be considered on par, which for me they are not, the difference is remarkable.

Now you tell me the Dell's pricing is not competitive. And it's me who should be "material for a sect"!

[Ramón Luerna]

Humm, I can be wrong, but I detect some passive aggressive behavior, so, yes, you are right, Dell XPS it is the best computer ever. End of discussion.

[Adrian]

Humm, I can be wrong, but I detect some passive aggressive behavior, so, yes, you are right, Dell XPS it is the best computer ever. End of discussion.

You insult me and I should be the aggressive one? How mature. I never said it was the best computer ever, I just provided a tons of info on why it is not overpriced. Go figure, you did not even remotely manage to disprove what I said, and you were not able to provide any kind of convincing data supporting your thesis, let alone any kind of reasonong.
Sorry but I'll not waste any more time discussing with yet another Apple fanboy.

[Vlad]

So what about Display Response Times? Looks pretty bad according to the review, at least 93% devices are better. Does it make make the machine not usable for gaming?