What we'd like to see in the 2018 XPS 15 9570

[Redaktion]

The Dell XPS 15 still remains one of the best laptops money can buy, but is not without its flaws. As we head into 2018, we expect Dell to refresh the XPS 15 lineup with new Intel 8th generation CPUs and hopefully address some of the nagging problems in the current generation. Here's a list of what we'd like to see changed in the upcoming refresh of an already great piece of hardware.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/What-we-d-like-to-see-in-the-2018-XPS-15-9570.258428.0.html

[ProUser]

Like for the Gigabyte Aero 15, if Dell could integrate a numpad on the 15" version, that would make a perfect working station.

[dthrp]

Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.

[Vaidyanathan]

Like for the Gigabyte Aero 15, if Dell could integrate a numpad on the 15" version, that would make a perfect working station.

I am all in for a numpad. Makes Excel work so much easier. But the chassis isn't wide enough to accommodate the numpad plus offer a good typing experience.

[Vaidyanathan]

Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.

Although theoretically correct, that defeats the purported aesthetics of the XPS lineup.

[Sem]

The XPS 15 9560 suffered from performance constraints due to thermal throttling from a bad paste job on both the CPU and GPU. The MOSFETs in the voltage regulator modules (VRMs) also throttled due to high temperatures. Enthusiast users had to manually re-apply thermal paste and undervolt the CPU to prevent throttling. Also, thermal pads were required to be attached to VRMs to drive away all the excess heat.

The thermal pads didn't help enough. iunlock's mod is much more involved, but shows that an adequate cooling capacity is feasible in the same housing. I guess the 3rd heatpipe idea with some more fin surface is more feasible for production.

Still this kind of borderline thermal design is susceptible to faults and doesn't seem fit for Dell's standard factory pasting process. Especially inconvenient when mated with the QC totally outsourced to users. Consumers have a hard time understanding that laptops in this price range are being shipped out without QC.

[Vaidyanathan]

The XPS 15 9560 suffered from performance constraints due to thermal throttling from a bad paste job on both the CPU and GPU. The MOSFETs in the voltage regulator modules (VRMs) also throttled due to high temperatures. Enthusiast users had to manually re-apply thermal paste and undervolt the CPU to prevent throttling. Also, thermal pads were required to be attached to VRMs to drive away all the excess heat.

The thermal pads didn't help enough. iunlock's mod is much more involved, but shows that an adequate cooling capacity is feasible in the same housing. I guess the 3rd heatpipe idea with some more fin surface is more feasible for production.

Still this kind of borderline thermal design is susceptible to faults and doesn't seem fit for Dell's standard factory pasting process. Especially inconvenient when mated with the QC totally outsourced to users. Consumers have a hard time understanding that laptops in this price range are being shipped out without QC.

You're right, Sem. Save for enthusiasts and geeks, regular customers who walk up to a Dell store or purchase one online will not necessarily be aware of the QC issues in thermal management. Although upcoming XPSs will feature thermal sensors at strategic points, the core issue of increased thermals would still need to be addressed.

[ProUser]

Like for the Gigabyte Aero 15, if Dell could integrate a numpad on the 15" version, that would make a perfect working station.

I am all in for a numpad. Makes Excel work so much easier. But the chassis isn't wide enough to accommodate the numpad plus offer a good typing experience.

The Aero 15 is also a borderless screen laptop and gigabyte succeeded in having a full keyboard with numpad on it, I don't see why Dell couldn't on the 15" which has two empty spaces on the side compared to the 13" which has the keyboard from one side to the other.

[Thesis]

Bravo to this article. I hope Dell addresses each of these changes. Send this to Frank Azor over on twitter.

[Vaidyanathan]

The Aero 15 is also a borderless screen laptop and gigabyte succeeded in having a full keyboard with numpad on it, I don't see why Dell couldn't on the 15" which has two empty spaces on the side compared to the 13" which has the keyboard from one side to the other.

You're right. The Aero 15 offers a great typing experience too.

[Vaidyanathan]

Bravo to this article. I hope Dell addresses each of these changes. Send this to Frank Azor over on twitter.

Thank you, Thesis. Yeah, we hope the same. Many of these issues were reason why I held off purchasing one.

[Thesis]

Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.

I agree. Sliding it up to 4.8 pounds would be just fine.

[SilentWater]

Three words:
"No coil whine"

[Douglas Black]

In my opinion I don't want a number pad. I owned an Aero 15 and I really grew to hate the off-centered keyboard.

[Greg]

When you read about XPS 13 or 15 "the keyboard isn't bad", by all means, try to get a hold on this laptop and try the keyboard. I did it at local Microcenter at Cambridge MA and, for my taste, it is not just *bad*, but "really bad". At Microcenter that laptop was next ti Thinkpad lineup, in particular X1 Carbon, and - well, it's like a day and night. Of course, if you want this laptop as primarily multimedia machine, it's probably OK, but if you want to do some serious typing - forget it. From the DELL lineup the one which was OK was Latitude 7480.