I’m a fan of Dell when it comes to sheer processing power and customization. And for the same reason I chose to buy another Dell (my second) for my home-office. I’ve had some very good experience with my old Dell Precision M90 and I expected the same from the Dell Studio XPS too. I’m a very demanding consumer and expect perfection in every aspect especially where computers are concerned.
Introduction
Generally speaking, the Dells are a steal for their price and value for money. The Dell Studio XPS 13 is a merger of two different product lines from Dell – the XPS and the Studio. With the Studio XPS series Dell aims to bring together the best of both worlds. There are few machines today which offer this configuration in a small size (which I require for mobility as I can’t carry my Precision M90 everywhere around – it’s a desktop replacement machine). DDR3 memory, 320 GB 7200 RPM SATA drive, a strong video card and some top-of-the-line Intel core 2 duo processors.
The Looks
The looks are always a killer on the Dell ads – that’s Dells primary marketing tool as their mode of doing business with end-users has been different – the Dell stores have opened in the recent past and earlier Dell only used to take orders online or by phone and shipped the equipment directly to the costumers. The glossy looks of this machine look good and fanciful with smooth gradients but they are not as impressive in real life. The glossy surface is a finger-print magnet. Also if you leave the machine even in a clean room you’ll find that the dust particles settled on the surface are outright noticeable. But it’s one light machine that I can pick and pull up with one hand without any strain. The aluminum frame around the hinges does give it a tough look but in real life it looks and feels like a foil or rather plastic (ignore the protective cellophane in the screen.
The lights on the hinge sides are beautiful as is the charger pin’s rim-light and other lights on the laptop. Did I tell you about the leather? 
The machines lower half lid is covered by leather. That makes me feel a little weak in the knees and I wish it was all covered in leather or at least had the matte finish like that of the recent precision mobiles if partly leather. The leather adds a definite touch of style and I’m sure other manufacturers follow suite.
Features and Design
Backlit keyboard, hinge-lights which indicate the battery charge and computer power status, the integrated webcam, facial recognition software, Vista PCRestore (utilizing WinRE environment), WLED display are all features that have good utility.
The keyboard has a compact design and the navigation and system command keys (home, end print screen pageup/down etc) have been relocated to fit into a compact size.
This keyboard takes some learning and getting used to. If you are a regular computer user you’ll hate to have to hunt for these keys and pushing the wrong keys all the time.
The sleek design features only two usb ports – one is a usb and the other one is an e-sata-usb combined where you can plug in another regular usb device. The machine features a security cable slot, a vga, an ethernet, usb, display-port connector and an hdmi port on the left side of the base.
On the front it has the indicator lights for harddrive activity, bluetooth, wireless and wwan.
On the center of the base-front it has the 8-in-1 media card reader, dual headphone ports, a microphone port and an infrared sensor.
On the right side of the base it has an express card slot, an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port a slot loading dvd r/w cd drive an e-sata cum usb port and the power connector port.
The rear is clean with only a single vent for hot air on the top left of the base.
Usability
The screen comes in two flavors – the traditional CCFL screen and a WLED screen which is a brighter one. The CCFL screen allows a 2 megapixel camera whereas a WLED only allows for 1.3. The resolution for both the screens is a mere 1280 x 800 which surprisingly is a rapidly rising screen resolution on Google Analytics. But considering a screen of 13′3″ it’s satisfactory (I still wish I could get 1440 x 900). The edge-to-edge screen means the transparent sheen of the screen extends to the corners instead of the visible screen area.
The webcam comes with a facial recognition software which can be configured to lock the computer in absence of a recognized face. Pretty cool. It will again log in a recognized face. The keyboard features media keys across the top-right which are basically touch sensitive.
Performance
The machine comes with an optional NVIDIA® GeForce® 9500M-GE with Hybrid SLI® Technology (256MB). Hybrid power enabled switching the graphics card to a low power consuming state on the fly as required. The SLI enables scaling the graphics power to the integrated nvidia motherboard GPU. I opted for a P8600 processor @ 2.40 GHz which limited the windows experience index to 5.3.
Next in line was the gaming-graphics at 5.5. The highlight was the RAM which ranked 5.9 on the windows experience index. I didn’t notice a lag anytime while using the machine. This is a pretty powerful machine and surprisingly comes in such a small form-factor. This machine is an outright performer. Gamer’s edition? No. It’s doubtful if any Vista machine will allow decent gaming experience on a video card having less than 512MB of dedicated video memory. Application windows pop right up on a click. Multi-tasking is a pleasure and if you can, plugin and external monitor to extend the desktop and move some of the windows away or enjoy an movie in HD.
The screen resolution left me craving for more and for a 13.3 inch screen Dell could have offered at least 1400 X 900 pixels. The Windows Experience Index stood limited at 5.3 by our choice of processor. The best part was the memory which stood at 5.9. It is difficult to find such a good performer in such small form-factor. You’ll want to take it everywhere and it wouldn’t let you miss your desktop.
The bad
I’d only call it unfortunate that during the two-three days of use the machine froze numerous times and I had to hard-boot it. The machine generated a lot of heat which made it uncomfortable to use this laptop on the top of my lap. The single air-vent is insufficient to expel all the heat. On top of that the poor build quality of the screen further partially blocks the vents and the hot air is expelled over the screen. As a result the lower left corner got decolorized within two days of use as is evident from the picture. I couldn’t duplicate the freezing at will and it happened at random. About half the times I had to hard boot the machine. The build quality if poor as apparent from the pictures.
At times I did have issues booting up the machine and the video never showed up. These issues are difficult to duplicate and I believe I received a faulty machine. Being protected by Dell’s online return policy I’ve requested a return of this machine for a refund. But if I had to do it again I’d buy another machine in similar configuration. I’d opt for a more stable precision 2400 with lower graphics and DDR2 memory. Here are my options for a second take at buying a machine which is a top of the line performer in a small form-factor:
- Dell Studio XPS 13 (a good piece ofcourse)
- Precision 2400 + a better video card
- Sony VAIO VGN-Z27GN/B – a okay-ish configuration at a steep price.
- MacBook
- Wait for a better Dell or another vendor to offer DDR3 memory in RAM
Again here are some more pictures that I couldn’t use in a context. Click on any picture for a larger size.
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@ IDOC – Thank you very much for the information.
Does the hybrid power saving mode give decent graphics, I mean like a normal 9400M G motherboard GPU ?
And for what kind of applications do you turn on the FULL power mode of the GPU apart from games ? I mean , say watching movies etc, does using the GPU at full capacity give any better results for movies (not games) ?
And finally, while using the GPU at its full capacity, does the machine heat up as it used to ?
I’ve found the power saver to be more than ample for anything that I do. I can’t say directly that the graphics power with the 9500M in power saver mode is better than a 9400M, but by straight understanding of how they work, the 9500M should overpower in almost any case. Here’s an interesting blog from someone who’s put in a lot of time to compare the two: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=380303
I would only turn the boost performance mode on in only demanding 3D rendering applications, for example games, CAD design applications, or google earth. Almost any integrated cards like the 9400M, these days have more than enough power for 2D rendering like videos, regular internet games, etc. So if you’re not gaming, the 9400M would most likely have enough power for you. Having said that, I don’t game on my laptop normally, but I still got the 9500M SLI just because it’s hard for me to buy a computer that’s basic, that’s why I bought the xps 13, it’s definitely up scale.
To answer your question on the GPU heating up while ramped up, I installed Crysis and played for an hour in boost mode and it did get warm. I mean, very warm, as in almost hot. I tend to baby my computers a little bit, so after an hour I propped it up so that there was more room underneath to get cool air in there, because heat is a laptop’s worst enemy. So honestly, I would game that much with the laptop unless I had it propped up with an additional fan on it.
I hope this helps.
Thank you again.
Things are getting better and better everyday. Now the xps 13 comes only with GeForce N10M-GS (thats Dell’s name for the G 210 M) @ $1100.
This is what I found about it -
“The 210 has advantages other than raw performance. It’s a single card manufactured with a 40nm process rather than two cards at 65nm. Its power consumption is 14w compared with 25 (12+13) for the 9500ge, which is a combination of integrated 9400 and discrete 9200 cards. In a laptop known to have heat problems, that’s a big deal. It also won’t suffer from the “micro-stuttering” introduced by the SLI mode of the 9500.”
So I guess it will be quieter and heat up even less. It also goes to a hybrid mode including the 9400m in it.
I won’t be pushing it for games ( I play on my desktop with a 1 GB Ge Force ). I don’t feel that PCs give you a good gaming experience with proper sound + gaming remotes etc when compared to a PS3 for the price. Am planning to save some of my scholarship money and get one later. Will run my image processing codes using CUDA on the card.
I forgot to add, the N10m_GS has 512 MB dedicated mem
faulty design. They wear you down with all these BS upgrades until you don’t care any more.
I just got a dell studio xps 13 – I added the geforce 9400M G display card. A little spendy but worth it for CS4.
I would agree with the article in that the screen resolution 13 in is a bit disappointing. I had an XPS M140 with a 14 in. screen and it was perfect. I guess I could always hook up an external monitor. Portability is a big selling point for the XPS 13.
-t
I got a chance to use this Dell studio xps 13 for a week and its not really that much impressive. I could say the design is not very good and user friendly. Since I did not take up any hi fi techie tasks I could not get the exact performace of this tiny laptop or can understand how it works during extended or longer hours of usage. This is a neatly written straight to the point review.
Its not worth getting this laptop. I had almost thought of buying it, but when I put my hands on it . . just didn’t feel right. Dell has too many problems. So, instead of spending $1300 on this, I put in $200 more and got a MacBook Pro instead and am very satisfied with the purchase.
The Dell Studio series are not real Dell laptops. These are cheap Compal motherboards in a Dell shell. You can notice this when you open the laptop, or try to do a bios update. There is even a compal email address shown after the bios update!
My advice: Dell is good, but DO NOT buy the Studio series. I have no clue why Dell is risking its good name with these cheap products.
I had heard a good review of Dell XPS M1330. I was convinced with its looks and performance and so I decided to buy it. Since I am facing lot of continuous hardware problems & defects , dell is offering me Studio XPS 13 as a replacement laptop as XPS M1330 is no more manuafactured.
Is this a good option for me? I am a little apprehensive about Studio XPS 13 after having read negative reviews on it. Also not convincing looks.
What should I do? Do I have any other option?
How is Studio XPS 13 compared to XPS M1330.
@viby
Same thing here, i also have a Dell XPS M1330 and they offered the Studio XPS 13 as a replacement. I accepted the deal.
I’ve had the studio 13 for about 2 months. I thought I’d get used to the keyboard but have not. Typing on it is a real hassle and there are only 2 usb ports – in pretty bad locations too. They should be in the back but they are on the side.
I hooked up a mouse and printer and that’s all I could connect. I have to disconnect my printer if I want to hook up a usb flash drive.
@tom: your review is precise and straight to the point. This machine is not designed to be usable and has serious design faults.
Such a nice post, it is really interesting,you are really a hard worker guy, Thanks.
I was unaware of many aspects what u have told ….ver y useful indeed .
I got Dell xps 13 as a gift from my hubby. Dont ever buy this laptop. I got a problem of over heating from very beginning, and after 3 replacement wasting hours on call and waiting weeks problem is still there.
And today morning hard drive got crashed. Now I dont believe in any product of dell. I wanted refund but dell people are deducting money. Its total waste of money and time. Dont buy this lap top…
This laptop is really cool.
It’s elegant, light, and also powerful.
I really recommend this laptop!
I think what makes this an interesting choice is the avalible options for the price. However I’m not in love with the design which I find ott and tacky. I also see that the review points to probably the main reason it is cheaper than both the Sony and Macbook pro it’s so desperate to beat, build quality. Some people still don’t seem to be able to come to grips with the fact that you just can’t get build quality, attention to detail or true innovation on the cheap.
The looks are always a killer on the Dell ads – that’s Dells primary marketing tool as their mode of doing business with end-users has been different – the Dell stores have opened in the recent past and earlier Dell only used to take orders online or by phone and shipped the equipment directly to the costumers.
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