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
Like for the Gigabyte Aero 15, if Dell could integrate a numpad on the 15" version, that would make a perfect working station.
Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.
Quote from: ProUser on October 23, 2017, 14:33:24
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.
Quote from: dthrp on October 23, 2017, 14:53:26
Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.
Although theoretically correct, that defeats the purported aesthetics of the XPS lineup.
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.
Quote from: Sem on October 23, 2017, 15:23:42
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.
Quote from: Vaidyanathan on October 23, 2017, 15:08:57
Quote from: ProUser on October 23, 2017, 14:33:24
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.
Bravo to this article. I hope Dell addresses each of these changes. Send this to Frank Azor over on twitter.
Quote
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.
Quote from: Thesis on October 23, 2017, 16:49:02
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.
Quote from: dthrp on October 23, 2017, 14:53:26
Possibly making the laptop bigger and thicker would solve many issues.
I agree. Sliding it up to 4.8 pounds would be just fine.
Three words:
"No coil whine"
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.
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.
Quote from: Greg on October 23, 2017, 21:08:40
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.
Thinkpads have unarguably one of the best keyboards — even if it means getting used to the Ctrl and Fn key swap. I've used a Latitude E5430 and that was such an abomination to type on that I felt that I had lost my typing abilities.
I have the last xps 15. The sound is terrible, worse I have ever experienced in a laptop
I widely disagree with you. No way I want to have a numpad on this superb machine. Who likes having his keyboard uncentered ? You can by an external numpad to plug with usb whenever you need it. Most people don't.
The idea is not to make to laptop bigger or thicker, pretty much the contrary. We want a performer in a tiny chassis. If anything they should make it even compacter and lighter. If you want a brick, there is alienware.
THIS is the type of review I am looking for compared to all the other reviews which basically say nothing and only serve as a groupie sales call.
This review goes indepth and points out the real issues with the machine design as well as the documented and unacceptable Dell customer-no-service events.
I've been eyeing the Dell XPS 15 for some time now, but the prohibitive price at Costco has kept me on the fence up until now.
This article makes me question if there is no better alternative out there, even though I love the bezel-less screen.
The other option would be to wait and see if they can't fix all if not most of the issues you bring up, but then again, I don't want to wait that long. I will be pulling the trigger on Black Friday... Are there any alternatives out there that you would recommend?
Please Keep Up the Great work!
Webcam just made me choose to upgrade to an HP Spectre x360 from my XPS 13. I got tired of carrying a webcam around with me for video calls. The one of the XPS 13/15 is unusable.
No off-center keyboard please! It's an idiotic invention ruining typing experience. I've been holding off purchase of my next laptop and XPS 15 was my prime choice. However, Surface Book 2 has nailed it with its design, features and power and it's going to be my next laptop. Everything else in the Windows universe is just a poor bastard child compared to that. Hey, OEM, wake up and start making laptops Windows deserve.
Quote from: Daniel Lewandowski on October 24, 2017, 18:08:49
No off-center keyboard please! It's an idiotic invention ruining typing experience. I've been holding off purchase of my next laptop and XPS 15 was my prime choice. However, Surface Book 2 has nailed it with its design, features and power and it's going to be my next laptop. Everything else in the Windows universe is just a poor bastard child compared to that. Hey, OEM, wake up and start making laptops Windows deserve.
You're right, Daniel. The Surface Book 2 shows OEMs how it's done. That is the main aim of the Surface line, anyways — to introduce some quality in form and function in the Windows notebook scene for others to emulate. Of course, Windows definitely needs star laptops that stand out and showcase the best of the platform. HP and Dell have woken up and so did a lot of other OEMs. They are not flawless, but they are getting there surely.
Quote from: PatrickPK on October 24, 2017, 15:42:16
THIS is the type of review I am looking for compared to all the other reviews which basically say nothing and only serve as a groupie sales call.
This review goes indepth and points out the real issues with the machine design as well as the documented and unacceptable Dell customer-no-service events.
I've been eyeing the Dell XPS 15 for some time now, but the prohibitive price at Costco has kept me on the fence up until now.
This article makes me question if there is no better alternative out there, even though I love the bezel-less screen.
The other option would be to wait and see if they can't fix all if not most of the issues you bring up, but then again, I don't want to wait that long. I will be pulling the trigger on Black Friday... Are there any alternatives out there that you would recommend?
Please Keep Up the Great work!
Thanks for taking the time to read the article, Patrick. Glad you liked it. While most of the issues mentioned here could have actually been rectified during QC, the XPS 15 is still a great buy. You do have comparable options from HP, Lenovo etc, and of course, Microsoft. I recommend that you try one in a physical store before committing to a purchase. You can also peruse through our extensive reviews and analysis for the models you're thinking of to know the finer details. :)
Vaidyanathan - great job with this article. I've owned a few XPS units and I think think this article does a nice job of summarizing the pros & cons of this unit from a power-users' perspective.
Also worth mentioning changing the hdmi port of 1.4 to 2.0 if they decide to still include one.
Is there any hope of getting the 2018 model ready for orders by January like the 2017 model?
Any ETA on the laptop 8700 processors at that?
Quote from: Good job on October 26, 2017, 18:04:15
Vaidyanathan - great job with this article. I've owned a few XPS units and I think think this article does a nice job of summarizing the pros & cons of this unit from a power-users' perspective.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful :)
Quote from: Roush on October 26, 2017, 21:52:57
Also worth mentioning changing the hdmi port of 1.4 to 2.0 if they decide to still include one.
Is there any hope of getting the 2018 model ready for orders by January like the 2017 model?
Any ETA on the laptop 8700 processors at that?
That's a good point, Roush. HDMI 2.0 will enable 4K output at 60 Hz. I think they will be going all Thunderbolt 3 in the next model. You might have to buy a dock to get HDMI out. The next XPS 13 will be announced during CES in January so it is likely that the XPS 15 will see a closer announcement. With respect to availability for ordering, our guess is as good as yours :)
Hi Vaidyanathan, thanks for the article. I would love to see a Dell XPS 15 9560 with the new AMD's CPU for laptops which seems to be far superior to Coffe Lake, you make no mention of this possibility. Also, hope they include an Intel Wifi card, no more Killer! regards
Quote from: Petertrenque on November 01, 2017, 09:07:52
Hi Vaidyanathan, thanks for the article. I would love to see a Dell XPS 15 9560 with the new AMD's CPU for laptops which seems to be far superior to Coffe Lake, you make no mention of this possibility. Also, hope they include an Intel Wifi card, no more Killer! regards
Hi, Petertrenque. I'll be really glad if Dell can release an XPS with an AMD CPU. But it could be highly unlikely at least for the 2018 version because assuming the laptop would be formally announced at CES 2018, Dell would have already finalized the specs and design of the laptop by now. Also, the XPS hardware has mostly been developed keeping Intel's chips and their associated thermals in mind so I think it would take a fair bit of R&D and testing before Dell can certify that AMD plays well with their power policies. Add to the fact that Raven Ridge had a delayed and somewhat lackluster launch compared to desktop Ryzen, its hard to envisage an XPS with AMD power within.
I think most of the issues with Killer have been pretty much sorted out by now. If you are using a Killer, make sure you update both Killer drivers and Windows as well.
hey,nice work buddy you did well...
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For a laptop that is ostensibly for power users, I find the lack of dedicated navigation (page up/down and home/end) distressing. Makes it a chore to navigate through long codes or documents, especially when using shortcuts like Ctrl+shift+end. There is plenty of empty real estate on the base to add another column of keys, similar to Samsung's notebook 9 series.
instead of a model 3200x1800, I would prefer a thousand times a 2560x1440p 120hz, the 5K is too exaggerated, it is better to focus on improving the quality of the panel and not the number of pixels.
As for cpu and gpu, I hope some time use the new intel kaby lake -g or ice lake -g, so there would be more room for more battery or a better dissipation that you need so much.
Thank you for this great review!
I would gladly spend my money on a Dell XPS 15 that includes all or most of the changey you mentioned. Although Dell's reputation for it's abysmal handling of customer relations really makes me pause (e.g. them not replacing faulty batteries...).
Will there even be a new Dell XPS 15 this year? So far Dell only showed the new Dell XPS 15 convertible during the CES.