Review: Dell XPS 14 Ultrabook

Not so long ago, most laptops used to be the hideous black plastic boxes. And then Apple'sMacBook Pro - and in 2008 - MacBook Airhappened. This put a squeeze on the laptop makers like Dell and HP. For some time, these companies resisted. But then had to give up as consumers demanded better-looking laptops.

Nowadays, the high-end laptop market is full of some pretty machines. Dell XPS 14, which belongs to Dell's ultrabook range, is one such laptop. But we have seen that getting aesthetics as well functionality right has proved a bit difficult for most laptop makers.
Even though machines look good, they lack refinements in areas like screen, keyboard and touchpad. Dell claims XPS 14 is a beauty with brawn. It doesn't compromise. Let's find if this is the high-end laptop you should buy...


Beautifully designed, impeccably builtHands down, XPS is one of the best designed laptops we have seen. The workmanship is top notch and there are no sharp edges or wobbly parts. Built using a unibody aluminium shell, the laptop feels very sturdy. But it is not cold or rough to touch, the way many other laptops built using aluminium feel. Dell has coated the base of the laptop with a silicon layer and has put a soft-painted magnesium alloy as palmrest near keyboard. XPS 14 feels exquisite to touch in a good way.

The only bits that feel a little jarring are oversized vents for hot air and speakers. Of course, Dell is focussing on functionality over form with these vents — the speakers are extra loud — but it could have been better had the company come with a different solution.

The good build quality also comes at the cost of weight. Dell claims XPS 14 is an ultrabook but the laptop's weight doesn't imply it. At 2.13kg it is a very heavy ultrabook. Needless to say, it is not an laptop for people who love portability above everything else.

XPS 14 has ample ports. On the left side there are two USB 3.0 ports (backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports), one HDMI port, one mini display port and one Ethernet port. On the right there is a headphone jack and 3-1 card reader. It lacks an optical drive but that is the case with most sleek and slim laptops.

Hardware and performanceXPS 14 is a fully loaded machine. There are several configurations available but the one we tested was equipped with a Core i5 3317U processor. This chip belongs to Intel's third-generation core processor aka Ivy Bridge range. Its two cores run at a frequency of 1.7Ghz but can turbo up to 2.6Ghz when required. Our XPS 14 came with 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard disk with 32GB mSATA SSD and Nvidia GT630 graphics.

Given that the laptop has Nvidia graphics chip, it comes with the technology called Optimus. This allows the laptop to switch between Intel HD 4000 graphics and GT 630, depending on the workload. For example, during gaming GT 630 kicks in while web browsing or media playback is handled by HD 4000. This helps maximizing the battery life.

The screen measures 14 inches diagonally. It has a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, something that is not as bad as 1366 X 768 but also not as good as 1920 x 1080. We found the screen on XPS 14 to be average, which is a pity given its price. Colours are nice but level of maximum brightness could have been better. But the real problem lies with viewing angles. Even a slight change of angle at which you are looking at the screen distorts colours.

Other than the issue with the screen, which usually affect 90% laptops in the market currently, our experience with XPS 14 was pleasant. The 3317U is a very fast processor and easily handled the typical workload involving web browsing, creating office documents and encoding videos foriPad etc. Given that XPS 14 has an above average graphics chip, we wanted to see its gaming potential.

In 3D Mark 11, which tests a graphics performance of a computer, the GT 630 chip in XPS 14 scored 1063 points. This gives GT 630 a healthy lead over Intel's HD graphics that power most of the sleek laptops in the market.

During actual gaming, the difference is even more pronounced. We found that in 3D games GT630 was consistently ahead by at least 50% compared to Intel HD 4000. This means that playing demanding 3D games like Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 or Crysis 2 at acceptable frame rates is possible on XPS 14 at medium or low visual settings. The only issue while 3D gaming is the amount of heat the laptop generates. But this is expected and is not a dealbreaker.

Internal hardware in a laptop is just one part of the story. Keyboard and touchpad are two important components that can make or break a laptop. Fortunately Dell gets both right on this machine. The keys, which have a concave shape, have nice springy feel to them, giving a user appropriate feedback during typing. The touchpad lacks the ultra-smooth finish of glass touchpads. But it is responsive and works very well.

Sum of it all
Given solid design and performance, Dell XPS 14 is a fantastic laptop. But what about battery life? Intel has focused on battery life with Ivy Bridge processors and that shows. We looped an HD clip on XPS 14 and the laptop played it for 5 hours and 23 minutes before shutting down! This is not very good. This is exceptional.

The only major issue with XPS 14 is the average screen. A better screen could have befitted XPS 14 very well given its premium credentials and stellar performance.

XPS 14 is available for Rs 79,038 at Dell website. The price is on the higher side but if you don't care much about the sub 20-seconds boot time or weight and can live with an average screen, XPS 14 is the best laptop in its category.

Pros: Fantastic performance, very good design, good graphics chip, good keyboard, excellent battery life

Cons: Average screen, no SSD (though 32GB mSATA gives similar benefits)