Dell Studio XPS: At First Glance
Dell has been in the laptop manufacturing business for quite a while now. Furthermore, we have experienced them roll out some unique products.
In fact, you cannot talk about impressive laptop manufacturers without mentioning Dell. So, some while ago, the brand released the Dell Studio XPS.
This laptop is a 16-inch laptop with adequate specifications, like a powerful Intel Core i7 processor. Impressively, the laptop also offers multiple dedicated graphics card options.
However, the Dell Studio XPS comes with some disappointing flaws, such as poor battery life. Having said a few things about this large-screen laptop, read on to find out more about it.
Dell Studio XPS: Design, Display, Ports, and Connectivity
They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and I think the Dell Studio XPS is a beautiful and attractive laptop. To give more details, this laptop features a chassis that is made with a combination of plastic, metal, and leather inlays.
Furthermore, the laptop has a gorgeous piano-black finish with some silver trims here and there. However, the body of the laptop is a fingerprint magnet – it attracts fingerprints easily.
Nonetheless, the Dell Studio XPS feels sturdy and durable. As with most Dell laptops, Dell included its logo at the center of the Dell Studio XPS’s lid.
Besides, you will also find a distinctive silver trim at the top of the laptop’s lid, which gives the laptop a unique look. This silver trim expands to the robust hinges that connect the lid and base of the laptop together.
When you open this lid, you will see the massive 16-inch edge-to-edge glossy display of the Dell Studio XPS. Dell offers two resolution options for this laptop’s display.
These resolution options include HD (1366 x 768) and FHD (1920 x 1080). Apparently, the FHD resolution display version of the laptop will offer better and sharper picture quality than the HD resolution display version.
This is because the FHD resolution has more pixels than the HD resolution. However, regardless of the resolution option you choose, the Dell Studio XPS’s display is prone to reflection and sun glares due to its glossy surface.
Nonetheless, the glossy surface of the display allows it to provide vivid colors and contrast. That being said, the bezels surrounding the laptop’s display are somewhat thick.
However, the bottom and top bezels are thicker than the side bezels. On the bottom bezel, you will find a silver reflective “Dell” inscription at the center.
Meanwhile, the top bezel houses a 2.0MP webcam at the center. Sadly, this webcam is bad for taking selfies, as images appear grainy and blurry.
Nevertheless, the webcam offers decent performance for casual video calls.
Coming down to the base, the Dell Studio XPS has a keyboard with a backlight feature that aids typing in dark areas. In terms of performance, the keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience and well-spaced keys with adequate feedback.
Sadly, the touchpad below the keys has a rough surface that makes navigation somewhat difficult. Nonetheless, the touchpad’s dedicated click buttons are adequate and perform well without issues.
Also, the touchpad supports multitouch gestures.
Sound-wise, the Dell Studio XPS comes with two built-in loudspeakers that produce a decent sound quality. Impressively, the laptop also comes with a built-in subwoofer for adequate bass production.
Most people will expect the Dell Studio XPS to feature lots of ports due to its massive size. Thankfully, the laptop doesn’t disappoint.
Specifically, Dell provided an ExpressCard, 8-in-1 card reader, Slot-In drive, FireWire, USB 2.0 (e-SATA) port, and a charging port on the laptop’s right side. On the left side, you will see a Kensington lock, antenna port, VGA port, Ethernet port, and display port.
The laptop’s left side also features two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, and an audio jack. With all these, we can forgive the laptop’s absence of a Thunderbolt.
In the aspect of wireless connectivity, the Dell Studio XPS supports Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11g/n.
For the weight and dimension, this Dell laptop weighs a massive 2940 g and measures 384.9 x 254.6 x 24.1 – 33.9 mm (W x D x H). With this amount of weight, this laptop is best placed on a desk and not carried around.
Comparatively, the Dell Studio XPS is heavier than the 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 6. Specifically, this Lenovo laptop weighs 2540 g and measures 356 x 264.2 x 21.7 – 26.8 mm (W x D x H).
All in all, I will rate the Dell Studio XPS an eight out of ten in this design review section.
Dell Studio XPS: Processor (CPU) Performance
Impressively, the Dell Studio XPS supports various processors up to the Intel Core i7-820QM processor. Moreover, this review is based on this laptop with the Intel Core i7-820QM processor.
This processor has a base frequency of 1.73 GHz and a boost frequency of 3.06 GHz. Furthermore, it is a quad-core (4 cores) processor that features a cache memory of 8 MB.
As a result, the Dell Studio XPS should be able to carry out most computing tasks with this processor. In actual fact, the laptop will be able to handle intensive computing tasks like video editing and heavy multitasking.
I will further assess the processing ability of the Dell Studio XPS by considering its Cinebench R10 benchmark test results. In case you don’t know, Cinebench R10 is a benchmark test that measures the performance of a PC’s processor by putting its cores through intense workloads.
Thus, this benchmark test involves two distinct tests – the single-core and multi-core performance tests. For better understanding, the single-core test evaluates the CPU’s performance when using just one of its cores.
On the other hand, the multi-core test evaluates the processor’s performance when all its cores are in use. By the way, you should know that a high score on these tests equates to better processor performance.
Thus, according to the Cinebench R10 test results, the Dell Studio XPS recorded 3457 points in the single-core test. Meanwhile, it scored 9174 points on the multi-core test.
Comparatively, the LG Gram 16, which uses an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, outperformed the Dell Studio XPS. Specifically, this LG laptop recorded 7383 points in the single-core test and 15299 points in the multi-core test.
All things considered, I will rate the Dell Studio XPS an eight in this processor review section.
Dell Studio XPS: Memory (RAM) Performance
Poorly, the Dell Studio XPS comes with a standard memory of 1 GB DDR3 1066 MHz. With this amount of memory, this laptop will barely be able to handle intensive workloads, even with the help of its powerful CPU.
Gladly, the Dell Studio XPS features two RAM slots and supports a maximum memory of 8 GB. Hence, you can upgrade the laptop’s standard memory to a maximum of 8 GB.
However, this review focuses on the Dell Studio XPS with 4 GB RAM. With this amount of memory, the laptop should be able to run most applications.
Also, the laptop should be capable of multitasking. Speaking of which, the Dell Studio XPS with 4 GB RAM should be able to open up to 7 Chrome tabs simultaneously without lagging.
To further provide the laptop’s performance with 4 GB RAM, let us discuss its result on the PCMark 8 test. PCMark 8 is a benchmark test that examines the memory performance of a computer by simulating a series of office-relating workloads.
Furthermore, a high score on the test signifies good memory performance. So, according to the test results, the Dell Studio XPS recorded a score of 1004.
Sadly, this laptop was beaten by the ASUS X551MA, which scored 1214 points on the test.
As a result, I will rate the Dell Studio XPS a seven out of ten to conclude this RAM review section.
Dell Studio XPS: Storage Options and Performance
When it comes to storage, the Dell Studio XPS provides two storage options. Thus, you can either purchase the laptop with a 7200 RPM SATA HDD or SSD.
The former supports a maximum storage capacity of 500 GB, while the latter supports a 256 GB maximum capacity. However, SSDs are the fastest storage drives available in the market – they are faster than HDDs and eMMC.
Therefore, if you prefer speed over storage space, the Dell Studio XPS with SSD is the one for you. Nevertheless, if you prefer storage space over speed, then you should purchase the laptop with a 7200 RPM SATA HDD.
Regardless of the storage option you choose, the Dell Studio XPS features an 8-in-1 card reader for storage expansion. Having said that, it is important to mention that this review is based on the Dell Studio XPS with 500 GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD.
To know the performance of the laptop with this storage option, let us talk about its results on the CrystalDiskMark test. Briefly, the CrystalDiskMark test calculates the read and write speed of a computer’s storage drive.
For clarity, read speed means how fast a storage drive opens files. Write speed, however, means how fast the storage drive saves files.
Moreover, a high “MB/s” value on the CrystalDiskMark benchmark test signifies a fast read and write speed. On that note, the Dell Studio XPS recorded a sequential read speed of 109.7 MB/s on the test.
Meanwhile, it recorded a sequential write speed of 108.9 MB/s. Compared to the HP Compaq 15 – which also uses HDD – the Dell Studio XPS has a faster read and write speed.
Specifically, on the CrystalDiskMark test, this HP laptop recorded a sequential read speed of 103.7 MB/s. It also recorded a sequential write speed of 96.86 MB/s.
Thus, I rate the Dell Studio XPS an eight out of ten in this storage review section.
Dell Studio XPS: Graphics Card Performance
The Dell Studio XPS is made available with two graphics card options. These GPU options are an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 565v graphics card and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics card.
Impressively, both graphics card options are dedicated graphics cards with a dedicated VRAM. In fact, they feature the same dedicated VRAM – 1 GB GDDR3.
However, their speed differs. Specifically, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 565v GPU has a standard frequency of 675 MHz.
Meanwhile, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics card has a standard frequency of 650 MHz. Moreover, with either GPU, the Dell Studio XPS should be able to handle graphics-demanding tasks like photo editing effectively.
However, despite being dedicated GPUs, both graphics card options aren’t powerful enough to run the latest high-end games smoothly. This is because they feature an insufficient dedicated VRAM.
Nonetheless, the GPU options should be able to play some title AAA games in low graphics settings and old games. For instance, with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, the Dell Studio XPS should be able to achieve 66.7 fps while playing Risen in low graphics settings.
The laptop should also deliver a frame rate of 46.3 while playing Need for Speed Shift in low graphics settings. To further evaluate the laptop’s performance with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, let us discuss its 3DMark 06 results.
For your information, 3DMark 06 is a benchmark test that evaluates the 3D rendering ability of a computer’s graphics card. In addition to that, a high score on this graphics test equates to good 3D graphics rendering performance.
According to the test results, the Dell Studio XPS scored 6,630 points. Impressively, this score is above that of the LG Gram 16, which scored 6,305 points.
It is worth stating that the LG Gram 16 uses Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
To end this GPU review section, I will rate the Dell Studio XPS an eight out of ten.
Dell Studio XPS: Battery Life and Performance
You can either buy the Dell Studio XPS with a 6-cell or a 9-cell Lithium-ion battery. As advertised by Dell, the 6-cell Lithium-ion battery can last up to 3 hours and 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, the 9-cell Lithium-ion battery can last for 4 hours and 51 minutes. However, this review focuses on the Dell Studio XPS with the 6-cell Lithium-ion battery.
Although the advertised battery life for this battery isn’t good enough, let us discuss the laptop’s result on a battery rundown test to confirm it. By the way, this test involves using the laptop to surf the web over a Wi-Fi connection continuously until its battery runs low.
Sadly, at the end of the test, the Dell Studio XPS lasted for only 1 hour and 58 minutes. Compared to the LG Gram 16, this laptop has a disappointing battery life.
Specifically, the LG Gram 16 lasted for 9 hours and 7 minutes on the same battery rundown test.
Thus, I rate the Dell Studio XPS a six out of ten in this battery review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, the Dell Studio XPS does not have a touchscreen display.
The Dell Studio XPS measures 384.9 x 254.6 x 24.1 – 33.9 mm (W x D x H).
The Dell Studio XPS is pretty heavy, weighing a massive 2940 g.
The Dell Studio XPS comes with two RAM slots.
Yes, the Dell Studio XPS comes with Bluetooth 2.0.
Conclusion
The Dell Studio XPS is a decent-looking 16-inch laptop with multiple display resolution options. Furthermore, the laptop comes with a comfortable backlit keyboard and a sufficient amount of ports.
Besides that, the laptop offers multiple storage options and two dedicated graphics card options. However, as a 16-inch laptop, the Dell Studio XPS is somewhat heavy.
Also, the laptop comes with limited standard memory and disappointing battery life. Nonetheless, if you need an average desktop replacement laptop, the Dell Studio XPS is worth considering.
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