Dell XPS 15z review

It’s also no slouch when it comes to games, thanks to a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 525M graphics card. With 2GB of dedicated video memory, Dirt 3 ran at a smooth 37.9fps. The 15z is easily capable of playing Full HD content, either on the laptop itself or on an external display using either the HDMI or mini DisplayPort outputs.

Nvidia’s Optimus technology can disable the power-hungry dedicated graphics card to improve battery life, and we were impressed with a stellar result of seven and a half hours in our light-use test. This is just about enough for all-day computing without having to reach for a mains charger.

Typing on the backlit QWERTY keyboard was a pleasure thanks to its large, Chiclet-style keys which have a surprisingly short amount of travel. There’s some slight flex in the keyboard tray, but it’s nothing to worry about. Dell has rejected a numeric keypad in favour of placing the speakers at either side of the keyboard. Since most people won’t miss this keypad, it’s a worthwhile sacrifice considering the quality of the speakers. The touchpad is the ideal size and very responsive, as are the two buttons below it.

If you consider the XPS 15z to be a direct competitor to the MacBook Pro 15in, it beats it in a number of ways. It may not be quite as fast in 2D and 3D, but it has better battery life, a higher-resolution screen, a wider range of games to choose from and it costs a whopping £650 less. If you want the best combination of style and power in a Windows laptop, the XPS 15z is the best around.