Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition review

LINUX GAMING

More surprising is its ability to run games at a reasonable frame rate despite using its CPU’s built-in Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor. We couldn’t run our normal Dirt Showdown benchmark because it won’t run on Ubuntu, but the XPS 13 managed a steady average frame rate of 45fps in Team Fortress 2 on High quality settings at resolution of 1,920×720. This dropped down to 20fps when we increased the resolution to its native 1,920×1,080, but it’s certainly capable of playing Linux-compatible 3D games as long as you don’t mind a slight compromise on graphical fidelity.

One thing that hasn’t changed is its lack of connectivity ports. This is partly due to the laptop’s incredibly slim dimensions but, much like previous models of the XPS 13, all you get is two USB ports, both of which are now the faster USB3 version, a combined 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack, and a mini-DisplayPort output.

The XPS 13 Developer’s Edition is certainly a very niche laptop, but its keyboard isn’t good enough for its target audience. It may be one of the cheaper high-end Ultrabooks we’ve tested (a Windows 8 XPS 13 with the same specification, for instance, will set you back another £120), but we feel developers will get frustrated with it very quickly. Instead, we think it’s far more suited to onsite technical staff who need a portable Linux system to take to clients’ premises but don’t have to type out reams of code.

For everyone else, we’d recommend looking at the Windows 8-based Dell XPS 12 instead. It’s a little more expensive, but the extra money will buy you a much better keyboard and a Full HD touchscreen.