Dell XPS13 Review

Recently had a chance to lay my hands on Dell XPS 13, a 13.3” ultra book with a 4th generation Haswell i5 processor installed with Windows 7.  I would prefer that the review set be installed with Windows 8 so that I can have a chance to test its touch screen performance too.


The thin and sleek laptop comes with Corning Gorilla Glass NBT screen and packed in machined aluminum and carbon fiber chassis which made it more sturdy and durable, it somehow feels heavier than it is at 1.36kg. The 13.3” display packed in a chassis similar to an 11” laptop has increased its portability.



You can expect superior graphics with Intel HD graphics 4400 on a full HD display, loving its vibrant colors of its display. One downside of the display is that, it is rather reflective, which makes viewing challenging in brightly lit surroundings.


With the 4th generation Intel Core processors, the Dell XPS 13 boots up pretty fast which is really satisfying and multi-tasking with several windows opened do not pose any issue or cause any slowdown to the processing speed.

The keyboard is very comfortable to type with, and love that it is back lit, which is great when typing under low light.  I tried typing with lights totally off, and had no issues in hitting the the correct message.  The keyboards soft muted clicks will be greatly appreciated when you do not have a room by yourself, leaving your office-mates or room-mates with peace.


Heat ventilation may be a concern to some as the machine can get heated up after some 45mins, but noise will not be much of a concern since Dell XPS 13 is rather tame and its noise goes unnoticed in most scenarios.

If I must find fault with Dell XPS 13, it does not come with a SD card slot which is a common feature among most laptops nowadays.  In additional, this laptop only comes with two USB 3.0 and a Display Port.  Thus a USB Hub may be required to bring along if you were to need to plug in a card reader, a portable hard disk and your mobile phone for charging at the same time, which is cumbersome.  Also battery life span of up to 5hours+ per full charge seems inadequate.

My verdict:
The price may seems a bit steep however its general performance is rather satisfactory.  The portability of this light weighted laptop will be great for consideration for those who are always on-the-go. Its sleek and chic design will be a favourite choice for those going after designs.


Specs of the review set:
Intel HD graphics 4400 on a full HD display.
4th generation Intel Core i5 processors
128GB mSATA solid state drive
Windows 7

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