The Studio XPS 16 hits a sweet spot in between a mainstream gaming notebook and a full-on desktop replacement. It's large enough to get a Full HD display, a powerful, discreet GPU and full-size keyboard, yet small enough to be sufficiently portable and still rather attractive. In the pages to come we'll be taking a look at how this rig handles the day-to-day rigors as well as gaming duties. Join us as we break things down from top to bottom, won't you?
Our review unit of the Dell Studio XPS 16 features the following configuration:
- Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1) 64-bit
- Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz Processor
- 1067 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 Cache
- 4GB of 800 MHz Memory (2 x 2GB DDR3)
- ATI Mobility Radeon 4670 (1GB)
- 16.0 Inch Glossy Full HD RGBLED Display (1920x1080)
- VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort Output
- Seagate Momentus Momentus 7200.4 500GB Hard Drive; 7200RPM
- 4x Blu-ray Disc Combo Drive; (DVD/CD +/- RW +BD Read)
- Intel Wireless 5100 Card (Wi-Fi)
- Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0
- Integrated Stereo Speakers
- 2.0 MP Camera
- 8-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader
- ExpressCard 54 Slot
- 2 x USB 2.0 Ports; 1 x Mini 1394 (FireWire); 1 x USB 2.0 compliant / eSATA port with PowerShare; 2 headphone jacks; 1 audio input
- 0.95" - 1.34" (H) / 15.15" (W) / 10.02" (D)
- 6.5 Pounds - Weight
- 6-Cell 56Wh Battery
- Retail (Before Discounts) Price As Tested: $1758.00 currently (starting price $1099)
If you've been looking for a laptop with a good LCD, you can probably stop reading this review right now. Yes, the display on the Dell Studio XPS 1640 battery is that good. Of course, we need to clarify that we are talking about the upgraded LCD and not the default 720p option. The upsell is a 1080p LCD with RGB LED backlighting, which tacks on a hefty $250 to the price. Is it worth the money? That depends on how much you use your laptop for graphics work, watching movies, etc. Keep in mind that you can find plenty of desktop LCDs that are larger and offer similar quality for not much more than $250. However, you can't really use that sort of display while you're on the road.
The Studio XPS 16’s slick aesthetic begins with its eye-catching glossy Obsidian Black lid (emblazoned with Dell’s logo), set off by an anodized aluminum strip that stretches the width of the top and connects to a pair of thick, sturdy hinges (which bear the XPS logo). A panel of black, genuine leather at the base of the lid reinforces the idea that this is a classy, high-end machine. Dell even pays attention to the bottom of the notebook: portions of it are covered with miniature X’s pulled from the XPS logo.
In addition, there aren’t individual panels for the RAM and hard drive compartments; when you remove the bottom you get full access to the innards, which can be quite handy for those who like to tinker with their machines. Our only gripes with the Dell Studio XPS M1640 Series battery design are that the glossy portion of the system’s top picks up fingerprints and smudges very easily, and that you can see the screws that bind the hinges to the display.
Speaking of backlighting, the other key standard feature on all Studio XPS machines is the backlit keyboard. As on the 1340, though, the non-isolated nature of the keyboard means a certain level of bleed when viewed from an angle. Our opinion of the keyboard hasn't improved much, either. Its basic layout is fine, more or less perfect in fact, but keys are uneven and lack a little feedback. It's not quite bad enough to make this machine one to avoid, but it does take a little getting used to.
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