Dell XPS 14z Laptop Review

Dell is one of the finest notebook manufacturers across the globe. Durability and reliability are the major factors that pulls the crowd towards Dell products. To cope up with changing trend of ultrabooks, Dell introduced XPS 14z in May this year. This 14-inch laptop throws light on the new era of computing with an authoritative i7 core processor and 8GB RAM. When you compare it with a MacBook Pro of 13-inch, you will be definitely pleased with the sophisticated switchable Nvidia graphics.

There are other configurations to choose from, culminating in a $1,600 model that includes an Intel Core i7 2640M (2.8GHz) processor, 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory, 256GB SSD, and Nvidia GT 520M graphics with 1GB of video memory. All other specs remain the same. XPS laptops are designed to be the loudest, clearest and cleanest Dell V79Y0 battery on the planet with built-in high-fidelity JBL speakers and Waves MaxxAudio® technology. Together they produce rich, full sound that delivers booming bass and razor-sharp clarity to your favorite movies, music and games.

Dell XPS 14z Specs:

• Choice between Intel Core i5 and Dual Core i7 processor
• NVIDIA graphics with NVIDIA Optimus technology
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M
• Dual channel 6GB DDR3 up to DDR3 1333Mhz 8GB memory
• 500GB up to 750GB Harddisk (7200RPM ) along with 256GB SSD drive option
• Spill-resistant keyboard(Chiclet, Backlit)
• Battery life up to 6 hours and 42 minutes (8-cell Dell XPS 14z battery)
• Webcam – built-in 1.3MP HD
• Audio – dual array digital microphones along with stereo speakers
• Wireless connectivity – Bluetooth 3.0
• Network – built-in Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 802.11 A/G/N
• USB 3.0 (1), Mini Display-Port, USB 2.0 (1)

Dell is launching its XPS 14z, a thin, gorgeous, full-featured notebook that brings to mind the old Adamo. It’s meant to be a rock-star notebook for rock-star professionals who buy their own PCs and use them at work—just like many of us have been doing with our smartphones for years. And while we tested the base unit (minus 2GB of RAM), we see enough raw talent here to pass it through to the next round and recommend it for the rock stars among you.

Still, what impressed us during the tests we’ve conducted were the following awesome features: Nvidia Graphics, the 14-inch screen and an optical drive and all these in a smaller package, equivalent to a 13-inch laptop. Similar to most of the other great devices out there, it has a starting price of $999 (this price is for the version which has integrated Intel graphics), the version that we have tested also had Nvidia 520M graphics, an upgraded Intel Core i7 CPU and a HDD of 750GB ; the price of this configuration was $1,299.

The fact that 14" seems to be the new 15" comes the release of the XPS 14z. The XPS 14z takes its style from the 15z we reviewed back in July and packs as much of the performance into the smaller chassis as is possible, giving us some extra features over the Inspiron 14" model.

Regular travelers will want a sizeable hard drive for carrying their entire media collection around, and this laptop doesn’t disappoint, packing in 500GB of storage. The drive spins at 7200rpm, faster than the standard 5400rpm, so software loads quickly and movies stream perfectly. The slender body also houses a slot-loading optical drive, so you can watch DVDs and install games from disc.

In everyday use, the 14z was incredibly comfortable to type on thanks to a spacious backlit QWERTY keyboard. In bright light, we preferred to keep the backlight switched off, as the combination of grey keys and white LEDs made it difficult to read, but in a dark room they worked incredibly well. The keys themselves are mostly full-size and sensibly spaced apart from one another. There’s enough spring in each key that we could type for long periods without getting uncomfortable, and although there isn’t a separate numerical keypad, we didn’t find it a major issue.

Just like the 15z, the 14z sports a gorgeous aluminium and magnesium chassis that mimics Apple’s unibody aesthetic. The lid and laptop’s base are single pieces of milled grey aluminium, while the palm area and keyboard surround are a darker magnesium. This doesn’t feel as cold to the touch and is a slightly softer metal, making for a more pleasant typing experience, and also helps to keep the weight down. The only plastic parts are the keyboard keys and screen surround, though the latter is protected by a single glass sheet that gives a seamless display impression.

Inside the case Dell has included a 58-Wh lithium ion Dell XPS 14z battery, which is screwed in but can still in principle be exchanged. In combination with the energy consumption, as described above, we get a maximum expected battery life of around 6.5 hours (tested with the Battery Eater Reader’s test, minimum display brightness, WLAN off, energy-saving profile). With realistic day-to-day usage, for example when surfing the net, a battery run-time of around 5 hours can be expected.

The configuration of the XPS 14z is perfect for anyone who requires lots of grunt from a small and reasonably inexpensive package. It features an Intel Core i7-2640M CPU, which has a speed of 2.8GHz, two cores plus Hyper-Threading. It's joined by 8GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics Dell XPS 14z  AC adapter (with Optimus switching technology) and a 7200rpm, 750GB hard drive (WD7500BPKT-75PK4T0).

With so many extremely thin 13-inch laptops hitting the streets right now, such as the first generation of Ultrabooks from Acer, Lenovo, and Asus, the XPS 14z has roughly the same length and width measurements, but looks chunky and thick in comparison.

The screen is covered by edge-to-edge glass, which looks extremely smart. For one thing, it makes the bezel look thinner – at the side it’s 1cm thick, but with the glass covering most of that and melding seamlessly into the panel it looks like a lot less. During testing we got excellent Dell V79Y0 battery life when browsing and typing with the screen at half-brightness. With light to moderate use we saw between four and six hours of life - impressive for a laptop of this performance, and again adds to its claim of being a portable machine.

Speaking of the LCD panel, we hit the one area where I truly feel Dell misses the mark. We’ve noted in the past that the XPS line is supposed to be more of a premium brand than Dell’s Inspiron line, and part of that comes from the improved materials and build quality. What really sold us on the XPS 15 and later the XPS 15z was the availability of a 1080p high-contrast LCD in place of the standard 1366x768 panel. Really, that was the difference between a decent laptop and an Editors’ Choice award. At least for the time being, the Dell XPS 14z power adapter only has one display option available, and sadly it is not high contrast, high color, nor high quality. In short, it’s a display that would be right at home in an Inspiron, and that’s a shame. If Dell added an option for a higher quality 1440x900 (or even 1600x900) panel, we might be back into Editors’ Choice territory.

This notebook picked up the pace during the LAPTOP File Transfer Test, duplicating 4.97GB of multimedia files in 2 minutes and 12 seconds for a rate of 38.6 MBps, easily surpassing the 27.3 MBps thin-and-light average. The HP Envy 14 notched 33 MBps, while the MacBook Pro scored 28.1 MBps.

Our only issues with the design are the stiff lid hinges, which to be fair at least keeps the screen still when you're on rocky public transport. The screen only tilts 45 degrees back from vertical, so finding a comfortable viewing angle can be tricky when the XPS 14z is resting on your laptop.