Dell's XPS 15 is no slouch when it comes to computing. In fact, it goes down as my powerhouse 15-inch laptop due to its quad-core CPU, dedicated NVidia graphics and the jaw-dropping 4K InfinityEdge display.
For 2017, Dell is not shaking things up with its flagship laptop, but it is bringing some very welcome refinements, as expected. The biggest one is a shift from the NVidia GTX 960M GPU to the much more powerful NVidia GTX 1050 with 4GB of video memory.
What's new at a glance
- 7th Generation Intel Kaby Lake processors
- NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5
- Optional fingerprint reader for Windows Hello
- Killer 1535 Wireless 2x2 + Bluetooth 4.1
- 97Whr battery (up from 84Whr)
Like previous versions, Dell is offering the XPS 15 with many variations that let it hit an initial $999 price point. Of course, that's no discrete GPU, a Full HD non-touch display, a dual-core Core i3 processor with a hybrid rapid drive (HDD + SDD), and 8GB of RAM, but that's still a sweet deal.
Maxed out you're talking a 350-nit 15.6" UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) InfinityEdge Touch display, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, 32GB DDR4 (2133MHz), GTX 1050, quad-core Core i7 at 3.8GHz, and a massive 97Whr battery.
Speaking of CPUs, it's no surprise to see refreshed quad-core 7th Generation Kaby Lake processors now included. That includes the dual-core i3-7100H (up to 3GHz), quad-core i5-7300HQ (up to 3.5GHz), and the top-end i7-7700HQ quad-core with 6M Cache and blistering speeds up to 3.8GHz.
Dell XPS 15 (9560) Specifications
| Category | Dell XPS 15 9560 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i3-7100H (3M Cache, up to 3.0 GHz) Intel Core i5-7300HQ Quad-Core (6M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz) Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core (6M Cache, up to 3.8 GHz) |
| Storage Options | 500GB HDD + 32GB Flash or 1TB HDD + 32GB Flash with Intel Smart Response Technology 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD |
| RAM Options | 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB DDR4 at 2133 MHz 2 x SoDIMMs |
| Display Options | 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) InfinityEdge 15.6" UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) InfinityEdge touch Edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass NBT on 4K Ultra HD display |
| Graphics | Intel HD 630 NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5 |
| Ports | HDMI, USB 3.0 (x2) with PowerShare Headset Jack SD card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC) Kensington Lock slot USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 |
| Wireless | Killer 1535 Bluetooth 4.1 802.11ac (Miracast enabled) |
| Windows Hello | Fingerprint scanner (optional) |
| Battery | 56 or 97 WHr |
| AC Adapter | 130W |
| Weight | 4lbs (1.8kg) with 56WHr 4.5lbs (2.0kg) with 97WHr |
| Dimensions | Height: 0.45-0.66 inches (11-17mm) Width: 14.06 inches (357mm) Depth: 9.27 inches (235mm) |
| Colors | Silver with Carbon Fiber |
Pair that up with the optional NVidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5 graphics and you have a powerhouse laptop that weighs only 4.5lbs (2kg). If you want to skip on the dedicated GPU, the system falls back to the default Intel HD 630 graphics.
That's not all that was upgraded, though. Dell bumped the battery on the high-end model from 84WHr to a boundary-pushing 97Whr – just shy of the legal FCC limit for air travel. Combined with the efficiencies with Kaby Lake and battery life should be outstanding.
There is also now an optional built-in fingerprint reader in the base to log into the OS using Windows Hello's bio-authentication.
Finally, for ports you get the now-standard HDMI, USB 3.0 (x2) with PowerShare; Headset Jack; SD card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC); Kensington Lock slot; and a single Thunderbolt 3 USB Type C to handle whatever you throw at it.
Pricing starts at $999 for the XPS 15 (9560) but goes up to around $2650 for a maxed-out system and everything in between. That's still cheaper than a 15-inch MacBook Pro too.
Availability has not yet been announced, but we'll keep an eye out and review one as soon as we can.
