rMBP vs DELL XPS: Experience?

[dallegre]

DELL has done the same thing, in fact the very problem i was talking about was due (in part) to defective design where both the CPU and GPU were on the same heatsink and one would throttle the other.

From what I've read, the XPS 15 has a similar issue. It's a 45w CPU and a 60w GPU (960m) in a chasis that can really deliver about 90w to both continuously. Something has to get throttled under full load. The Precision 5510 (same chasis as XPS) uses a more balanced 45w CPU with a Quadro M1000M (also 45w) for 90w draw between the two.

 

[Ethosik]

Windows 10 still suffers from absolutely horrible scaling for high resolution displays. I got rid of my Surface Pro 3 because everything was blurry unless it was set to 100% scale which made everything too small.

Sometimes things just isn't all about hardware. Apple hardware + software beat anything else. And guess what? I do not notice a difference between someones 2010 Macbook Pro and my 2013 rMBP in terms of performance. People really need to stop acting that the latest processor is a 500% speed improvement.

 

[dallegre]

Sometimes things just isn't all about hardware. Apple hardware + software beat anything else. And guess what? I do not notice a difference between someones 2010 Macbook Pro and my 2013 rMBP in terms of performance. People really need to stop acting that the latest processor is a 500% speed improvement.

I think it's more about the latest dGPUs, dedicated graphics memory and the ability to upgrade RAM and storage than the latest processor. At least that's what has me looking back at Windows (probably a Dell 5510 or 7510).

 

[Ethosik]

I think it's more about the latest dGPUs, dedicated graphics memory and the ability to upgrade RAM and storage than the latest processor. At least that's what has me looking back at Windows (probably a Dell 5510 or 7510).

But people are saying they prefer the Surface Pro 4 more now. Can you upgrade the RAM and Storage in that? Everything (not just Apple) is going that route.

 

[pmau]

I think it's more about the latest dGPUs, dedicated graphics memory and the ability to upgrade RAM and storage than the latest processor. At least that's what has me looking back at Windows (probably a Dell 5510 or 7510).

The issue with todays hardware is that the chipset defines how many PCIe lanes can be used for I/O in general.
Meaning, if you want high-throuput SSD, USB-C Ports and TB you need a decent high end CPU / Chipset combination.

If Apple decides to use highly integrated logic boards, it will be a limiting factor.
It's not about the latest CPU for speed, it's the surrounding features that make the difference.

Also, Apple likes to keep the power profile as low as possible. Each additional port, memory size and bus speed drain more power. I think we will not get a decently speced machine from Apple because it has to be all "green".

 

[dallegre]

But people are saying they prefer the Surface Pro 4 more now. Can you upgrade the RAM and Storage in that? Everything (not just Apple) is going that route.

The Surface Pro and Surfacebook are just a different class of product. It's a relatively powerful (but not that powerful) machine with tablet capabilities. Could make a lot of sense for some people.

Personally, I'm more of a mobile workstation type user (who desires a degree of portability). The unibody MBPs played that role beautifully, but the latest models are falling behind the competition in that niche.

 

[Ethosik]

The issue with todays hardware is that the chipset defines how many PCIe lanes can be used for I/O in general.
Meaning, if you want high-throuput SSD, USB-C Ports and TB you need a decent high end CPU / Chipset combination.

If Apple decides to use highly integrated logic boards, it will be a limiting factor.
It's not about the latest CPU for speed, it's the surrounding features that make the difference.

Also, Apple likes to keep the power profile as low as possible. Each additional port, memory size and bus speed drain more power. I think we will not get a decently speced machine from Apple because it has to be all "green".

What do you mean by that? I have found nothing that has an i7 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD as my 2013 rMBP does with as much battery life as it has. It is decently specced even by todays standards.

 

[pmau]

What do you mean by that? I have found nothing that has an i7 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD as my 2013 rMBP does with as much battery life as it has. It is decently specced even by todays standards.

I did not say otherwise. But I suspect Apple will go further down the road with their minimalistic approach.

 

[ATC]

What do you mean by that? I have found nothing that has an i7 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD as my 2013 rMBP does with as much battery life as it has. It is decently specced even by todays standards.

I've been eying this (Costco here in Canada sells it) and it seems to fit the bill. A comparable 13" rMBP is significantly more expensive (and the rMBP has older CPU/GPU to boot, the Dell has the Skylake architecture with IRIS GT3e if I'm not mistaken). I recall not too long ago where Apple was very much still in the value-for-money game, where a truly comparable product wasn't cheaper. I just don't see that anymore.

 

[zettabyte]

I'm debating if I should buy a XPS15 9550 now or wait for the refresh?

I too have a 15MBPr i7/1TB/16GB and am very happy with it. However, I'm really liking the XPS and am itching to buy one....

I've been looking for a thin laptop (skylake, upgradable to 32gb, 3-4k screen) with at least a GTX 970M. I've looked at the Razer, but it has issues, let alone boring.

The XPS is by far the best looking laptop out and well built. Yes, IMO it has more of a wow factor than MBP's.

How long until the XPS refresh with possibly the new Pascal GPU? With the new GPU's lower power consumption and increased performance, it should fit nicely in a thin chassis like the XPS.

So...worth waiting?

 

[chad.petree]

I'm debating if I should buy a XPS15 9550 now or wait for the refresh?

I too have a 15MBPr i7/1TB/16GB and am very happy with it. However, I'm really liking the XPS and am itching to buy one....

I've been looking for a thin laptop (skylake, upgradable to 32gb, 3-4k screen) with at least a GTX 970M. I've looked at the Razer, but it has issues, let alone boring.

The XPS is by far the best looking laptop out and well built. Yes, IMO it has more of a wow factor than MBP's.

How long until the XPS refresh with possibly the new Pascal GPU? With the new GPU's lower power consumption and increased performance, it should fit nicely in a thin chassis like the XPS.

So...worth waiting?

Please let me know if you find out , the xps was released in December , right ?

 

[radus]

xps was released in October
from my experience I can tell you, unless you need Xcode to work with, the XPS 15 9550 is by far superior and the better choice.
touchscreen is cool, I don't see a scaling problem in daily work, in opposite to some marketing people.

- m.2 ssd and sata III ssd are easily to exchange -- memory also ( and it is cheap ), the second -- sata III ssd can be turned on/off by uefi-bios !!

- Office is much better on the pc, adobe is on par ( and you can us your abo ),

- there are 4k 60hz usb-c/thunderbolt to hdmi2.0 or diaplayport 1.2 adapter from Club3D ( the Dell docks seams to be problematic ),

- there will be an usb-c/thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt adapter from Startech

all you need to be productive for the next 3 years,
may be the battery time is not soooo good - but we don't live in the field and everywhere I go with a laptop I take the power supply with me or have a second power supply there.

 

[zettabyte]

I'm happy with all that it offers and it's everything that I need, except the GPU where the gtx 960m is a little underpowered for me. (I understand the slim form factor.)

This is why I was curious if I should wait because the new Pascal GPU will be able to fit the bill of providing the power that I need, while also fitting nicely into a slim form factor like the XPS.

 

[chad.petree]

xps was released in October
from my experience I can tell you, unless you need Xcode to work with, the XPS 15 9550 is by far superior and the better choice.
touchscreen is cool, I don't see a scaling problem in daily work, in opposite to some marketing people.

- m.2 ssd and sata III ssd are easily to exchange -- memory also ( and it is cheap ), the second -- sata III ssd can be turned on/off by uefi-bios !!

- Office is much better on the pc, adobe is on par ( and you can us your abo ),

- there are 4k 60hz usb-c/thunderbolt to hdmi2.0 or diaplayport 1.2 adapter from Club3D ( the Dell docks seams to be problematic ),

- there will be an usb-c/thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt adapter from Startech

all you need to be productive for the next 3 years,
may be the battery time is not soooo good - but we don't live in the field and everywhere I go with a laptop I take the power supply with me or have a second power supply there.

Are you sure? I think the xps 13 was released in october but the xps 15 was released in december, or am I wrong?

 

[radus]

The XPS 15 9550 which I am using just now was produced: 29-09-2015 (there is testsoftware in uefi telling that).

 

[chad.petree]

The XPS 15 9550 which I am using just now was produced: 29-09-2015 (there is testsoftware in uefi telling that).

Ohh I see, then I think I'm gonna wait wether for it to get quite cheap, or wait for the 2016 , Im sure dell won't make us wait 4 years for it ....

 

[radus]

I bought it used for 1500 euro incl. tax ( i7, 16gb, mini ssd, 1tb hd, win 10pro) had an old sm951 512 gb m.2 ssd and an old 2tb. 850evo ssd -> put both in and bought 32gb RAM for ~125, replaced the wifi with an intel one for 25 ... compared to an inferior maxed out rMBPro quite inexpensive.

 

[chad.petree]

I bought it used for 1500 euro incl. tax ( i7, 16gb, mini ssd, 1tb hd, win 10pro) had an old sm951 512 gb m.2 ssd and an old 2tb. 850evo ssd -> put both in and bought 32gb RAM for ~125, replaced the wifi with an intel one for 25 ... compared to an inferior maxed out rMBPro quite inexpensive.

The only thing that concerns me about the dell is that the cpu and pu may not be able to handle the 4k resolution, and I'm not talking about gaming ( I would just change the resolution to 1080p) but I'm talking about scrolling in chrome, photoshop, after effects... that's whats holding me up from buying it

 

[radus]

The only thing that concerns me about the dell is that the cpu and pu may not be able to handle the 4k resolution, and I'm not talking about gaming ( I would just change the resolution to 1080p) but I'm talking about scrolling in chrome, photoshop, after effects... that's whats holding me up from buying it

scrolling in chrome is very fast ( without any problem in ordinary windows 10 pro, some trackpad problems in the developer preview)) , I don't use photoshop

 

[scupking]

If I was buying a laptop today it would be the xps 15. Not much larger then the 13" mbp. You get so much more bang for your buck with it compared to a 15" mbp. I have had a few dell laptops and never had an issue with them. Also Windows 10 isn't bad at all.

 

[kis]

Depends a bit on what model you're interested in it - the XPS 15 is a fantastic machine. The XPS 13, while great looking etc. has been absolutely lousy from my experience. Touchpad was ok at first but became frustrating very quickly. The screen of mine developed brownish blotches. Dell claimed it's within specs. The touchpad started rattling after a few weeks. Dell said it's within specs. The processor sometimes wouldn't go faster than 700mhz etc. It was a nightmare.

The XPS 15 seems to be a fantastic machine with a dramatically better touchpad and with the 13's quirks already fixed. If you need a 13" Windows laptop, get the Surface Book (just make sure you install all the updates), or check out the Surface Pro 4.

Personally, I like Windows 10 just as much as Mac OS 10. It's pretty, it's fast, it has some features that just work way better and intuitively than the Mac OS equivalents (e.g. split screen).

 

[kis]

Windows 10 still suffers from absolutely horrible scaling for high resolution displays.

Scaling is at least as good on Windows as it is on Mac OS. The problem is that Windows app developers seem to be even more lethargic to adopt to high-resolution screens than those developing for Mac OS. Personally, almost none of the apps I use on a daily basis aren't high res, everything looks extremely pretty on Windows. The only application I have installed that isn't high res yet is iTunes by Apple. Go figure.

 

[maflynn]

Scaling is at least as good on Windows as it is on Mac OS.

I wouldn't go that far, I run windows on a 5k iMac and yes apps are probably the major sticking point to a poor scaling experience, but the OS is not that much better.

I don't think its horrible, but I've run into situations where I'm not sure its completely the app. Since I have an 5k iMac, I need to have a high zoom factor, otherwise everything shows up too small, including the mouse which is all but impossible to see without scaling the display. This sometimes seems to present issues with scroll bars, windows title areas and even mouse movement. Nothing major or a show stopper but just things I notice as I use windows.

 

[Ethosik]

I wouldn't go that far, I run windows on a 5k iMac and yes apps are probably the major sticking point to a poor scaling experience, but the OS is not that much better.

I don't think its horrible, but I've run into situations where I'm not sure its completely the app. Since I have an 5k iMac, I need to have a high zoom factor, otherwise everything shows up too small, including the mouse which is all but impossible to see without scaling the display. This sometimes seems to present issues with scroll bars, windows title areas and even mouse movement. Nothing major or a show stopper but just things I notice as I use windows.

UWP look fine with scaling in Windows 10. But standard desktop apps look very blurry, even dialog boxes have blurry buttons. I have never had an issue with scaling in OS X. Text looks super crisp, dialog boxes look super crisp. Scaling on a rMBP actually makes text easier to read, not harder like it does on Windows 10. It was bad enough to make me not use my Surface Pro 3 (Windows 8.1 was bad too, I was hoping 10 would be better). I ended up just giving that to my brother.

 

[chad.petree]

Do you have any idea, around which time will dell update their XPS 13? To be more specific , an updated model with kaby lake...