Review: Dell XPS 14z

Review: Dell XPS 14z

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We first checked the Dell XPS 14z at IFA, a version of its portable little dinkier XPS 15z excellent. XPS 14z hits stores today, and we have already spent a few days to snuggle and get acquainted.

While 14-inch version of a 15-inch laptop may seem a bit useless, we were impressed by how thin and light XPS 14z out. With his build and weight 2 kg 23 mm, is more like a 13-inch laptop. The XPS 15z is not exactly a chubster, but passengers will have to consider this first laptop.

The slim body may appear less impressive compared to the upcoming slew of ultra-books, including the ridiculously thin Zenbook Asus is just 9mm thick. But we had no trouble slipping in our XPS 14z backpack and carry it all weekend.

In terms of design, almost exclusively resized XPS 15z. For the same beautiful finish in brushed metal that feels as solid as it seems - we are pushed and prodded every inch, and found the weak points in an alarming way. Even a paper-thin aluminum cover is strong enough to take the beat, so you do not have the start of your bag with bubble wrap.

The spacious keyboard style in the center of the chassis of the XPS 14z, bordered on both sides by the speakers. We like the curved design of the keys, giving them a futuristic look. They are firmly attached and comfortable to write any typos are a rarity due to the differences between each key.

The board size is surprisingly good too, although they do not stretch the width of the laptop. The small arrows are the only victims. As with XPS 15z, the Council is backlit for late-night sessions, and Dell also touts as "Splash." But we have not had the courage to attack him with a bottle of Evian.

We also liked the spacious touchpad, thankfully, avoids irritating the mouse buttons can be integrated in many compact laptops. In contrast, the XPS 14z has two dedicated buttons below. The platform also supports multi-touch gestures, as is the norm.

Our only problem with the design is the hinge of the hard cover, which keeps to be just under the screen when you're still stoned public transport. The screen can be tilted 45 degrees back from vertical, to find a comfortable viewing angle can be difficult when XPS 14z based on your lap.

Specifications

Dell XPS 15z is an ideal way to enjoy HD movies on the go, thanks to its 1080p screen. The XPS 14z dinkier screen is not as strong, with a standard 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, but seems nice crisp.

The color photos are also reproduced, but we were disappointed with the brightness - even if the settings turned up, the screen is not as bright as XPS 14Z is the 15z. Viewing angles are also only accepted. However, Edge to Edge Glass gives a stylish design to complement your slick design.

The built-in speakers is still strong enough to fill a small room. The sound is a bit thin at full volume, so audiophiles want to connect an external pair, but if all you need is a little background music, you will not be disappointed.

Frequent travelers will want a hard disk size to carry their entire collection of media around, and the XPS 14z does not disappoint, packing 500 GB of storage. The disc rotates at 7200 rpm, 5400 rpm faster than the standard, so the software loads quickly and online movie perfectly.

A 7-in-1 memory card slot can be used to stimulate additional storage space, or access your vacation photos on the road. The body also has a slim optical drive slot-loading, so you can watch the DVD and install games from the disc. While some compact laptops jump on the DVD, so it's good to see Dell XPS 14z put in each.

Other features are limited to a 1.3MP webcam for chatting with friends and family. We were surprised by the lack of USB ports with only two available (one of them USB 3.0). Fortunately, you get HDMI and Mini DisplayPort to connect a TV monitor or projector, but it's your lot.

Networking is standard, 802.11n and Gigabit Ethernet network access. You also have Bluetooth 3.0 support for transferring files to mobile phones and hooking the headphones.

Performance

Dell XPS 14z is available in two flavors Intel Sandy Bridge: Core i5 and Core i7. We tested the Core i5 2430M version, which is generally worked well in our benchmark tests. This powerful processor is supported by 6 GB of memory, and even with bucketloads of programs running at once, we saw no slowdown.

Our model has also packed a NVIDIA GeForce GT 525 graphics card to run games and multimedia applications. This card stays on a bit and we were disappointed by the performances stilted during testing. The final game will come, unless you turn the detail down to low and middle - you're better off sticking with the older titles.

If you want to play the latest games, we recommend that you increase your budget and watch a game machine as the MSI GT680 or Alienware M11x place. Alienware M11x is a weight you like a chunkier lot, but more than makes up for it with a superb overall performance.

Even if you can not destroy the terrorists a lot of detail, you can easily use video-editing software and other multimedia applications. HD movies play perfectly well. And even if some of the powerful components stuffed in a thin frame, the XPS 14Z remains cool and quiet is almost always. Only when we set the DVD Did it make any real noise.

We were very impressed with the excellent battery life, something that XPS 14z shares with his older brother. Generally, laptops are defeated by Sandy Bridge Battery Eater test ruthless in less than three hours, but this laptop play HD video in a loop of 200 minutes before finally submitting. It's almost as good as the longevity of the XPS 15z four hours, and earns most multimedia laptops we've seen lately.

Radar Tech Labs

Cinebench 10: 9769

3D Mark '06: 5345

Battery Eater '05: 200 min

Verdict

When we learned that 14-inch version of the XPS 15z has been in operation, we were intrigued and excited, but also curious to see the difference of an inch to do.

We liked

As it turned out that inch makes a difference. The XPS 14z is surprisingly thin compared to its predecessor, and too much light at only 2 kg. The same metal polished and elegant in its place, and is so worthy of baba, while the rim of the glass to the edge of the touch screen is a fad.

The build quality is so strong. There is a weak naira, from the solid structure of the ridiculously thin aluminum casing, while the isolation-style keyboard is a pleasure to write.

Movie fans and music have a lot of things to enjoy. The XPS 14z 500GB hard drive offers plenty of room for a large collection of media quickly and turns to keep things Smooth Streaming. The 14-inch screen is colorful and cheerful, while the speakers are better than most of those who hear.

The performance is a good run the latest version of the multimedia software, Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge is not obsolete any time soon. But even these powerful components, we still managed to well over three hours of heavy use before the battery died.

We kept

Unfortunately, some sacrifices are made at the bottom of the thin powerful XPS 15z. The screen tilts back only 45 degrees on its hinges stiff, and Full HD 1080p resolution is lost. We were also disappointed by weak he was, even at the highest settings.

E ', of course, less space in ports, especially when Dell has crammed a slot-loading optical drive, but the two USB ports seem a bit' weak. Fans will want to invest in a peripheral USB hub.

XPS 14z is less graphically capable as its big brother, and we found the latest games was stuttery business, unless we turned detail settings down. Players must look elsewhere for their fix.

Verdict

XPS 14z is a more compact ultra-portable version of one of the best laptops of 2011. Although it is not as impressive technically, it's still an excellent machine that can keep you entertained and productive on the road.