Dell Laptops

[Chrisgr31]

I am pondering a new laptop, and like Dell, have tried others in the past both for work and home use and just didn’t like them.

Dell do various models, XPS, Latitude, Inspiron, Alienware, Vostro, G Series etc.

What is the difference between them all? I’d if you specced them with the same chip, memory, hard drive etc what is the difference? Is the case lighter, heavier, more robust etc?

[FunkyGibbon]

I had an Inspiron and now a Precision.

The main differences are:

Inspiron is home use, and not very expandable, uses parts that cannot easily be replaced (e.g. wifi card died but it is soldered on and a non standard M.2 card). Max RAM 16GB, non upgradeable SSD. Build quality is OK, mainly plastic

Precision is business machine, better motherboard, standard M.2 SSDs that can be upgraded, dual M,2 slots, 64GB RAM limit, Wifi Card is a standard M.2 card and Wifi 6 and upgradable. It is beautifully built bit of kit, aluminium shell. It also has a dedicated GPU as well as the onboard one, Important for me in photo-processing.

The former is a great laptop if you are happy with the amount of RAM, SSD etc - and nothing breaks outside of warranty.

The latter is fantastic, expandable, BUT.... twice the price of the former.

I use https://www.europc.co.uk/ - they claim to be refurb - but they are brand new just not in consumer packaging.

Edited by FunkyGibbon on Saturday 22 October 09:29

[Chrisgr31]

Thanks so effectively as you go for the most expensive models that quality/flexibility improves - which makes sense

[parabolica]

Chrisgr31 said:

I am pondering a new laptop, and like Dell, have tried others in the past both for work and home use and just didn’t like them.

Dell do various models, XPS, Latitude, Inspiron, Alienware, Vostro, G Series etc.

What is the difference between them all? I’d if you specced them with the same chip, memory, hard drive etc what is the difference? Is the case lighter, heavier, more robust etc?

XPS is their top of the range line, outstanding build quality and performance but at a price. Aimed at those with heavy cpu demands, and you can get them with the latest GPUs.

Latitude is their business line-up; good compromise of build quality for budget with the option of expandability.

Inspiron is their consumer line up; mainly plastic construction, cheap(ish) but limited expandability.

Alienware is their gaming line up; expensive but regarded as some of the best (the laptops at least).

Not familiar with the others you mentioned. Most of the ranges have overlap with one another in some areas. Good news is with such a wide range there is something for everyone within their budget.

Personally I went off Dell after a few bad Inspirons a few years back, but if I had the budget a XPS would be my choice right now.

[xeny]

I'd argue XPS is more their thin and fashionable line. Use them for something CPU intensive and it is quickly apparent they are too thin to cool a high end processor adequately.

Google for XPS Thermal Throttling and see how common the issue is.

[Insert Coin]

I’ve got an Inspiron 15 5000 series, paid something like £1000 for it in 2020 with extended warranty etc and it’s a great bit of kit, doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy at all.

[FunkyGibbon]

I'd agree with xeny about XPS

I think the line up is

Precision - CPU/GPU intensive business machine, built like a tank and heavy
Latitude - solid business workhorse

XPS - pro-sumer, light weight and powerful (similar pricing to Precision)

Inspiron - middle of the road consumer - little expandability
Vostro - more budget end consumer - little (no?) expandability

Alienware as above - high end gaming

State a budget and pick what best matches your current and future use cases.

I went for Precision because I like the expandability and it not really used as laptop, but more a mobile desktop, so the weight is for me not an issue.

[LimaDelta]

I have a 17" Alienware. It is more of a mobile desktop than a true laptop. Effectively zero battery and seriously limited performance unless plugged into the mains. Quite chunky to allow for bigger GPU, fans and cooling channels, though not as big as gaming laptops a couple of generations ago. Not cheap but powerful and was one of the few 3080 laptops at the time I bought it.

[Chrisgr31]

Thanks I currently have an Inspiron 13 5378 which is 5 years old, so thinking its time to replace it. Its been fine, battery failed a few months ago, the hinge can be dodgy and a wrong touch on the back f the screen can cause the laptop to shut down.

I do carry it around a bit so like the 13 inch screen, so I plan a 13 inch replacement. Thinking about an Outlet one but there is no rush.