New or old Dell XPS 15

LSurrealblank on 09/02/2017 - 17:05

Hi everyone,

As you are all aware there is the ebay 20% off special on at the moment and I was pretty keen on buying the dell xps15.
I was looking at the xps 15 fhd version with 8gb ram and 256 ssd gtx 1050 with the smaller battery size which should come around at about 2000
But at the same time without the code on eBay there are sellers who listed the previous years model with 4k screen 16 gb ram and 512 ssd 960m albeit refurbished with warranty until end of year. The pricing is about 2000 as well

I usually do a lot of word processing and web bruising with the occasional netflix, gaming and light room use. Just wondering with between the two versions of new and old which one should I lean more towards for better value?

Also for those old dell users, what is the difference between premium support and the cheaper hardware support?

Thanks so much for your views and help

Computing

Comments

  • wongsun on 09/02/2017 - 17:41

    are you intending on being mobile a lot or will you be plugged in. The XPS 15 with the 4K screen will drain battery life faster.

    • Surrealblank on 09/02/2017 - 19:49

      My laptops usually sits on my desk or somewhere close to a power plug. There's the odd ocassions of using it outside in cafes or library but otherwise it's gonna be in my room

  • s3n on 09/02/2017 - 17:44

    There is very little performance difference between the 960m and cut down 1050 (the 1060 is a massive difference)

    The XPS 15 runs hot and Dell have had problems with heat putting anything more than the 1050 in it

    There are frequently refurbs of the 4k 960m for $1899 on the outlet but I have read that there are problems with coil whine, heat (throttling) etc. so people return them and you don't know what you are getting

    The new 4k model has been on sale for ~$2500 before so I wouldn't pay any more than $2000 for the old model and would probably go the old model since they are so similar

    I would be willing to pay $2500 for a perfect business laptop but the heat that this laptop produces (the keyboard gets warm) and the possible noise deterred me away from it in favour of the Latitude 15 5270 R7 M360 model that I got for $1250 new from the outlet and the fan never comes on, it runs cool, is silent other than very little coil whine that I'm now used to and can live with as long as I don't hear any fans, and the battery runs forever (like 8-10 hours normal use). You can get a Latitude 15 quad core model with R7 M370 "as new" for around $1500, refurb less. If you are lucky you can get a Precision 15 FHD refurb which is very similar to the XPS 15 for $1700.

    • wongsun on 09/02/2017 - 20:38

      I haven't really heard about the heating issue for the new XPS 15. Have their been many reports of this? I am asking because I am thinking of getting one for work and most of the time the laptop is closed and connected to an external monitor. I am concerned of heating issues will be compounded as the laptop is closed.

      • s3n on 10/02/2017 - 12:18

        If you google it there are forum threads etc. about it.

        Much of the issues seem to be luck of the draw which is why there are often batches of refurbished models on the outlet buyer beware

        My previous employer used Dell Latitudes of all different models E43XX, now E74XX and they were all bulletproof so I decided to go for a latitude for work rather than taking a chance

  • s3n on 09/02/2017 - 17:51

    Personally for gaming and work I almost pulled the trigger on the Gigabyte Aero 14 gtx 1060 on an ebay sale for around $2300-2400 but I decided to focus on work and professionalism

    There is a massive difference in performance between the 960/965m and the 1060 so that's definitely worth the extra cost for an awesome laptop with great battery life, cooling, light weight etc.

    • klaw81 on 10/02/2017 - 09:57

      edit

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