Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Pro or Something Else?

LHiros on 21/04/2017 - 00:17

Hi, I have just joined this site after a long while of stalking because I need your wise advice!

I have been using a MacBook Pro 13inch (mid2012 model) since 2012 and as of maybe last year, I believe the hard drive cable has been failing. I have replaced it twice but it still eventually fails again after a few months. The fan also doesn't work and the battery seems like it needs replacing soon.

I figured I should be thinking about getting a new laptop.

I really do not want to get a new MacBook pro since their parts aren't replaceable and even the base models cost so much. I have been looking into either getting a really cheap laptop (one that I would use for uni work i.e. microsoft word, PDF editing and internet browsing) however I want to be able to open many tabs and also play youtube videos with no lag. I also very rarely need to render videos for my assignments, so preferably a laptop that can do so at a decent speed (no need to be super fast).

I also very highly prefer a light laptop as my current dying macbook pro is 2kg, I'd prefer something less than 1.5kg. Many laptops around $1k are over 2kg!

Hence I was thinking of getting a dell xps 13 i5 (no touchscreen). It's $1999 on the dell site and I can get 15% off with my student code = $1699 but it seems there are better deals for the same thing (I noticed the occasional eBay 20% tech sale makes the dell xps 13 i5 $1439.20 on their eBay site.)

At the moment, I am using my Macbook with the drive connected externally via usb so I can keep waiting.

So my question(s) is/are:
Should I buy a Dell XPS 13 i5 or a base model new Macbook Pro or do you know of something else that suits my needs which is cheaper?
And if I buy either of the above, should I be waiting for a better deal than what is available to me presently?
What would be a decent price range to wait for for the above laptops right now up to the end of the year?

Poll Options

  • 11
    MacBook Pro
  • 10
    Dell XPS 13
  • 10
    something else
Computing

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 21/04/2017 - 00:43

    Going by NotebookCheck's list of top ten ultrabooks (April 2017) the business class Lenovo Thinkpad T460 seems to take the top spot.

    Looking at the february edition the Thinkpad was also still the top recommendation.

    The Dell XPS 13 is better than the Lenovo in one regard and that is the presence of Thunderbolt 3 port and it somehow packs a 13.3 inch display into an 11 inch figure (great for portability). It is not as rugged as a Thinkpad — that's where a Dell Latitude would compete.

    The Dell Latitude series have three different tiers — there's the Dell Latitude 3000 series, 5000 series and 7000 series.
    You will want the 7000 series to have a comparable build quality to a Macbook, as they are the most premium one. You'll easily find Dells for sale on weekdays at the Dell Outlet.

    The Asus ZenBook UX305A touch is also one of the cheapest ultrabooks you can get and it has decent reviews but as it's not a true 'business machine', some corners did have to be cut (no backlit KB, Wifi chip is weaker, and only a single Micro HDMI port). You can also expect some bloatware to be factory installed.
    On the flipside, it has dedicated GPU (Nvidia 940m) which would help out greatly in media editing.

  • KitchenSink on 21/04/2017 - 00:53

    Lenovos seem to be the bargains here. Check them out. Some that should suit you are
    Thinkpad 13
    ThinkPad E470

    If you want lots of tabs you'd need more RAM like 16GB to be comfortable now and for a few years. The Lenovos should be user upgradable compared to the the XPS 13 and Macbook Pro 13. They don't have user upgradable RAM, they're soldered on. So you're stuck with the RAM from purchase. 8GB RAM should be the minimum these days and should be enough for today but the more the better.

    • Hiros on 21/04/2017 - 15:28

      In regards to Lenovo, I looked that the X1 Carbon Lenovo Gen 5. It seems like a dream machine but the even the Dell XPS seems to be more cost efficient (I can get the Dell XPS 13inch 256GB for the same price as 128GB X1Carbon.

  • Kunalk222 on 21/04/2017 - 15:02

    Dell anytime

    • Hiros on 21/04/2017 - 15:28

      I'm ready to leave Apple! If only there is a better Dell Sale on…

      • klaw81 on 21/04/2017 - 15:38

        The Dell Factory Outlet has a couple XPS 13 models listed. $1750 gets you a i7-7500U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 13" QHD touchscreen and 1 year warranty, delivered. That's a lot of laptop for a very low price…

        • Hiros on 21/04/2017 - 15:45

          Hi, may I ask
          what is the difference between
          NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 960M with 2GB GDDR5
          and
          Intel(R) HD Graphics

          on the laptops listed in the DFO?

          I'd prefer a non-touch screen one like the $1799 XPS 13 i7-6560U listed
          Apparently the touch screen drains the battery much more.

        • scrimshaw on 21/04/2017 - 16:14
          +1

          @Hiros:

          Intel HD graphics is the default option for all Intel-based laptops. You can think of them as baseline graphics… fairly basic, won't do you much good if you are doing anything graphically intensive, like playing a PC game, or designing stuff in 3D. All Intel graphics are integrated, meaning they actually part of the processor itself, so every machine has it.

          Anything equipped with Nvidia graphics means there is actually a dGPU. dGPU means dedicated graphics processing unit. On top of what already exists (the Intel GPU).

          This gives you better performance because this leaves the processor less work to do. Dedicated GPU's options are always more expensive and they also require slightly more power to run. The 960M is a fairly mid-range GPU, competent for most tasks.

          Since you are not a gamer, the GPU is mostly unimportant, although keep in mind some creative tasks, such as Adobe Photoshop, or video editing in Adobe Premiere, can be accelerated by the usage of a dGPU.

        • klaw81 on 21/04/2017 - 16:53

          @Hiros:

          Scrimshaw has done a good job of explaining what it actually is, and what it does.

          Having a discrete GPU gives you a lot more graphical processing power. The GeForce GTX range is designed for gaming, can also be useful in some productivity tasks like 3D modelling, media editing and the like.

          Integrated graphics use a lot less power and create a lot less heat than a discrete GPU, which means your laptop can be thinner, lighter and have longer battery life. Intel integrated graphics are pretty capable these days, so you're likely to be fine without it.

        • Hiros on 21/04/2017 - 22:25

          Ah okay thankyou very much, this was really helpful!

  • Chrotzo on 22/04/2017 - 05:07

    Just bought mi notebook air 13.3 inch for 730 usd from gearbest. Shipped in 5 days and is really happy with it. Its only been 1 day though. Although you have to buy new windows key and reinstall the windows as it came in a chinese version.

  • Braintrain1000 on 22/04/2017 - 11:14

    I have a xps 13 i7 skylake (FHD) modle.

    STAY away from this beautiful looking dell xps because the battery life they claim is simply false. You get around 300 full charging cycles and from a single charge you get from 3 to 5 hours a day. Windows 10 updates have fu#ked up the battery optimasation. Another issue is the mouse pad. Its small and very sensitive.

    • Hiros on 22/04/2017 - 11:38

      Oh really? Were you doing intensive stuff on your laptop?
      This does worry me though as I would prefer a laptop with really good battery life, atleast 7 hours or so.
      I assume you only get the maximum battery life that all developers claim by literally leaving the laptop open on lowest brightness and doing absolutely nothing haha

      • Braintrain1000 on 22/04/2017 - 12:30

        I do not have any software installed except office and chrome.

        I would suggest the OP to google "poor battery life dell xps 13"

  • asehgal on 19/01/2018 - 08:15

    I am looking for a device too. Given the usage defined by OP - looks to me that the options are between XPS13, HP Spectre and Lenovos (T470, 470s, X1 Carbon)? Lower variations can be had but compromise is on build quality and durability. Can current users/owners comment on which one has an edge over others - considering quality, after sales support etc?

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