Thanks to DELL and the good people at Funky Kit, we’ve managed to put Dell’s latest XPS 13 Ultrabook to the test. This super-thin notebook is very similar to Apple’s Macbook AIR, but with a difference. It’s one of the smallest footprint Ultrabooks available on the market!
Yes, that’s right … the first ever Ultrabook with a 13.3-inch LED screen in a 12-inch body. It even beats the Apple Macbook AIR in terms of size (check out the table below).
Ultrabooks have been around for quite a while … but it wasn’t until Intel announced their 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processors last year, that are we now able to see the true benefits of an Intel powered ultrabook. These benefits include lower voltage, lower power consumption, cooler performance and better graphics performance. Let’s not forget the chipsets that are matched to these 2nd generation processors, as they also play a vital role in its overall performance.
When Apple first released their Macbook AIR a few years ago, I had to admit, I was pretty impressed by its size. I’ve been waiting for a PC manufacturer to really challenge the Macbook AIR … but unfortunately most have failed, that is until now. Today, I like to introduce to you … the Dell XPS 13!
| Apple Mackbook AIR (top model) |
DELL XPS 13 |
|
| Height | 3-17mm | 6-18mm |
| Width | 325mm | 316mm |
| Depth | 227mm | 205mm |
| Screen Size | 13.3-inch | 13.3-inch |
| Weight | 2.96 lbs | 2.99 lbs |
Here are the specifications:
- 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2637M processor (1.70 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 2.80 GHz) TPM
- 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz
- Intel® QS67 Chipset
- Intel® HD Graphics 3000
- Samsung 256GB Solid State hard drive
- 1.3MP webcam with dual array digital microphones
- Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6230 802.11 a/g/n with Intel® Smart Connect Technology + Bluetooth 3.0
- Intel® Wireless Display ready
- USB 3.0 (1)+ USB 2.0 with PowerShare (1); mini DisplayPort (1); Headset Jack (1)
The model we’ll be looking at in this review is the Dell XPS 13 – L321X … the flagship model. It’s powered by a 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2637M processor running at 1.7GHz (Turbo Boost up to 2.80 GHz), and comes with 4GB of ram. For storage, it features a 256GB SSD, which should help speed up this little ultrabook.
According to Dell, the boot up time from cold start is no more than 8 seconds, and it can resume from sleep mode in just 1 second (4 seconds from deep sleep). Sounds pretty impressive but is it true or false? … We shall see.
