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Review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 (9575)

by Parm Mann on 7 September 2018, 10:00

Tags: Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), AMD (NYSE:AMD)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qadwzi

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Conclusion

...fast all-round performance and earnest gaming credentials at a full-HD resolution.

2-in-1 laptops are often based around an existing clamshell design, and the challenge is maintaining all that's good about the original while adding extra versatility into the mix.

In the case of the XPS 15, Dell's 2-in-1 variant employs a hybrid Intel processor outfitted with Radeon Vega M graphics, giving the convertible PC fast all-round performance and earnest gaming credentials at a full-HD resolution.

The end result ought to be a truly adaptable machine, yet while there's plenty to like, the conversion has resulted in some trade-offs that are worth knowing about. Port selection has been reduced to mainly USB Type-C - the regular XPS 15 will also give you USB Type-A, HDMI, plus a full-size SD card reader - the thinner MagLev keyboard isn't quite as good, and though the convertible lid can come in handy, the tablet experience is hindered by the 16:9 aspect ratio and a 2kg weight.

Bottom line: this is a highly capable 2-in-1, yet unless you're absolutely convinced you'll be rotating the display on a regular basis, we came away feeling as though the traditional XPS 15 laptop, with a hexa-core processor, would be the best way of enjoying Dell's terrific 4K IPS touchscreen.

The Good
  
The Bad
Sleek for a 15.6in convertible
Awesome 4K IPS touchscreen
Fast all-round performance
Radeon graphics add gaming potential
Quiet and capable cooling
  
Webcam position not ideal
No native USB Type-A
Tablet experience isn't great



Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 (9575)

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The Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 laptop is available to configure and purchase from Dell.

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At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.


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Posted by darcotech - Fri 07 Sep 2018 10:54
I think when listing the specs for laptops, TDP for graphic cards should be listed to, as when you have an APU (like this time) it looks bad (65W compared to 45W).On the other hand,other laptops have GPU card that can have even higher TDP. So if you take both in to the account, APU TDP wins over combined TDPs of CPU+GPU in other laptops. And that usually means longer battery life. Kind of important for these devices.
Posted by afiretruck - Fri 07 Sep 2018 11:08
darcotech
I think when listing the specs for laptops, TDP for graphic cards should be listed to, as when you have an APU (like this time) it looks bad (65W compared to 45W).On the other hand,other laptops have GPU card that can have even higher TDP. So if you take both in to the account, APU TDP wins over combined TDPs of CPU+GPU in other laptops. And that usually means longer battery life. Kind of important for these devices.

This isn't quite an APU. This has a seperate CPU and GPU that are packaged on a custom interconnect. My understanding is that Intel ordered a custom GPU from AMD to package alongside their CPUs.
Posted by Kanoe - Fri 07 Sep 2018 12:14
Hexus, you have the Load CPU Temp and Load GPU Temp graphs wrong on page 10. Either the labels are wrong or the wrong bars are coloured orange.
Posted by darcotech - Fri 07 Sep 2018 12:18
In its primary function, it is an APU. Of course,it can not be one chip as AMD would had to give Vega blueprint to Intel or vica versa.So no, its not like AMD APU's are,but it gives you the same functionality: cpu and gpu in one package using only one socket. Its TDP is based on both its cpu and gpu, so that was my reasoning.


afiretruck
darcotech
I think when listing the specs for laptops, TDP for graphic cards should be listed to, as when you have an APU (like this time) it looks bad (65W compared to 45W).On the other hand,other laptops have GPU card that can have even higher TDP. So if you take both in to the account, APU TDP wins over combined TDPs of CPU+GPU in other laptops. And that usually means longer battery life. Kind of important for these devices.

This isn't quite an APU. This has a seperate CPU and GPU that are packaged on a custom interconnect. My understanding is that Intel ordered a custom GPU from AMD to package alongside their CPUs.