Dell XPS 17 Review

We have been using Dell XPS laptops personally for a long time now, and with the release of the new Dell XPS laptops, the XPS 17 grabbed our attention the most. It’s quite an honor for us to test out the new Dell XPS 17 laptop and share our thoughts with you all. The spec sheet of this laptop might have already impressed you, but if you want to know how it performs in real life, we will try to tell you about that in this article and will share all the experiences that we had with this laptop. Thus, this review will clear all your doubts regarding this laptop if you are thinking of buying the Dell XPS 17 this year.  

Key Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-11800H
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
• Storage Options: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe  SSD
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6
• Display: 17.0″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch 
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Weight: 5.34 pounds
• Battery Capacity: 97Whr
• Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
• Connectivity Ports: 4 x Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, 1 x SD Card Slot, 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
• Wireless Connectivity: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.1

Performance

When it comes to performance, the Dell XPS 17 is definitely a laptop of 2021, equipped with all the latest components that you would expect. While there are variants with Core i9 processors also available, we believe the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-11800H (24MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz, 8 cores) CPU offers a better value for your money. 

In reality, the 11th Gen i7 does more than enough for a satisfying experience. On top of that, it features the all-new NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 which boosts up its performance to a whole new level. You can use this laptop for literally any task, such as gaming, editing, 3D modeling, etc. It’s just one of the best and coolest laptops that we have tested so far, and it definitely deserves a lot more attention in the market. 

Storage and RAM

You get plenty of storage and RAM options to choose from as Dell allows you to completely customize the laptop as per your requirements. That said, we got our hands on the model that features 16GB DDR4 3200MHz memory. 

Without a doubt, for a powerful laptop like this one, it’s a great RAM capacity to start with as we didn’t experience any lags, or any other complications even while heavily multitasking on the new Dell XPS 17. In fact, coupling it with 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive, this laptop barely feels to lack performance as the overall experience is just too fast and satisfying. 

Design

No wonder the Dell XPS lineup has been one of the most premium offerings from Dell, we are a huge fan of how they engineer their XPS laptops. Whether you look at the laptop in pictures, or in reality, you can never refuse how beautiful it looks! It features a machine-milled chassis made of aluminum, making it more premium and stronger than most other laptops built of magnesium or plastic. 

In fact, the palm rest of the laptop is specially engineered with black carbon fiber to manage the weight while keeping the premium aspects intact. All those diamond-cut sidewalls and laser-cut details on this laptop are pretty impressive and worth every penny!

Display

On the new Dell XPS 17, Dell is offering a stunning 17-inches screen with a 16:10 wide aspect ratio, thanks to the edge-to-edge view with no obstructing bezels. In fact, it allows you to take complete advantage of the HDR and Dolby Vision and showcases a superior dynamic range of colors for the best viewing experience possible. 

Not just that, such a large-sized laptop screen deserves a high resolution as well. That said, Dell has equipped the XPS 17 with a 4K Ultra HD+ (3840×2400) touch display with 500-nits brightness. Thus, no matter whether you are using it indoors or outdoors, you will be able to see every small detail very precisely. Speaking of outdoor usage, the display also has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection, so there’s no need to worry about any scratches or damage. 

Keyboard and Touchpad

Although its chassis is wide enough to fit a full-size keyboard there, Dell has utilized the space in a more creative way by putting the Waves Nx® 3D audio for speakers on both sides. No matter what, the keyboard feels absolutely amazing to type on as Dell has uplifted the keys a little bit as compared to the previous modes. 

This little improvement has highly improved the typing experience as the keys now feel more tactile and offer better feedback than before. On the other hand, most people believe that Apple MacBook laptops serve as the best trackpad. Well, you haven’t tried the trackpad given on the new Dell XPS 17 then, it’s truly a gem of an experience. 

Connectivity

It might seem like Dell has sacrificed all the ports for the sake of making this laptop thinner. Well, at first, we did look at it as a bummer. But, since there are a total of 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports on offer, you have even more expandability options than any other laptop. All you need is a docking station and this laptop can serve you the experience of a full-fledged desktop PC.  

Apart from that, Dell has also included an SD card slot on one side as this laptop is targeted at people enthusiastic about photography and videography. That said, you can simply take out the SD card from your camera and transfer the footage right away easily. In addition, the Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.1 are also there, so connecting wireless peripherals shouldn’t be an issue either.  

Battery Life

As far as battery life is concerned, it’s mentioned that it boasts a massive battery of 97Whr capacity. However, it takes a lot to keep the 4K display, RTX 30-series graphics, and other components working in coordination while doing heavy tasks on this laptop. 

Despite that, this laptop comfortably offers an average battery life of 9-10 hours. That’s the case when you utilize the full potential of this laptop. So, for light users, you can expect some extra hours of battery life. 

Overall Thoughts about the Dell XPS 17 Laptop

In our opinion, Dell has done a pretty good job engineering this laptop as it serves all the purposes for a user like us. It’s a great laptop choice if you want a machine that can multitask well and easily handle the load of photo and video editing. 

Fortunately, you can even play games on this laptop in your spare time as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU offers decent performance as well. Although it has a great configuration, it’s an expensive laptop. So, if you have no issues paying the amount, we definitely recommend you go for this one.