Dell XPS L501x: An Excellent Mainstream Notebook
by Jarred Walton on November 10, 2010 12:01 AM ESTDell XPS L501x: A Bargain at Any Price
When we reviewed the ASUS N82Jv in September, we were generally pleased with performance but unimpressed with some of the finer details. We concluded that review by saying we wanted more—specifically, we wanted better battery life (or at least an option for it) and a better LCD. We said that if the N82Jv had included a good LCD, it would be a silver medal recipient, and gold would need a larger battery with a good LCD. Two months later and Dell's XPS L501x provides exactly that, with generally better build quality and features along with the ability to customize your system. True to our word, we're awarding the Dell XPS L501x our Gold Editors' Choice award—but only with the $130 1080p B+GR LCD upgrade.
Honestly, even without the LCD the XPS L501x impresses, as it has bar none the best laptop speakers we've encountered, with a great build quality and aesthetic to match. It's not as thin and light as other notebooks, but it still looks good and there's a wonderful lack of glossy surfaces (other than the LCD). Such extras do matter, and what's more you can get all of this for essentially the same price as the N82Jv. Graphics performance is slightly slower, and the chassis is larger, but this is easily the best 15-16" notebook I've laid hands on during my time with AnandTech (now at six years and counting).
Where do we go from here? We'd still like the option to get the upgraded graphics without losing Optimus, and in the next couple of months Intel's Sandy Bridge will shake things up. Dell is almost certain to revise the current XPS lineup to move to Sandy Bridge, but unfortunately that will require more than simply swapping CPUs. Sandy Bridge will require a new chipset and socket, which means a new motherboard. By the time Dell puts in the work on the motherboard and chipset, maybe they can also toss in an upgraded NVIDIA GPU. If we had our dream setup, we'd get Sandy Bridge, a "flat" 9-cell battery option, the current 1080p LCD, and at least a GeForce GT 445M (192-bit) graphics chip to back it all up. Can Dell provide all that with the next XPS release? We shall see.
As for comparisons with Apple's MacBook line, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that it's lopsided. Looking at the MacBook Pro 15, the base model checks in at a whopping $1800 MSRP. That will get you an i5-450M (or maybe an i5-520M—who knows?), 4GB RAM, 320GB 5400RPM HDD, GeForce GT 330M 256MB, and a WXGA+ (1440x900) LCD. The MBP15 will still get better battery life than the stock L501x, it's slightly lighter and definitely thinner, and some will prefer the Apple styling. However, you're looking at a nearly $800 premium for slightly less performance and fewer features—like no USB 3.0 (MBP has FireWire 800 instead), no HDMI port (without an adapter, and no 1.4 support), and speakers that can't hold a candle the L501x. If you prefer OS X, you don't have much choice, but Windows 7 is highly usable and stable and most things come down to user preference these days. A bit more fine-tuning for Windows 7 battery life and the only clear advantage disappears. That's not to say that MacBooks are bad, but they are expensive, and laptops like the XPS L501x serve to make them feel even more so! Heck, you can buy two of the upgraded XPS L501x laptop we're reviewing for a similarly equipped MacBook Pro 15.
We're also still trying to get an HP Envy 14 in for comparison, and it would be great to get some Sony laptops in for testing as well, but with every passing week we tend to lose hope. At this point, the latest Envy 14 revision has been around for over three months. It still looks like it compares well with the new XPS, but the Radiance Infinity 900p panel is no longer an option, Waves comes standard while Beats costs extra, and Optimus trumps AMD's switchable graphics. We would still love to get an Envy 14 for review, but unless it comes with an updated Radiance panel (or whatever marketing wants to call it), it will be difficult to top the Dell XPS L501x.
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cknobman - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
I agree completely.This notebook is bfugly, big and fat!!!!!!
JohnMD1022 - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Seagate drive?I'll pass.
Just had another bad one pass thru the shop.
vant - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Are you kidding me? This is quite possibly one of the ugliest laptops I've seen in a while. I seriously feel like no one at Dell's design team is younger than 50. Just look at the first picture posted and tell me thats not more hideous than a puddle of urine.At least the previous XPS had leather and modern styling. This seriously looks like 'hey we need some high quality materials and Apple like design cues!' but then they just f*ed up everything in the process of getting it to market.
Seriously, with a design like that you can stuff two quad core i7s (desktop of course), 16GB of RAM, a GTX480, 200+ ppi display, a $1k price tag and NO ONE WOULD BUY IT.
Dell, HP, Toshiba, ASUS, etc.: They all need a wake up call and realize that their products are being used in the public at coffee shops, not in private homes. We have to use these products around people who look at us. We need products that look modern and work well with our mobile lifestyles. That means we need LIGHTWEIGHT, SMALL FORM FACTOR (thin would be nice), and LARGE AMOUNTS OF BATTERY LIFE.
The average user doesn't need a Core i7 on their laptops, the average user needs 12 hours of battery life instead. We don't need 420Ms, we need laptops that will actually fit in our backpacks (without making us look like we are carrying an animal).
How companies are still losing market share while putting trash products like these to market and surviving is baffling. They will continue to bleed until death or change. Their choice.
I'd like to take this time to also point out that copying the competition gets you nowhere. Innovating is where the money is.
barnett25 - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Are you sure you are talking about the "average user" and not just yourself?Cause I have no need for a thin and light laptop. I've got a smartphone for that. If your spending all your time at starbucks showing off you should get a Mac.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they should not make thin and lights, just that not every computer has to be one.
nafhan - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Uhm, I'd say your wrong, there are some people who need 12 hours of battery life, but it's not the "average" user. The average user is rarely going to take their laptop out of the house/dorm, and when they do, it's going to be to a coffee shop or something. I also think there's still a few people out there who aren't going to pay an extra $800 to make sure their PC is pretty.strikeback03 - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Umm, yeah, I would say you fit the target market for a Mac exactly. But that is not the "average user". I have had one laptop or another for 11 years, and have used one in a coffee shop maybe 5 times (when meeting with clients). And I certainly have never needed 12 hours of battery life, I've never spent 12 hours straight at any computer portable or not. Not to say I am an "average user" either, but I'm not delusional enough to think everyone needs what I would like. And I don't derive feelings of self-worth from what my laptop looks like.B3an - Friday, November 12, 2010 - link
Who the fuck takes there laptop to a coffee shop to pose? Oh yeah... mactards.For the rest of us mature people with more than single digit braincell counts, we want laptops like this that are actually useful.
This isn't even meant to aimed at these kind of sheeple. Theres laptops made specificity to be very portable, thin, lightweight, with low power usage/long batter life, and this CLEARLY is not intended as one. Idiot.
PlasmaBomb - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Any chance of you asking for one and doing a review of it?Thanks :)
tipoo - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Why are Macbook Pro battery life results never put in with windows laptop reviews? I understand the differences in benchmarking performance between the two, but in terms of battery life it should be a straightforward comparison, no?kake - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
If you look at the charts on the battery performance page, you'll find the Apple MBP 13 near the top of the heap in every scenario.