What happens if you put together the most powerful variant of the latest computing chip in a machine along with a top-of-the-line GPU, a massive 4K display, loud and clear speakers, and whatever else that comes to your mind? You get the Dell XPS 17. It is everything that a power user would need to go about their day... well, almost.

I had the chance to play with the device for a few weeks and I was impressed the minute I unboxed it (partly, also because I had an idea of what I was getting into). The experience is premium, on par with the price you’re paying. You look at the sleek, well-made box, and you know it’ll be a blue-ribbon experience.

I have been a fan of the XPS series for a long time, but this was the first time that I actually could have some hands-on time with the device, thanks to Dell.

While the XPS series comes in different sizes and specifications, I received the XPS 17, which is the highest specced in the line-up — and also the most expensive. The unit that I received comes with a 17-inch UHD+ 4K touch-enabled display. The colours are bright and sharp on this and very true.

The machine is powered by the 13th Gen Intel core i9 processor with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Before anything else, let me just put it out there that 90 percent of the general population does not need that kind of power. It is way more than what you would need to access several spreadsheets at a time, take team meetings on Zoom and watch Netflix at night wondering what you ever did to deserve this powerhouse (definitely not talking about myself). And this comes with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU on top of everything just mentioned.

If all of this has not blown your mind yet, the price most definitely will.

So, what did I do with this power-packed laptop?

I did my everyday work, which requires me to research and write for more or less nine hours a day. For this, I generally keep about 20 odd tabs open on Google Chrome, have WhatsApp and Slack running in the background, occasional Zoom calls, and sometimes even Spotify if that’s the kind of day I’m dealing with. After that, it’s just several hours of binge-watching, switching between different OTT apps before I finally decide to shut down the XPS for the day. I also gave the Asphalt 9 a shot on the laptop, which was a breeze obviously. The only reason I didn’t play the game much is because I was too embarrassed to waste the RTX 4070 on a game which was child’s play for the GPU — not that anybody asked.

But performance-wise, the XPS 17 did not flinch even once. Not one instance where it said, “Okay, let’s take a five.” Not that I am a power user by any means. Which is also the point I’m trying to make. It is not for everyone, especially not for the price tag that it comes with (wait for the big reveal).

It is a laptop meant for creators and people who work with heavy files and need that kind of CPU and GPU. The display and the speakers are a different case altogether. The speakers are one of the best I’ve ever heard on a laptop. If the MacBook Pros are a 10, this is easily a solid 8 with its 3D surround sound tuned by a multi-Grammy Award-winning producer Jack Joseph Puig, as Dell claims. However, because of the dimensions of the speakers, the keyboard seems oddly compact for the size of the XPS 17. It functions well, nonetheless. The keycaps are a decent size with good travel. The trackpad is equally good and just the right amount of clicky.

The part that most users of this machine will be stoked about is the I/O ports. The laptop has four Thunderbolt ports — which can also be used as charging ports, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo jack. That’s not all. Dell also ships a USB Type-C to USB Type-A and HDMI 2.0 adapter in the box, keeping the needs of its target audience in mind.

What did I not like about the XPS 17?

The battery. It's not bad by any means and mostly lasted me well over six hours. However, for something of this size and capabilities, I would have liked a little more juice. At least just enough to get me through a whole day without needing to plug it in. Another thing is its weight, but that’s just me nitpicking because I’m not used to carrying a 2.4 kg laptop to work every day.

In conclusion

The Dell XPS 17 is a great choice for someone who has Rs 3,64,289 to spare — that’s where my review unit is priced — and for someone who actually has a need for it. If 13th Gen Intel core i9 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 don’t mean anything to you, there are several options available for you that will cost less and do exactly what you want. The XPS also comes in 13- and 15-inch sizes, with slightly lesser specs and are accordingly priced, they might be worth checking out as well if the 17-inch model is too much for you.

Also Read: Dell Inspiron 14 5430 Review: This laptop meets expectations

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Sept 26, 2023 5:25 PM IST