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Dell XPS 17 (2024) Review: The Ultimate Dell Laptop
Introduction
The Dell XPS 17 (2024) stands as a testament to Dell's commitment to blending high-end performance with a luxurious design. Positioned as the flagship model in the XPS lineup, the XPS 17 aims to deliver an unparalleled computing experience for professionals, creatives, and enthusiasts who demand top-tier specifications and premium build quality. This review will explore the various aspects of the Dell XPS 17 (2024), including its design, display, performance, thermals, battery life, and overall value.
Design and Build Quality
The Dell XPS 17 (2024) is a marvel of engineering and design. It features a robust aluminum chassis with diamond-cut edges and a brushed finish, giving it a sophisticated and durable appearance. The build quality is exceptional, with a solid, rigid structure that exhibits minimal flex, ensuring both durability and longevity. The design is elegant and understated, with a sleek profile that maintains a professional aesthetic.
Weighing approximately 5.5 pounds and measuring 0.77 inches in thickness, the XPS 17 is larger and heavier than its smaller counterparts but remains relatively portable given its size. The laptop is available in two classic finishes: Platinum and Graphite, both of which enhance its premium look.
Display
The display is one of the standout features of the Dell XPS 17 (2024). It sports a massive 17-inch 4K Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) IPS panel, offering stunning visuals with vibrant colors, sharp details, and excellent contrast. The screen supports HDR content, making it ideal for media consumption and creative work.
The display covers 100% of the Adobe RGB and 93% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts, ensuring precise color reproduction, which is essential for professional photo and video editing. The peak brightness of 500 nits ensures good visibility even in bright environments, and the anti-reflective coating reduces glare.
The near-borderless design with a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio provides an immersive viewing experience, whether you're working on complex projects, watching movies, or editing high-resolution images. The touch functionality is responsive and smooth, enhancing user interaction and productivity.
Performance
The Dell XPS 17 (2024) is powered by the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor, coupled with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. This high-end configuration ensures exceptional performance, capable of handling intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, video editing, and software development with ease.
In benchmark tests, the XPS 17 scored impressively. In Cinebench R23, it achieved a multi-core score exceeding 20,000 points, indicating outstanding performance for multi-threaded applications. The SSD provides rapid data access and transfer speeds, contributing to overall system responsiveness and quick boot times.
The laptop also features the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, which offers excellent performance for creative applications, gaming, and GPU-accelerated tasks. This powerful GPU ensures smooth performance in demanding games and professional software, making the XPS 17 a versatile option for both work and play.
Thermals and Cooling
Effective thermal management is crucial for maintaining performance and ensuring the longevity of high-performance components, and the Dell XPS 17 (2024) excels in this area. It features an advanced cooling system with dual fans, heat pipes, and vapor chamber technology, designed to handle the heat generated by the powerful CPU and GPU.
During stress tests, the laptop managed temperatures well, with both the CPU and GPU staying within safe limits. The fan noise is minimal during regular use and becomes noticeable under heavy load. The cooling system effectively keeps the palm rest and keyboard areas cool, providing a comfortable user experience even during extended sessions.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Dell XPS 17 (2024) features a full-sized, backlit keyboard with well-spaced keycaps and 1.3mm key travel, offering a comfortable and precise typing experience. The keys provide a satisfying tactile feedback, making them suitable for long typing sessions. The backlighting can be adjusted to different levels, allowing for easy use in various lighting conditions.
The trackpad is large and responsive, featuring a glass surface that supports Windows Precision drivers for smooth and accurate tracking. The integrated fingerprint reader within the power button provides quick and secure login via Windows Hello. The trackpad’s spacious design ensures that multi-touch gestures are smooth and reliable.
Audio
The audio system on the Dell XPS 17 is impressive, featuring a set of quad speakers with Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Dolby Atmos technology. The speakers deliver clear, rich sound with a deep bass, making it ideal for media consumption, video calls, and casual listening. The audio experience is further enhanced by the laptop's advanced microphone array, which includes noise reduction technology for clear and crisp voice capture.
The combination of high-quality speakers and advanced microphone technology ensures an immersive audio experience, whether you’re watching movies, participating in video conferences, or listening to music.
Battery Life
Battery life is a crucial factor for users who need to work on the go, and the Dell XPS 17 (2024) performs admirably in this aspect. Equipped with a 97Wh battery, the laptop provides up to 8-10 hours of mixed-use battery life, depending on usage scenarios such as web browsing, video streaming, and office applications. During more demanding tasks, such as video editing or gaming, battery life decreases to around 4-6 hours.
The laptop supports fast charging, allowing the battery to reach 80% capacity in just over an hour. This feature is particularly useful for users who need to quickly top up their battery during breaks.
Connectivity and Ports
The Dell XPS 17 offers a comprehensive selection of ports, accommodating various peripherals and accessories. The laptop includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, one full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 ports provides high-speed data transfer, external GPU support, and the ability to connect multiple 4K displays.
The laptop also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, ensuring fast and reliable wireless connectivity. These features are essential for users who rely on cloud services and wireless peripherals.
Software and Features
Dell includes several useful software tools with the XPS 17 (2024), enhancing the overall user experience. Dell Power Manager allows users to optimize battery settings and performance profiles, while Dell Mobile Connect provides seamless integration with smartphones, enabling calls, texts, and file transfers directly from the laptop.
The laptop also features an integrated HD webcam with an IR sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello, providing quick and secure login. The webcam’s quality is adequate for video calls and streaming, though it might not meet the standards of professional content creators who require higher-resolution cameras.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 17 (2024) stands out as the ultimate Dell laptop, offering a perfect blend of design, performance, and features. Its large and vibrant 4K display, powerful hardware, and elegant build make it an excellent choice for professionals, creatives, and power users who demand the best.
While the XPS 17 may not be the most affordable option, its premium price is justified by the exceptional quality, robust performance, and extensive feature set. The main drawbacks include its larger size and weight, which might limit portability compared to smaller laptops. However, these are minor trade-offs considering the overall capabilities and premium experience the XPS 17 provides.
With its competitive performance, luxurious design, and comprehensive feature set, the Dell XPS 17 (2024) is a top-tier laptop that sets the standard for high-end computing. Whether you need a laptop for demanding work tasks, creative projects, or immersive entertainment, the XPS 17 is a reliable and stylish option that is sure to meet and exceed your expectations.
