Dell - Studio Laptop with Intel® Core™ i5 Processor - Obsidian Black

This laptop was bought to replace the Sony SKU: 9705382 bought from BB locally. The Sony screen is a pathetic joke. Poor viewing angle and washed out. Dell LED LCD screen was 100% better ! But , the Dell which was in a sealed box when I got home from local BB , crashed as soon as I tried to do any simple task. Being the advanced computer user/builder that I am , I did some research and found this Dell model is KNOWN to have multiple hardware issues right out of the box. I ran the built-in Dell Diagnostics (F12 ON BOOT) and found multiple hardware issues. I honestly don`t think Dell tests these before they are shipped. Quality control ?

I am a multimedia professional, I do video production, editing, design - things like that. I bought this computer about two months ago, when my 17" Sony Vaio laptop finally died. This laptop doesn't function as my primary computer, but as an extra machine on the side, or for when I'm at home or on the road. All in all, this is an excellent computer and I would highly recomend it to anyone seeking a high-end laptop for multimedia production. I only have one regret here, and it's that I wish I could have gotten the RGBLED screen. It pushes up the cost by a few hundred dollars, but when it comes to color accuracy, the WLED on this computer isn't quite cutting it for me. Don't get me wrong - it has probably the best looking display of any laptop available in a Best Buy store, but if you get really really picky (like me) about your computer's display, I encourage you to check this computer out in person first, to make sure you're OK with the display. I can calibrate mine to be pretty accurate, but it doesn't quite have the gamut or depth I would have liked. Of course, you can always attach it to a nice external monitor and you'd be in good shape. Other than the screen thing (and I assure you, I am being extremely picky about that), this really is one of the best computers for the money.

Let me start out by saying that this was my first choice of laptops, and I should have stuck to my guns. Instead I looked at a Sony that had much higher spec's and although the salesman told me I would be happier with the Dell, decided to spend the extra 400 bucks for the Sony because of its higher spec rating. What a mistake. although the Sony looked good on paper, it did not work well. All the reviews told me how to fix the unit. Then I realized, I just spent 1400 dollars on a laptop that I have to get fixed before I can use it. DUH Well, the outcome is much brighter now. I returned the unit and purchased the studio XPS 16 I am typing on right now. OMG what a great unit. Pros: The best screen I have ever seen. Back lit keypad that has very little light exposed between the keys. Very low glare 500 Gig HD spinning at 7200 rpm. very fast Very low noise signature. No odd sounds coming from the unit, and no static or unwanted noise coming from both enternal and external speakers. Works well with only 4 Gigs of DDR3. only 4. lol The absolute best DVD playback on an HDMI external screen I have ever seen. Looks more like high def blue ray than its competitors with blue ray players! Built solid. The fit and finnish is Great and feels like it is built to last. Windows 7. It feels more like XP and works better. The Cons: although the fit and finnish is great, it does fingerpring easy. It does wipe clean though with a micro fiber cloth. Other units in its price range have bluetooth. Its not critical to me though. and what I lose in bluetooth, I make up in sound quality, no buzzing In closing, consider this unit if you are looking for a good solid work horse with great sound and picture quality. I am very pleased with this unit. The folks at best buy were great, they exchanged the Sony for this unit with no problems.

When running Prime95 and FurMark, I see GPU throttling once it hits 82C, which is not very hard to do. The processor also throttles if you don't have Bios A04 and in some cases a 130w adapter you have to contact Dell for (it's free). Also, some have complained about screen discoloration due to the high heat from the exhaust vent hitting the screen. (I have not seen this issue myself.) If those 2 problems didn't exist, it would be the perfect laptop. I am not sure if I will be returning this laptop for a different model or not. The 15inch 1600x900 screen is gorgeous and all laptops have their problems. Haha.

I have had the computer for about a month. Pro's: This is a good buy for all of the features. It is fast, has an excellent processor with excellent hd, exceptional graphics. Windows 7 easy to use with nice new gadgets. Easy to set up. Very sturdy construction. Love the strong hinges. My old Dell Inspiron had weak hinges and finally I had to clamp the dispay. I will not have to to this with this one. Con's: Glossy black case sharp looking but shows every print & smudge. Web cam face recognition slow to recognize face. If you set updates to occur at 3:00 am and turn the computer off in the evening it turns itself back on to update and doesn't turn off so next morning computer is very hot. I pull the plug on my internet connection so that it does not turn on. Perhaps changing the update settings to daytime would be better. So far I am very happy with this computer's performance.

This computer is essentially a desktop, it has a fast hard drive like most desktops, fast video card and it runs hot like most performance desktops. If you let it sit on your lap and your not wearing jeans you will get very hot in with the fan's blowing out the bottom. I weigh 135 if I'm at home I'm never putting the laptop on my lap, it's too heavy regardless of the heat. If I were on a plane and I had nothing else to do I could definitely have the laptop on my lap for a couple hours but If I am in the comfort of my own home it would not be worth it. Also if your going to have it on your lap for an extended period of time you need a targus cool pad under the laptop and a pair of jeans on. After all of that being said this laptop still worth it though because the performance feels like your on a desktop weather you are gaming browsing the web whatever your doing it is a fast machine for only 1,000 dollars and that is a good deal.

The intel core i5 processor packs more than enough power for just about any usage. This computer is a beautiful glossy black, but one problem is that it finger prints so easy, but thats easily wiped off with a micro fiber rag (it does not scratch it). The speakers are pretty clear, and the 900p screen is great too! 1080p would not have not hurt, but its not at all something I am missing. The webcam is good, but you will need good lighting to get the desired frames per second. Natural light is the best for it, and of course natural light come from outside, just open the blinds and you will be fine. The keyboard is very smooth and I personally like it more than the chiclet keyboards that you find on macs. Windows 7 is great and much smoother than vista, and ten time better than xp, so all xp users should not be afraid of windows 7. It is very easy to use. The build quality is very very good, as there are no creeks or flex in the keyboard. As you have probably read about the xps in reviews, you may think it gets hot, but that is far from the case. Not once have I had to turn the computer off because of intense heat, and the fan barely ever comes on, and if it does you can not hear it because this system is very very quiet. One more thing about this computer is that dell put a nice feature to turn off battery charging while you have it plugged in to an outlet. What this does is it allows the computer to just run off of a/c power w/o charging the battery. This prolongs the battery life, and also this allows for no overcharging, which is bad for any battery. While on battery the computer can last up to 3 hours on power save mode, and up to 2.5 on balances mode. There are other modes that you can configure, but thats based on what you will be using the computer for. Overall, this computer is a great buy for whats inside of it. I hope this helps anyone who is considering purchasing this computer.

defiantly requires dell driver updates but other than that works perfect right out of the box. It runs a little hot when gaming but nothing slows down at all, its everything I expected.