Missed in entire the hoopla above Intel’s Ultrabook initiative are the more traditional, complete-purpose thin-and-light laptops. The Dell XPS Fourteenz adopts few lines from Apple’s 13” MacBook professional and integrates a somewhat bigger screen and a excellent keyboard. On the other hand, the shell looks to be mostly plastic, so it deficiencies the inflexibility of the Apple laptop. The net solution shows something near to the state of the art in the omplete-purpose class of notebook Computers, but it decreases a small short of laptop perfection.


Our review unit arrived with an Intel Core iVII-2640M clocked at 2.8GHz (up to 3.5GHz in Turbo Boost mode), and a ample VIIIGB of RAM. Too added was an Nvidia GeForce GT 520M distinct graphics processing unit with One GB of devoted frame-buffer storage.


Dell supports Nvidia’s Optimus tech, which permits the incorporated Intel HD Graphics to manage entire the mainstream graphics chores, with the GeForce GT 520M kicking in when excellent 3D chops are necessary. The entry-level form

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adds a Core iV-2430,VI GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and incorporated graphics. You are excellent off springing for the upgrade to acquire the dedicated graphics chip.


Unfortunately, those excellent 3D chops are not entire that much excellent. Although the Nvidia graphics processing unit surpasses the Intel HD Graphics in function, you will even require to dial bottom the graphics detail importantly if you need to function games in DirectX 10 or DirectX 11 manner. The Nvidia graphics processing unit does create the XPS 14z rather a well mobile device for games such as Globe of Warcraft or Civilization 5, though.


The screen extends pretty exact color rendition when appearing pictures or video. The horizontal showing angle is excellent than average, but the vertical showing angle is rather shallow. Video playback quality is robust, with pretty light movement smearing. Digital Video Disc playback upscaled to the complete panel result looks only a touch soft, but lacks the "mosquito noise" visual in few competing laptop screens. HD content scaled down also looks very nice indeed.


One small disappointment with the screen is the result. Still though the XPS Fourteenz has the similar native result as most Windows laptops in this class do--1366 through 768 pixels--I looked a small excellent of Dell. After all, Sony now ships a 13.3” unit with a 1600-by-900-pixel screen, and MacBook Airs extends 1440 through 900 pixels.