Dell Stuido XPS 16 Question

[Boomcrafterr]

I was wondering how new this laptop is as it seems to be from 2009 but is still mentioned currently as a top laptop. Is there a new model or something? Or is it just so good it's still at the top? Or is my information just Wrong?

I was wondering because I was thinking of buying one but if there is a newer version or its old that would be better.

[huntergreenall]

Might be hard pressed to find one new now, definitely is in UK.
XPS 15 has replaced it. Very similar specs, better build quality.
TBH its down to personal preference, I replaced my SXPS with the XPS 15 and believe it was the best decision. There is lots of info on this forum.

[Boomcrafterr]

To start off with keep in mind that I'm new to system specs, and the nitty gritty details of computers. Also keep in mind that. I'm mainly looking for a laptop with preferably great gaming capabiilities.


General Questions

1) What is your budget?
About $1,000, $1,500 is Pretty much max, but it's under $2,000 still mention it because I might be able to reduce it with deals, or raise my budget.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
This is not definate though, I would definitely go bigger if affordable but the size is not hugely important as long as the laptop is good quality.

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
U.S.A. More specifically New York State, more specifically near NY city and a bit to the North.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No, if it's a good, quality laptop I like it.

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
I'd really rather not, I guess if I could get some really amazing deal I would consider redistributed.

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
I would be playing games on it, surfing the Internet, and doing school work (which consists of typing and maybe a powerepointt here or there)

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Yes, it should be able to run MMO's well (I play WoW), also I look forward to playing new games like Civilization 5, and Shogun: Total War 2, and hope it will be able to support new games(not necessarily at ultra high settings), but gaming will be my main focus so yeah.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I don't NEED anything but at least about 2 hours would be something, but the more it has the better.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
I think I'm probably going to end up buying it in a store soo.... I'd want to see it first, but don't not recommend something because you think I wouldn't be able to find it in stores.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows, Windows 7 would be nice.

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. If you are unsure of what to purchase, we would highly recommend you check some notebook screens before you buy to see what you like. You may also wish to take a look at the notebook screen guide for more information.

I don't reall know about this one, I suppose I would need decent to good resolution for gaming, but as stated, when it comes to the technical details of computers I'm a novice.

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
I would like a glossy screen, but if there is a better laptop with a non-glassy screen that doesn't bother me.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
There not important enough where I will pick one over another because of looks, but if it looks nice that's good, but if there's a great computer that looks like @&$!, then I'm buying that regardless of looks.

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Around December 1, 2010

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
I want it to last a while, at least 2 years.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
I don't really know how much I would I would need, I see most gaming laptops starting at about 250GB but I really don't know.
An SSD drive would be good, but I don't want it if it will really impact the price.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
I don't need Blu-Ray or a DVD Burner, I just need to be able to put a game disk in, download it, and play it. I don't know if that's a CDRW/DVD-ROM but I think it is.


Other things to know:

I plan on using this primarily for playing games, I know Alienware reins supreme and they are awesome but it seems they are all very expensive.
Soo... Pretty much it just has to have good gaming capabilities, I've heard the Dell XPS is good for this put I'm not sure if that's true.

Thank You in advance for taking the time to help me.

[Boomcrafterr]

I forgot to add that size doesn't matter, it could be 20 pounds for all I care, for example I know some Alienware computers are like 13 pounds and that really doesn't matter to me.

[ePsychotiC]

Asus G53JW at XoticPc.com fits the bill nicely. Theres also another version on amazon that does not come with bluray, mice, and bag.

Amazon:$1299
XoticPC:$1499 (really based on if you need Blu-Ray and a mice/bag)

[seeker_moc]

it doesnt seem that dell is intent to replace dell studio 16 with xps 15, it rather adresses a diferent audience.
xps16 focused on lcd screen-rgb led which is unbelieveable for high def videos like hulu; xps 15 has a 12w subwoofer which is unheard of in a laptop-- itune radios all day long!
prior to those 2 models, dell m1730 was built for physics accelerations in simulation games--like WOW in 2008(the current WOW has its graphic effects completely removed from game).
so from xps m1730 to studio xps 16 and now xps 15, its not a linear upgrade.
they are actaully all great systems in a parallel universe.

True. The SXPS16 just isn't being replaced, and none of the current Dell offerings are quite as good, at least in my opinion.

The reason the SXPS16 has been on the market so long is that there are several different versions. Back when they were released in 2009, they came with Core2Duos and ATI 3670s (the SXPS 1640), to which they later added the 1645, which is quad-core i7 and 4670 or 5730 GPUs, and the 1647 with dual-core i5/i7 and the 4670 (they started offering 5730s right before they stopped selling them). So the ones that were for sale until a few weeks ago are not the same as the ones they sold back in 2009.

As far as I know, they aren't being produced any more, and they are no longer for sale, at least in the US. Some other counties may still be selling them, but likely just to clear out remaining inventory.

[Boomcrafterr]

I was going to buy this laptop and was looking through the forums here, but I noticed many threads on performance issues or bugs, or things you have to watch out for.

What is the general consensus on the performance of the Alienware M15x (especially after a while) assuming you don't do something dumb and mess it up?

[circuit]

The M15x is a really good laptop. It used to have throttling issues with the i7 extreme processors when paired with the GTX 260M. But this issue has been resolved after the A08 BIOS update.

If you get the M15x with GTX 460m or the ATI Mobility 5850, you will have a pretty decent gaming experience with graphic options maxed in quite a lot of games (except crysis).

[skylolow]

For sure check out the various Asus G computers. Hard to go wrong with them.

[Boomcrafterr]

So I'm going to get the M15x and have some questions about it, I know there have been some problems with stuff (I don't know what) but in the forums I'm having trouble figuring out what's dated and what's not so on we go to the first question.

1) I've heard a lot of grief about poor battery life, I plan on getting the 9 cell, so how long would it last while gaming, or just browsing the Internet.

2) I've heard about stealth mode and am confused, what does it do (not in computer terms please)? How does it affect games or just performance in general.

3) I am not getting the antivirus or whatever that comes with the computer, so should the first thing I do be to download Microsoft Security Essentials (which I plan on using always for this computer) please take question #4 into consideration when answering this question.

4) And last but probably the question I should have asked first is what do I need to do when I first open the computer and turn it on. This will be my first computer so I don't know what to do. I've heard all this stuff about uninstall this, reinstall that, don't use the disc, and this all really confuses me. I've also heard of using CCleaner at start and I do know what CCleaner is but what do I do when the computer is brand new?