Dell has created a steady and capable alternative to the MacBook Pro with the Dell XPS range year after year. Though customers who value mobility above power may go toward the smaller versions, the Dell XPS 17 exists for individuals who want as much screen real estate and capability as possible to handle their production duties.
And the XPS 17 (2021) continues in that vein. Take, for example, which is about as powerful as a Windows laptop as you’ll find on the market at the moment now. It has components that can compete with strong desktop computers, such as an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. It’s also very thin for such a powerful device, measuring only 0.77 inches thick.
All of that performance, though, does not come cheap. Other portables are available for far less money and maybe a better fit, especially if design work or heavy video editing is not part of your normal workload. Even if you only want something for gaming, there are cheaper options available, like the Razor Blade with comparable features.
What will you see here?
Price and Availability
The Dell XPS 17 2021 starts at $1,549. That option includes an Intel Core i5-11400H processor, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 17-inch 1200p display. Of course, you may upgrade almost every element towards a more powerful version. That base setup is enough for everyday work, and there’s no point in paying more for a 17-inch laptop unless you’re doing the heavy lifting.
You can upgrade to the Intel Core i7-11800H, 32GB of RAM, and a 4TB SSD. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, and a 4K touch display for $3,749 (£3,899, AU$6,998). However, in the United Kingdom and Australia, SSD storage is limited to 2TB rather than 4TB. That’s a hefty laptop. The setup listed to the left will be more affordable, costing $2,949. That 4TB SSD in the fully loaded version is wonderful, but it’s not worth the extra $800 – especially because you can increase the SSD later.
Most users would benefit from reducing the RAM to 16GB and the screen to the FHD option from the model. Unless you do a lot of video editing, you won’t notice much of a change in performance. With those two adjustments, the price drops to $2,399, making it considerably more competitive with comparable specced laptops.
Design:
This is perhaps not shocking, but the Dell XPS 17 is a stunning laptop. It is all silver, with a Dell logo on the back of the screen, and it appears to be a MacBook Pro competitor. Moreover, unlike the MacBook, it features a soft texture on the decks the laptop, making it considerably more pleasant to work on. Of course, the 17-inch size allows the XPS 17 to have a lot more room on the keyboard dock. It’s sort of interesting how Dell used it here. Instead of a complete keyboard with a Numpad, as is common with laptops of this size, Dell installs a normal laptop keyboard and surrounds it with speakers.
In this aspect, the Dell XPS 17 has a very similar style to the MacBook Pro. There will be some who desire a complete keyboard, but the loudspeakers that Dell was able to upgrade here sound wonderful. Even while listening to songs with a lot of basses, the speakers are crisp and can keep that up with the crunching guitars and shouts.
They’re still not as good as using PC speakers or headphones when listening to music. But they won’t mutilate your audio as some other Dell laptops do – look at you, Dell XPS 13. The spectacle is equally breathtaking. While the OLED Dell XPS 13 is still superior — it is OLED after all – the 4K touch version is one of the nicest laptop screens we’ve used.
Performance of Dell XPS 17
Because the Dell XPS 17 has an 11th-generation Intel Core CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it eats up most workloads with ease. It can easily hold its own in games because of the dedicated GPU, averaging about 52 frames per second in Metro Exodus at 1080p with everything set to Ultra. With a few tweaks to the settings, these most demanding games will run at a consistent 60 frames per second at 1080p. But that’s not the purpose of the Dell XPS 17.
Instead, it’s under creative tasks that this laptop really excels, thanks to the 4K display. Whether you’re using
Battery life and ports of Dell XPS 17
It’s perhaps not unexpected that the Dell XPS 17 won’t be winning any prizes for battery life. Given the quantity of high-powered technology and the 4K display. In the PC Mark 10 battery life which mimics numerous real-world workloads, this laptop lasted a little over 7 hours. That isn’t bad, but these days it’s very normal to get a laptop that can last you a whole 8-hour workday on a single battery charge.
The Dell XPS 17 isn’t going to die in a couple of hours, and most users will be using it when connected to a wall outlet anyhow.
Camera and microphone: Dell XPS 17
Unfortunately, the Dell XPS 17 only features a 720p camera, despite the fact that we’ve all been working from home more frequently and need to utilize our laptops for more and more video meetings. It’s not the worst camera, and if you’re in a well-lit environment, you can still get a lot of information from it. It does the job, but if you’re going to use this laptop while hooked into a display. You might also want to invest in a camera.
Software:
Because it’s a Dell, it’s pre-loaded with a variety of programs. The majority of information will be hidden from view and will only be used when you need to update or connect to your phone. It does, however, come with a McAfee trial which had to delete because it kept on getting popups wanting us to buy a membership. But after that’s gone and you’ve installed one of the finest antivirus apps, the laptop is really excellent at just letting you do your thing.
The Dell XPS 17 also boasts a fingerprint scanner and Windows Hello through the webcam, so you may utilize whatever biometric login method you like. In our experience, both are incredibly quick to unlock, and the fingerprint reader is the same button that switches the laptop on.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 17 is a massive laptop that doesn’t feel it. This exquisite beast of a laptop combines scorching 10th Gen Intel processing power with sophisticated Nvidia graphics in a sleek body with one of the biggest, most immersive 17-inch screens available on a laptop. This small powerhouse is great for everyday multitasking, serious content production, and even AAA gaming, with amazing loudspeakers, a fast SSD, and more than 7 hours of battery life. It’s for this reason.
The XPS 17’s high performance and display come at a high cost, especially when you add a 4K monitor and RTX graphics. The smaller XPS 13 and XPS 15 are both worth considering if you don’t want as much screen real estate or graphics power. The 16-inch MacBook Pro remains one of the best gaming laptops in this category if you want the fastest SSD speeds in town or simply like macOS. The XPS 17 is, nevertheless, at the top of its category. If you’re looking for a powerful, beautiful Windows laptop with a large display and plenty of power.
