Dell XPS 14 review

In our CNET Labs benchmark tests, the XPS 14 powered through faster than the Core i5 Inspiron 14z, but slower than Apple's quad-core version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro. In single-app tests, the performance was close to that of the Maingear EX-L 15, another new Ivy Bridge laptop, but one pitched exclusively for its performance. That's all to say that the specs here are more than powerful enough for any task you're likely to throw at the XPS 14, and you could even elect to jump back to the less expensive Core i5 version and not even notice the difference.

While the XPS 14 has a discrete graphics card -- something of a rarity for ultrabooks of any size -- it's Nvidia's GeForce 630M, which is considered a mainstream part, not one for hardcore gamers. It's still more than adequate for casual games, and you'll be able to play most current games if you turn down the detail settings a bit.

In our low-end Street Fighter IV test, at 1,600x900 pixels, the XPS 14 ran at a decent 43.4 frames per second. The more challenging Metro 2033 test ran at 11.7 frames per second at 1,366x768 pixels, which is actually not a terrible score. Interestingly, we got about the same levels of performance from the other new Dell 14-inch ultrabook, the Inspiron 14z, which has discrete AMD graphics instead.

With a high-powered CPU and discrete graphics, you'd be right to worry about the battery life on the XPS 14. Fortunately, a big chunk of that 4.7 pounds must be battery, because the system ran for 6 hours and 8 minutes in our video-playback battery-drain test. That's within an hour of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and great for any midsize laptop. This is one area where the XPS model beat the Inspiron handily, by more than an hour.

Dell offers a special level of service and support for XPS products, which is always welcome. As the XPS 14 hasn't gone live on Dell's Web site as of this writing, we'll have to update the details on exact warranty options and upgrades when that information is available. On previous XPS laptops, Dell has offered a default one-year mail-in service warranty, along with 24-7 toll-free phone service and Web support, including documentation and software drivers that are easy to find.

The Dell XPS 14 continues to stretch the definition of an ultrabook, and not particularly for the better. I loved the overall design, and the inclusion of high-end components, including discrete graphics. However, for $1,499, I expected a full SSD drive, as ultrabooks with 128GB SSD drives are available for as little as $800. All that aside, the biggest hurdle for the XPS 14 is its weight. While 4.7 pounds doesn't sound like a lot for a midsize laptop, it feels incredibly heavy for its slim size compared with other slim midsize laptops we've reviewed.

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System configurations

Dell XPS 14
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 630M / 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4-inch (Summer 2012)
OS X 10.7.3 Lion; 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce GT 650M / 384MB (Shared) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Dell Inspiron 14z-5423
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB (Dedicated) AMD Radeon HD V18 + Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm

Maingear EX-L 15
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-3820QM; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M + 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 750GB Seagate 7,200rpm

Asus Zenbook UX32V
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 620M + 64MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 5,400rpm