[bowei006]

Is that the only update? On-board will be more than enough for me, I won't game or do any intensive work besides some programming if I feel like it.
Exactly, I am looking for size, weight, battery, display, keyboard, and trackpad in a laptop. I could get a quad-core with a discrete gpu probably for the price, but, that just is not what I am looking for. If a laptop doesn't feel nice, it will just feel cheapy no matter the specs, IMO.

The info out right now is that it will feature IRIS PRO graphics. However its noted that it will be even more expensive than current as well and probably will only be featured with higher line configurations of the XPS 13.
 
 
Your second point is pretty much why I didn't bother with most of the $900 gaming laptops with similar gaming. The only ones with a good keyboard were the MSI GE62 276 but those were closing in at 6Lbs with the configuration I wanted and were thicker than two of my graphing calculators stacked. 
 
Also the $900 gaming laptops(over 6Lbs at actual spec and build) I saw only had similar gaming specs (GTX 960M) and an i5 with an HDD or maybe a basic SSD. The $1000 XPS 15 I got comes with one of the fastest laptop processors available, 16GB DDR4, and one of the fastest NVMe drives in a laptop (reviews noted it was the fastest they saw at the moment). 

 

[bowei006]

  If that's what you are looking for, then I guess so. It's a different ideal from what I look for in a laptop so I can't really say. Paying a premium for a laptop that is locked up and unable to upgrade or work on right off the shelf is kind of silly to me, and getting used to a slightly meh keyboard or a slightly meh frame (the Dell 7559 seems pretty well built to me, especially at the price they are giving it) is something I'm willing to give up for. Weight is almost never an issue for me, only size and the Dell 7559 does just fine for size.
 
We just are looking for different things.

The Dell XPS 15 is not locked up..... It's actually more upgradeable and friendly to enthusiasts than the Dell 7559.
 
It has a NVMe PCie or SATA based M.2 slot and a SATA 2.5" slot you can access after undoing about 9 non-hidden screws. The 7559 only has SATA M.2 meaning it can't support the best models available. 
 
RAM is in DIMM slots and you can mess around and upgrade.
 
Wifi card is also removable and upgradeable.
 
Heatsink also removable if you want to. CPU and GPU are soldered...but that is the case 99% of the time today
 
The internal battery is also removable.
 
Hell..the entire computer is removable. This is one of the few Dell laptops that a full take-a-part guide is available for online for consumers.
http://topics-cdn.dell.com/pdf/xps-15-9550-laptop_Service%20Manual_en-us.pdf
 
(It walks you through taking apart the entire XPS 15)
 
 
 
The reviews for the Dell 7559 painted a very lackluster picture for how it was. The videos showed that you could actually bend the screen and the keyboard due to how spongy the frame material of the LCD and keyboard were. 
 
The only differences in upgradeability between the XPS 15 and the 7559 are that it takes I believe less than 2 screws to open the panel on the 7559 whereas the XPS requires about 10 (but non-proprietary or hidden). That is it...
 
In fact, the 7559 is actually less user-friendly past the basic back panel opening as it doesn't give you direct access to full motherboard components or the heatsink. It is hidden under a second plastic cover. The XPS 15 gives you full access to take it all apart directly. 
 
 
$900 Dell 15 7559 ($800 deal right now and $730 on Dell Outlet)
 
CPU: i5 6300HQ 
RAM: 8GB DDR3
GPU: GTX 960M 4GB
Storage: 1TB 5400rpm Hard Drive (50MB/s RW)
Storage2: Empty M.2
Display: 15.6" 1080p
Weight: 6+ Lbs
Thickness 25.3 mm
 
$1000 Dell XPS 15 9550 Certified Refurb
 
CPU: i7 6700HQ
RAM: 16GB DDR4
GPU: GTX 960M 2GB
Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD (2GB/s R, 1.5GB/s W)
Storage2: Empty SATA
Display: 15.6" 1080p
Weight: 3.9Lbs with standard battery
Thickness: 11mm to 17mm maximum
 
 

 

[VXAce]

I wasn't talking about the XPS 15 (don't like the XPS 13), but okay, I do like the XPS 15, though I don't see it as a laptop for me. There are limitations to refurb products, and such a pricing isn't really accurate to what is readily available a 1k USD refurb that is available at unknown times vs. a 1.5-1.8k factory model is very different. Hell I didn't even know that refurbs existed. And with such a thin laptop there are limits thermally that can impact performance when put under load or even without a load the laptop may already be throttled down pretty hard. It's a good laptop, yes, but there are limitations to it due to its form factor.
 
The Dell 7559 has some under laying things that I really like too, if you notice in taken apart models the thermals are linked together between CPU and GPU which is really nice... As opposed to separate heatsinks and fans for each (possibly also present in the XPS 15 and perhaps other Dell laptops). Something that I haven't seen other manufactures do before, which is kind of sad. As revisions are made on the laptop and it continues to evolve, it could get better.
 
Full take down manuals aren't that uncommon, almost all manufactures provide them to support groups and can be found easily through google or the manufacture's website. Some manufactures even provide a full parts list that can be referencedu for replacement parts if the need arises.
 
Again, not attacking anyone, just a difference in need and opinion.

 

[s1rrah]

To add insult to injury I went overkill and bought an AX1500i PSU - haha, highest wattage I've seen so far is 900, but - I guess I've got good efficiency (94%) and am pretty future proofed for PSU power...

 
You could have gone "overkill" in worse areas ... never skimp on the PSU is my age old dictum ... 
 

 

[bowei006]

All good VXAce, just a friendly PC Enthusiast conversation of our waifu laptops

 

[Dobrescu George]

Anyone has any thoughts about Acer predator's new technology which makes CD-ROM one more cooler? I mean, it could help in a laptop for gaming. 

 

[Tangster]

  Anyone has any thoughts about Acer predator's new technology which makes CD-ROM one more cooler? I mean, it could help in a laptop for gaming. 

Laptops have optical drives still?

 

[VXAce]

Laptops have optical drives still?

I know right?

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Laptops have optical drives still?

 

I know right?

 
 
Acer predators come with GTX980M, they can very well decode blu ray on spot and apply madVR with full settings on blu rays. So... Why not have a blue ray drive on a laptop?

 
I was thinking though if that surplus ventilation would ever come in handy. I mean, I would clearly not take it out, but would it make itself felt?

 

[214324]

  I wasn't talking about the XPS 15 (don't like the XPS 13), but okay, I do like the XPS 15, though I don't see it as a laptop for me. There are limitations to refurb products, and such a pricing isn't really accurate to what is readily available a 1k USD refurb that is available at unknown times vs. a 1.5-1.8k factory model is very different. Hell I didn't even know that refurbs existed. And with such a thin laptop there are limits thermally that can impact performance when put under load or even without a load the laptop may already be throttled down pretty hard. It's a good laptop, yes, but there are limitations to it due to its form factor.
 
The Dell 7559 has some under laying things that I really like too, if you notice in taken apart models the thermals are linked together between CPU and GPU which is really nice... As opposed to separate heatsinks and fans for each (possibly also present in the XPS 15 and perhaps other Dell laptops). Something that I haven't seen other manufactures do before, which is kind of sad. As revisions are made on the laptop and it continues to evolve, it could get better.
 
Full take down manuals aren't that uncommon, almost all manufactures provide them to support groups and can be found easily through google or the manufacture's website. Some manufactures even provide a full parts list that can be referencedu for replacement parts if the need arises.
 
Again, not attacking anyone, just a difference in need and opinion.

There really aren't limitations to refurb products. They basically make it so it's brand new and, since they can't resell it as new, slap on a lower price tag. I'm pretty sure we've heard horror stories about refurb, used, and new products. Refurb and new are generally the same (few exceptions) so any argument saying refurb is worse than new is probably from a result of confirmation bias.
 
Worst case scenario: refurbished products were used for 30 days and the conditions its in allows it to be returned under the return policy (hence the 30 days). The worst you will get is either 1) minor cosmetic issues like a few scratches or a small chip or something or 2) somebody needed a replacement because maybe the memory was faulty or something. The companies generally replace any faulty parts with completely new ones then test it and send it out again but with a refurbished label.
 
The best case scenario is somebody returned it BNIB (brand new in box) or returned it quickly after getting it and opening it because you know, Christmas presents that nobody wants always get returned (or regifted).
 
Separate heatsinks and fans for each is technically better. A combined system poses risk of one part throttling the other. That's like saying in a desktop if you were to cool your CPU and GPU off the same heatsink; it just sounds dumb.
 
And totally agree on refurb availability. All you can do is sit there and hope.

 

[VXAce]

The limitation of a refurb is not the quality of the product but the availability of them. Using a refurb product as a price base line is inaccurate and can mis-lead someone who doesn't do their research.

 

[214324]

  The limitation of a refurb is not the quality of the product but the availability of them. Using a refurb product as a price base line is inaccurate and can mis-lead someone who doesn't do their research.

At the same time, GEEK REJOICE!
 
Very few know the secrets of refurbished.

 

[VXAce]

  At the same time, GEEK REJOICE!
 
Very few know the secrets of refurbished.

True true.

 

[Duncan]

Well, after finding out my newer Strix 980Ti is nobbled (does what it says on the tin, but not a lot more!) I did a stupid thing and flashed BOTH cards with Asus Matrix roms... Oops... Never trust that something has the same part number I guess is the lesson for today!

For 24hrs I thought I'd bricked the best part of £1200 worth of cards, but with a bit of time and patience I was able to reflash and all is good...

Reinstalled windows 10 and it all seems happier now than it did (even though I ran DDU on my old install, didn't fix my problems posted before)...

Will (with that nobbled new card) never be at the top of the 3D Mark leaderboard, but I'm (at time of writing) still in the top 1% of all tested systems so shouldn't complain...

That said, the new Tomb Raider game on ultra setting still brings this to its knees at 4K so, still major room for improvement.

 

[Tangster]

Well, after finding out my newer Strix 980Ti is nobbled (does what it says on the tin, but not a lot more!) I did a stupid thing and flashed BOTH cards with Asus Matrix roms... Oops... Never trust that something has the same part number I guess is the lesson for today!

For 24hrs I thought I'd bricked the best part of £1200 worth of cards, but with a bit of time and patience I was able to reflash and all is good...

Reinstalled windows 10 and it all seems happier now than it did (even though I ran DDU on my old install, didn't fix my problems posted before)...

Will (with that nobbled new card) never be at the top of the 3D Mark leaderboard, but I'm (at time of writing) still in the top 1% of all tested systems so shouldn't complain...

That said, the new Tomb Raider game on ultra setting still brings this to its knees at 4K so, still major room for improvement.

The tessellation in ROTR is insane. Such a pretty game.