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Dell XPS 17 review (2020): So. Much. Screen.
It’s crazy how much laptops have evolved since Dell’s last XPS 17 a decade ago. A 17-inch notebook is a commitment. I compared the XPS 15's display to the inky black monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey -- the XPS 17's is like staring into vastness of space.
Razer's new Blade 15: OLED display, RTX graphics and 9th-gen Intel
Razer has unveiled the mid-2019 versions of its popular Blade laptop series that boost performance thanks to Intel's new 9th-generation portable CPUs. It has also joined a rare club with a 4K OLED option, delivering on technology it teased at CES 2019. As before, there are three new models: The Razer Blade 15 Basic, Blade 15 Advanced and Blade Pro 17. All of them are slim, light and pack top-end specs, like 9th-gen Intel Core i7-9750H CPUs, NVIDIA RTX ray-tracing GPUs, and displays perfectly suited for gaming and content creation.
Dell's latest Inspiron PCs include the first 17-inch 2-in-1
Dell is launching its latest generation of Inspiron PCs pacing Intel's latest 8th-generation "Kaby Lake" chips, with a bit more fanfare than usual. Exhibit "A" is the Inspiron lineup of laptops and 2-in-1s: Dell says the Inspiron 7000 is the first 17-inch 2-in-1 on the market. That might seem excessive, but the larger screen makes some sense -- foldable devices are increasingly used in "tent" mode for multimedia and graphics, rather than just as glorified tablets.
Acer's Nitro notebooks put gaming power into a regular case
Acer has revealed its latest Aspire V Nitro notebooks that are aimed at gamers -- without looking like gaming laptops. Dressed in basic-black, tapered cases, the 15- and 17-inch models still bring the latest Intel Skylake sixth-gen Core i7 and i5 mobile chips and NVIDIA GTX960M graphics with up to 4GB of RAM. You also get up to 512GB of M.4 SSD storage (2TB if you opt for hard disks), 32GB max of DDR4 RAM, USB 3.1 Type-C ports and 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 on the top-end "Black Edition" models. All models can also be had with up to 4K screens.
Razer reveals the Blade Pro and 14-inch Blade gaming laptops (update: $999 Pro for indie game devs)
Razer promised it was aiming to iterate its Blade gaming laptop on a yearly basis, and despite the company's recent focus on tablets, it appears to be keeping its word. Today, a mere eight months after releasing the second-gen Blade, Razer unveiled two new members of the Blade family: the 17-inch Blade Pro and its 14-inch sibling. As you might expect, the Pro tops its elders with new silicon and storage options. It's exchanging third-gen Intel Ivy Bridge silicon for a fourth-gen Haswell chip and upgrading from an NVIDIA GTX 660M to a GTX 765M GPU. Oh, and Razer's nixed the HDD options from the big Blade's menu -- the Pro packs a 128GB SSD standard, with optional upgrades to 256 or 512GB. That new hardware is evidently smaller than what it's replacing: though the Pro shares the same size chassis as its predecessor, it packs a 74Wh battery (the older Blade has a 60Wh cell). Other than that, the Blade Pro comes with Razer's Switchblade interface, a trio of USB 3.0 ports, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 1920 x 1080 display, just like the prior Blade. Meanwhile, the new 14-inch Blade will come with mostly the same hardware as the Pro, meaning it's got a Haswell chip and GTX 765M graphics along with a buffet of SSD choices. Those components are stuffed inside a chassis that measures 13.6 x 9.3 x 0.66 inches, and weighs 4.13 pounds. Naturally, given its smaller size, it lacks the Switchblade LCD and buttons, has a 1.3 megapixel webcam (as opposed to the Pro's 2 megapixel unit) and a 14-inch 1600 x 900 display. And, despite its relatively svelte dimensions (for a portable gaming rig), the baby Blade still has a 70Wh battery inside. The Pro starts at $2,299, or $200 less than prior Blades and the 14-inch model will set you back a minimum of $1,799. Each will be available in North America in Q2, with a worldwide rollout of the Pro coming sometime later this year. Update: Good news, Indie game developers! Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan just announced that those devs with a successfully funded Kickstarter can get a new Blade Pro for just $999. %Gallery-189699%
Second-generation Razer Blade laptop sharpens its edge with GTX 660M, unannounced Core i7 CPU
The 17-inch behemoths that call themselves gaming notebooks are traditionally quite large, trading extreme performance for substantial bulk. These machines routinely flirt with double digit weigh-ins, and flaunt meaty 1.5-plus inch bezels. They represent a unwieldy reality in portable power that most gamers have learned to expect. Not Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, however -- he's still chasing the dream: thin, powerful and sleek. Tan caught up with us this week to brief us on the next generation Razer Blade, a rig that still boldly claims to be the "world's first true gaming laptop." Razer's first laptop hit shelves earlier this year, packing a 2.8GHz Core i7-2650M CPU and a GeForce GT 555M GPU into a svelte 0.8-inch aluminum shell. Tan explained that the rig's attractive hull hadn't changed much, but its internals sure have. "The Blade was our first laptop, and we've taken feedback really seriously since then," the CEO told us. "We've been listening to gamers and made a chart of all the pros to keep, and all the cons to address. Every single one of them." That chart eventually mapped out the refreshed rig's internals, which include an unannounced Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M graphics, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 64GB of fast-booting solid state storage. All this comes in the same aluminum shell as the first Blade, of course, sporting a 17.3-inch high definition display and the firm's exclusive multitouch LCD Switchblade interface. Tan says the new build addresses some of our own complaints too, noting that the sticky hinge that plagued our review unit has been tweaked to bend to a lighter touch. The machine's internal speakers have been upgraded as well, and are said to be 250% louder with no distortion. The new Blade's sharpened specs will come with a price cut, ringing in at a penny under $2,500 -- and gamers who picked up its predecessor (which will be getting its own price cut, to $2,299), we were told, can snag one for $500 less. Pre-orders are slated to start on September 2nd, and should ship within 30 days. The new laptop is being unveiled for the first time at PAX Prime this weekend. Not in Seattle for Labor Day? Check out the official press release after the break. %Gallery-163950%
Digital Storm unveils X17E gaming laptop, pushes your CPU to 4.5GHz for frenzied fragging
Specialist gaming outfit Digital Storm has busted out its new X17E gaming laptop, designed to keep you entertained without too much grunting. The 17-inch unit comes with a 1,920 x 1,080 display, a choice of GeForce GTX 680M or Radeon 7970M and an Intel Core i7-3910XM, which the company's engineers reckon can be stably overclocked to a whopping 4.5GHz. It's got the usual raft of features you'd expect in a high end unit, including support for 32GB RAM, USB 3.0, eSATA, Blu-Ray and a backlit keyboard you can tweak to your needs. The base model will be out at the end of September, setting you back $1,753, while a signature edition with a custom paint-job will come later, and cost you more.
Apple axes 17-inch MacBook Pro, giant laptop owners weep
As we suspected when Apple updated traditional MacBook Pros, Apple has quietly dropped the 17-inch MacBook Pro. From here on out, it's either the 13- or 15-inch models if you want Apple's conventional form factor. The next-generation MacBook Pro is now your best option if you want more than a 1680 x 1050 resolution in a portable Mac, and there's no internal recourse for an ExpressCard slot if you lived on it. That said, we imagine Apple is counting on two pairs each of USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt on the new system to take care of ExpressCard's former duties. We'd add that it's also the end of an era: Apple was one of the first with a 17-inch widescreen laptop, and it's now one of the first to bow out.
Samsung Series 7 Gamer laptop goes on sale in the US for $1,900
Who could forget that marigold yellow gaming laptop sitting around Samsung's booth at CES? Though the Series 7 Gamer has been available in Europe since last fall, the company decided to wait until Intel made its big Ivy Bridge reveal before introducing its first gaming laptop here in the states. Now that those chips are starting to ship, the Series 7 Gamer is at last on sale here in the US, available in a single configuration that'll set you back $1,900. (Sorry, folks, it will only be sold in black.) Though that price is slightly higher than the estimate we heard four months ago, the specs are also beefier than we were expecting. For the money, you'll get a 2.3GHz i7-3610QM Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GTX675M GPU, a 1.5TB 7,200RPM hard drive and a 400-nit, 17.3-inch, 1080p display. Like that other Series 7 laptop we reviewed recently, that HDD is paired with 8GB of flash memory to help cut start-up and application launch times. At its best, the battery is rated to last 3.7 hours -- not bad for a 13.34 8.39-pound system -- and you can exert some control over the runtime by selecting from one of four power modes using an analog dial. All the major e-tailers like Amazon and NewEgg will carry it, and feel free to revisit our hands-on from CES if you need a few close-up shots to jog your memory. Update: Though the press material Samsung sent to reporters listed the weight as 13.34 pounds, the product page below says it weighs 8.39 pounds, which sounds far more likely, if you ask us.
Razer Blade review
Typically, when a company wants to meet, you expect more of the same -- not a change in strategy, nor a decision to enter an entirely new product category. So when Razer wanted to meet us one bright, oddly cold San Franciscan morning last August, we certainly weren't expecting to meet its CEO, Min-Liang Tan, and we definitely weren't prepared to find a 17-inch prototype laptop, henceforth known as the Blade. Shaving puns aside, we listened to Tan proudly wax on about the results of nearly three years of development, much of which involved recruiting a bevy of talent from the now-defunct OQO. What they'd accomplished, according to Tan, was the "world's first true gaming portable." An audacious statement, sure, especially considering the Blade was to be Razer's foray into the PC market. No matter. Tan's impetus was clear: the outfit would cater to gamers who'd been left in a vacuum after formerly gaming-obsessed companies sold out, leaving the segment to languish. His angle, however, would be different. The Blade wasn't going to be a gaudy, gargantuan, no-holds barred device with outright performance in mind. No, instead the 0.8-inch thick aluminum beaut would attempt to straddle the worlds of portability with performance, seeking to hit a perfectly balanced middle ground. That sounded reasonable, but judging by reactions from most of you, the decision to stuff this $2,799 rig with a mid-range GeForce GT 555M card wasn't. Nor was the call to kit it with a paltry 320GB of rotational storage. Razer would rectify the latter in December, promising 256GB SSDs for all -- a concession that would push shipments back, well, until now. Still, even after toying with it briefly at CES, our impressions were ultimately shallow, as we couldn't get much of a feel for it in that controlled environment. Which brings us to the present day, and with Razer graciously airdropping a Blade onto our doorstep, does this experimental laptop stand up to its maker's gutsy claims? Or will those who've shelled just shy of three grand be sorely disappointed with its execution? Well, there's only one way to find out, and that's to join us past the break.
Tesla's Model X struts its stuff on video, gets serenaded by Elon Musk
We may have attended the Model X premiere, but despite us pleading for a ride-along, Tesla PR insisted only those who'd plunked cash for a pre-order that evening would get the chauffeur treatment. Thankfully there's YouTube user TheSpeedRead, who either threw down enough cash or was swift enough to evade security, slipping into a Model X and gratuitously posting it for all to see. In the video above you'll catch a glimpse of the interior, which features the same 17-inch touchscreen as in the Model S. In addition, a Tesla employee muses about the advantages of its dual motor AWD system and low center of gravity as he sashays the crossover through a slalom course outside Tesla's design HQ. Our friends at Autoblog Green also culled a video from SmartPlanet featuring the company's CEO, Elon Musk, reflecting on the advantages of the Model X's unique "Falcon Wing" rear doors and touting the advantages of not having a space-hogging combustion engine in its front -- enabling the front trunk, or Frunk, to serve as a crumple zone "two to three times longer" than in competing vehicles. Get the full sales pitch from the entrepreneur extraordinaire after the break.
Samsung's NP700 gaming laptop goes up for pre-order with Ivy Bridge pride
Jonesing for some more of Samsung's 17-inchers? Jones no more, because the Korean manufacturer has just put its NP700G7C gaming laptop up for pre-order. Packing 16GB of memory, this new Series 7 lappy made a brief appearance on Best Buy's website last month, but was quickly pulled. This time, though, it looks like it's for real, with Samsung touting its new "Gaming PC" on its very own website, alongside a $1,700 price tag. For that money, you'll get a 17.3-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and, most compelling, a taste of Ivy Bridge, courtesy of the laptop's third-generation Intel Core i7-3610QM quad-core processor, which clocks in at 2.3GHz. It's available now, at the source link below.
Spotted: Samsung's 17-inch Series 7 Chronos laptop
And then there were three. The first time we saw Samsung's Series 7 Chronos, we knew it was going to be offered in two mainstream sizes -- 14 and 15.6 inches -- but now we know the line's going to include a desktop replacement as well. The company's soon to ship a 17-inch model with a matte, 300-nit, 1080p display, next-gen Core i7 processor, JBL speakers and some unspecified ATI graphics card with 2GB of video memory. As you'd imagine, the industrial design is what you'll find on the 15-inch version we reviewed, and the laptop incorporates the same SuperBright display used on the Series 5 Chromebook and Ultrabooks. Which is to say it's bright with decent viewing angles, though not quite as sunny as the screens used on Samsung's Series 9 laptops. No word yet on when and where it'll go on sale, but we're hearing it'll run for $1,499 when it does arrive in the US. In the meantime, we've got some requisite hands-on photos below for your viewing pleasure.
MSI GT783 hands-on
A sub-three-pound laptop? Been there, done that -- at least if you're MSI. Three years after bringing netbooks and other cute things to CES, the company is focusing on more robust machines -- so much so that while other OEMs are launching me-too Ultrabooks, it's trotting out a gaming box instead. The latest addition to the family is the GT783, a 17-inch beast of a portable rig we saw while making the rounds at CES. Chief among the specs is NVIDIA's top-shelf GTX 580M GPU with 2GB of video memory, though your $2,300 will also buy you a quad-core Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM (upgradeable to 32GB) and a matte, 1080p display. Rounding out the list are dual drives: a 128GB SSD and 750GB 7,200RPM HDD. During our demo, we took a brief detour into Battlefield 3, and though we didn't have Fraps at the ready to monitor frame rates, we can tell you it ran smoothly, even at max settings. The programmable backlighting is alright too, though we're not convinced 35 colors will do it for you like a yellow chassis.
Razer Blade spotted at CES 2012, now rocking SSD and functional trackpad (video)
Back in September, we got our hands on the 17-inch gaming behemoth from Razer. There was only one snag: the trackpad wasn't fully functional yet. There were screens in place, but we weren't able to test out all of the controls. Here at CES, we were able to get a quick hands-on with a final consumer model, ready to start dominating your next Skyrim marathon. As you may recall, the trackpad is offset to the right side of the keyboard so as not to interfere with your access to the essential in-game controls. Serving up quite a few functions, the tech includes a miniature web browser, access to control settings, macro key set-up, YouTube viewer, a number pad and a regular ol' laptop touchpad. Another difference between the model pictured here and the one we spent some time with is the inclusion of a 256GB SSD instead of a 320GB HDD which pushed the launch date back to mid January. The kit will still set you back $2,799 and is slated to ship later this month.
Samsung reveals 15- and 17-inch Series 5 laptops to arrive during 'back-to-school season'
Is it ever too early to trot out back-to-school laptops? Not if you're Samsung. Here at CES, hidden among the company's razor-thin Series 9 laptops and bright yellow gaming rig we found two mid-range laptops built for students, and other folks who just want something affordable and capable. What we have here are a pair of redesigned Series 5 notebooks, with 15.6- and 17.3-inch displays, respectively. And particularly given that they'll start at about $799 and max out around $1,199, they're looking pretty tempting. At this early stage, Samsung won't say much about likely specs, but so far, it seems that the specs could be quite generous. Take the display, for example. Both have the same matte, 300-nit display used in the new company's Ultrabooks, and the resolution is fixed at 1600 x 900 for the 15-incher, and 1080p for the larger model. At the high end, they'll both be available with a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, JBL speakers, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M card with Optimus, an optional Blu-ray drive and up to 1TB in storage (2TB for the 17-inch version). Not too shabby for a mid-range laptop, especially if Samsung keeps its word and caps the price at $1,200. Plus, if we do say so, the keys are sturdy and pillowy, and the whole package isn't bad-looking either, though we'll let you, dear readers, be the judge. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Samsung bringing its Series 7 Gamer to the US, we go hands-on (video)
We're going to get this out of the way up front: Samsung is showing off a lot of laptops this week at CES. Given how of the moment Ultrabooks are, we can see why Sammy would choose to highlight its Series 5 Ultras and redesigned Series 9. The emphasis on skinny PCs has been so fervent, in fact, that you might not have heard the company is bringing its first gaming laptop, the Series 7 Gamer, stateside. We're told Samsung is currently planning on offering just one configuration, with a Core i7 CPU, 2GB AMD Radeon HD6970M card, a 5,900mAh battery, JBL speakers and a 300-nit, 1080p display. For those who haven't seen this in action yet, it sports a backlit keyboard, with the all-important WASD keys conveniently highlighted in a different color, along with an analog dial for toggling power modes. On the outside, Samsung's logo glows with the help of an LED backlight, but disappears when the lid is shut. Expect it to hit this side of the Atlantic in April for $1,799, and in the meantime we've got hands-on photos and video, but sadly, no answer to that question for the ages: red or marigold yellow?
MSI infuses more gaming juice into its G Series notebooks with processor refresh
They may have barely finished component convalescence after being kitted out with NVIDIA's GTX 570M, but MSI's GT780DXR and GT683DXR are getting yet another technical leg-up. This time, the processors are being nudged up to an Intel Core i7-2670QM, replacing the Core i7-2630QM we found on these gaming rigs last time we met. The ultra slim X460 series will also get the same CPU refresh. We'll admit, it's a pretty gentle update, but it should help keep MSI's latest offerings close to the bleeding edge of high-end laptops.
MSI's GT683DXR and GT780DXR shred pixels with NVIDIA's GTX 570M (hands-on)
We might still be smitten with a certain svelte ebony beaut, but we're aware some of you require absolute maximum performance from your "portable" gaming rig. Here to heed your call for blistering frame rates is MSI, which has gone and refreshed two laptops from its gaming lineup: the 15.6-inch GT683DXR and its big brother, the 17.3-inch GT730DXR. While both retain the Core i7-2630QM from their forebears, the duo now feature NVIDIA's beefy GTX 570M with 1.5GB GDDR5. And just like their predecessors, either can be stuffed with up to 16GB of RAM, dual 500GB or 750GB drives and a Blu-ray burner. Also on board is a premium sound system from Dynaudio, four USB ports (two of the 3.0 variety), Gigabit Ethernet, VGA and HDMI sockets and, of course, 802.11b/g/n WiFi. They're on sale now, starting at $1,699 for the 15-incher and $1,799 for the 17-inch variant. MSI was kind enough to send us the smaller and lighter of the two, so hop on past the break for our brief impressions. %Gallery-132842% %Gallery-132847%
Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness
Something big's been brewing over in Carlsbad, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world: the Razer Blade. The onyx aluminum beaut before you is the culmination of over three years of work by a stealth team of engineers -- many of them absorbed from the former OQO team. Despite being only 0.88 inches thick (thinner than another 17-incher we know...), the svelte number still packs a punch with a 2.8GHz Core i7-2640M CPU and GeForce GT 555M graphics replete with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. All that graphical horsepower will splay your exploits on a 17.3-inch LED 1920 x 1080 full HD panel with an HD webcam nestled above. Rounding out the package is 8GB of RAM, three USB ports (one of the 3.0 persuasion), HDMI-out and a 60Wh integrated battery. And it could all be yours for $2,799 when it debuts in Q4 of this year. That's dandy, but we're more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad were last seen on a keyboard in a galaxy far, far away, and are running a custom Switchblade UI -- inspired by the company's oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer's used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle -- people don't look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR. %Gallery-131716% %Gallery-131503%
