Dell XPS 14z
Manufacturer: Dell, Inc. Part number: CNET-XPS-14z
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Dell XPS 14z is a nicely designed, well-built 14-inch laptop, but the XPS "z" design works better on the 15-inch version, leaving this model feeling chunky.
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CNET editors' review
Dell XPS 14z price range: $1,199.99
- Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 10/23/2011
- Released on: 10/24/2011
The good: The high-end Dell XPS 14z is an attractive, powerful 14-inch laptop built into a 13-inch body, with plenty of configuration options, including decent graphics.
The bad: Even with the approximate footprint of a 13-inch laptop, this still feels thick and heavy, especially compared with the new generation of Ultrabooks.
The bottom line: The Dell XPS 14z is a nicely designed, well-built 14-inch laptop, but the XPS "z" design works better on the 15-inch version, leaving this model feeling chunky.
Dell's XPS line of laptops has survived a few purges of the Dell rolls (Studio, Adamo, and so on) to become the company's flagship premium brand, akin to the Apple MacBook or HP Envy. The latest generation of XPS product, with the "z" designation, kicked off in May 2011, with the 15-inch XPS 15z. Dell claimed that laptop was the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop (Windows laptop, that is), and the new 14-inch XPS 14z makes a similar claim, again with a few asterisks to keep in mind.
Dell says that the XPS 14z is the "thinnest fully featured laptop on the planet." What does that mean? According to Dell, it's a laptop with an internal optical drive and discrete graphics. More impressively, this is a 14-inch laptop screen in a body with the smaller footprint of a 13-inch laptop. We like more screen in less body, but it also has one unfortunate side effect.
With so many extremely thin 13-inch laptops hitting the streets right now, such as the first generation of Ultrabooks from Acer, Lenovo, and Asus, the XPS 14z has roughly the same length and width measurements, but looks chunky and thick in comparison.
If you can put those side-by-side images out of your mind, the XPS 14z is still an impressive engineering feat, with a 14-inch screen, Nvidia graphics, and a slot-loading optical drive in a smaller package than we've seen for that particular load-out before. Similar to the HP Envy 14, it starts at $999 (but that's for a version with only integrated Intel graphics), and our version, with an upgraded Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia 520M graphics, and a larger 750GB HDD, is $1,299.
| Price as reviewed / starting price | $1,299 / $999 |
| Processor | 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-2640M |
| Memory | 8GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 750GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Intel QM67 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 520M |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 13.2x9.2 inches |
| Height | 0.9 inch |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 14 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 4.4 pounds / 5.3 pounds |
| Category | Midsize |
The new XPS 14z is a virtual clone of the larger XPS 15z we reviewed earlier in 2011. As in that model, the anodized-aluminum and magnesium alloy body has a sophisticated matte finish, lighter on the outer surfaces, with a darker keyboard tray and screen bezel. An inset hinge moves the screen slightly closer to the viewer, and that single large hinge looks like a tightly coiled spring, adding a touch of a steampunk element.
The design was frankly more impressive on the 15-inch version, where one's first impression was that this was an extremely thin 15-inch laptop. The same basic design, with the same thickness, on a much more compact footprint (the length and width are roughly the same as a 13-inch laptop) means the XPS 14z comes off as dense and squat, at least until one intellectually factors in the larger 14-inch screen and powerful components. That said, virtually all the z-axis height is in the base of the system; the lid itself is as thin as any we've seen.
Inside, the interior is highlighted by a pair of large speaker grilles on either side of the keyboard, with a unique cross-hatched pattern (which is repeated on the bottom surface for venting). This constrains the amount of space available for the keyboard itself, but it's still the same width as we've seen on most 13-inch laptops. The shallow island-style keys aren't the most comfortable for long-term typing, but we like the large size of Shift, Tab, Ctrl, and other important keys. The keyboard is backlit, which is a huge plus for us, with light coming from around the edge of each key, as well as though the letter or symbol stamped on the key itself.
The large multitouch touch pad is generously sized, especially for this small chassis, but it's not one of the newer clickpad-style ones we've been seeing lately. This is a more traditional flat pad with two large mouse buttons beneath it. Multitouch gestures, such as two-finger scrolling, were functional, but a bit jumpy, which is a problem for just about every Windows laptop.
The 14-inch display is one of the system highlights. By packing a bigger screen into a body that's more like that of a 13-inch laptop, you end up with an effect that is bold and cinematic. Plainly put, when you open the lid, there's more screen and less everything else than you'd expect. There's also a glass overlay that isn't quite edge-to-edge, but is close. On the down side, the native resolution is still just 1,366x768 pixels. On a premium laptop of this size, especially with our config running to $1,300, we'd like to see a 1,600x900-pixel display or better. The Dell XPS 15z offers a 1,920x1,080 option.
Keeping in mind that these are still laptop speakers, the sound was clear and bright, with some heft, but not really thumping bass. It's perfectly fine for personal video watching or for sharing YouTube videos, but we'd hook up external speakers to DJ a cocktail party.
| Dell XPS 14z | Average for category [midsize] | |
|---|---|---|
| Video | HDMI, Mini DisplayPort | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, SD card reader | 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, SD card reader, eSATA |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
With only two USB ports, you hopefully won't have too many peripherals that need to be plugged in, but at least one of them is USB 3.0. More interesting is the lack of a VGA port, which is a trend we've started to see on a handful of laptops. It may be that this very long-term legacy port is finally starting to fade away. The XPS 14z deserves serious bonus points for including an almost never-seen battery meter, in the form of a strip of tiny lights on the right edge. Even Apple has ditched this in recent years, and it's frankly pretty useful for quickly checking the road-worthiness of your laptop.
There are a handful of preconfigured versions of the XPS 14z available. The least expensive is $999, and had an Intel Core i5-2430, with a 500GB HDD, and no discrete graphics (and therefore is not a "fully featured" laptop according to Dell's definition). Moving up to $1,199 gets you more RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce 520M, while our $1,299 version added a Core i7-2640 CPU. Finally, for $1,599, the hard drive switches to a 256GB SSD (and for the same price as a 13-inch Lenovo U300s IdeaPad or a MacBook Air with the same SSD, but no discrete graphics).
With 8GB of RAM and a fast Intel Core i7 processor, it's no surprise that the Dell XPS 14z did well on our benchmark tests. It was very closely matched with the earlier XPS 15z, as well as the most recent 13-inch MacBook, the summer 2011 version of the Air. It was (in some cases, significantly) faster than the recent wave of superthin Ultrabooks, including the Lenovo U300s and the Acer Aspire S3. While any of those will be fine for casual use, from productivity to HD media playback, the XPS 14z adds an additional level of performance over laptops with low-voltage versions of Intel's Core i-series CPUs.
The big difference between the XPS 14z and other laptops of a similar size we've seen recently is its discrete GPU, in the form of the Nvidia GeForce 520M. This 1GB card isn't going to appeal to hard-core PC gamers, who are more likely to look to Dell's Alienware brand anyway, but it's certainly good enough for playing most current PC games, as long as you dial down the settings a bit (the limited 1,366x768-pixel resolution also helps). In Street Fighter IV at native resolution, we got 46.7 frames per second, while in the very challenging Metro 2033 test, we got 7 frames per second, but that test is deliberately brutal, especially on midrange laptop graphics.
 Juice box |
|
| Dell XPS 14z | Avg watts/hour |
| Off (60%) | 0.42 |
| Sleep (10%) | 0.87 |
| Idle (25%) | 6.95 |
| Load (05%) | 45.22 |
| Raw kWh number | 38 |
| Annual energy cost | $4.31 |
The Dell XPS 14z has powerful components, which may negatively affect battery life, but at the same time, it also uses Nvidia's Optimus system to keep the GPU turned off when not needed, and Intel's current-gen Core i-series CPU are very efficient on their own. In our video playback battery drain test, the XPS 14z ran for 4 hours and 33 minutes, which is a score we'd classify as merely OK. That's 1 hour longer than the XPS 15z, but Apple's MacBook Air ran for more than 2 additional hours, and Lenovo's U300s ran for an extra 40 minutes. With judicious use, the XPS 14z should get you through most of a workday, but our battery life expectations have risen greatly in 2011, and scores that used to impress us no longer do so.
Dell includes a one-year mail-in service warranty with the XPS 14z, and though the warranty upgrade options were not live on Dell's Web site at the time this review was written, based on previous XPS laptops, coverage should be expandable up to four years for an extra $290, or four years with accidental damage protection for $410. Dell's Web site offers 24-7 toll-free phone service and Web support, including documentation and software drivers that are easy to find.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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System configurations:
Dell XPS 14z
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-2640M; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 520M / 1GB (Dedicated) Intel GMA HD; 750GB Western Digital 7,200rpm
Dell XPS 15z
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-2620M; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 525M / 64MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 750GB Seagate 7,200rpm
Toshiba Portege R835-P56X
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-2410M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Dedicated)/1,696MB (Total) Intel GMA HD; 640GB Hitachi 5,400rpm
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-2677M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 64MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 256GB JMicron 616 SSD
Acer Aspire S3-951-6646
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) w/ SP1; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 128MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm + 20GB SSD
Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch - Summer 2011
OS X 10.7 Lion; 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-2557M; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 384MB (Shared) Intel HD 3000; 128GB Apple SSD
User reviews
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Dell XPS 14z Review
by john1hatzi on October 24, 2011
Pros: Solid performance; 256Gb SSD 4G RAM; Fast;
2.53 Duo Core; I don't run mine with many of the bells and whistles...I keep my configurations pretty basic...have I mentioned it is FAST! Boots in less than 30 secondsCons: Shut down is slow, but that may be due to some of my settings...haven't figured it out yet, but it isn't an issue with me.
The keyboard feels a little, distant? It just feels odd...I can't put my finger on it (pun intended)
Screen resolution should be hSummary: Well worth the bucks, can't go wrong, I would buy again; 4 Stars if the keyboard was raised
Summary: Well worth the bucks, can't go wrong, I would buy again; 4 Stars if the keyboard was raised
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Get out your wallet
by brmcc on February 21, 2012
Pros: The best online configuration tools.
Cons: Poor support
Summary: From a former many year Dell fan, I have been extremely disappointed that support has gone downhill, and now seems to be oriented toward squeezing you for additional paid support ...
Summary: From a former many year Dell fan, I have been extremely disappointed that support has gone downhill, and now seems to be oriented toward squeezing you for additional paid support contracts even when you have a multi-year warrantee. Incidentally, I am a very technically savvy computer user.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Overall great solid machine!
by BoHuot on February 10, 2012
Pros: 1. Great solid design.
2. Fast performance. Programs loaded quickly.
3. Love the mouse pad and the keyboard.
4. Battery lasted a solid 6 hours.
5. Nice bright screen.
6. Light weight.
7. Wi-fi is able reach 30mbps which is my max down speed at home.Cons: Comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and did not have an option to choose Windows 7 Professional. I refreshed my machine and loaded Windows 7 Professional from scratch (not upgrade) and everything works great.
Summary: I purchased the Dell xps 14z last week. My system specs are i5 processor, 500GB SATA hard drive, 6GB of ram, and Intel 3000 graphics card. I was looking for ...
Summary: I purchased the Dell xps 14z last week. My system specs are i5 processor, 500GB SATA hard drive, 6GB of ram, and Intel 3000 graphics card. I was looking for something similar to the MacBook pro but less than $1000. I purchased this system because I'm starting graduate school and would need a system that is portable and easy to carry around. I wanted to get a MacBook pro, but the price was over my $1000 budget and I already had software, such as Microsoft Office purchased on Windows platform, which means I would have had to purchase all the software again for the Mac; leads to more money. I know I could have installed virtual windows, but did not want to do that.
So, I settled with the Dell and got it under $1,000 including taxes. I really like the computer system. I hope the slot-load CD rom drive does not go kaput because it's new to Dell. This machine will work well as I use it to complete my Doctoral studies and will be using it nonstop during my residency. Thanks Dell for such a great machine and it doesn't feel like I've settled at all!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Performance, fast reboot and amazing design.
by rdvd33 on January 17, 2012
Pros: Design and Performance.
Cons: You cannot use the HDMI Port until the Nvidia Team updates the drivers. It's incredible, how a big Company,like Dell, launched a product with features that cannot be useful.
Summary: Excellent Performance & Design, amazing Screen and the product's termination is fine. I like this Laptop, but after I paid $1,200+taxes, it's unfair that Dell suggests ...
Summary: Excellent Performance & Design, amazing Screen and the product's termination is fine. I like this Laptop, but after I paid $1,200+taxes, it's unfair that Dell suggests me buying an DVI-HDMI adapter, in the best cases, the adapter must have come when I made the order.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Definatly one of the best! Its a GREAT investment.
by Jaxxine on May 5, 2012
Pros: Smooth Typing, Lit keyboard, extremely fast, Stays cool, VERY quiet, amazing screen quality (which is huge), slim and sleek design, Great sound quality.
Cons: Nothing. Everything is what I was expecting and more.
Summary: Go out and buy this laptop. You will not be disappointed!
Summary: Go out and buy this laptop. You will not be disappointed!
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Almost a perfect notebook...
by ajikumaru on May 3, 2012
Pros: The specs is actually awesome, I bought the i7 2640,750GB,8G RAM, backlit keyboard is nice during wee-wee hours, graphics nvidia is great, sound is also very nice compared to other notebooks, weight is good... overall performance is very very good.
Cons: I definitely agree with the KEYBOARD LAYOUT, its a mess !! combining the arrow keys with the page up/page down is a very very very bad idea, I bought this notebook for programming and I'm not happy with it. I'll stick with my L502X...
Summary: If you want a light weight notebook for web surfing, presentation and a bit of typing then this notebook is the best, awesome!!! but I don't recommend this for ...
Summary: If you want a light weight notebook for web surfing, presentation and a bit of typing then this notebook is the best, awesome!!! but I don't recommend this for spreadsheet and word processor work, you will surely want to throw this computer against the wall...
If i can add another $200 just for the keyboard to be changed, I will surely do it. This computer has the same case as the XPS 13Z Ultrabook, whoever designed the keyboard should be fired! -
almost there
by zhardouz on April 11, 2012
Pros: good hardware set, design and performance.
Cons: not so good battery life, bloatware, not so good heat management, very few ports
Summary: very nice features and hardware, on a very busy use unit tends to heat up quite a lot. has a cool battery feature which when plugged-in there is an option ...
Summary: very nice features and hardware, on a very busy use unit tends to heat up quite a lot. has a cool battery feature which when plugged-in there is an option not to charge it. So, you can use it direct to power without straining the battery life span. As the specs suggests the high end hardware delivers in terms of performance.
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Good Idea gone Bad!
by Robertintpa on March 19, 2012
Pros: Glossy Screen, lighter weight, good size screen, stylish.
Cons: Keyboard, Keyboard, Keyboard. The 14z/15z without a proper PgUp, PgDn, Home and End Key? Press THREE keys to highlight a line. It's beyond a bad idea.
Summary: - you wonder how anything like this gets past first level marketing or user testing. What copy writer or programmer wants to hit two keys to pgup/pgdn, or three ...
Summary: - you wonder how anything like this gets past first level marketing or user testing. What copy writer or programmer wants to hit two keys to pgup/pgdn, or three keys to highlight a line. Stop removing keys from the keyboard, it's still a standard way to use a computer. People don't all use mice. It simply makes the laptop unusable - RETURNED!
returned - keyboard HORRIBLE.
Updated on Mar 19, 2012 -
3 weeks later, still not working
by teamseth on February 23, 2012
Pros: none, including dell
Cons: Not only is the laptop unreliable, very unreliable, Dell tech support does not really seem to care too much.
Summary: Here is the timeline
Saturday - Computer arrives and screen does not work
Tuesday - Tech comes out to replace the system board
Friday - Tech comes out to replace ...Summary: Here is the timeline
Saturday - Computer arrives and screen does not work
Tuesday - Tech comes out to replace the system board
Friday - Tech comes out to replace the LCD screen
Next Friday - Video card fails and a system swap is initiated
Next Next Thursday - New system arrives, specs not the same as old system so another system swap is needed or they are sending a tech.... It's only taken 3 weeks to get this far maybe in another 3 I'll have a usable laptop, or maybe I'll just send it back. -
Great Windows alternative to a Mac Book 13"!
by S_Robinson on December 9, 2011
Pros: - Internal DVD/RW+- Disc Drive
- with 8 GBs of RAM it is a real "multi-tasker"
- very lightweight for a full feature thin and light laptop
- looks very contemporary
- Nice edge-to-edge display
- 7200 RPM Hard Drive is quickCons: - Needs at least 1 more USB port
- Keyboard is a little noisySummary: This is a great small laptop. I bought it for my wife who is a professional that needs a travel laptop with an internal disc drive and loads of RAM ...
Summary: This is a great small laptop. I bought it for my wife who is a professional that needs a travel laptop with an internal disc drive and loads of RAM because she loves to open loads of windows (She has had 30+ open at once with nary a hiccup). However, it is definitely not a gaming laptop as that is clearly not what it was designed for. On a less positive note: it doesn't break any significant new ground but it is solidly capable of doing whatever you generally need. I would recommend the XPS 14z to anyone looking for a more than decent small, full-featured, laptop!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
- Part number: CNET-XPS-14z
- Bottom Line: The Dell XPS 14z is a nicely designed, well-built 14-inch laptop, but the XPS "z" design works better on the 15-inch version, leaving this model feeling chunky.
General
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
- Notebook type Gaming ,
Midsize Processor / Chipset
- Processor Intel 2nd Gen Core i7 2640M
Memory
- RAM 8 GB
- Technology DDR3 SDRAM
- Speed 1333 MHz
Storage
- Hard Drive 750 GB / 7200 rpm
- Optical Drive CD/DVD Burner
- Read Speed 8X
- Hard drive type SATA
Display
- Type 14.0
Audio & Video
- Graphics Processor nVidia GeForce GT 520M 1GB graphics with Optimus
Sustainability
- Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2011) 5.1
Accessories
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 4 GB (34637987)9.69
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 64 GB (34581520)64.99
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 64 GB (34581564)62.99
- Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse for PC (34150179)128.70 - 156.99
- Logitech Performance Mouse MX (33769469)73.69 - 113.25
- Belkin Compact Mouse M100 mouse (35145329)7.99
- Cisco Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 router (35098697)164.99 - 199.99
- Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router (34200558)114.79 - 135.00
- Belkin N150 Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859948)28.99 - 34.99
- Belkin N300 Wireless N Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (35263578)39.99 - 48.99
- Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router - wireless router - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35190484)66.57 - 104.73
- Belkin N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11n - desktop (35262637)194.99 - 292.17
- Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti HighPower Giga WZR-HP-G450H - wireless router - none - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859675)82.11 - 95.99
- Cisco 881 Fast Ethernet Security Router supporting EVDO/1xRTT - router - cellular modem - 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (35026157)
- Cisco 892F Gigabit Ethernet Security Router - wireless router - ISDN - 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (34693849)
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Dell, Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Dell, Inc.
- Address:
One Dell Way, Round Rock, TX 78682 - Phone: (800) 274-3355
- Email: LB_Order_Questions@dell.com
