As a high-end laptop, the XPS is regularly updated by Dell in both design and technology. The 2013 Dell XPS 15 9530 continues to be upgraded by the American computer company based on the successful 2012 version of the XPS 15 L521X.
In addition to using carbon fiber, Dell has also removed unpopular hardware such as optical drives and added a touch screen feature with QHD+ resolution to enhance the user experience on the XPS 15 9530.
However, with new hardware and advanced technology, price is still the biggest barrier for users to get the XPS 15 (9530). Through this review, I hope you have a clearer view of the points of the new XPS 15. so that you can decide to buy it.
Dell XPS 15 9530 Full Specifications
The following Dell XPS 15 9530 Specs
| CPU | Intel Core i7 -4712HQ 2.3 GHz tubos 3.3Ghz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR3L SDRAM bus 1600 MHz |
| Storage | SSD 256GB Sata 3 6GB.1s |
| Graphics card | NVIDIA Geforce 750M 2GB and Intel HD Graphics 4600 |
| Screen | 15.6 inches 3K: 3200×1800 multi-touch |
| Communication | 2x USB 3.0 1x VGA 2x USB 2.0 1x HDMI 1x DisplayPort 1x RJ45 |
| Keyboard | Backlit Keyboard |
| Audio | Waves MaxxAudio |
| WIFI standard | Intel Wireless-AC 7260 dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi |
| Webcam | HD Webcam |
| Operating system | Windows |
| The battery | 4 Cell – Continuous Run 3h00″ |
| Weight | 2.00 kg |
| Size | 22.7×380.40×259 |
The XPS 15 version (9530) in this article is well configured with an Intel Core i7-4702HQ CPU, Nvidia GT 750M GPU, 16 GB RAM. The bright spot in the XPS 15 (9530) configuration is the standard 512 GB mSATA solid-state drive.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 9560 Review
Processor
Regarding the Core i7-4702HQ CPU, it’s a Haswell generation quad-core processor, running at a base clock of 2.2 GHz and Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz.
In comparison, the Core i7-4702HQ is very similar to the Core i7-4700HQ, the version used in many lines of entertainment computers such as the ASUS N550JV or the Toshiba Satellite P50t.
Despite having the same 6MB cache, the 4702HQ has a slightly lower clock speed (0.2 GHz) than the 4700HQ version and also 10 W lower maximum power consumption (TDP).
The comparison score from CPUBoss shows that the Core i7-4702HQ wins in power consumption. 4700HQ and only slightly lost in other points such as single-core, multi-core and features.
Graphics Card
In terms of graphics performance, the XPS 15 (9530) has an integrated Nvidia GT 750M GPU and an Intel HD Graphics 4600 GPU. These two GPUs will automatically switch thanks to Nvidia Optimus technology depending on the task.
Testing the graphics performance of the Nvidia GT 750M GPU with 3DMark 13, the XPS 15 (9530) scored quite high with 76133 Ice Storm points, 2192 Cloud Gate points, 2009 Fire Strike points, and 3260 Sky Diver points.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 9550
Storage
One of the factors that affect the performance of the XPS 15 (9530) is the mSATA SSD made by Samsung and its read and write speed is quite high with 494 MB/s (read) and 406 MB/s (write).
Practical experience shows that the XPS 15 (9530) really makes the most of its power thanks to the mSATA SSD. The machine only takes 4 seconds to boot from a total power off state to enter the Windows 8.1 login screen. The multitasking is great, specially while writing this review, I have a total of 7 different apps open and 17 IE browser tabs.
Desain
The XPS 15 Touch (9530) has adopted the design language of its predecessor XPS 15 (L521X), and has been upgraded with many new points. Machines continue to be made from premium materials and beautifully finished. The lid is still made of a solid silver aluminum plate with a bright chrome Dell logo in the center.
The MacBook’s slightly grained aluminum material provides a very comfortable hand feeling and exhibits high balance.
It has a 15.6″ screen with a fairly thin border design, the black border is about 1 cm thick on both sides, 2 cm at the bottom and the aluminum border is about 2.5 mm. Tempered Gorilla Glass, but the screen thickness is only about 5mm The hinges are designed fit the body, making the screen opening angle limited to 140 degrees.
On the inside, aluminum material continues to be used on the border that wraps the body. However, the aluminum rims are no longer monolithic with the frame and bottom like its predecessor XPS 15 (L521X). I was also quite surprised when Dell decided to ditch this aluminum design on the XPS 15 (9530) but through research, the material changes were truly purposeful.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 L521x
The previous generation XPS 15 looks very attractive thanks to its aluminum material, but is also quite heavy. Therefore, the XPS 15 9530 retains only the aluminum rims that serve as a reinforcing frame, and the carbon fiber underneath, which is made of carbon fiber, reducing the weight of the engine to 2.01 kg, 0.7 kg lighter than the previous generation XPS 15.
Screen Display
Even when I maximize the font in the browser, I can see very little detail in the high-resolution image. In addition, the brightness of over 400 nits and high contrast make the images clear and very real.
Light and dark colors are clearly displayed, creating a sense of depth in the image. In terms of viewing angles, the maximum angle to ensure the least misleading image quality on the XPS 15 (9530) display is 140 degrees, even though Dell advertises it as 160 degrees.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 9575 (2-in-1) Hybrid Laptop
However, since the XPS 15 (9530) still uses an LCD screen, there are still display problems in direct sunlight or light. But that’s not a big deal for this laptop. Although the high contrast and brightness of the screen make the image clearer when used outdoors, I still had to adjust the angle of the screen to reduce reflections, especially when viewing content against a dark background.
Audio Speaker
For sound, the XPS 15 (9530) speaker system is located on the front edge of the machine. Combined with a high-quality display, the XPS 15 (9530) sound system truly delivers a premium entertainment experience. The sound is processed with MaxxAudio Pro technology developed by Waves so that the output volume is large but still maintains sound quality, without distortion, bass and high notes are separated, very clear.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Around the keyboard area, Dell uses soft-touch silicone material that feels comfortable when typing. However, this material is very easy to remove sweat on the hands and becomes hissed if used for a long time.
The design of the keyboard and trackpad on the XPS 15 (9530) is still similar to the previous version. Although the XPS 15 machine does not have a numeric keypad area, the keyboard space is quite spacious and easy to operate.
The keys are designed in a chiclet shape with a 3-level backlight below highlighting them (most are engraved on each key). The slightly concave black key surface feels very comfortable to type on and the balanced key layout is easy to use. Although the navigation keys are designed to be quite small, they are easy to reach because they are separated from the main key area and the convex top and bottom button designs.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 L501x
The ant-coated trackpad surface provides excellent touch, high sensitivity, and thanks to the flat palm rest area design, you can easily swipe from the 2 edges of the trackpad in Windows 8 without feeling sluggish. Following the new design trend, 2 mouse buttons are also integrated under the trackpad to save space and create a seamless design.
While it provides a good typing and manipulation experience, the XPS 15 (9530)’s keyboard and trackpad still have some minor flaws. In particular, while typing and clicking the mouse button, you will easily hear a slightly loud clicking sound.
If you’re not fussy, the sound factor shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but if you like quietness while working, you should consider this factor on the XPS 15 (9530).
Connectivity
In addition to reducing the weight of the laptop with carbon fiber, the XPS 15 (9530) is also thinner than the previous version by eliminating the optical drive. The device is only about 18mm thick but still has plenty of connection ports including 4 USB ports (3 x USB 3.0 and 1 x USB 2.0 with integrated PowerShare charging), 1 mini DisplayPort, 1 HDMI, 3 memory card slots-in-1 and a jack. headphones.
The removal of optical drives was a necessary change as the demand for entertainment with DVDs was no longer as high as before and optical drives were not as durable as other hardware over time.
In addition, Dell has added a USB 2.0 PowerShare port – a reasonable addition because with this interface, you can use the XPS 15 to charge mobile devices even when the laptop is turned off.
But because it’s optimized for thinness, the XPS 15 (9530) also omits the LAN port – a connection port that is still popular and trusted by many for its stability. On the other hand, in terms of wireless connectivity, the XPS 15 (9530) integrates with many new standards such as Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC and WiDi.
Dell XPS 15 9530 Battery life
With 2 configuration options, the XPS 15 (9530) also has a choice of 2 built-in batteries, 61 Wh (6 cells) and 91 Wh (9 cells) non-removable. The version I evaluated has a 91 Wh battery and the reason the battery is bigger in one body is because this version uses an mSATA drive and a 2.5″ HDD bay has been used to accommodate 3 more battery cells. The 9-cell battery and mSATA drive do not include mechanical parts, battery life on the XPS 15 (9530) is quite good.
Under normal usage conditions with 7 tasks, 20 IE tabs, 50% screen brightness The average battery life of the XPS 15 (9530) is about 6 hours, and the battery loss is 25%, so it can be concluded that with the average usage intensity, the battery life XPS 15 (9530) battery life is about 6 hours. Listening to music and playing games, battery life is only about 3 and a half to 4 hours.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 All In One Review
Temperature
In terms of temperature, Dell has isolated the heat source very well on the XPS 15 (9530) when the processing hardware is brought to the back. Also, the XPS 15 version in this review doesn’t have the same HDD – one of the main heat-generating components when operating, so the armrest area maintains a cool temperature even while the machine is performing other heavy-duty tasks.
Actually, I let the machine run benchmarks all night but it still doesn’t feel hot locally. The hottest area on the machine is the hinge, which is opposite the heatsink slot.
Performance Test Results
Practical experience shows that the XPS 15 (9530) really makes the most of its power thanks to the mSATA SSD. The machine only takes 4 seconds to boot from a total power off state to enter the Windows 8.1 login screen. The multitasking is great, specially while writing this review, I have a total of 7 different apps open and 17 IE browser tabs.
The game test on the XPS 15 (9530) was pretty interesting, but I also ran into a lot of unfortunate issues. The most interesting thing is that the graphics in the game are very detailed and sharp, especially with games that already support QHD+ resolution.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 7590 (2019) Review
We tried to play the game League of Legends – a very popular MOBA game today, the maps and images of the champions are displayed very beautifully when adjusted to the maximum resolution. Similar results when I tested with the latest Patch Call of Duty Ghost game.
But the problem that occurs when playing games is sometimes the game crashes and many games that do not support this resolution will display incorrectly.
The best way to play the game smoothly is to set the default resolution to 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200. I don’t think the problem is with the hardware but in the compatibility of games with 3200 x 1800 resolution.
Having said that, the XPS 15’s high-end display is still not fully utilized with this type of entertainment. For a better gaming experience, we are forced to wait for the next update from the game manufacturer.
Read also: Dell XPS 15 9570 Review
Final Verdict
Through a quick assessment of the design, performance and experience of the XPS 15 (9530), you’ll have a better view of the improvements to the previous generation XPS 15 and the advantages of this machine over competitors in the same class. segment. Dell has equipped the XPS 15 with the latest hardware to ensure performance and design meet user needs. QHD+ touchscreen, quality speaker system, 512GB mSATA SSD, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GPU, Quad-Core CPU, all this hardware delivers a premium entertainment experience.
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