Dell XPS 15 9530 or Macbook Pro? A slim yet powerful machine under 150k!

So its time for me to replace my trusty old XPS 15. I need a good laptop that can provide the grunt when i want and be portable yet eye-catching

I have endured this XPS for like 4.5 years already. So, I was looking to get myself a solid machine that could last me another 3-4 years. I can import the laptop from the US if need be.

1) What is your budget? (INR or USD)
150,000/- (max)

2) What size & weight consideration (if any) would you prefer?
Thin and Light;
15" screen is preferable.

3) What are the primary tasks you will be performing with this notebook?
Apart from basic college stuff, web design and app development.
Gaming is not of main importance, but maybe, once in a blue moon.

5) Any typical configuration in your mind you're eyeing for ?
Nah.
Battery Life. My college is hell in terms of electricity.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Dell, Apple
b. Dislike: HP (bad experience, very bad)

6) Anything else you would like to say?
The product can be bought online or from the US. All I need is the best blend of portability and power.

I have homed in on the Dell XPS 15 9530 fully specced (from US): 140,000 ish after discounts etc.

4th Generation Intel® Quad Core™ i7-4712HQ processor (6M Cache, up to 3.3 GHz)
16GB DDR3L 1600MHz (8GBx2)
512GB Solid State Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 750M 2GB GDDR5
15.6 inch LED Backlit Touch Display with Truelife and QHD+ resolution (3200 x 1800)
91 WHr, 6-Cell Battery (integrated)
3 year global accidental warranty

Or the Macbook Pro 15" Retina 2014 (India). Only one year warranty for 152,000 (student discount)

Then I laid my eyes on the Razer Blade... lovely machine but the after sales will be an issue. Can anyone please suggest an alternative? OS X seems inviting enough though.

K

Better go with MSI GS60
Error 500 Server Error

More VFM than above laptops.

get this XOTIC PC | Sager NP8268 (Clevo P150SM-A) - 15.6" Gaming Notebook

xps is way underpowered for the asking price. Sager makes best VFM gaming laptops.

Get the Dell one..................... Guys, he needs thin n light laptop with great battery life

XOTIC one is a big no.......... Don't get it ...... [MENTION=145143]SaiyanGoku[/MENTION] : He avoided Razer Blade due to servicing issues

MSI GS60 is good, thin n light but I don't think battery life would be great (my guess 4-5h). It's better for gaming.

But you woulld love the QHD display of Dell ........ So i think you should get that one

No for Macbook pro, from me

Get Razer Blade 14" 2014 from USA. It's the best laptop right now. It has the right configuration of portability,power and battery life(6 hrs).

seamon said:
Get Razer Blade 14" 2014 from USA. It's the best laptop right now. It has the right configuration of portability,power and battery life(6 hrs).

blade is good, but what about its servicing if something goes wrong?
[MENTION=60562]anupam_pb[/MENTION]: any specific reasons for not going the Apple way? Does Apple provide even a fraction of the warranty services that Dell does?

Macbook pro cant be classified under "thin and light". It has a substantial weight which will make lugging it around uncomfortable.

ritvij said:
blade is good, but what about its servicing if something goes wrong?
[MENTION=60562]anupam_pb[/MENTION]: any specific reasons for not going the Apple way? Does Apple provide even a fraction of the warranty services that Dell does?

You are a college student, so you will game......... Even though you may not play it daily, but you definitely will. So, having a Macbook has a disadvantage of no support for games........ Also I would prefer windows over osx (I've used mac OS)

Get the Dell one, it provides best after sales in India (Lenovo n samsung service guys also said so). 3 years global ADP is just great

anupam_pb said:
You are a college student, so you will game......... Even though you may not play it daily, but you definitely will. So, having a Macbook has a disadvantage of no support for games........ Also I would prefer windows over osx (I've used mac OS)

Get the Dell one, it provides best after sales in India (Lenovo n samsung service guys also said so). 3 years global ADP is just great

Why buy a laptop with 2 gen old GPU

?? Games will lag on QHD
Even Lenovo Y50 with a replaced screen, additional warranty and RAM, SSD upgrades would be more VFM.

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according to Dell XPS 15 (9530) Review & Rating | PCMag.com
it lacks Ethernet port

SaiyanGoku said:
Why buy a laptop with 2 gen old GPU ?? Games will lag on QHD
Even Lenovo Y50 with a replaced screen, additional warranty and RAM, SSD upgrades would be more VFM.

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according to Dell XPS 15 (9530) Review & Rating | PCMag.com
it lacks Ethernet port

His primary requirement isn't gaming like ours......... So Dell one is better for his requirements........... Why play latest games at QHD ? I play latest games at 768p in my Y500

K

anupam_pb said:
His primary requirement isn't gaming like ours......... So Dell one is better for his requirements........... Why play latest games at QHD ? I play latest games at 768p in my Y500

Try Alienware 13

Get blade or else MB is always a great option to buy.

kunalgujarathi said:
Try Alienware 15.

There is no AW 15.

K

seamon said:
There is no AW 15.

Srry AW 13 I meant.

Guys I seriously don't game on my laptop.. For that i have a PS3..
Will the XPS 15 provide support for Windows 10 when it launches? I mean drivers?? Because my XPS never got the official driver update for Windows 8.
Won't AW 13 be too small? AW 13 has an i5 U processor. Won't that affect performance?

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SaiyanGoku said:
according to Dell XPS 15 (9530) Review & Rating | PCMag.com
it lacks Ethernet port

it ships with a USB to Ethernet Converter in the box!

You got Mac Book or Blade to choose from.

$hadow said:
You got Mac Book or Blade to choose from.

what about blade's ASS?? can i get the screen changed in India if it comes to that?

V

Have you considered the MS Surface Pro 3? The i7 8GB RAM, 256 GB SSD is for 135,000. Microsoft Surface PRO 3 Intel I7 8GB 256 SSD PEN Free Keyboard | eBay

Screen size is way too small to get some work done! Alienware 13 seems a viable option though..
Used a macbook today at an Apple Store. The screen is *whistles* awesome! Will migration from Windows be a major issue?

ritvij said:
what about blade's ASS?? can i get the screen changed in India if it comes to that?

Check out it's officia website for the onfo and also try to email them regarding this issue.

mailed them. Let's see what they say. Alienware 13 looks fab..<3
I am madly confused now. Was swaying towards Macbook but then XPS seems a sensible deal. Then, enter the Alienware!

What shall I do? I don't want to regret once I splurge a 150k!

ritvij said:
mailed them. Let's see what they say. Alienware 13 looks fab..<3
I am madly confused now. Was swaying towards Macbook but then XPS seems a sensible deal. Then, enter the Alienware!

What shall I do? I don't want to regret once I splurge a 150k!

Try to see mac and xps in person. And then see to it which one you think will be more useful to you.
And since you are not into gaming why do you need alienware. It is costly and heavy for college usage.

any mac user can comment on how difficult is the transition from windows to os x? i tried the MBP and it felt amazing. The only problem, the student discount was till the last month only, now they are offering only 6% on 180k. This is greatly overshooting my budget and the XPS is making a lot more sense. Yet, i believe the XPS is in for a refresh.

ritvij said:
any mac user can comment on how difficult is the transition from windows to os x? i tried the MBP and it felt amazing. The only problem, the student discount was till the last month only, now they are offering only 6% on 180k. This is greatly overshooting my budget and the XPS is making a lot more sense. Yet, i believe the XPS is in for a refresh.

Ask [MENTION=56202]Anorion[/MENTION] for this

ritvij said:
any mac user can comment on how difficult is the transition from windows to os x? i tried the MBP and it felt amazing. The only problem, the student discount was till the last month only, now they are offering only 6% on 180k. This is greatly overshooting my budget and the XPS is making a lot more sense. Yet, i believe the XPS is in for a refresh.

the shortcuts and gestures need some getting used to, although you can continue using it the normal way without using these gestures and shortcuts. It is easier than learning windows 8 at least. If using windows 8, it should be easier to transition.

[MENTION=56202]Anorion[/MENTION]: any warranty issues? will i need to get the AppleCare as well? i have read a lot about how Apple will void your warranty for scratches and dents, heck, they never repaired my iPhone just because of a stupid minor dent. What about battery life?

^better to take more opinions on the warranty thing, don't have first hand experience in that. My cousin got nano replaced with newer model at no cost, I was charged for OS re-install by reliance Apple store (when it was there) but I walked out without paying. Better to take Apple Care or replacements will be costly. Something went wrong with friend's Macbook charger and it was more expensive to get a replacement without the care plan. There are no official Apple stores in India, and Apple did not offer international warranty for it's products in India, donno status of that now.
Battery Life is just about as good as it gets.

what do you recommend? XPS or the Mac? I have heard the XPS may get a refresh early next year... Macbook Pro is for 1.6 on flipkart! warranty is the main thing that is bugging me.
any other mac user can comment on the warranty?? any remote chances that I can get after market parts for it? l

M

[MENTION=90717]ritvij[/MENTION] : do you end up with buying MacBook or XPS or something? Asking coz I am in same boat from long time.

S

ritvij said:
what do you recommend? XPS or the Mac? I have heard the XPS may get a refresh early next year... Macbook Pro is for 1.6 on flipkart! warranty is the main thing that is bugging me.
any other mac user can comment on the warranty?? any remote chances that I can get after market parts for it? l

Err...Go for Mac, better OS(if you really want to use the high resolution screen properly). You can always wait for Windows 10 and following notebook updates, but that is wait game which never ends. Don't buy it from Flipkart, go for a Apple premium reseller. Uhm, and you should get the extended Apple care plan(for me, it was nearly 21K for three years),reason being, nothing is user replaceable in new MacBooks, say if anything major goes wrong after the one year warranty period the repair prices will be equivalent to buying a mid range windows notebook.

matrixx said:
[MENTION=90717]ritvij[/MENTION] : do you end up with buying MacBook or XPS or something? Asking coz I am in same boat from long time.

after lots and lots of discussions, review reading and windows shopping, I have decided to wait till June-July for the 2015 Razer Blade. Apple is great, but I can't afford the after sales and don't want to live in the fear of scratching my laptop!
I want a sexy laptop and the three are the best options in the market! If Dell will throw in a 970m, i'll go for XPS! If you want a great notebook, its better to wait for six months!

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Siddhartht said:
Err...Go for Mac, better OS(if you really want to use the high resolution screen properly). You can always wait for Windows 10 and following notebook updates, but that is wait game which never ends. Don't buy it from Flipkart, go for a Apple premium reseller. Uhm, and you should get the extended Apple care plan(for me, it was nearly 21K for three years),reason being, nothing is user replaceable in new MacBooks, say if anything major goes wrong after the one year warranty period the repair prices will be equivalent to buying a mid range windows notebook.

do they have some kind of accidental warranty on mac? Like Dell gives? Buying rMBP+Apple Care will set me back for 2lakhs. What they say is true?? Is mac worth it?

ritvij said:
after lots and lots of discussions, review reading and windows shopping, I have decided to wait till June-July for the 2015 Razer Blade. Apple is great, but I can't afford the after sales and don't want to live in the fear of scratching my laptop!
I want a sexy laptop and the three are the best options in the market! If Dell will throw in a 970m, i'll go for XPS! If you want a great notebook, its better to wait for six months!

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do they have some kind of accidental warranty on mac? Like Dell gives? Buying rMBP+Apple Care will set me back for 2lakhs. What they say is true?? Is mac worth it?

too
You'll never get a gtx 970m in dell xps. Your best bet is Alienware.
+1 to Razer blade. Those are the perfect machines.
Also, macbooks are.not worth it. They can't beat the blade in one thing except battery life.

^shall i wait for the blade or go for the 2014 edition? We'll get to know what's coming this CES right?

S

ritvij said:
after lots and lots of discussions, review reading and windows shopping, I have decided to wait till June-July for the 2015 Razer Blade. Apple is great, but I can't afford the after sales and don't want to live in the fear of scratching my laptop!
I want a sexy laptop and the three are the best options in the market! If Dell will throw in a 970m, i'll go for XPS! If you want a great notebook, its better to wait for six months!

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do they have some kind of accidental warranty on mac? Like Dell gives? Buying rMBP+Apple Care will set me back for 2lakhs. What they say is true?? Is mac worth it?

Worth it ? Now "worth" here is a relative term. I mean, if your work flow demands Mac, then you are not left with many other options. And if you want some solid framework to support your applications, again you are left with Mac.
The hardware alone is not the main feature of macs, but rather the software and hardware+software integration.
Honestly, if given a chance, you should go for a "PC"(WinTel~), but PC is inefficient in using the resources. Now I am not saying that a 750m will beat a 860/850m, but I am pretty sure that any software running on mac will use last bit of power left from 750m, and same goes for the processors. We are spoiled the amount of power we are getting and the amount we need. When a developer writes application for UNIX, he or she needs to take account of system. When a developer writes an application for Windows, he/she may just leave most of the work to OS and lots and lots of third party libraries. This is where the inefficiency creeps in. Windows again is dependent on the drivers supplied by host hardware, and the OEM manufacturers have like 50+ devices to support concurrently. You can see the difference between AMD omega driver release and their previous drivers. It's not like hardware is losing steam, but rather the software made to drive it is out of focus.
Now why did I recommend opting for PC, because it is cheap, and offers more power. Now this raw "power" is beneficial if you are a gamer or so, but not if you use professional software which are well written.

And nope~ there is no ADP.

Even 75% of a core i7 4702HQ/GTX 970M>>>>>>>>>what ever core i5U/GTX 750M Mac book uses.

Basically style+money to waste --->Macbook

Style+Performance+Common sense----->Razer/Aorus.

S

seamon said:
Even 75% of a core i7 4702HQ/GTX 970M>>>>>>>>>what ever core i5U/GTX 750M Mac book uses.

Basically style+money to waste --->Macbook

Style+Performance+Common sense----->Razer/Aorus.

GT750M+Standard Voltage i7 Quad Core you mean, right ?

Somethings are rather contextual, and so are devices. I like my mobile workstation and I like my Mac, and I still use old HP.
The last thing I want to see is that the model which I spent nearly days to build crashes at the last moment. But, then again, depends on requirements. I think I would like to use Iris pro for web development, 750m for CUDA development and 16gb low latency RAM is fine for me. What more, I can do some occasional gaming too(which I rarely do). So yeah, Mac is doing fine. Not to say the storage is fast.

Siddhartht said:
GT750M+Standard Voltage i7 Quad Core you mean, right ?

Somethings are rather contextual, and so are devices. I like my mobile workstation and I like my Mac, and I still use old HP.
The last thing I want to see is that the model which I spent nearly days to build crashes at the last moment. But, then again, depends on requirements. I think I would like to use Iris pro for web development, 750m for CUDA development and 16gb low latency RAM is fine for me. What more, I can do some occasional gaming too(which I rarely do). So yeah, Mac is doing fine. Not to say the storage is fast.

Good for you. But for normal people, Aorus/Razer is a very wise choice. Also, Windows on SSD does not crash.

Advantages of say Aorus over Mac book.
1)Much more powerful hardware.
2)High frequency(1866Mhz)+Low latency Ballistix RAM.
3)Triple Raid 0 for R/W speeds of upto 1500MBps. Beat that mac book.

S

seamon said:
Good for you. But for normal people, Aorus/Razer is a very wise choice. Also, Windows on SSD does not crash.

Advantages of say Aorus over Mac book.
1)Much more powerful hardware.
2)High frequency(1866Mhz)+Low latency Ballistix RAM.
3)Triple Raid 0 for R/W speeds of upto 1500MBps. Beat that mac book.

Errr......facts over figures.
1)My workstation, which is using a SSD from Samsung, crashes sometimes. Bad programming doesn't differentiate between SSD or HDD.
2)Translate RAM performance to real world scenario. Anything above 1600 is ideal. Also the way UNIX handle memory is slightly different than Windows do.
3)Triple RAID, high speed. Make the setup for 512GB total space fall bellow $2200. (512x3)

We can try debating on this topic, but when you progress through life, priorities change. A first year student might think about LAN gaming, a second year student might think about assignments and presentations, but a third year/fourth year student might think of the hardware which will get his/her project done.

I think it would be better to present points which can help thread starter(and others in same dilemma) to make a better decision, but not to get confused between numbers.

^ Err, my 6-7 year old Lenovo R61 hasn't crashed in last 2 years I think. The last time it did was when I started experimenting on it and deleted system files. I know, stupid decision, but I did manage to gain a small amount of extra space by deleting unnecessary files (mostly .msi files).

And college level assignments/projects don't require anything more than a i3 M /i5 M, 820m, 500 GB HDD and 4 GB ram.
That much is available on a 40k Lenovo Z50

Why waste money on underpowered overpriced hardware which you can't upgrade by yourself?

M

seamon said:
Even 75% of a core i7 4702HQ/GTX 970M>>>>>>>>>what ever core i5U/GTX 750M Mac book uses.

Basically style+money to waste --->Macbook

Voila

... Time has come, people questioning Apple ... Steve come back!

Siddhartht said:
Errr......facts over figures.
1)My workstation, which is using a SSD from Samsung, crashes sometimes. Bad programming doesn't differentiate between SSD or HDD.
2)Translate RAM performance to real world scenario. Anything above 1600 is ideal. Also the way UNIX handle memory is slightly different than Windows do.
3)Triple RAID, high speed. Make the setup for 512GB total space fall bellow $2200. (512x3)

We can try debating on this topic, but when you progress through life, priorities change. A first year student might think about LAN gaming, a second year student might think about assignments and presentations, but a third year/fourth year student might think of the hardware which will get his/her project done.

I think it would be better to present points which can help thread starter(and others in same dilemma) to make a better decision, but not to get confused between numbers.

Much agree, despite its gaming shortcomings, mac is a very very stable OS for development.. Actually every single unity devs i follow use mac instead of Windows (Linux isnt an option).. I have always wondered why until a thread on reddit clarified that the Unity memory leak doesnt happen on Mac in the gameview...
Also, mac specific softwares like Cheetah 3D are more user intuitive for noobs than for say Maya ..

I think a better way is to use hackintosh instead of purchasing a macbook.. thats what i d do (macs tew costleh)

matrixx said:
Voila... Time has come, people questioning Apple ... Steve come back!

Zombie STEVE!!!

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Nerevarine said:
Much agree, despite its gaming shortcomings, mac is a very very stable OS for development.. Actually every single unity devs i follow use mac instead of Windows (Linux isnt an option).. I have always wondered why until a thread on reddit clarified that the Unity memory leak doesnt happen on Mac in the gameview...
Also, mac specific softwares like Cheetah 3D are more user intuitive for noobs than for say Maya ..

I think a better way is to use hackintosh instead of purchasing a macbook.. thats what i d do (macs tew costleh)

I would rather create a hackintosh

Guys.. Let's not heat up the discussion here but seamon, I believe macbook used the same CPU as the blade. There is no i5U in MacBook Pro.
Also, I already mentioned that gaming was not a priority for me.
Dell xps 15 got a refresh, but only a 4k screen option now. Still the 750m.
Can anyone tell me when the bade will be getting a refresh?

ritvij said:
Guys.. Let's not heat up the discussion here but seamon, I believe macbook used the same CPU as the blade. There is no i5U in MacBook Pro.
Also, I already mentioned that gaming was not a priority for me.
Dell xps 15 got a refresh, but only a 4k screen option now. Still the 750m.
Can anyone tell me when the bade will be getting a refresh?

Check out Aorus X3, 90% similar to the blade. Moreover, it will be launched in India soon. Blade should be getting a refresh in USA in a month or two. The new blade may possibly have a GTX 980M.

S

Or else u can go for macbook high end. U will ger discout at retailers. Then install windows via boot camp. Think it will be best.

S

Btw how you r getting xps from us? I want to buy one. Plz reply.

S

In appe u can buy apple protection plan fr arround 13000 fr xtra 2 yr.