Vaio CB15 or Dell XPS 15?

1) What is your budget? (INR or USD)
Ans: Rs. 55,000.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Ans: Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Which country will you buying this notebook?
Ans: India

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Dell, Sony, Asus
b. Dislike: Acer

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Ans: Watching movies, web browsing, gaming

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Ans: Leaving it on desk. Weight is not an issue at all.

7) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Ans: Yes. FPS games mostly.

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Ans: Anything better than 2 hours is enough.

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Ans: It is ok. But I won't buy from overseas.

10) What OS do you prefer?
Ans: Windows 7

11) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer?
Ans: Full HD (1920x1080)

I have selected 2 models.
a) Sony Vaio CB15
b) Dell XPS 15

I would really like to have a Full HD display as I am mostly into movies. A blu-ray reader would have been godsend, but Sony is not supplying it with the C series. Though I think I can do without it. But then, configuring the Dell would take the price way beyond my budget.
So, for 55k, which one is the better choice? Is there any other model that you would like to suggest? I'll be buying it next week.

Go with CB15. a 1080p display is much much better than 720p display. If you can, then do get that Dell with 1080p B+RGLED display which is the best right now in the market. Once the BD-RW prices come down, you can buy an external BD-RW while you can't change the 720p LCD if you want to upgrade in the future.

Thanks for the reply. I was curious to know how much better is the Dell's 1080p display compared to the Sony's?

aniket.cain said:
Thanks for the reply. I was curious to know how much better is the Dell's 1080p display compared to the Sony's?

Definitely much better. If you can afford it, don't think twice.

Ok. But then I'll have to buy the Dell online, Right? Around how many days do they take to ship? Can't I buy them from some store with the configuration I choose?

aniket.cain said:
Ok. But then I'll have to buy the Dell online, Right? Around how many days do they take to ship? Can't I buy them from some store with the configuration I choose?

Dell online store will take upto 10 days for shipping. FHD displays wont be available in stores I think. In allhabad even the i7 2630 model wasn't available.

I went for HP dv6 instead. Costs 53 k
Display 1366*768
Processor Intel Core i7 -2630
RAM 4GB DDM3
HDD 500GB
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 6770 1GB GDDR5

Comparing with Dell XPS I think this config is better at this price.

aniket.cain said:
Ok. But then I'll have to buy the Dell online, Right? Around how many days do they take to ship? Can't I buy them from some store with the configuration I choose?

Depends on availability and location. Do check in stores like Croma, eZone but customizing config is not possible there. Advantage of buying at these stores is that you get some gooding for free (like backpack etc) sometimes (especially during festive season).

The configuration of that HP DV6 is very good. But it doesn't have a good display. I saw that model yesterday at the HP store, and it failed to impress me. And I've heard so many complains about HP laptops regarding heating issues, failure etc, that I am afraid to buy one just because it is cheaper. I would have considered it despite all of this, only if had a Full HD display. Otherwise, it is not the one for me.

Hey, anyone has any idea when will Dell launch the XPS 15z in India?

aniket.cain said:
Hey, anyone has any idea when will Dell launch the XPS 15z in India?

no idea. the newer XPS 15 comes with sandybridge processor but need to wait and see when they will launch unibody XPS. Why not call the customer care (sales support) and ask them.

Dell Laptops will ship you to faster if you pay by Credit Card . Just a heads up.

Now Dell have launched XPS 15z. Do they have the same RGBLED screen?

aniket.cain said:
Now Dell have launched XPS 15z. Do they have the same RGBLED screen?

starts at 70k (taxes extra). you sure you want to go for 15Z given that the config is pretty much similar to current XPS 15 except for better build.

Prefer Dell because of service.

starts at 70k (taxes extra). you sure you want to go for 15Z given that the config is pretty much similar to current XPS 15 except for better build.

+1 keep in mind.
There is no need to pay more extra cash for sleekness until you are getting the same hardware component at the same price , you can customize Dell 502 according to your need, adding more option by paying more money and one more thing please try to buy SSD if possible, because in whole system the hard drive is slowest part in this era.

If Full HD is you really want then get Sony otherwise get Dell .

@ aniket cain

That hp laptop has impressive specs. It does not have any heating issue and non of the sandybridge based notebooks has any issues.

I think the specs should be given a priority than the display. For such a small screen size, it doesn't really make that much of a difference. Besides you can hook your laptop to a fullhd screen if you want to enjoy 1080p movies at their full glory.

But don't compromise on specs. i7 2630qm + radeon 6770m @ 53k is a killer deal. Its a lot better than i5 2410 + gt 525 or 6630m at the same price point.

don't go for hp, i too had my eyes on it but hp is no more providing extended warranty.....
i looking forward to sony cb.....

The Dell XPS 15z has WLED screen as mentioned on their website. And I am getting the same configuration on Sony CB15 for 55k. I think I'll go for Sony. Going to buy this Saturday.

aniket.cain said:
The Dell XPS 15z has WLED screen as mentioned on their website. And I am getting the same configuration on Sony CB15 for 55k. I think I'll go for Sony. Going to buy this Saturday.

WLED is actually inferior to RGBLED.

White LED's are actually blue leds with a yellow phosphor, and thus creating an white impression. This technique allows a colour gamut slightly wider than sRGB, but not very "colourfull". RGB leds consist of 3 individual colour leds, red, green and blue. These allow an enourmous colour gamut that covers most standards like AdobeRGB and NTSC. Panels with RGB LED's are much more expensive, as they need much more calibration logic. It is very hard to tame extreme gamut for say sRGB use, and the ballance of the colours is constantly monitored. RGB LED displays are doing twice the price of WLED's with ease.

Source: monitor - What's the difference between WLED and RGBLED displays? - Super User

Ya, that I know. That's why XPS 15z doesn't seem worth the price. Maybe for the sleekness and build, but not for the configuration.

vickybat said:
@ aniket cain

That hp laptop has impressive specs. It does not have any heating issue and non of the sandybridge based notebooks has any issues.

I think the specs should be given a priority than the display. For such a small screen size, it doesn't really make that much of a difference. Besides you can hook your laptop to a fullhd screen if you want to enjoy 1080p movies at their full glory.

But don't compromise on specs. i7 2630qm + radeon 6770m @ 53k is a killer deal. Its a lot better than i5 2410 + gt 525 or 6630m at the same price point.

Well, the HP does have impressive specs. But I am afraid to get one because I have heard so many problems occurring with the HP laptops. They are looked down upon by most people I talk to. I don't want to end up regretting the decision someday in the future.

aniket.cain said:
Ya, that I know. That's why XPS 15z doesn't seem worth the price. Maybe for the sleekness and build, but not for the configuration.

Well, the HP does have impressive specs. But I am afraid to get one because I have heard so many problems occurring with the HP laptops. They are looked down upon by most people I talk to. I don't want to end up regretting the decision someday in the future.

I have one and I m not regretting it. You should remember that technology changes everyday. Regarding the temperature issue I compared Dell XPS 501x with HP dv6 yesterday. While gaming Dell reached 80degrees while Hp peaked to 73. However the dell I used had a 1st gen quad core processor. Such temperatures are usual while gaming in Quad core laptops. HP has hit the right area with CoolSense technology

In HP however you wont be getting a FHD display. However its graphics card ATI 6770M is the best compared to other laptops in the same range

Create a poll option and take a feedback from the members. I like Dell because I have my own reason.

Just had some rather interesting developments and now I have increased my budget to 70k. What would you suggest at this price point?? Sorry for the trouble again.

lol at that Dell temperatures.

I am playing them at lot cooler temperatures. The performance has been awesome !

xtremevicky709 said:
lol at that Dell temperatures.

I am playing them at lot cooler temperatures. The performance has been awesome !

I used XPS l501x and CPU temp utility. Played without a cooling pad. What temps are you getting? Mind specifying the room temperature and if using a cooling pad or not?

aniket.cain said:
Just had some rather interesting developments and now I have increased my budget to 70k. What would you suggest at this price point?? Sorry for the trouble again.

In that case, move to MSI and ASUS as you get much better config. ASUS laptops, especially are lot more reliable and you get better GPUs. If you wnat Dell, then it is better to get existing XPS15 with extra 1 or 2 years of complete cover warranty instead of going with 15z and getting 1yr complete cover. And you also get superior RGBLED display.

From the reviews, there isn't much change in heat dissipation for XPS 15z when compared to XPS 15.

Are ASUS laptops that easily available in India? Which one would you suggest? I could go as high as 75k max.

marvelousprashant said:
I used XPS l501x and CPU temp utility. Played without a cooling pad. What temps are you getting? Mind specifying the room temperature and if using a cooling pad or not?

I am using XPS L502X. The exact temperatures will be posted later but they are cooler .

aniket.cain said:
Are ASUS laptops that easily available in India? Which one would you suggest? I could go as high as 75k max.

look for this: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks- ASUS G53SW

desiibond said:
look for this: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Notebooks- ASUS G53SW

Where can I buy it? You are in Bangalore, right? Do you know any place which sells this?

aniket.cain said:
Where can I buy it? You are in Bangalore, right? Do you know any place which sells this?

call them and ask from where you can get this model. tollfree :1800-2090-365

I just called them and they said that the gaming models are not in stock. So, what to do now?

aniket.cain said:
I just called them and they said that the gaming models are not in stock. So, what to do now?

Check these:
*www.msi.com/product/nb/#/?sk=Gaming Series

If they too are not available, go with XPS 15.

aniket.cain said:
I just called them and they said that the gaming models are not in stock. So, what to do now?

Contact rashi peripherals in bangalore. They can get you that asus model.