Dell XPS 12 Convertible Tablet Ultrabook Review

Dell XPS 12 not only is a thin and tiny laptop but also has the screen that can revolve 180^o. It will help users have experience as interesting as tablet.

Dell XPS 12 has thin design. It uses material from carbon fiber aluminum alloy, so it is very light. However, it is very stable and has high endurance.

Dell XPS 12 has thin design.

Screen can revolve with angle 180^o to help users work easily, share information that display on screen or use it like a tablet. So, this is the interesting thing in the design of XPS 12.

Value of XPS 12 also shows through multipoint touch screen 12.5 inches, 1,920x1,080 pixel (full HD) resolution. Panel IPS technology can help screen show real colors. It is nearly similar to CRT screen and its view is larger than panel technology with Twisted Nematic (TN) and Vertical Alignment (VA) screen. Screen’s surface also has Gorilla Glass forcing mirror that can suffer force and prevent scratching. Therefore, laptop will be protected better if there is any force that affects from outside.

Screen can revolve with angle 180⁰.

Touch screen’s sensitivity of XPS 12 is better than “all in one” desktop computers that run with Windows 8. It helps us manipulate lightly and exactly. In addition, we feel that it is smooth because it has low friction. When we use it in office or outside, quality of displaying image is very good, sharp, and bright. Moreover, it displays with 2 standard colors: black and white, and we will feel comfortable to work with texts.

Keyboard with Chiclet type

It has keyboard with Chiclet type that can integrate LED backlight and this backlight is handy in environment lacking light. Except for small direction key (←, ↑, ↓, →), others are big and they help us feel comfortable to type quickly without mistaking.

Unfortunately, sometimes, touchpad cannot respond to users’ demand well. May be the reason is the compatibility of driver and operating system.

Limitation of size also affects the number of connecting gates in laptop remarkably. Specifically, XPS 12 has mini Display Port output gate, headphone gate that has the combination of micro and 2 gates of USB 3.0 ( among them, 1 gate integrate “power share” feature to charge mobile equipment quickly although laptop is turned off).

Function keys that are designed on the right side can increase benefit to use equipment like tablet.

Rubber buffer layer in below surface and along the body of laptop

Rubber buffer layer in below surface and along the body can prevent slipping and absorb shock better.

It is tested with hardware configuration that is equipped with Intel Core i5-3317U processor with low voltage (1.7 GHz, 3 MB smart cache, TPD 17W), HD Graphics 4000, 4GB RAM DDR3 bus 1,333 MHz and SSD 128GB integrated graphic.

The whole efficiency of XPS 12 is rather good.

According to testing result, the whole efficiency of XPS 12 is rather good. It can respond demand of working and entertainment smoothly. SSD drive not only helps increase general efficiency but also brings the ability of better responding. For example, it only takes 9 seconds to start Windows 8 from pressing button to entering to the main configuration of operating system. SSD has good speed of accessing data. In addition, it can prevent shock better and it is softer, cooler in operating because it doesn’t have moving part. SSD will help users’ data be safer than using with tablet. According to Mobile Mark 2007, we can admit the real time for using battery of XPS is 4 hours, 53 minutes by Productivity test. It is rather lower than other ultrabook models.

Test’s details

According to PC Mark 7 - a tool that is used to evaluate system’s efficiency, XPS gains grade 4,817. Among them, Computation’s grade is 16,021 and it is higher than laptop models that are equipped with high-ranking separated graphic card. It’s easy to understand because graphic that is separated in Ivy Bridge processor can handle and quickly convert film’s formatting through Computation.

SSD drive helps increase the whole efficiency as well as brings faster demanding ability. The speed of zone system gains 328.9 MB/second (record) and 527.6 MB/second (read).

Similar to PC Mark 05 test, the speed that is used to start application gains 114.8 MB/second. The speed of sweeping virus gains 242MB/second Windows XP starting process gains 175.2MB/second.

Ability of processing graphic

According to 3DMark 11 test setting up Performance configuration, XPS 12 gains 517 grades to Graphic test and 597 grades to the whole efficiency. It is similar to some Ultra book models that have the same generation.

According to Alien vs. Predator – higher test for game, resolution is 1,366x768 (WXGA), setting graphic is at the lowest rate (low quality, 0xAA and 0xAF). When we set up configuration to the medium rate (medium quality, 0xAA and 4xAF), the speed of picture frame in game decreases and only gains 15.6 fps.

The above testing result is used to refer because in reality, HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphic can operate well with games that have light configuration like Street Fighter IV. For example, With HD configuration (1,920x1,080 pixels) and setting default graphic, testing configuration gains 6,943 grade and 32.35 picture frames/second.

Battery duration

Mobile Mark 2007 tool helps admit the real time of using battery. The testing configuration is about 4 hours, 53 minutes with Productivity testing. It is rather lower than some other Ultra book models.

Radiating ability

Besides above performance tests, we also admit that it can also radiate in environment with the medium temperature of 26⁰C. It operates smoothly with office applications and games such as Angry Birds or Plants vs. Zombies. In the task of handling high graphic such as 3DMark 11 or game Alien vs. Predator, radiating system operates rather noisy. The highest temperature of processor and integrated graphic is 85⁰C. Although it is rather high, it is in the permitting limitation (maximum with 105⁰C).

Technological specs ·         Chipset: Intel QS77 Express ·         Size: 31.7x 21.5x 2.0 cm. ·         Weight: 1.52kg ·         Processor: Core i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, 3MB smart cache) ·         Graphic: HD Graphics 4000. ·         Hard drive: SSD 128GB ·         Optical drive: n/a ·         Keyboard: Standard, Chiclet style, LED backlit, preventing absorption ·         RAM: 4GB DDR3, 1,333MHz ·         SDD: 128GB, SATA 6Gbps ·         Screen: 12.5 inch full HD (1,920x1,080) IPS, multipoint induction ·         Webcam 1.3MP ·         Connection: mini Display Port, 2 USB 3.0, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Wi  Di ·         Operating system: Windows 8 ·         Battery: Lion 6 cells, 47WHr ·         Price – Warranty: $1,850 – 1 year