We had to give the Dell XPS 15 range it’s own review post.
More than likely you’re here because of its natural choice as a Hackintosh laptop.
We’re not surprised – it’s super sleek and has specs to rival high-end Macbooks. Yet it doesn’t come with the hefty Apple price tag. And you have more control over functionality.
What is the Dell XPS?
The XPS name stands for Xtreme Performance System. Back in the 90’s, Dell changed its focus to the corporate consumer where there was a massive demand on high specification machines. Alas, the XPS range was born.
XPS Product Features
This range of Dells have unique features which differ them from other Dell lines and indeed other laptops.
- Machined aluminium chassis
- Carbon fibre palm rest
- Gorilla® glass
- Backlit keyboard and precision touchpad
- High resolution display (UltraSharp™ 4K Ultra HD)
XPS 15 Model Comparison Table
Now, let’s look at the models in greater detail…
Dell XPS 15 9550 Review
In 2015, Dell refreshed the XPS 15 9550 with the 6th-generation Core, Skylake microarchitecture – in a nutshell this means greater CPU and GPU performance with reduced power consumption.
Other notable features include a UltraSharp™ InfinityEdge display which is built to be hyper responsive to touchscreen commands. This is made even better with the edge-to-edge tough Gorilla Glass which is extremely durable. So if you drop this beast the screen isn’t likely to break!
The refreshed 9550 model also includes:
- PCIe SSDs up to 1 TB
- up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM through two SODIMM slots
- GeForce GTX 960M with 2 GB GDDR5
- 3×3 802.11ac Wi-Fi card
- Thunderbolt 3 through Type-C
Let’s break down the key features…
Features
Design
Key Specifications
| Item | Specification |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700HQ (6th Gen) |
| RAM | 8/16GB DDR4 at 2133MHz |
| Display Size | 15.6″ |
| Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB (SSD) |
| Weight | 5.67 pounds |
Hackintosh Support
Many other Hackintoshers vouch for this machine. It supports OS X with the majority of the features such as Ultra HD screen support and processor support. If you are having doubts then check out this laptop compatibility guide.
Some issues arise working with Hackintosh laptops. This is very common. Luckily, there are amazing, detailed guides in the Hackintosh community. Here’s a very useful Hackintosh Installation Guide for when it comes to Dell XPS setup.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
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Conclusion
The XPS has the best screen on the market, powerful hardware suitable for nearly any task, good thermals, is upgradeable, and future-proofed by the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 3 port.
If you demand a fast machine that includes a striking display you will not be disappointed with this machine. It also has a fairly sizeable SSD (512gb) which is going to give you that edge in performance. Goodbye lag and goodbye Apple price tag.
Dell XPS 15 9560 Review
In 2017, a slightly updated model, the 9560 was released.
Dimensions and exterior ports are identical to the previous model. The two biggest changes are:
- CPU upgraded to 7th generation processor, Kaby Lake
- GPU upgraded to GTX 1050
We’ll break this down in the features…
Features
Processor
Admittedly, the Kaby Lake isn’t a huge upgrade over 6th-generation Skylake processors. But they do give a noticeable bump in power efficiency, integrated graphics power and performance.
Want to know the best part?
Kaby Lake can handle 4K video much more efficiently. So if you’re opting for a 4k display, the 9560 may be worth your investment.
Graphics
The second biggest change is the GPU upgrade. The introduction of a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM is a major improvement over the predecessor’s GPU.
What does this mean for you?
You’ll be able to play pretty much every modern game on medium to high settings without breaking a sweat.
Design
Key Specifications
| Item | Specification |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700HQ (7th Gen) |
| RAM | 8/16/32GB DDR4 at 2400MHz |
| Display Size | 15.6″ |
| Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB (SSD) |
| Weight | 4.41 pounds |
Hackintosh Support
Here is the Dell XPS 15 9560 – High Sierra Guide.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
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Conclusion
The upgraded Kaby Lake processors deliver better performance and power usage, the bigger battery means longer use before looking for an outlet, and the full NVIDIA GTX 1050 means you can play pretty much any game you want.
Based on the upgrades, It makes sense to go with the XPS 15 9560 over its predecessor unless you get a really good price on the 9550.
Dell XPS 15 9570 Review
In June 2018, the Dell XPS 15 9570 was released. It’s an excellent machine with an 8th Gen chip and a beautiful 4k display.
So what are the biggest changes?
- CPU upgraded to 8th Generation processor, Coffee Lake
- GPU upgrade option for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti
- Thunderbolt 3 port now supports all four PCIe lanes
- Fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button
Other notable changes include webcam placement, shifting it underneath the Dell logo at the bottom of the display.
Let’s break down the features…
Features
Processor
In a nutshell, the 2018 XPS 15 9570 CPU is a 6-core i7. While the 2017 XPS 15 9560 CPU is a 4-core i7.
So it’ll be 50% faster (take 33% less time) at multi-threaded processing tasks.
Graphics
As mentioned, the GPU can be configured with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB GDDR5 VRAM.
In gaming terms, this translates into 1080p resolution at medium to high settings. Obviously, this will depend on the game.
The 9570 is a great choice for engineering students who have to use applications like AutoCAD. This is where the GTX 1050 Ti will shine, especially considering the significant multi-core performance.
Design
Key Specifications
| Item | Specification |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-8750H (8th Gen) |
| RAM | 16/32GB DDR4 at 2666MHz |
| Display Size | 15.6″ |
| Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Hard Drive | 1 TB (SSD) |
| Weight | 4 pounds |
Hackintosh Support
Here is the Dell XPS 15 9560 – High Sierra Guide.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Conclusion
There are alternatives to the Dell XPS 15 9570 like the 15-inch MacBook Pro. But the MacBook Pro is a lot more expensive and doesn’t have as good a battery life and graphics capability. This is a great investment and has technology which is going to last at least a three or four years.
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Last update on 2023-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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