Dell XPS M1530 Review

Summary:

Dell XPS M1530 is a 15.4” laptop weighing 6.29 pounds with a 9-Cell battery. Its sleek design and thin structure is a winning combination. It more or less looks like M1330 but is much more powerful than it. However unlike M1330, it has not got many options with the screens.

Powerful Nvidia graphic card can be added to your M1530 to demand gaming performance from the laptop. Overall M1530 is a good laptop but for its noise issues.

Review:

Dell XPS M1530 laptop is an improved version of Dell XPS M1330. Typical dimensions of this laptop are 14.06” X 10.34” X 0.93”, weighing about 6 pounds with a 6-Cell battery. The design and overall look and feel of M1530 is similar to that of M1330. There is a difference in the number of ports though, M1530 claiming the prize with an extra USB 2.0 port.

XPS M1530 is well equipped to handle the demands of a performance centric professional. It can be powered with a Nvidia 8600M GT graphics card along with a robust processor in the form of 2.80 GHz Intel T7800.

XPS M1530 is definitely a better choice in terms of style statement as compared to Dell Inspiron 1520. The barrel hinge of M1530 gives it a stunning look. This laptop is considerably lighter than Inspiron 1520.

M1530 is limited when it comes to options in choosing your screen. As of now it comes with a 15.4” widescreen XGA display with the standard CCFL technology screen. The screen is equipped with a 2.0 MP web cam.

The screen has very good side and top viewing angles but it is average when it comes to bottom viewing angle.

Keyboard attached to M1530 is firm and is devoid of any flex. The travel and depth of the keys are quite good. The touchpad feels very comfortable to the fingers mainly because of the textured surface. Towards the top of the keyboard you will find a number of media buttons made conspicuous by the blue LED.

Dell XPS M1530 has quite a number of ports that can be used for varied purposes. The built in HDMI ports enables you to connect the laptop to an external screen for digital output. Other ports available include Fire wire; two head phone jacks, one media card reader, Ethernet Port, three USB ports and one Express Card Slot.

In a XPS M1530 you will find the speakers placed above the media buttons on the keyboard. The speaker sound is pretty common and there’s nothing extraordinary to talk about it.

Performance wise Dell XPS M1530 is good enough for normal usage. Powerful processor mentioned earlier combined with a good graphics card make it a machine worth every penny.

The heat control unit seems to be very efficient in this model. The fan and the heat sink do a commendable job in removing a considerable proportion of the heat generated. Though heat is not a concern with Dell XPS M1530, noise is. The slot-loading optical drive makes quite a bit of noise while inserting and ejecting disk. However the major contributor to the loud sound is the hard disk. Check your comfort level with the hard disk sound before purchasing a Dell XPS M1530.

Battery life is a major concern for any mobile device. Luckily enough battery life is good for XPS M 1530. A 9-Cell battery can deliver more than 4 hours of power if the system is tuned to the power saving mode. In case of aggressive power usage you could expect 3+ work hours with a standard 9-Cell battery.

Overall Dell XPS 1530 seems to be a strong contender in its range, with sleek features and attractive looks. Good battery life, great ergonomics of keyboard and touchpad augment the salability of M1530 though it’s plagued from noise issues and lack of choice in screens.