Dell XPS M1330 Review Quotes

Laptop Magazine, CNet, PC Magazine, and NotebookReview have reviewed recently Dell XPS M1330, the PC maker’s new flagship laptop with innovative industrial design.

The XPS M1330, advertised as “the World’s thinnest 13.3-inch notebook”, is one inch thick and weighs starting at 3.97lbs. It features “Santa Rosa”, the latest mobile platform from Intel, and comes with Core 2 Duo processor. There are two versions of the XPS M1330. The first is built on GM965 chipset with the integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics, while the second version has PM965 chipset paired with dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS 128MB. Both of these solutions manage the notebook’s 13.3″ LED backlight display. The models incorporating the NVIDIA’s 8400M video solution (all of reviewed units feature this graphics card) additionally feature an HDMI output. Along with wireless N, there are also broadband wireless options and a built-in web camera.

Laptop Magazine says the XPS M1330’s “combination of light weight, stylish design, powerful performance, and built-in mobile broadband, makes it a top choice for business travelers and hipsters alike”. The tested configuration, powered by Core 2 Duo at 2GHz, 2GB of RAM, and the GeForce 8400M, gained the PCMark05 score of 4,545. That’s about 1,000 points higher than average for a thin-and-light system, according to Laptop Magazine. Regarding gaming performance, the M1330 received a “way-above-average” 3DMark03 score of 5,196. The Magazine also praised the M1330’s full-sized keyboard.

CNet reports “Dell has finally put design first with the head-turning XPS M1330 laptop, emphasizing both the ‘thin’ and ‘light’ aspects of the thin-and-light category without sacrificing features or performance”. Among the laptop’s good sides, CNet highlighted its thin and sexy design, strong performance, a backlit-LED display, and an included media remote control. The bad sides are its small touchpad and current lack of some options such as solid state drive and Blu-ray optical drive choices. In addition, there are not as many chassis color options (three colors) as in Dell’s new Inspiron line (eight colors).

PC Magazine claims the XPS M1330 is an “ideal traveling companion”. The PC Magazine’s reviewer paid attention to laptop’s temperature during work and learned that the heat is not that big a problem, even though the M1330 uses high-performance parts.

“The palm rests are warm, but not uncomfortably so. As measured with a Fluke IR thermometer, temperatures got up to 91° F. It helps that the palm rests are covered with brushed aluminum, which acts as a heat retardant. But toward the front bezel, the base got as high as 103°, which is tolerable depending on your sensitivity to heat; I consider anything above 100° uncomfortable. Temperatures decline as you move back toward the battery, which reaches 95°. Overall, I would say the M1330’s heat is manageable”, the reviewer says.

On the other side, NotebookReview found that Dell XPS M1330 gets a little too warm, particularly on palm rests. The other “cons” are not very well touch sensitive media buttons and a little loud slot loading optical drive. But, “with a design that is second to none in its price range and excellent performance”, the Dell XPS M1330 is expected to be one of the most popular notebooks of 2007.

According to these reviews, Dell XPS M1330 with a dedicated video card has a solid battery life with 6-cell battery, or even greater operation time between charges with 9-cell unit. However, the 9-cell battery is claimed to be too large for this tiny notebook.