Dell XPS 17 (2021) Review
As usual, the Dell XPS 17 looks superb, and it has a sensational display, good keyboard and plenty of power. Dell could certainly have gone further with the design, though, and you’ll find some missing features – and a hefty bill if you want beefier components inside this lightweight productivity portable.
Key Features
The Dell XPS 17 looks fantastic, with a body that combines carbon fibre with diamond-cut aluminium. If you want a work laptop to turn heads, this is the machine to buy.
Stunning Design
The 17-inch display has a vast resolution, huge brightness, fantastic colours and a 16:10 aspect ratio, so it’s well-suited to creative tasks and colour-sensitive workloads.
A bold, bright screen
The Dell XPS 17 is always available with power Intel processors, so you can be sure of having enough grunt to handle difficult workloads and multi-tasking.
Lashings of power
The Pros
Great-looking, sturdy chassis
Fantastic high-resolution touchscreen
Good everyday creative power
A crisp, comfortable keyboard
The Cons
Other processors are faster
Fantastic high-resolution touch
Not the best port selection
Middling battery life
Expensive
Should you buy it?
You’re chasing ultimate CPU power or need loads of ports. Apple’s M1 chips are often faster than the Intel silicon used here. And, despite the XPS 17’s size, it’s not swimming in ports.
You shouldn't buy it if
You’d like a stylish, big-screen Windows notebook. The Dell XPS 17 has a fantastic big screen in a great chassis, so it’s a top option if you want an immersive Windows machine for creative work tasks.
You should buy it if
Key Specs
Manufacturer
Intel
Screen Size
Battery
Dimensions
Weight
RAM
Display
Touch Screen
CPU
17 Inches
97 Whr
374x248x20mm
2.4 KG
16GB
LCD
Yes
Intel Core i7
Final Thoughts
Mike Jennings
“”
The Dell XPS 17 looks fantastic, and its good processors, stunning display and robust keyboard make it an ideal creative companion. It could have better connectivity, though, and you’ll often find more power and better battery life from the Apple MacBook Pro 16.