Dell XPS M1330

The XPS series represents the top tier of Dell laptops, the prestige class, if you like. They offer performance and style a cut above the Insipiron and Studio notebooks. As you’d imagine, the XPS price tag runs a bit higher. But, given the good looks, high performance and versatility of the XPS, we’re big fans. The Dell XPS M1330 is the little brother of the XPS family. The XPS M1730 is the rebellious leather clad uncle—designed for inside and out for gaming. If gaming is your focus, you’ll want to take a look at the XPS M1730. Alternatively, if you’re looking for all-around solid performance with multimedia, office apps, and some casual gaming or video editing, the well-rounded Dell XPS M1530 or M1330 are going to be more to your liking (and more to your wallet’s). For the most part, the difference between the two laptops concerns screen size and weight. The Dell XPS M1530 weighs in at about 5 pounds and has a 15.4-inch display, whereas the Dell XPS M1330 weights just under 4 pounds and has a 13-inch display. We’re talking true portability here.

Standout Features

• 13.1-inch LED backlit display
• 128MB GeForce 8400M GS video card
• Light and slim build
• Customizable to budget and needs

Features

The Dell XPS M1330 has some options to equip it with the latest and fastest in hardware. You can order the Dell XPS M1330 with a solid state hard drive, 6GB of RAM, and an ultrafast processor. You’ll be looking at a hefty $2000+ bill, but you’ll have the absolute cutting edge in ultraportable laptop technology and performance.

We went for more modest tech specs to maximize value. We figure that most users interested in portability are willing to forgo some of the extremely high-end components to shave $500 off the price tag. For $1500, the Dell XPS M1330 can be painted pink and outfitted with some truly stunning hardware—2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive rotating at a respectable 7200 rpms, and the NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS video card with 128MB of dedicated memory. Very impressive for a 13-incher. It’s nearly impossible to find ultraportable laptops with dedicated video cards.

Thanks to the GeForce graphics backing, video looks great on the Dell XPS M1330. The absence of a Blu-ray drive and 1280 x 800 pixel resolution prevent you from treading into true HD video territory, but we don’t think many users will miss Blu-ray as DVD is more than enough for business, home, and general entertainment purposes.

Summary of Reviews from Across the Internet

The LED backlit display is more than a novelty—it’s razor thin and extends the battery life.

Dell stocks the Dell XPS M1330 with bloatware, so users that go with the smaller solid state drives complain about the necessity of a reformat to free up hard drive space.

Summary

There are very few 13-inch laptops on the market that bring the caliber of hardware and performance of the Dell XPS M1330. We’re getting a glimpse of the future in ultraportable power with the Dell XPS M1330. Game-capable graphics, blazing processor speed, and a pile of RAM all packed into a lovely chassis that’s as comfortable to carry as a hardback airport romance novel. Despite the extra cash you’ll shell out, we think the Dell XPS M1330 is the clear choice over other cheaper, less powerful notebooks.

Looking to compare the specs of the Dell XPS M1330 to other leading laptops? Check out our side-by-side comparisons of laptops.

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