Dardardelight

My dad is forcing me to get a laptop from best buy because he has a no limit, no interest credit card from there (otherwise, I'd get a t400s)


But still, I'm really liking these dell studio laptops. Does anybody know which would be a better fit for a college student. Is 16 inches too big. Also, they have identical specs....it's just that the 16 inch might not heat up as much and has a bigger screen.

I need an answer quick so please, if anybody has any input, that would help

modestmelody

To be honest, I think the Studio 14z they have right now is the best one at Best Buy.

16" is too big if you intend on moving it around, IMO. The XPS13 is really not significantly better than the 14z which is lighter and thinner with near identical specs-- it's just missing an optical drive and has a 9400M instead of a 9500M. If you're just watching 1080p video, you won't notice a difference. If you're a gamer... well don't buy a laptop.

Phishy

I'm hoping to order an SXPS 16 myself. But if heat's an issue, don't get the 16 inch. I've read that it gets rather hot.

nysmile

Our son has the Dell Studio 15 (15.6" display) and it's great: fast, smooth, great display, and runs cool. He bought it through the Dell website and customized it with a faster processor (8600) and a better video card.

OperaDad

16" Pros:

Larger Screen
Blue-ray DVD drive
Slightly better video card (a little faster, 512 mb)

16" cons:

6.4 lbs vs 4.9 lbs (makes a difference)
5400 rpm drive vs. 7200 rmp drive (16" has a slower hard drive)

If you are getting an external monitor, then the 13" is fine for limited portable use. Otherwise, I think a 15" is the smallest screen for regular use.

Chuckmandu

I have a 15" screen, and never take my laptop onto campus. My brother just bought a laptop with 14.1" and it is much more mobile than mine. So, if I were you I would go with the smaller one.

SingDanceRunLife

Definitely the 13"!

I got a 14" and it's the biggest that I like because it's portable enough (like 5.3lbs), but not super small. I looked at some 13" ones and I really liked them, but the 14" was cheaper, and probably nicer size overall, so that's what I got. But if the 13" had been cheaper, that's probably what I would've gotten.

andylaws

I purchased the 16' directly from dell, and my friend just got his 16' after looking at mine - he got his from bestbuy. We love these computers. Go with the 16'.

chsowlflax17

I just got my 14z. It's light enough to take anywhere (lighter than the macbook 13", just for a comparison), can handle medium gaming, and has 4.5 hours battery (w/ internet on, brightness low, power plan on Power Saver, and backlit keyboard on, with the 8-cell battery... so the bestbuy one'll probably get ~3.5 hours). The Studio XPS is likely a little overpriced as it's supposed to be Dell's premier-line, rather than their midrange-line (the Insprions are the budget-line). And it seems like the new Studios have pretty much everything the XPSs have. Except leather accents.

collegebound41

16s bulky...might not fit in backpacks/most cases.

get the 13. Both have heat issues ive heard.

if you google it, like the first thing that comes up besides dell.com is heat issue/complaints.