The latest Intel Core i5-packing Dell Studio 15 got its first official airing at CES. But does the spanking new chip, combined with one of Dell’s sleeker designs, do the business? Hop in now and read our Dell Studio 15 review and we’ll tell you just what we make of it.
There’s no denying that the biggest draw with the new Dell Studio 15 is its all new Intel chip. The Core i5 aims to take things up a notch from the Core 2 Duo, and it sure does. The head-to-head tests we saw at CES bore that out, but get this machine home and you’ll really notice how good it is at chewing through tasks, giving the lappie an extra push when needed and handling oodles of multitasking with aplomb. Apps load in lick spit time, and the 4GB of RAM on board definitely helps things tick over nicely.
As with other similar models, the Dell Studio 15 is built to last. It’s arguably the PC maker’s best looking effort, at least as good as the Adamo XPS. Its practical too, with a softer chassis not picking up any scrapes in the same way a regular hard-backed laptop would.
Read our HP Pavilion dv3 review now
The keyboard is also a real stunner, with no nasty wobbles or keys feeling as if they’re about to wiggle free. If you want them backlit though, you will need to stump up extra cash for the privilege, but its well well worth it we reckon.
The 15.6-inch panel is HD Ready and also crams in LED backlighting. It’s good enough for munching on upscaled DVDs and downloaded HD content, but while it is bright, we have seen better on laptops. If watching flicks is what you’re buying a new laptop for, then you may want to shop around.
The model we had a play with did come replete with a 500GB HDD, so if you do pick up a Dell Studio 15, it has plenty of space for even the highest quality video, as well as acres of room for tunes, docs and apps.
While the Dell Studio 15 itself might not the be the newest machine on the block, the inclusion of the new Intel Core i5 makes it well worth a gander. Pricey, sure. But you get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck.