- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Dell XPS 14z
- 14"
- Core i5 2.5 GHz Dual core
- 8 GB DDR3-1333
- 750 GB HDD
First seen on February, 2012
by LaptopMag (Jun, 2012)Considering how poorly most webcams work in these environments, the Inspiron 14z's output is impressive.
Features Key features of the Dell XPS 14z
2.5 GHz
Intel Core i5 2450M
Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Jan, 2013)As with every laptop worth its salt these days, the Dell Inspiron 14z sports a HD 720p webcam for video chatting, and it works as well as most.
screen size
14"
11.6"
15.6"
XPS 14z by LaptopMag (Oct, 2011)Clicking on a tile opens a small shelf that displays all your content for the category.
XPS 14z by Eranga (Apr, 2012)Review of this laptop harps upon that this is a quite compact design of a 14" display in 13" chassis, I find that even though the glass of the display extends very close to the edges of the panel, the viewable display areas quite distant from the edges.
screen resolution
XPS 14z by c|net (Jun, 2012)It ran our Street Fighter IV test at native 1,366x768-pixel resolution at 44.7 frames per second, which is decent.
XPS 14z by c|net (Jun, 2012)It has a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, which is common, and works well on 13-inch laptops, but starts to look a little toylike on 14- and 15-inch screens.
cpu speed
| 0 GHz | 2 GHz   | 3 GHz |
XPS 14z by LaptopMag (Oct, 2011)The $1,599 model features a 2.8-GHz Intel Core i7 2640M CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD with Nvidia switchable graphics.
XPS 14z by LaptopMag (Oct, 2011)The $999 base model features a 2.4-GHz Intel Core i5-2430M processor, 6GB of RAM, a 500GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive, and Intel HD 3000 GPU.
processor
XPS 14z by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)One of the things we love most about Dell is its flexible configurations, and though this is more limited on the Z range, you should still see a processor choice of dual-core Intel ‘Sandy Bridge’ Core i5 to i7, 6 - 8GB of RAM, a 500 – 750GB hard drive running at a speedy 7,200rpm and, on the more expensive models at least, a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 520M graphics card.
XPS 14z by c|net (Jun, 2012)Tew/CNET). Even though it has a new Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5 CPU, the Dell Inspiron 14z ran slower than Apple's recent Ivy Bridge MacBook updates, some of which were faster quad-core CPUs.
memory
| 0 GB | 3 GB | 8 GB |
XPS 14z by TrustedReviews (Jan, 2013)6GB of RAM is pretty generous compared to the 4GB you usually get on budget systems, and should be enough for pretty much anything you’d care to throw at it.
XPS 14z by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)The processor is backed by 4GB of RAM and a 500GB drive, which is adequate on both counts.
Performance Real world tests of Dell XPS 14z
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
1.3 MP -
7,200 RPM -
8 GB -
750 GB -
MMC, SDSC -
DDR3-1333 -
2.5 GHz -
3.1 GHz (Intel Core i5 2450M) -
572 MB/s (USB 3.0)
cons
-
you'll miss out on the convenience of DVDs for easy file-sharing -
14"
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 22 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by MA (Jun, 2012) Rated 100% by by jar155 Rated 100% by by jar155 |
Screen
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)One of its standout features is that it manages to fit a 14in screen into the equivalent of a 13in chassis, but unfortunately the screen itself is distinctly average.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | by LaptopMag (Oct, 2011)The 200-nit panel was dimmer than the display on the HP Envy 14, but the picture was crisp and colorful when we watched an HD trailer of The Avengers on YouTube.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 20% by by Evan-Godwin (Feb, 2012)Everything was good until I started editing and realized how TERRIBLE the screen is.
Body
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)These factors combine to make this an aesthetically superior XPS z. The only divisive elements remain the ever-so-slightly protruding rear and the hinge which looks too much like a metal shower hose.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)Considering the size of its chassis, the 14z’s audio is a far better proposition.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | by LaptopMag (Oct, 2011)While the design isn't as bold as the Dell, that 13-incher offers better graphics than the XPS 14z and an optional 1600 x 900 display for around the same price.
Storage
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Jan, 2013)You can go all the way from the base config of a Core i3 with 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hybrid hard drive, to a Core i7 with 8GB of memory and a nice 256GB SSD, along with dedicated AMD Radeon HD7570M graphics.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Jan, 2013)The 500GB hard drive combines a mechanical 5400rpm spinner with 32GB of speedier solid state storage, which isn’t exactly cutting edge but you can upgrade to an SSD of up to 256GB.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 80% by by c|net (Jun, 2012)While it could be a little more ultrabooklike (perhaps by ditching the optical drive), for $899 this is a great example of a flexible, portable, mainstream laptop.
Gpu
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Nov, 2011)Visually it makes the laptop far more attractive with the subtly integrated HD webcam the only blemish, and the bezel’s outer edge that’s not covered by glass features a soft-touch rubberized finish.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Jan, 2013)Unfortunately, our model didn’t come with the dedicated AMD Radeon HD7570M graphics which are an option on most.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | by LaptopMag (Jun, 2012)Unfortunately, enabling discrete mode is a chore with the bundled Catalyst Control software, because you must designate each application you want to run with discrete graphics before you open it.
Size
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 100% by by Alejandrina-B-Navarro (Apr, 2012)It's really worthy, its weight is less than 2 kg and very fast when working with different stuff.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | by LaptopMag (Jun, 2012)When we tried streaming bass-heavy tunes like Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" and Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness," sound was accurate and pleasant, though not overly rich.
Dell XPS 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD | Rated 80% by by c|net (Jun, 2012)But this is still a fairly slim, very attractive midsize laptop that could even be a cost-conscious alternative to the 15-inch MacBook Pro if your budget is tight.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | HP ENVY 14 Spectre Longest battery life HP ENVY 14 Spectre vs Dell XPS 14z |
 | 2 | Sony VAIO Z Series 4-way tie: Has a DVD reader Sony VAIO Z Series vs Dell XPS 14z |
 | 3 | Dell XPS 15z OK CPU benchmark score 15z 15.6", 2.3 GHz, 6 GB, 500 GB vs 14z 14", 2.5 GHz, 8 GB, 750 GB HDD |
 | 4 | Dell Inspiron 14R Sharpest screen Inspiron 14R vs XPS 14z |
 | 5 | HP ENVY 14 8-way tie: Most CPU cores HP ENVY 14 vs Dell XPS 14z |
 | 6 | Samsung Series 5 NP530U4B-A01US 2-way tie: Average speed Bluetooth Samsung Series 5 NP530U4B-A01US vs Dell XPS 14z |
 | 8 | Sony VAIO S Series VPCS134GX/S Fastest processor Sony VAIO S Series VPCS134GX/S vs Dell XPS 14z |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Dell XPS 14z
| Price | Edition | Internal storage | Clock speed | L3 cache | Manufacturer code | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | 500 GB | 2.4 GHz | 3 MB | None | | ||||
 | | 750 GB | 2.5 GHz | 3 MB | X14z-3846SLV | | ||||
 | | 750 GB | 2.8 GHz | 4 MB | None | | ||||
 | | 750 GB | 3.5 GHz | 4 MB | x14z-6923SLV | | ||||
