Dell XPS 7548 vs Inspiron 9530

[G]

Looking at a Dell XPS 9530 (£875) and a Dell Inspiron 7548 (£625) on their outlet site.
Does the 9530 really justify the extra?
Both with the same memory and screen.
XPS has a back lit keyboard, a bit faster processor and better battery life all of which are important to me, but otherwise seems pretty much the same.

Any other suggestions?

I'm using it for software development - often running a dev WAMP server and Android studio, as well as loads of tabs across a few browsers, office apps etc.
Games are a consideration, but rare that I get the chance and haven't had anything that hardcore on graphical requirements?
Needs to be sturdy - it'll be used daily for a lot of hours most days, carried around a lot and probably occasionally dropped/had stuff dropped on it etc.

Background:
Screen on my L702X has broken. Still usable, but may not be for long, probably.
Enough other bits need replacing that I'd prefer to replace the entire laptop. I was looking at another second hand l702x, but there's none at reasonable prices with a 1080p screen at the moment.

Ideally I'd like a 4k screen in 17", but looks like that's still a way off, so considering going down in size to a 15" for the moment.

[CaNsA]

Can you post the specs for both.

[G]

I was hoping for some better ideas of the two models over the base specs (I've already compared the processors and appreciate the storage differences), but these are the specs:

Base XPS 15 - 9530
Processor Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 4712HQ Processor (6M, up to 3.3GHz)
Operating System Windows® 8.1
Memory 16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz Memory (2x8GB)
Hard Disk Drive 512 GB Mobility Solid State Drive
Media Bay No Optical Device
NoteBook Screen 15.6 inch UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) Touch Display
Video 2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
Software Back Up Media Not Included Windows® 8.1 (64 Bit) English
Network Interface Card Dell Wireless 1560 + BT4.0 [802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0, Dual Band 2.4&5 GHz, 2x2] Near Field Communications
Laptop Battery 91WHr 6-Cell Battery
Keyboard Internal Qwerty Backlit Keyboard
Hardware Upgrade Palmrest
Power Supply: 130W AC Adapter


Inspiron 15 - 7548
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-5500U (4M Cache, up to 3.00 GHz)
Windows® 8.1
16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz Memory (2x8GB)
256 GB Solid State Hard Drive
No Optical Device
15.6 inch 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) Truelife LED-Backlit Touch Display with Wide Viewing Angle (IPS)
4 GB DDR3 AMD Radeon R7 M270
Back Up Media Not Included
Windows® 8.1 (64 Bit) English
Intel 7265AC + BT4.0 [802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0, Dual Band 2.4&5GHz, 2x2]
LCD Back Cover : Silver (Touch)
Battery : 4-Cell 58 WHr (integrated)
Internal English Keyboard

[CaNsA]

If you have the budget, i7 everytime.

But then again.. the gfx on the i7 is a bit weak in comparison to the i5.
But that is reflected by the i5 commonly known as the gamers preference.

[G]

Both the ones I've posted are i7 - the XPS is a bit faster.

[CaNsA]

my derp, i was looking at the laptop model number and skim reading, badly.

If you have the budget, go for the more expensive of the two.

[G]

I did a double take too, actually when I checked back.

[CaNsA]

Have a gander at the review for both.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-Inspiron-15-7548.139449.0.html

vs

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-9530.108704.0.html

[G]

Reviews don't say much of interest really (ie how well they'll handle daily abuse, what I'll missing coming from a 17" behmouth) - had already read that site and others.

Kept an eye on the site and managed to get a 'scratch and dent' 9530 for £770 in the same spec that I posted (there have been similar price and cheaper ones, but all lower spec - ie no mSata and smaller battery, lower spec screen, etc.)
Would have been nice to have the 'pro' version for bitlocker, but whether I'll be able to stick with Windows 8.1 until 10 comes out is another matter .

[Colin Edwards]

Hi

I have supported a lot of Dell models over the years. The Inspiron is more of a home user basic model. The XPS always seem a lot more rugged and better quality

I would have the XPS for the screen quality alone..

Colin

[UncleFester]

Id take the XPS based on the fact it is Nvidia GFX not Radeon ......

As above - Dell have been my staple diet at work for about the last 15 years and they are generally pretty good machines as long as you keep them free from dust and don't use them with the base vents blocked.

Nvidia GFX drivers are generally more stable than the ATI ones and I think the control interface is better.

https://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R7-M270-vs-GeForce-GT-750M

I'd take the results with a light pinch of salt, often they're not noticeably better but i've always found the Nvidia stuff to be more stable.
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2017 Z1000SX

[G]

As per my last post, XPS already on the way .

However, it's got up to two weeks to get here.
Hoping my cracked screen won't get any worse in the mean time .

[UncleFester]

Don't think you'll go too far wrong with that My 'home' laptop is the earlier version of it, XPS L502X - but mine has been taken to bits and had the thermal grease replaced - will run fine for years now
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2017 Z1000SX

[G]

As per my original post - I've got an l702x, albeit with a lot of work that needs doing. If they did a 4k screen in 17" I'd be aiming for that.

When they do, I'll consider a precision or similar (suspect it's going to be some time before gaming stuff will be handle that resolution in a laptop.)

Oh and anyone know if it's likely to be quicker than the stated maximum time? This L702X came from the outlet too and was only a few days, though I think they said up to 7 then.

[UncleFester]

We use Precision M6400/6500/6600/6700 and 6800 at work with up to the K5100M graphics card / 64gb Ram / 2x512GB SSD .... they are very good at 3D graphics work - not sure if that translates to gaming however. We also buy ALL our stuff from the refurb channel.

Delivery times depend solely on where the stock is sitting and whether you added anything to the order. Usually you get a first estimate date and then, if all is in stock and it's in a European warehouse - the projected delivery date tumbles from weeks to days.
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2017 Z1000SX

[G]

Cheers - no extras.

I would have been tempted by a 6800 to replace the l702x, but really wanted the higher resolution that isn't available in 17".
They aren't considered great for gaming, but as you're unlikely to get decent gaming at a 4k resolution - otherwise I'd consider a 'gaming laptop'.

[P.]

No experience of those models, but we use dell laptops at work.

Out of say 8, 7 have been either sent back for repairs or had a Dell rep turn up and repair them. I'm not a mega fan.

Hope it works well for you however!!

[G]

My current few-year-old Dell XPS I've been very happy with.

Company I used to work for some years ago pretty much solely used Dells. Once you worked out how to handle their support, was happy enough with the experience.

[Seb]

Made the right choice imo.

The XPS is a quad core whilst the 7548 is just a dual core.

And I did a pallet of those L702xs and like, great machines
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST