Laptops that are meant to act as desktop replacements have hit the market recently and with Dell XPS 15 9550, you can be sure that it fits exactly that role. However, the main question now is, is this the best laptop in 2016 yet? Let us take a closer look to find out if this lives up to expectations.

Design and Build

For the longest time, Dell’s XPS series is regarded as halo products, as these notebooks usually boast of the latest processor technology, combined with the optional dedicated graphics and chassis designs that have been built using more expensive materials to exude both the look and feel of a luxury premium product.

This legacy is easily pulled off by Dell XPS 15 9550, made possible by the aluminum screen lid as well as base plate that is complemented by the rubberized palm rests to enhance comfort when typing and carbon fiber chassis. Once again, the design team of Dell made use of soft touch textures and rounded and smooth corners at all opportunities.

A single glance at the notebook and you will instantly know that this is one massive 15-inch laptop. Even with its imposing footprint, this weighs merely 3.92 pounds with no power adapter. Despite not being exactly light and thin, XPS 15 is remarkably thin for a notebook that has a screen of 15.6 inches and only 0.67 inch thick when closed.

Ports

Among the most notable updates to XPS 15’s design is the number of ports that can be found on both sides. On the right, there is the USB 3.0 port, power jack, full-sized HDMI out, combo headset/headphone jack and the combo USB-C/Thunderbolt 3.0 port which supports transfers of data as much as 40Gbps. On the left, you will find the second USB 3.0 port, full-sized SD card slot, a Kensington lock slot and battery life indicator.

Speakers and Screen

The IPS display panel of Dell XPS 15 produces nicely saturated and rich colors. The display offers wide viewing angles in line as expected from the newest IPS panels. Its backlight is across the whole screen and is also bright enough that can make the screen a bit uncomfortable if viewed indoors at brightest setting.

Its built in stereo speakers are more than enough, producing distortion-free sound to their maximum volume setting. The speakers can effortlessly fill rooms with sound and are more than sufficient when you stream video content and when having a video call in Skype.
 

Performance

Dell XPS 15 9550 comes with 6^th generation Intel Corei7-6700HQ that runs at 2.6 GHz or as much as 3.5 GHz with Turbo Boost from Intel. It is no doubt one of the best processors integrated to a thin notebook of 15 inches that has the ability to handle pretty much anything that you throw at it.
 

Final Thoughts

With the excellent build quality, the beautiful display and the solid performance, Dell XPS 15 9550 is no doubt the best laptop in 2016 yet that can keep up with your activities and interests.