The Dell XPS 14z is one of the world’s thinnest 14-inch laptop with an internal optical slot-load drive built-in.
Featuring the 2nd Generation Intel Core processors (option of the i5 2430M Dual Core or the i7 2640M Dual Core) and a large 14-inch HD screen in a 13-inch form factor, the Dell XPS 14z is the thinnest (less than a inch thick, 23mm / 0.9-inch) and one of the lightest (1.98kg / 4.36lbs) 14-inch laptop that Dell™ has produced.
The Look
Housed in an anodized aluminium casing, it gives the 14z a sleek and clean feel, with minimal ports at the side.
At the rear, we can find the Kensington Lock slot, AC Power Connector, Mini Display Port, HDMI 1.4 port, two USB ports (one USB 3.0 Super Speed port, one USB 2.0), Gigabit Ethernet connector and the exhaust vent.
With the inclusion of an internal optical slot-load Drive, the dimension of the 14z is not compromised.
The back-lit spill-resistant Chiclet Keyboard gives the 14z a nice modern look too.
The Pros
The large and almost border-less display gives the 14z an advantage over the other 14-inch laptops.
With a Battery life of more than 6 and a half hour (Based on Mark 2007 Battery Life Benchmark Test), 10% more screen area than a typical 13.3-inch laptop, together with the 2nd Gen Intel Core Processors, getting the 14z to playback a movie while writing a document is a breeze. (However, with its excellent High Definition Graphics and Audio distracting us, we might not get much work done – 5.1 Surround Sound is supported via the HDMI output)
The Cons
Although the screen looks nice with the glossy TV-like panel, it is a bit too reflective and thus narrows the possible viewing angle.
Without a build-in Solid State Drive (SSD) for the standard models, it could almost be branded as an UltraBook based on Intel’s UltraBook Initiatives, (Dell will be introducing their first UltraBook, the XPS 13)
The Price
The Dell XPS 14z laptop is available from www.dell.com.sg at a starting price of S$1,449
(With the upcoming IT SHOW 2012 in Singapore from 8th to 11th March 2012, the 14z is going for S$1149 after Trade-in and comes with S$266 worth of freebies!
Subscribe to us via our Subscription Options from the sidebar, for updates)
Similar to all Dell™ laptops, the 14z comes in a variety of configurations and optional upgrades ie. i7 2640M Dual Core CPU, SSD, among others.
The 14z is worth considering for its slim profile, the superb large bright screen and great battery life.
The Specs
- Processor Options
Intel® Core™ i5 2430M Dual Core (2.40GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3GHz)
Intel® Core™ i7 2640M Dual Core (2.80GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.50GHz) - Chipset
Intel® HM67 - Dimensions (H x W x D)
0.9”(23mm) x 13.19”(335mm) x 9.21”(234mm) - Weight
4.36lbs (1.98kg)
4.12lbs (1.87 kg) with optional SSD - Display
14” High Definition (720p) WLED with TrueLife™ with edge-to-edge glass (1366×768); 200-nit typical - Color
Anodized aluminum in Elemental Silver; Formed aluminum base Magnesium alloy palmrest in dark gray - System Memory
4GB dual channel DDR3 1333MHz up to 8GB DDR3 1333MHz
2 DIMM slots - Graphics Options
Intel® HD 3000 graphics NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 520M with 1GB graphics memory
NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology with NVIDIA 1GB graphics option - Battery
8-Cell Prismatic (58WHr, 2.0AHr) - AC Adapter
65 Watt AC adaptor for UMA graphics
90 Watt AC adaptor for discrete graphics option - Hard Drive Options
7200RPM SATA HDD from 500GB to 750GB
256GB SSD drive option
Onboard free fall sensor - Optical Drive
Slot load 8x DVD+/-RW (reads & writes to CD/DVD) (9.5mm) - Keyboard / Touchpad
Standard full size, backlit spill-resistant chiclet keyboard
Multi-Touchpad with Integrated Scrolling & Gestures and two mechanical buttons100 x 53 mm – centered on system - Connectivity Options
10/100/1000 Ethernet network standard
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6230 802.11 agn (2×2)
Bluetooth 3.0 (not available in Russia)
Intel® Wireless Display ready - Sound
High Definition Audio +Waves MaxxAudio® 3
5.1 Surround sound can be supported via HDMI - Webcam
1.3MP HD with dual array digital microphones - Media Card Reader
7-in-1 supporting MMC, SD, xD, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo, MS Pro Duo - Ports and Connectors
HDMI 1.4 (1), Mini DisplayPort (1), RJ-45 (1), headphone (1), microphone (1)
2 total USB ports; USB 3.0 (1); USB 2.0 (1) - Productivity & Entertainment Software
Dell™ Stage & WebCam Central, Skype™, Cozi, Adobe® Acrobat® Reader X, Adobe Photoshop® Elements Trial 8, Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (reduced–functionality versions of Word and Excel with advertising), Internet Explorer 8, Windows Live™, McAfee SecurityCenter trial, Dell™ DataSafe; Roxio Creator Starter, NVIDIA 3DTV Play - Operating System Options
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate - Services
Dell™ Basic 1 Year Mail-in Service and Limited Hardware Warranty standard
hey, great job friend, cheers.
I find myself coming back to your web-site only because you have lots of awesome insights and also you happen to be at this a while, which is very impressive and tells me you know your stuff.
thank you for the article. i just about passed your web site up in bing but now i’m glad i clicked the link and got to go through it. i’m definitely a lot more informed now.
hey there, i liked you blog, it is kinda good. keep up the work.
Hi there, simply was alert to your blog via Google, and located that it is really informative. I’m gonna be careful for brussels. I’ll appreciate in case you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!