The Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) ($1,785 direct) is the result of taking the original Dell XPS 15 ($1,115 direct, 4 stars) and replacing its innards with new hardware from Intel and Nvidia. This gut-cleaning carved out spots for an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 540M chipset—two components that will handle any hardcore app with ease. It's without a doubt faster than its previous incarnation, and adds options like a 1080p display, Blu-ray drives, and a 92WH battery, which are rare finds in a desktop replacement laptop. It's a complete laptop through and through, and had it not been for the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt) ($2,199 direct, 4 stars), it would have been the one to beat.

Design
Design shouldn't be taken for granted at this stage, no matter how big the laptop. To its credit, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is one of only two desktop replacement laptops that use aluminum on the top and bottom half of its frame. The other one, of course, is the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt). Desktop replacement laptops like the HP Pavilion dv7-4283cl ($999.99 list, 4 stars) and Asus N53SV-A1 ($1,279 street, 4 stars) decorate the lid and palm rest area with aluminum, but use plastic to cover the base. Despite Dell's luxury-class treatment, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is thick and clunky compared with the svelte Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt). It's over a pound heavier, too, at 6.6 pounds.

There isn't a screen better than the one on the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge). The RGB LED screen option is a must-have if color accuracy and a wide color gamut are critical to your profession or hobby. In other words, it's a flat-out stunning, razor-sharp screen. The RGB LED screens also has a 1,920-by-1,080 (1080p) resolution, which is the highest available on a desktop replacement laptop and a boon for high-definition enthusiasts. In contrast, the MacBook Pro tops out at 1,650-by-1,050, while the Asus N53SV-A1 and Samsung RF510-S01US ($939.99 list, 3.5 stars) use a baseline 1,366-by-768 resolution.

The changes to the keyboard are significant, as Dell has succumbed to the pressures of its peers and adopted a chiclet-style made popular by the MacBook Pro and HP Pavilions. All the keys are elevated slightly higher than those of the Apple 15-inch and HP dv7-4283cl, for a mushier typing experience, which I liked. A full-size numeric keypad is there for frequent number-crunching or the mere convenience of entering a product key. More impressive are the LED backlights underneath the keys, the kind that make the MacBook Pro 15-inch invaluable in low-lit areas. Though the touchpad isn't as spacious as the one on the MacBook Pro 15-inch, it's incredibly responsive and detached from the two dedicated mouse buttons.

Features
The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s feature set is vast and arguably the most impressive in its class. It comes with 3 USB ports (two of which are USB 3.0, the other an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port), DisplayPort, HDMI, and an HD Webcam. The Webcam, which allows you to shoot video in 720p, was the first for a laptop until the Apple 15-inch (Thunderbolt) included one of its own. Unlike the Apple 15-inch, this one is Skype-certified, which means you can video chat in high definition through Skype (You can only use the MacBook Pros Webcam in standard definition for video chatting on Skype; the HD resolution only works with its own Facetime client software). A Blu-ray drive (a $100 option), which is included in my review configuration, is ideal for watching Blu-ray movies in a full 1080p. You can also find a Blu-ray drive in the HP dv7-4283cl. Not only is the 750GB hard drive spacious, but at 7,200rpm, it also spins as fast as the one found in the Asus N53SV-A1 and HP dv7-4283cl. Alternatively, you can swap it out for a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD), albeit for an obscene amount of money ($550).

The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s long list of wireless features includes 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX (4G), and mobile broadband (CDMA and GSM 3G technologies). If you're the type who likes to hook a laptop up to an HDTV (via an HDMI cable), Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) does the same thing—minus the cable. The transmitter is built into the laptop, so there's no dongle hanging off of a USB port. However, you will need to buy a Netgear Push2TV ($100), a receiver box that tethers to your HDTV. A pair of JBL speakers and a subwoofer is included, because regular ones just won't cut it. Volume levels and bass response, as you would expect, are beyond what you can achieve with the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch and HP dv7-4283cl. In addition to studio-quality sound, there are microphone enhancements such as echo cancellation and noise reduction.

Performance
It wouldn't be a gut-cleansing without the latest components from Intel and Nvidia. As you can tell from name itself, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) moves to new Intel architecture, which consists of a 2GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor and a whopping 8GB of DDR3 memory; the previous Dell XPS 15 came with a dual-core processor. The two extra cores play a pivotal role in boosting the performance of the other two—a technology Intel calls Turbo Boost. It's the kind of power that video and photo professionals will absolutely want to have at their fingertips. The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) breezed through Handbrake (2:11) and Cinebench 11.5 (4.84) tests, but couldn't catch up to the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (1:53, 5:07), which ships with a higher-clocking quad core variant (Intel Core i7-2720QM). Its 8,089 score in PCMark Vantage was impressive, but again, fell short of the Apple MacBook Pro (8,315). These results are more compelling if you compare them to the previous Dell XPS 15. For instance, Cinebench R11.5 tests saw double the gains.

The Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics chip matches the one found in the Asus N53SV-A1 and is a generation better than the GeForce GT 425M in the original XPS 15. At medium quality settings, you'll see a 32% improvement in 3DMark06 scores (9,787) over the original XPS 15 (7,404). Frame rates also shot up significantly in Crysis (59 fps) and Lost Planet 2 (38.2 fps) under medium settings, as the quad-core processor came into play. Keep in mind these are punishing titles, which is why running them at very high quality settings and native resolution (1,920-by-1,080) will slow frame rates to a crawl. The MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt) is technically the better gaming laptop, as its AMD Mobility Radeon 6750M beat the Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)'s GeForce GT 540M across the board. But you'll have to install Windows via Bootcamp, since there aren't as many gaming titles in the Mac OS environment.

A big battery should not be taken for granted, especially when there are a great number of users who need a big powerful laptop on the road. Fortunately, the XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) can be configured with a 92WH battery or smaller one, for weight savings. With the 92WH battery in our review unit, the payoff was huge. The XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) scored 6 hours 58 minutes in MobileMark 2007, blowing past the Asus N53SV-A1 (3:51), HP dv7-4283cl (5:46), and Apple 15-inch (4:40).

The Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) is a phenomenal desktop replacement laptop regardless of which desktop replacement ended up on top. It was a tight race between it and the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt), and the decision didn't come easy. On the one hand, the XPS 15 has the kind of screen quality and features (Blu-Ray, extensive wireless antennas, speaker oomph, etc) that you won't find in the MacBook Pro. On the other hand, the XPS 15 isn't as well designed or as powerful as the MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt). These are two of the most sophisticated machines and picking the right one will depend on your computing needs.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
Check out the test scores for the Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge) with several other laptops side by side.