Dell XPS M1530 Review

Everyone has their own particular requirements from their hardware, depending on how they use it, but generally you want a good balance of portability, reliability and processing power. Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors are still the number one choice, with AMD coming in a close second. Like its ultraportable sibling, the Dell XPS M1530 is stylish and easy to carry around, but can be configured with that bit of extra power under the hood too...

If you’re not playing games or editing video, then the integrated Intel Graphics option is probably best, as it uses less energy and therefore increases battery life. Integrated graphics are fine for simple video tasks such as DVD playback. The dedicated Nvidia video card can have 128MB or 256MB of memory, which is ideal for anyone who needs a bit more graphics power, and will allow you to play current games at decent quality settings. It should have no problems running games released earlier than last year at high quality settings.

Here are some key points to consider when configuring your XPS M1530:

Processor:
The Dell M1530 can be configured with Intel Core 2 Duo processors from 1.5 GHz to 2.4 GHz - the best value option here is probably the 2.0 GHz T7250.

It is advisable to get the 4MB cache version (T7500) if you work with a lot of memory-intensive material such as large audio samples or media streaming. FSB speed is important too, as this affects how quickly data can pass from memory to the processor (800 MHz is optimal, but 667MHz will do the job nicely).
Memory:
Get at least 1GB, but preferably 2-4GB - the best value configuration on the Dell site is 2GB, and you can always add more memory later on if you need it. Going from 2GB to 4GB provides a huge performance boost to your system, so it's worthwhile watching out for special offers on the Dell site. Dell periodically run special deals on various components and accessories, and a memory upgrade is definitely one to get if possible.