Razer Edge Pro (Core i7/256GB) NEWEST VERSIONS

Mustafijur Rahman is a highly professional product reviewer on online world who joined us on Dec 2009. He has since then reviewed over 150 different products.

The good: Gaming-optimized Windows 8 tablet with onboard Nvidia graphics; offers plenty of ways to play games via extra accessories; relatively easy setup.

The bad: Gaming performance trails that of comparably priced gaming laptops; lacks 1080p screen; design is thicker and heavier than other Windows 8 tablets; lacks Ethernet and SD slot; battery life runs short when gaming; price skews high when accessories are factored in.

The bottom line: The Razer Edge is one of the most inventive PC gaming devices in years, but you'll pay a premium for portability and proprietary add-ons.

Take a Windows 8 tablet. Add Nvidia graphics. Mix in a snap-on controller. Toss in a TV-friendly dock. Suddenly, what was a gaming PC in theory can become a console; step back, and a tablet becomes a gaming handheld.

This is the promise that the Razer Edge provides: a Surface for the gaming set, if you will. It's a novel idea that no one else has made tangible yet, and the Razer Edge stands alone in that regard.

At its heart, the Razer Edge is a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet with either a Core i5 or i7 processor, like many high-end Windows 8 tablets (the Surface Pro, in particular). What it brings to the table are gaming-caliber Nvidia GeForce graphics, and a variety of optional versatile gamer-targeted accessories: a snap-on GamePad Controller, a dock with HDMI-out and extra USB ports for TV connectivity, and even a future laptop/keyboard accessory.

But, those extras will cost you: the GamePad, arguably its sexiest feature, costs $249 -- the price range of an Xbox 360, or a Vita. The tablet itself costs anywhere from $999 to $1,449.

The Edge’s best quality is its versatility: it can be a keyboard-and-mouse mini-PC, a TV-connected game console, or a big-boned handheld. But paying nearly $1,700 for a first-generation Windows 8 gaming PC-handheld-hybrid is a lot to swallow, even for the hard core, because you’re giving up top-end PC performance in exchange for that versatility. The Edge works as advertised, but it’s a gaming experiment more than a must-have killer product.
  

Design: sexy (for PC gaming)

From the outside, especially right out of the box, the Edge doesn't feel much different from any other high-end Windows 8 tablet, except for the fact that it’s chunkier (0.75 inch thick) and heavier (2.1 pounds). If no other Windows 8 tablets existed, it wouldn’t seem so bad -- but it’s bulky next to a Surface Pro.
On the other hand, the hardware feels solidly constructed and is comfortable enough to hold. It’s not the supersexy type of profile that the Razer Blade cut, but it has a similar high-quality feel. The glowing Razer logo on the back and the black, matte metal finish give it a "gamer gear" touch, but not too much.
   
Screen and speakers
The Edge’s 10.1-inch, 1,366x768-pixel IPS display is a step down from the screen on the Surface Pro, which has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, but the Edge can output 1080p video and gaming via the dock. Games looked sharp, however, even at a lower resolution. BioShock Infinite seemed as crisp or crisper than the Xbox 360 console version, and Civilization V’s landscapes felt vivid. 

 

Stereo speakers under the bottom edge pump out decent sound, but for real gaming you’d want a headset.
 
The GamePad and dock

Add on the GamePad, and suddenly this tablet feels like a piece of gaming hardware that escaped the dungeons of Kentia Hall at E3. It’s an odd sensation, holding an already-large tablet in an even larger controller chassis. An inner removable panel houses an extra optional battery ($69). Two spring latches attach the Edge neatly inside the GamePad, and when it’s in, the buttons have their own green LED glow, plus there’s rumble feedback.
  

The thick, long handles on either side offer good grip, but the trigger buttons and angle of the controller feel odd. We wanted to tilt the controls down a bit and angle the screen, and you can’t do that. The quad of right-side buttons are also very flat, and a little hard to press. These are small complaints, though, because overall, this GamePad’s feel is far closer to a console or PC controller than any existing gaming handheld device. 

 

But the whole package weighs a whopping 4.2 pounds and just barely fits in a regular-size backpack. It’s a lap-gaming experience; you’d never want to hold the Edge-with-GamePad upright for more than a minute at a time. Also, services like Steam require an online connection. On a train or some in-flight situation, that puts the Edge in a difficult spot.
 
The nondescript dock ($99) might be the best bet of all. It comes with three rear USB 2.0 ports, HDMI with 7.1 audio and headset jacks, and a gummy, grippy underside that keeps it in place. Pop in the Edge and hunt down a few Xbox USB controllers and suddenly the system's a TV-connected console. With Steam’s Big Box mode activated, the whole affair feels a lot like the “Steam Box” brought to life. There’s no Ethernet jack, though; you’ll need to get a separate USB-to-Ethernet dongle, which is an annoyance, especially since Steam requires an online connection.

 A laptop dock peripheral is also in the works, which will effectively enable you to turn the Edge into a little gaming laptop. Right now, our favorite way to use the Edge is in its dock with either a controller or mouse/keyboard attached.

Compared with the average Windows 8 tablet (the Surface Pro), the top-end Razer Edge boasts more RAM, a faster CPU, and more onboard storage, plus Nvidia graphics, but it's thicker, heavier, and has a lower-resolution screen and fewer ports. Compared with a gaming laptop that costs less (the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500), the Y500 soundly beats it with a better CPU, 1080p screen, and more RAM (but no touch screen). That's not surprising, because the Edge is a tablet, but it goes to show that you can buy a lot more laptop for the same amount of money -- or less.

 

Ports and connections

The Edge Pro, on its own, has a sparse selection of ports compared with other Windows 8 tablets. A single USB 3.0 port sits on the top, and there's a standard headset/mic jack, but no expandable storage slots (SD of any kind is lacking). There's a front-facing 2-megapixel camera, but no rear camera.

Configurations

Our $1,449 Razer Edge Pro review unit has a 1.9GHz/3.0GHz Core i7-3517U CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (2GB) graphics card, and 256GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. The cheapest Razer Edge you can get costs $999, with a 1.7GHz/2.6GHz Core i5-3317U processor, only 4GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce 640M LE (1GB) graphics, and a 64GB SSD. Odds are that any gamer would find the $999 way too limiting, and the system's not easily upgraded.

The Razer Edge Pro performs about as well as any other Core i5/i7-equipped Windows 8 tablet in terms of everyday nongaming, which isn’t much of a surprise. Its specs match up in its base $999 configuration to the $899 Surface Pro. The $1,449 Edge Pro has a number of beefed-up elements (8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, that faster Core i7 processor), but you’re paying a lot for it. For comparison, we included the performance of the Lenovo Y500. It's faster than any other Windows 8 tablet thus far, and slower on average than the Lenovo laptop, but not by a huge margin.

Focusing purely on raw gaming performance misses the point of the Edge Pro. Of course it matters, and the frame rates depicted above demonstrate that you will need to make sacrifices to resolution and image quality in exchange for the Razer's unique design. Anyone who follows PC hardware would draw the same conclusion from the lower-end GeForce 640M LE graphics card on the Edge Pro spec sheet.

 

In addition to the games in our charts, we also tried playing Far Cry 3 and Crysis 3, two of the more-demanding shooters out for the PC right now. The Edge Pro played both games flawlessly at its native 1,366x768 setting, and capably enough at 1,600x900, both at medium image quality settings. The frame rate dropped past the point of playability at 1,920x1,080.

If full HD gaming on the most graphically challenging titles is out of reach for the Edge Pro, what's impressive is how much flexibility it offers you in the way you might choose to play a game.
Not every game works in every mode, of course. While Starcraft II or Diablo III might seem like good matches for the touch screen, neither game has been updated with a touch-specific interface. Civilization V has a touch gaming mode, though, and playing it on the Edge Pro in tablet mode is just as addictive as on a traditional laptop or desktop.

Playing AAA games via touch screen is still an experiment for the truly dedicated, of course. Slower, turn-based strategy titles are probably the best choice for this input method, but that genre doesn't always get a lot of attention. We have yet to try these, but games like the Dragon Age series, and XCom: Enemy Unknown could work, along with older strategy and role-playing games. Minecraft has a touch-screen mode, although reports of its effectiveness are mixed.

The GamePad also lets you tuck into PC games in a much more engaging way than any gaming laptop. In this mode, you don't need to find a place to perch the system like you do with a laptop. Instead you can more or less sit anywhere and play any GamePad-friendly title.

It's the touch and GamePad usage modes that set the Edge Pro apart from its laptop-based competition the most. Its docking station will let you play via a TV or a deskbound display, but any gaming notebook with an HDMI out and a few USB ports can do the same.

Traditional gaming laptops in the same price range will also outpace products in terms of raw performance like this one for at least another generation of CPU and GPU silicon, if not another two or three. That fact alone may hurt Edge Pro adoption among dedicated PC gamers. You will be rewarded most by this device if you find its touch and GamePad modes appealing.

Dell XPS 13 NEWEST VERSIONS

Mustafijur Rahman is a highly professional product reviewer on online world who joined us on Dec 2009. He has since then reviewed over 150 different products.

 

The good: The Dell XPS 13 has a sharp new 1080p display, updated Intel processors, and the same sleek design as before.

The bad: Few ports; a high price; no touch-screen option.

The bottom line: Attractive and compact, the new Dell XPS 13 ultrabook isn't that much different from last year's model, aside from new processors and a higher-res non-touch screen.

A little over a year ago, Dell debuted a then-quite-impressive little 13-inch laptop called the XPS 13. Aimed at the part of the business market that's become increasingly enamored of the MacBook Air and Windows ultrabooks, the XPS 13 was technically geared toward business customers, but with lots of stylistic flourishes and compact appeal. It was like a Windows MacBook Air, but with less impressive battery life. We called it the "Dellbook Air."

The XPS 13 is back for a second go in 2013, but it doesn't seem to have gotten the "Windows 8 touch" memo. Yes, it now has third-gen Intel Core i5/i7 processors, two USB 3.0 ports, and a higher-resolution 1080p screen. But a touch display? No.
Last year, we said this about the XPS 13's main drawbacks: "A limited port selection doesn't include HDMI or an SD card slot; the display should be better; and battery life falls behind other slim laptops." The new XPS 13 adds a fancy 1080p screen and gains a little more battery life, but that screen option will cost you: the 1080p version costs $1,299.

Can you live without touch on a laptop? Do you like the idea of a tweaked version of last year's XPS 13 in the current laptop world? There's really nothing wrong with what this new Dell XPS 13 brings to the table, but it's expensive, a bit heavy compared with other ultrabooks, and it lacks touch, which should be a major consideration when moving to Windows 8. Call it an old-fashioned ultrabook.

The Dell XPS 13 might have been one of the best-designed Dells since the Adamo. Soft-touch finishes, an elegant keyboard, sleek metal, and solid construction give instantly strong first impressions. The new XPS 13 isn't much different, and it still presents itself well.

Its footprint is smaller than a 13-inch MacBook Air, giving it something of the feel of a 12-inch laptop. The narrower footprint feels right, and the keyboard hasn't been compromised. A magnetic hinge opens smoothly, and the lid has just enough bezel to provide finger room to open and close, while maxing out screen real estate.

Did I say the XPS 13 seemed heavy and thick? Maybe that's unfair. It actually weighs an even 3 pounds, which is lighter than the 13-inch Air. It's 0.71 inch thick at its thickest point, tapering down to the other end. That's certainly slim and light enough for a 13-inch ultrabook, but the XPS 13 may be a psychological victim of its own small (for a 13-inch) footprint. It feels almost like an 11-inch Air in terms of dimensions, but the 11-inch Air is indeed lighter.

Lining up the new XPS 13 with last year's, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. So, our opinion stays the same, cosmetically: the backlit keyboard is comfortable and spacious, and the multitouch clickable touch pad has ample finger room.

Ah, but now the spectre of Windows 8 casts its shadow. Windows 8 is a touch-oriented OS. It's arguably not necessary, but you'll miss it on many of Microsoft's native apps. That touch pad is your lone tool to interface via touch at all, and in this case, it's just not as responsive as better versions out there. In particular, off-edge swipe gestures, which can be used to bring up Windows 8 functions, are hard to pull off.  

The best -- and worst -- new feature of this XPS 13 is its 13-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass-covered display: it's crisp, bright, vivid, and looks great at all angles. It's a big step up compared to the average laptop, and better than the display on the MacBook Air. But not all XPS 13 models have it: step-down versions have 1,366x768-pixel displays, which I didn't test. That 1080p on a 13-inch screen used to look crammed, but the nice thing about Windows 8 is that its new tile interface and full-screen apps generally take advantage of higher-res smaller screens in ways that don't shrink and cram text and buttons down like Windows 7 did. It's a better experience.

But, I'll say it once again: there's no touch screen. I harp on that because this is a $1,600 computer, and there are touch ultrabooks out there for half that price. That may not matter to some people, but in the Windows 8 world, ultrabooks are routinely getting touch-screen makeovers without great cost. Top-end laptops are starting to have touch by default. The Dell XPS 13's lack of touch just feels like an oversight. At this price, it should at least have a touch-screen option. In a Windows 8 world, touch is just too potentially useful to completely ignore.

The 0.9-megapixel Webcam takes grainy pictures, and isn't as good as others I've seen.


Ports, configurations, performance

The ports are sparse indeed on the XPS 13: two USB 3.0 ports and a Mini DisplayPort. No HDMI, no Ethernet, not even an SD card slot. I can forgive the first two, but not the third. There's plenty of room.

This XPS 13 review unit is the highest-end model, the surf-and-turf of Dell's fleet: Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p display, for $1,599. The lowest-end XPS 13 starts at $999, and has more-standard specs: Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, but only a 1,366x768-pixel display. You can mix and match specs to some degree, but for 1080p you have to step up to a $1,299 model with 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. Sure, that sort of matches a MacBook Air, but it's hard to swallow for a PC -- especially one that lacks a touch screen.

The Core i7-3537 CPU is a little faster than the Core i7-3517 in the step-down 720p models, and handled as well as you'd expect a top-end, third-gen Intel ultrabook processor to perform. It's one of the fastest we've tested in our benchmarks, but not by a huge degree. You're still stuck with Intel HD 4000 graphics, which are fine for most purposes but, at this price, fall short of serious PC graphics power.

Battery life, warranty

The killer differentiator in a lot of superportable ultrabooks often comes down to battery life. The original XPS 13 in 2012 was a disappointment, getting a little under 5 hours. The new XPS 13 does a little better, scoring 5 hours and 31 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. An extra 40 minutes is nice, but it doesn't quite match up to the 6-plus hours a lot of top-end ultrabooks can achieve.

Dell offers a one-year warranty with at-home service (after remote diagnosis) with the XPS 13, plus a year of 24-7 "premium" phone support (1-877-717-3355). This can be upgraded in various ways on Dell's Web site: $199 to extend to three years, or up to $349 for additional accidental damage protection and LoJack.

Conclusion: A great laptop...for 2012

The Dell XPS 13 is a slightly fancier version of last year's Dellbook Air: compact, functional, and upgraded with an excellent display. But its price -- and its lack of touch-screen options -- leave it as a product I'd have some reservations recommending for everyone. It feels like last year's product in a 2013 Windows 8 world that's moved on from basic ultrabooks -- or, at this price, one that at least includes touch. You might not need a touch screen, but believe me, at this price Dell should be including one. When it does, the XPS 13 might once again be a serious contender for best Windows 8 ultrabook.