3D Animation/Game Design Student Laptop (Dell XPS 15 9550?)

[MBlack475]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of looking for a laptop and I currently have my sight set on the Dell XPS 15 9550 with i7-6700HQ Quad Core CPU, GeForce GTX 960M w/ 2GB GPU, 16GB Ram, 512GB SSD, and UHD Display. From the many reviews I've looked at, this seems to be the machine for me. But I have some doubts on whether it will run 3D animation software well enough for working on projects when I'm away from a desktop workstation. Maya and Blender are the programs I use most, but I'm sure to be learning and working with Unity soon. My main concerns are with the GPU as I believe everything else would have the necessary power. Would this work or would I want to look at a different option? If you have suggestions, keep them close in price to this machine's price @ $2,100.

Many thanks.

 

[Balrog49]

Dell XPS-15 laptops have two GPUs: an Intel for normal use and an Nvidia for graphics and gaming. It switches back and forth automatically based on what you're doing. You're absolutely right to get an SSD-based 9550, not the ones with the hard drive and 32GB SSD for file caching.

 

[Kimshiyun]

Hi,
If I understood your needs, If your main concern is related to the viewport then I think the combination of the CPU+GPU (i7-6700HQ + GTX 960M) should be enough to give you reasonable 3D view while working on your 3D models. And even the Intel HD 530 is not that bad, and you can still work with it, but it could be a bit slower (similar to GTX 920 I think).
Unity doesn't need fancy GPU to run, even old desktop integrated graphics are enough.

But I suppose with $2100 you can get a better laptop.

GPU(s) in order according to performances & charts:
GTX 960M > GTX 965M > GTX 970M


If you are open to suggestions then here are some:

ASUS ROG G752VT-DH72 that comes with GTX 970M 3GB ($1649):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA25V3NS9475&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_970-_-34-232-766-_-Product

MSI GS Series GS40 Phantom-001 with GTX 970M 3GB ($1499):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152981&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_965-_-34-152-981-_-Product

ASUS ROG G752VL-DH71 that comes with GTX 965M 2GB ($1399):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA57X3H17216&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_965-_-34-232-765-_-Product


Personally I like the GTX 965M because it consumes less power (60W) than both the GTX 960M (65W) & the GTX 970M (75W). And this will result in longer battery time.

Here are some passmark scores:
GTX 960M Passmark score = 1669
GTX 965M Passmark score = 2954
GTX 970M Passmark score = 4201


But the last & final decision will remain yours.

 

[MBlack475]

Hi,
If I understood your needs, If your main concern is related to the viewport then I think the combination of the CPU+GPU (i7-6700HQ + GTX 960M) should be enough to give you reasonable 3D view while working on your 3D models. And even the Intel HD 530 is not that bad, and you can still work with it, but it could be a bit slower (similar to GTX 920 I think).
Unity doesn't need fancy GPU to run, even old desktop integrated graphics are enough.

But I suppose with $2100 you can get a better laptop.

GPU(s) in order according to performances & charts:
GTX 960M > GTX 965M > GTX 970M


If you are open to suggestions then here are some:

ASUS ROG G752VT-DH72 that comes with GTX 970M 3GB ($1649):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA25V3NS9475&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_970-_-34-232-766-_-Product

MSI GS Series GS40 Phantom-001 with GTX 970M 3GB ($1499):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152981&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_965-_-34-152-981-_-Product

ASUS ROG G752VL-DH71 that comes with GTX 965M 2GB ($1399):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA57X3H17216&cm_re=i7-6700hq_gtx_965-_-34-232-765-_-Product


Personally I like the GTX 965M because it consumes less power (60W) than both the GTX 960M (65W) & the GTX 970M (75W). And this will result in longer battery time.

Here are some passmark scores:
GTX 960M Passmark score = 1669
GTX 965M Passmark score = 2954
GTX 970M Passmark score = 4201


But the last & final decision will remain yours.

Thanks for replying and for your advice, I'll look into that MSI Phantom but the two Asus ROGs are too heavy to be carrying around in a backpack all day. What are your thoughts on the new 2016 Razer Blade 14"? I know it doesn't help the price too much, and the 6GB VRAM would be bottlenecked according to my research, but it looks like a solid choice from the hardware's power to the portability and the build quality. The only problem is that as it is unreleased one can only speculate on how it will perform day to day.
Link to the Blade's product page: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

 

[Kimshiyun]

... What are your thoughts on the new 2016 Razer Blade 14"?
Link to the Blade's product page: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade

Hi,
I come yesterday through that link http://www.xoticpc.com/custom-gaming-laptops-notebooks-gaming-laptops-ct-118-96-98.html# and thought that you may find it interesting. There are some custom laptops with reasonable prices.

As for the "Razor Blade", If it's true and possible to combine all these features in a small machine then it would be awesome. But it depends first on your preferences whether you prefer a 14" keyboard over a full keyboard (with Num keys). Other than that, and overall, it looks promising.

 

[lexrj1981]

Check these guys out
https://www.maingear.com/custom/notebooks/pulse15/index.php

 

[Vinny_5]

Dell XPS-15 laptops have two GPUs: an Intel for normal use and an Nvidia for graphics and gaming. It switches back and forth automatically based on what you're doing. You're absolutely right to get an SSD-based 9550, not the ones with the hard drive and 32GB SSD for file caching.

Im pretty sure that there arent two gpu's. The intel graphics are integrated inside the cpu leaving one geforce graphics processor. Dual gpu's are typically found in workstations.