Looking for new laptop - HP Envy vs Dell xps15, or other?

Here are the two laptops I am looking at: https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-envy-laptop-16-h1047nr#techSpecs and

Edited by hamluis, 15 December 2023 - 11:43 AM.
Moved from Bldg/Upgrading to Buying New - Hamluis.

Hi:

Disclaimer: I am just a home user, not a tech. And I don't game or do heavy video work.

I have had good luck over the years with Dell XPS.
And the current models got good reviews when I researched it in early 2023.

BUT I canceled an XPS order earlier this year in favor of a Latitude 7530.
Primary reasons;
1. XPS has a terrible webcam (which I need for videoconferencing).
2. XPS has terrible I/O port access including no HDMI (which I need) - you're basically forced to use hubs & adapters for basic connectivity functions.
3. XPS has many, many more trouble topics at Dell forum.

The major downside to the Latitude vs. XPS is the lack of discrete GPU. (And it doesn't look as snazzy. But, for me, function outweighs form.)

For my needs, the Latitude 7530 has been excellent. No complaints.

I don't know anything about HP laptops. They do tend to install a lot of bloatware. You may need to clean install Windoze. (I've had good luck with their AIO inkjet printers over many years.)

HTH

Oh, and IIRC, the XPS battery life is not fabulous (as one might expect with discrete GPU).

Oh, and IIRC, the XPS battery life is not fabulous (as one might expect with discrete GPU).

Even if you are not gaming/using the GPU?

My current XPS seems to hold up fine. 

Go with the Dell because HP laptops are throwaways from my own personal experience owning one. Acer makes good laptops too.

XPS= Xpensive Piece of S***!, I just returned an hp envy flip for $1800. See my post in in Win 11 is onedrive mandatory. Good luck, My last bestie was an Acer Swift 3 but they don't make them that good anymore

I have both an XPS 15 for home and an XPS 13 for business and am delighted with both. They are a few years old and perform as expected They are not my first XPS systems (the others have been desktops) and I have no qualms whatsoever recommending them. I also have an HP Envy desktop that's about a year old. It's high end, but there are some "features" I should have explored more deeply prior to purchasing (no room for a third internal hd, no standard expansion slots). Still, it also performs very well.

The choice boils down to budget, computing needs/practices, support quality, “hardware quality”.

I had no prior complaints with several Dell XPS 15s. And - FWIW - they get good (if biased?) reviews.
But, when I shopped last year, that model was a non-starter because of:
1. the crappy camera with no mechanical shutter (apparently they did upgrade the camera this year)
2. terrible I/O connectivity (IIRC just 2 USB-C - everything else requires docks, hubs & adapters)
3. lousy battery life (as expected with discrete graphics)
4. Many more hardware issues reported at Dell forums.
5. “Consumer”, not Business, support.

So, I have been very happy with the Latitude 7530. It was a tradeoff. The downsides:
1. Integrated graphics - OK for my needs
2. NO high-end display - OK for my needs
3. Style - irrelevant for me
4. NO slot for a 2nd storage drive - OK for my needs

The upsides of the Latitude 7530:
1. Better webcam with mechanical shutter (according to Dell Premium TS, the “electronic” shutter on the new XPS15 = crap)
2. MUCH better I/O connectivity, including HDMI which I need without a stupid adapter
3. Better battery life
4. Excellent “business” support, both live & including Dell Command Update (instead of crappy Dell Support Assist)
5. Far fewer trouble reports at Dell forums (confirmed by Dell TS, who related that they do get more tickets for XPS than Latitude)

This is just my personal experience.
I'm certainly not shilling for Dell.

Whatever OEM laptop you buy, IMHO the extended hardware warranty is worth the $$, especially for regular home users. Unlike towers, dissecting & repairing laptops (with all their proprietary innards) is too complicated. And, they are subject to more wear & tear for obvious reasons.

Again, JMHO.
I understand others will disagree.