When wireless is your primary means of connecting with the world outside of your local machine, the last thing you need is something like a Killer NIC. Wifi should be something you simply don't have to think about as an end user. It ought to fall into the "it just works" realm and I don't think any Killer adapter has been able to deliver on that in a long time.
A-freaking-men. A "Killer" network card of any kind is an immediate negative mark against a product in my book.
As far as onboard wired networking goes I consider Intel gigabit ethernet to be my baseline. Anything gigabit but non-Intel is a negative. Anything NBASE-T or 10G is a positive.
For WiFi anything truly onboard, as in built in to the motherboard, is a negative to me. WiFi technology moves too fast. My gigabit ethernet card from 2004 is still just as useful today as it was then, but my 802.11g card from the same time is pretty much a relic by modern standards. My laptops have all lived through multiple generations of wireless networking, so the ability to upgrade is key.
Along those same lines, vendors that lock down their firmwares to only boot with approved cards can suck a big fat one.
I still consider an Intel WiFi card to be a plus and Killer to be a small minus. Plain old Broadcom or Atheros is the neutral position.
Killer it's just a brand name for Broadcom to sell their products under. If you don't bother to install the software QoS service, it's just like any other network chipset. Would you rather have Realtek or Broadcom? Or hell, they could give us crap from Marvell like their "MADDOG" 802.11n chipset.
Don't worry, the this Killer AC is stock Atheros Q6147A, it's actually pretty good and capable network card. They certainly do not have means to develop new AC chipset from scratch. I had my reservations, but after extensive tests I conducted at work, the chipset beat Intel AC in nearly every category, except power draw.
I've been using them for years, and yes I had tons of issues. But you simply load the original Qualcomm driver, and they are just fine - if not wonderful.
I even think the Qualcomm part has better receiver sensitivity too...
I just sent off laptop number 3 today. I haven't had one Dell XPS 15 9560 work as of yet. All were BRAND NEW, factory sealed from Dell. All had the same problem, where the screen would flicker on and off randomly like a strobe light in a dance club. Both brand new factory sealed units did this.
So, I ordered a 3rd laptop that was Dell manufacturer refurbished. Again, after a couple of hours of usage, the laptop screen started flashing/blinking rapidly on/off, randomly, sporadically. Honestly, it was like a strobe light at a club.
Laxaa, check out my verified purchase on Amazon (look under customer videos/pictures). My Dell XPS 15 9560 laptop review with 4k screen is a verified purchase and not a random review... (Verified Purchase means amazon is acknowledging that a human ordered the actual product, and it's not a random review).
I posted videos of the strobe like effect that all 3 laptop screens have displayed. Here goes laptop number 4, 5, 6, etc...
How is everyone else ordering them? Brand new factory sealed are terrible from dell, and so are manufacturer dell refurbished. Is everyone ordering them from Vladimir in the alley, late at night, used?
Got mine a month ago at the Microsoft Store in Atlanta. 4K screen, 32 GB RAM, 1 Terabyte SSD, Fingerprint reader. It was factory sealed. Microsoft has Dell manufacture a Microsoft Signature Edition. Only Windows 10 is installed with necessary drivers and Dell utilities. This means a clean installation with no bloatware! Added 4 years of Microsoft Complete warranty including accidental damage. Any needed replacements are done immediately from new in-store stock. Unboxed and set it up in the store immediately after purchase. Immediately did all the updates. No screen flicker. No bad screen pixels. No screen bleed. DaVinci Resolve Studio 4K H.264 real-time video editing is smooth with zero dropped frames. So far mine has been literally perfect and I'm more than pleased.
Garret S: That sounds like it must be an environmental problem - something going on with your power lines or some kind of wireless interference; something like that. Have you tried any of them in a different location (e.g. go work at a library or a starbucks or whatever for a few hours)?
Just running on battery can eliminate any potential issues from the AC lines.
I had the same issue. The screen would start flickering like crazy after a couple of hours of usage. However, updating to the latest Intel display driver sorted it out for me. Its been a almost a month now and there has been no flickering
What size SSD did you get? I have been eyeing the 1TB SSD version on Amazon http://amzn.to/2uRxsOk (url shortened) but I can't quite justify the price :-(
Good call on replacing the Killer NIC with an Intel 8265. There are few things worse on laptop than than flaky wifi!
Get a smaller SSD and upgrade it yourself. Dell makes it really easy, and you'll end up with a faster and probably cheaper solution, especially if you go through the process of selling the included drive.
I've read that the 9560 is plagued with a lot of issues, like coil whine, keyboard blacklighting not working, faulty drivers and so on. Have you noticed issues with your sample, Brett? The stories are kind of off-putting.
I haven't had any issues with mine. A friend also bought one, and mentioned his right side shift key was not responsive and he got it replaced quickly without much issue.
Mine seems fine. No coil whine, and back lights are just fine for both screen and keyboard. Initially the driver for the nVidia was borked, but they released a new one two weeks after I received the laptop and since then it's been fine.
A friend of mine had issues with his 9550, but he got a on-site motherboard replacement and it seems to work fine now.
The reason I'm asking about faulty deivces is because I'm in the market for a new laptop and so far, the MBP seem sike a better choice based on reliability. However, there's the issue of the Mac beeing worth $1000 more.
I bought the ASUS zenbook, my friend got the XPS 15. I wanted a numpad but had to give up on upgradeability of the ram as only one stick can be replaced so max 24GB for me. Performance wise they're identical. He got it bc the MBP lack of ports and everything soldered on. Uses a Samsung T1 SSD to keep a copy of OSX on it and runs it virtualized. Best of both worlds and def fast enough that its not an issue. Just an option to save you some $$$
Afaik they're both at the same standard electronics failure rates. As for coil whine and such, get replacements in early if it happens. Otherwise I wouldn't rule the XPS out for reported issues - remember for every complaint there's probably many more users who don't have the problem.
I havn't really had issue with Dell support either, though some complain about them.
I was in this same pickle for the XPS 15 9550 when it first came out in Nov 2015. Issues with lag on waking from sleep and screen flickering. Had to disable the HD 630 graphics to remove the lag waking from sleep and the screen flickering, but that totally kills your battery running the GTX 960M all the time. This may have been fixed with drivers given Skylake was brand-spanking-new at the time. I ponied up the extra money and got the Mid 2015 15" rMBP. Never looked back and never had an issue. If you MUST have windows, use Parallels.
Check my amazon verified purchase reviews of the Dell XPS 15 9560. I've had 3 different laptops. All 3 have the infamous screen flashing/screen strobing, which occurs randomly, sporadically, at different time frames.
2 laptops were brand new from dell, factory sealed, from Amazon with 4k screen options, and both of the screens were like bloody strobe lights at a dance club. Also had half (left side only) audio coming out of headphone jack on 3 different headphones. I've had bad screens on all 3, defective headphone jacks, and once, on a brand new one, the fn key was bent in the air (again, check the photos).
So I tried a manufacturer refurbished directly from dell, and walla! Same good ole dancing strobe light (but didn't occur as often as the brand new ones did... it took about 2 hours of usage before screen started rapidly flashing like a strobe, which actually induces seizures).
I left reviews on Amazon (video/photo evidence), and mine are verified purchases (which means my reviews are not fake and/or fraudulent).
I'm going to purchase brand new laptop number 4 tomorrow, and most likely later on, number 5, 6, etc...
Dell: Don't worry guys. I'll cycle through hundreds and hundreds of your laptops until I find a working laptop!! I'll help the shipping company with weekly deliveries until you get your act together. For now, I'm writing this on my 2013 Macbook Pro retina, arguably, the world's greatest laptop ever created.
I guess ease of mind is what's going to justify spending extra on the MacBook Pro, because that doesn't sound good at all. And I've read similar things on Reddit as well.
They can't. Not enough room without using undersize keys for the entire keyboard. Slim bezels mean its about an inch narrower than a traditional fat bezel 15.6" laptop, roughly the size of a 14" fat bezel model which is also too narrow to fit a numpad.
If you want slim bezels and a numpad, you'll need to hope someone makes a slim bezel 17" model. Being the size of a 15" fat bezel laptop, it'll again be wide enough to fit one.
I actually feel the opposite, I'd rather a centered keyboard and trackpad than a numpad. If you do data entry there's always external numpads. Most people don't use them that much and the keys are redundant.
I'm really glad it doesn't have a numeric keypad. That's the #1 thing I look to avoid when comparing models, and it pretty much rules out everything over 15".
I'm actually pretty proficient at using a number pad, but when I have it I use it so rarely, it's not worth having the main part of the keyboard be off-center. I actually don't even use a number pad on my desktop computers either - it's a waste of space.
I agreed that it's not for everyone. For English-only usage it's fine not having a numeric pad. In my case, I also use Thai as well. Thai layout covers the whole main keyboard with no room for numbers (as it contains its own set of numeric characters as well). The only other way to input (Arabic) number is to switch the layout back to English, which is a little bit cumbersome.
Anyway thanks for all input (@tipoo, @twtech, andDanNeely). Appreciated.
Totally agree. I can't stand the keyboard being off center because of the num pad, and even worse, some laptops have Frankenstein key shapes, sizes and layouts to make the num pad fit.
I disagree about the default screen recommendation. Unless you need battery life above everything else or are on a tight budget I'd go for the 4k screen. The wide gamut is mostly useless if you're not using Adobe apps; but high DPI is wonderful for day to day use. I have the HDPI screen XPS13; and the increased sharpness of the text lets me comfortably read 140dpi equivalent size text (280dpi at 2:1 scaling) to the same distance which is my maximum for non-scaled text on a 100DPI screen.
I also prefer High DPI displays, but with the gamut being mostly irrelevant for most people, plus the significant price bump, I'd think most people would prefer the longer battery life. But hey the choice is yours.
I personally prefer 1080 screens. Until Windows does scaling right like OS X (or is it MacOS now?) I won't bother. I've not seen a single UHD screen with scaling that looks good under Windows.
It's a bit unfortunate that Dell isn't as configurable as they used to be; i.e I'd take the 1050, but don't necessarily need to step up to an i7 for it.
I'd rather have the Broadcom chip in the Killer than Intel. Broadcom's Linux drivers actually work reliably, unlike Intel who was putting out buggy as hell drivers for their card in my L502x XPS 15. Several months of broken Wi-Fi and constant connection fails and dropping every two minutes in few rare success cases was great fun...
I have the 9550, which has the same chassis & display with different internals. Overall, I like the laptop - I wish every manufacturer would use a similar layout that maximizes display size. But I've had quite a few issues with it, and I'm wondering if any of them apply to the 9560.
One of the big ones was an issue with the integrated graphics drivers - I don't know if it was actually an overheating issue later mitigated by the updated drivers, or if the software was just buggy, but for quite a while the driver would crash and restart repeatedly. I thought the machine was damaged - turned out a driver update was all that was needed to fix it, but it took months to get it. That issue I assume has probably been fixed.
The spacebar on the keyboard may be impeded by the battery ribbon cable that runs underneath it, if the cable is at all loose. A loose battery cable sticks up a bit, it interferes with the spacebar, causing it to intermittently not register keypresses. This one could still be an issue for the 9560 if nothing has changed about the design or manufacturing process.
I also recently had an issue with battery swelling in my 9550. It manifested itself as an increasingly hard-to-click touchpad - it's probably actually a good thing that it did, because an expanding battery is an explosion risk otherwise. Searching for information on the ultimately-unusable touchpad led me to the source of the problem. Apparently the battery is susceptible to the issue if you leave the laptop plugged in most of the time. I self-replaced the battery which isn't very difficult - provided you have the right tool to remove the screws.
Nice review. I've had mine for about two months now, and agree with almost everything you've said. The one exception is the absolutely awful time I had for the first few weeks with the Killer wireless card which among other problems would not connect to the EAP authenticated network at my work or work at all under Linux which I dual boot. Fortunately, unlike some other machines, the wireless card is still a plain M.2 card and was dead easy to replace with an Intel 8265 which works much better.
The only annoyance opening the machine is the Torz TX5 screwdriver needed, and that is the same one as all of Dells other extrathin XPS and Precision models so it was easy to find.
How on earth is everyone using these Dell XPS 15 9560 models? I have purchased 2 brand new factory sealed models from Amazon, and both had defects. If you look under my name (Garrett S.), you will see that the screen shuts off, on/off rapidly like a strobe light in a club. Both laptops did this.
So, I recently ordered a factory refurbished unit from Dell, from a different reseller (again, because brand new factory sealed units were always defective), and the new one has the same issue. Screen randomly shuts off and flickers after a couple of hours. 3 laptops in 1 month.
Don't believe me? I've posted videos of the problem, on amazon, as a verified purchase under product review. Can't fake that...
Already sent off laptop number 3. Here goes laptop number 4, 5, 6, etc...
When I read user horror stories like yours, I can't help but think other issues may be involved. Sure, you could be the anti-lottery winner, someone has to be on the other end of the luck spectrum. However, 3 laptops all having the exact same problem? Unless it was a bad batch, statistically highly unlikely. Have you thought maybe of testing to see if it's your environment. I don't know, maybe some type of electronic interference? Something other than just spectacularly bad luck?
It's not my power strips, electricity, humidity, environment, or anything else. Other users on amazon are posting similar images and videos of the exact same problem.
The funny part is, these are brand new factory sealed laptops directly from dell, and even the refurbished ones from dell have the same issue, but it doesn't replicate itself immediately (it takes 2-3 hours of usage before screen starts flickering).
Users on reddit are posting the same thing. Users on amazon are showing verified purchased review videos of the problem. The Dell XPS 15 9560 laptop on amazon has 3 out of 5 stars which is a great improvement, compared to when it was released. When laptop was released earlier in the year (march?) the laptop had 2 out of 5 stars. Guess what? Not one review had a "manufacturer's response" posted which other computer makers often do.
That leads me to believe that dell doesn't give a flying **ck.
Because all of the brand new laptops have the same problem, I tried dell manufacturer refurbished. Same problem. Customers are returning defective laptops to dell (which is why it's labeled refurbished on the bottom), and the same problem exists.
Why? Most likely, the dell "technicians" are simply turning on the laptop, and if the screen turns on, they immediately ship the device. However, the problem occurs after 2-3 hours of regular web browsing or word processing usage. The screen shuts off and on, and off, and flashes and gets progressively worse, similar to a strobe light. Perhaps the dell "technicians" can't/won't test longer than 5 seconds verifying if the screen simply turns on? The problems *ALWAYS* show after a couple of hours use.
If there is something wrong with my environment, then why do all the product reviews of this laptop on amazon show 3 out of 5 stars (previously 2 out of 5 stars)?
Perhaps everyone's environment is terrible around the world! My environment consists of a very clean table in the dining room. You can see my dining room table on the video posted on amazon, under garrett, in the amazon verified reviews, along with everyone else's. Just be careful you don't have a seizure from watching the strobe like effect that the laptop screens display.
It's ok. Shipping is free. If I were you guys, I would buy stock in UPS. They are beginning to know me on first name basis. I see this happening all year on this model of laptop from dell.
Bad karma. I've had lots of dell products, laptops included, never ever had a problem with any of them. Not a single unit manifested any kind of problem during the warranty period, most were working well after double the time until they were sold on the cheap.
Why on earth does the product have 3 out of 5 stars (2 out of 5 stars in first month during release) on amazon for this dell xps 9560 laptop, with verified purchase reviews? Most people buying the product on the most popular online retailer in the U.S. is having the same problem I am having. Review the Dell XPS 9560 on amazon. 3/5 is the review, which is better than it was a short while ago, 2/5. That's the lowest I've ever seen of any product on Amazon.
How is this karma directed towards me? Why is everyone else having the same problem? Check out reddit. There are hundreds of negative reviews of the same thing.
Oh wait a minute... Maybe everyone purchasing these Dell 9560 XPS 15 laptop models have a specific vendetta against Dell and they all want to get even at Dell... Strange that everyone was waiting for years, and they are all choosing now, and only 1 specific newly released model, and they are all showing pictures and videos of the problem... verified purchases...
You're right! It's a conspiracy.. You are onto something here bro....
From what I've read in forums and other people's experiences, Dell's QC is pretty bad. If you are lucky, you'll get a good unit and it may last over 10 years. But a lot of units have faults and are very problematic.
You know what they all have in common? They were purchased through Amazon. You know what is really really bad? Amazon's shipping and packing. They actually sent me a hard drive which was in the static bag LOOSE IN A BOX with just one piece of crumpled paper for packing. It was, as I expected, DOA. When contacting them for a replacement, I specifically mentioned the poor packaging. Replacement one came - PACKED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY! Luckily this one worked, although what sort of life span it will have is still up in the air. It's multiply backed up so it's just an annoyance at having to tear the box apart if (when) it dies. I left two blistering packaging feedbacks. That takes some kind of special to pack a hard drive like that. At the same time I bought a power supply. It was encased in foam inside the OEM box, PLUS they placed that inside another larger box totally packed with air bags. Really boggles the mind. Wonder if Amazon's involvement with shipping the laptops is causing an issue. I hope Amazon doesn't warehouse these - even here in the northeast there are reports of the inside of the local Amazon distribution center getting well over 100 degrees on a sunny day.
I've had many problems with Dell laptops in the past, from cheap Inspirions to expensive Latitudes. The problems include keyboard failing, motherboard dying, one Latitude melting, LCDs failing, etc. Luckily the client had extended 3 year warranty, and Dell repaired or replaced the units, but even the replacements failed in less than a year. Those were systems from 2012 to 2015. Since then I don't recommend Dell anymore.
I bought an XPS 9560 and had zero problems with it. I've used my display for 12+ hours at a time and no flickering or anything like this.
I suspect a software issue if it's that reproducible, though. I'm not saying that the rate of defects on the 9560 is acceptable, just adding a report of someone who has had no problem.
In my case screen flickering issue was solved with uninstall of dell premium color software that was incompatible with new gpu drivers (though that was on 9550)
I really want to live my xps15 9550 but Dell's QC is pretty much nonexistent. Right after warranty expired my battery swelled and lifted touchpad above the body by 5-6mm. I bought and changed the battery but the situation seems to repeat itself again with touchpad buttons becoming hard to press. And that's not the end of my misery because laptop BSODs and reboots randomly without POSTing and the problem seems to be with hardware because reinstall of Windows 10 and downgrade to older drivers doesn't change anything. How can such a premium machine be so faulty
I've got a Precision 5520 (which is basically the same laptop) with the 4K screen that has been flawless, my partner has a 9560 with the 1080p which is similarly without issue, and I have a 1080p Precision 5520 on it's way to.
I remember reading about a lot of issues users were having with the previous XPS15 and Precision M3800, but I bought dozens of these in 2015/16 and not a single one had any issues on arrival and they have been reliable in use.
TL:DR - don't let a few vocal users with poor experiences put you off, I've found these to be excellent and well built machines.
I like that they don't cram a numeric pad in the keyboard. But the port selection is lacking. I would expect at least 3 USB type A ports or more than 1 USB type C in a laptop this size and weight. Also the lack of Ethernet is a big minus for me.
I've had my Dell XPS 15 9560 for 6 weeks and so far it's been flawless. 4K screen is incredible, 32 GB RAM, 1 Terabyte SSD, Fingerprint reader. I can edit 4K video in DaVinci Resolve Studio in real-time with no proxies. After driver update Killer NIC has been faultless. Windows 10 Pro is great.
Killer Networking has garbage software support. They post new 'Control Center' releases on their support page - and then pull them back down - reverting to older versions - all without saying a word.
Plus their control center app messes with Windows 10 Creator something fierce - inducing blue screens and ipV6 issues out of nowhere.
Bad decision for Dell (and MSI) to rely so heavily on Killer tech. They stink and are no longer a serious player.
If only they'd take a cue from microsoft and ditch the horrible 16:9. I love my ultrawide 34" LG, but hate 16:9 formats on notebooks--it's just not terribly practical to have the extra horizontal real estate on a laptop. Even the 16:10 apple uses would be a big improvement. If there were a laptop like this with a better aspect ratio I'd buy it in a heartbeat, even with the NoseCam (TM)
Small business - Out of 13 - Dell XPS 15" Laptops - 3 different models over the past 5 years.. only 4 of that group remain operative today. 7 of them dead mainboard - 2.5-3.5 years of usage. 2 of them were user accidents. I actually don't mind too much - they are good laptops and need to be replaced anyway every 3 years.. ;-)
I've had the 9550 (non-touch screen) for a year now. Great machine in lots of ways but its frustrating to use as a high productivity device. Its sharp edges leave your wrists sore after a lot of typing. The screen touches the keyboard when closed picking up grease. Keypress experience isn't the best and you're never sure if you've hit the right spot to left-click/right-click on the trackpad. Can't reduce the brightness as much as I'd like in the dark. I love the great high-end features: backlit keys, snappy performance, good battery, vibrant matte display, rarely heard fan. So its great when I'm in youtube/facebook mode. Strange no reviewer tests them for productivity.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
82 Comments
Back to Article
James5mith - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I gotta say, I'm loving my 9560. First thing I did was swap out the 16GB of RAM for 32GB of DDR4-2400, and swap out the Killer NIC for an Intel 8265.I'll gladly take more stable wifi over slightly faster wifi any day.
notR1CH - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I thought the Killer networking junk was only found in ELITE PRO GAMER products. Very disappointing to see it creeping into more mainstream systems.BrokenCrayons - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
When wireless is your primary means of connecting with the world outside of your local machine, the last thing you need is something like a Killer NIC. Wifi should be something you simply don't have to think about as an end user. It ought to fall into the "it just works" realm and I don't think any Killer adapter has been able to deliver on that in a long time.tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
It looks like Killer is now going for being the cheaper option in mainstream systems, rather than just a gaming option.wolrah - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
A-freaking-men. A "Killer" network card of any kind is an immediate negative mark against a product in my book.As far as onboard wired networking goes I consider Intel gigabit ethernet to be my baseline. Anything gigabit but non-Intel is a negative. Anything NBASE-T or 10G is a positive.
For WiFi anything truly onboard, as in built in to the motherboard, is a negative to me. WiFi technology moves too fast. My gigabit ethernet card from 2004 is still just as useful today as it was then, but my 802.11g card from the same time is pretty much a relic by modern standards. My laptops have all lived through multiple generations of wireless networking, so the ability to upgrade is key.
Along those same lines, vendors that lock down their firmwares to only boot with approved cards can suck a big fat one.
I still consider an Intel WiFi card to be a plus and Killer to be a small minus. Plain old Broadcom or Atheros is the neutral position.
petteyg359 - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Killer it's just a brand name for Broadcom to sell their products under. If you don't bother to install the software QoS service, it's just like any other network chipset. Would you rather have Realtek or Broadcom? Or hell, they could give us crap from Marvell like their "MADDOG" 802.11n chipset.petteyg359 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
And by Broadcom I obviously meant Atheros. Brain was lacking.Daniel Egger - Friday, August 4, 2017 - link
WiFi in computers has to be Intel or Broadcom. For routers Atheros, Broadcom or Ralink is acceptable. Anything else is just crap.coolhardware - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Yes, it is a bummer than Lenovo has a whitelist for wifi cards on some of their models. Makes it a real pain to upgrade/replace :-(skavi - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
Lots of Lenovo products have modded bioses with removed whitelists.Vatharian - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
You know that this particular Killer is stock Atheros?Vatharian - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Don't worry, the this Killer AC is stock Atheros Q6147A, it's actually pretty good and capable network card. They certainly do not have means to develop new AC chipset from scratch. I had my reservations, but after extensive tests I conducted at work, the chipset beat Intel AC in nearly every category, except power draw.Notmyusualid - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
Ladies - all this 'Killer hate' has to stop.I've been using them for years, and yes I had tons of issues. But you simply load the original Qualcomm driver, and they are just fine - if not wonderful.
I even think the Qualcomm part has better receiver sensitivity too...
Laxaa - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Have you encountered any issues with your 9560. It seems like QC might be a bit over the place, as far as I've read.coolhardware - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Would be interested to know this as well. Dell seems to be slipping the QC arena.Garrett S. - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Laxaa,I just sent off laptop number 3 today. I haven't had one Dell XPS 15 9560 work as of yet. All were BRAND NEW, factory sealed from Dell. All had the same problem, where the screen would flicker on and off randomly like a strobe light in a dance club. Both brand new factory sealed units did this.
So, I ordered a 3rd laptop that was Dell manufacturer refurbished. Again, after a couple of hours of usage, the laptop screen started flashing/blinking rapidly on/off, randomly, sporadically. Honestly, it was like a strobe light at a club.
Garrett S. - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Laxaa, check out my verified purchase on Amazon (look under customer videos/pictures). My Dell XPS 15 9560 laptop review with 4k screen is a verified purchase and not a random review... (Verified Purchase means amazon is acknowledging that a human ordered the actual product, and it's not a random review).I posted videos of the strobe like effect that all 3 laptop screens have displayed. Here goes laptop number 4, 5, 6, etc...
How is everyone else ordering them? Brand new factory sealed are terrible from dell, and so are manufacturer dell refurbished. Is everyone ordering them from Vladimir in the alley, late at night, used?
TraderGary - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
Got mine a month ago at the Microsoft Store in Atlanta.4K screen, 32 GB RAM, 1 Terabyte SSD, Fingerprint reader.
It was factory sealed.
Microsoft has Dell manufacture a Microsoft Signature Edition.
Only Windows 10 is installed with necessary drivers and Dell utilities.
This means a clean installation with no bloatware!
Added 4 years of Microsoft Complete warranty including accidental damage.
Any needed replacements are done immediately from new in-store stock.
Unboxed and set it up in the store immediately after purchase.
Immediately did all the updates.
No screen flicker.
No bad screen pixels.
No screen bleed.
DaVinci Resolve Studio 4K H.264 real-time video editing is smooth with zero dropped frames.
So far mine has been literally perfect and I'm more than pleased.
nfriedly - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
Garret S: That sounds like it must be an environmental problem - something going on with your power lines or some kind of wireless interference; something like that. Have you tried any of them in a different location (e.g. go work at a library or a starbucks or whatever for a few hours)?Just running on battery can eliminate any potential issues from the AC lines.
quicksilver17 - Thursday, August 3, 2017 - link
I had the same issue. The screen would start flickering like crazy after a couple of hours of usage. However, updating to the latest Intel display driver sorted it out for me. Its been a almost a month now and there has been no flickeringcoolhardware - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
What size SSD did you get? I have been eyeing the 1TB SSD version on Amazon http://amzn.to/2uRxsOk (url shortened) but I can't quite justify the price :-(Good call on replacing the Killer NIC with an Intel 8265. There are few things worse on laptop than than flaky wifi!
skavi - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
Get a smaller SSD and upgrade it yourself. Dell makes it really easy, and you'll end up with a faster and probably cheaper solution, especially if you go through the process of selling the included drive.MarkZ3 - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
A review of the MacBook Pro 15 would be great for comparison purposes! Anandtech hasn't done one in a while.tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Someone said on twitter it was in the works, there was just a lot else on schedule first. Not sure what the ETA is.Laxaa - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I've read that the 9560 is plagued with a lot of issues, like coil whine, keyboard blacklighting not working, faulty drivers and so on. Have you noticed issues with your sample, Brett? The stories are kind of off-putting.James5mith - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I haven't had any issues with mine. A friend also bought one, and mentioned his right side shift key was not responsive and he got it replaced quickly without much issue.Mine seems fine. No coil whine, and back lights are just fine for both screen and keyboard. Initially the driver for the nVidia was borked, but they released a new one two weeks after I received the laptop and since then it's been fine.
Laxaa - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
A friend of mine had issues with his 9550, but he got a on-site motherboard replacement and it seems to work fine now.The reason I'm asking about faulty deivces is because I'm in the market for a new laptop and so far, the MBP seem sike a better choice based on reliability. However, there's the issue of the Mac beeing worth $1000 more.
Manch - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I bought the ASUS zenbook, my friend got the XPS 15. I wanted a numpad but had to give up on upgradeability of the ram as only one stick can be replaced so max 24GB for me. Performance wise they're identical. He got it bc the MBP lack of ports and everything soldered on. Uses a Samsung T1 SSD to keep a copy of OSX on it and runs it virtualized. Best of both worlds and def fast enough that its not an issue. Just an option to save you some $$$tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Afaik they're both at the same standard electronics failure rates. As for coil whine and such, get replacements in early if it happens. Otherwise I wouldn't rule the XPS out for reported issues - remember for every complaint there's probably many more users who don't have the problem.I havn't really had issue with Dell support either, though some complain about them.
Morawka - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
and this is why you buy dell instead of Asus or even Acer. On-site motherboard replacement.. It's on-site for any repair almost.aznchum - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I was in this same pickle for the XPS 15 9550 when it first came out in Nov 2015. Issues with lag on waking from sleep and screen flickering. Had to disable the HD 630 graphics to remove the lag waking from sleep and the screen flickering, but that totally kills your battery running the GTX 960M all the time. This may have been fixed with drivers given Skylake was brand-spanking-new at the time. I ponied up the extra money and got the Mid 2015 15" rMBP. Never looked back and never had an issue. If you MUST have windows, use Parallels.nagi603 - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
A colleague of mine had a faulty keyboard. The right ctrl button got stuck. Factory new, etc... Looks like QC is not the best at Dell.Garrett S. - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Laxaa,Check my amazon verified purchase reviews of the Dell XPS 15 9560. I've had 3 different laptops. All 3 have the infamous screen flashing/screen strobing, which occurs randomly, sporadically, at different time frames.
2 laptops were brand new from dell, factory sealed, from Amazon with 4k screen options, and both of the screens were like bloody strobe lights at a dance club. Also had half (left side only) audio coming out of headphone jack on 3 different headphones. I've had bad screens on all 3, defective headphone jacks, and once, on a brand new one, the fn key was bent in the air (again, check the photos).
So I tried a manufacturer refurbished directly from dell, and walla! Same good ole dancing strobe light (but didn't occur as often as the brand new ones did... it took about 2 hours of usage before screen started rapidly flashing like a strobe, which actually induces seizures).
I left reviews on Amazon (video/photo evidence), and mine are verified purchases (which means my reviews are not fake and/or fraudulent).
I'm going to purchase brand new laptop number 4 tomorrow, and most likely later on, number 5, 6, etc...
Dell: Don't worry guys. I'll cycle through hundreds and hundreds of your laptops until I find a working laptop!! I'll help the shipping company with weekly deliveries until you get your act together. For now, I'm writing this on my 2013 Macbook Pro retina, arguably, the world's greatest laptop ever created.
Laxaa - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I guess ease of mind is what's going to justify spending extra on the MacBook Pro, because that doesn't sound good at all. And I've read similar things on Reddit as well.mr_tawan - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
It would be great if they include the numeric pad on the keyboard.DanNeely - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
They can't. Not enough room without using undersize keys for the entire keyboard. Slim bezels mean its about an inch narrower than a traditional fat bezel 15.6" laptop, roughly the size of a 14" fat bezel model which is also too narrow to fit a numpad.If you want slim bezels and a numpad, you'll need to hope someone makes a slim bezel 17" model. Being the size of a 15" fat bezel laptop, it'll again be wide enough to fit one.
tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I actually feel the opposite, I'd rather a centered keyboard and trackpad than a numpad. If you do data entry there's always external numpads. Most people don't use them that much and the keys are redundant.twtech - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I'm really glad it doesn't have a numeric keypad. That's the #1 thing I look to avoid when comparing models, and it pretty much rules out everything over 15".I'm actually pretty proficient at using a number pad, but when I have it I use it so rarely, it's not worth having the main part of the keyboard be off-center. I actually don't even use a number pad on my desktop computers either - it's a waste of space.
mr_tawan - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
I agreed that it's not for everyone. For English-only usage it's fine not having a numeric pad. In my case, I also use Thai as well. Thai layout covers the whole main keyboard with no room for numbers (as it contains its own set of numeric characters as well). The only other way to input (Arabic) number is to switch the layout back to English, which is a little bit cumbersome.Anyway thanks for all input (@tipoo, @twtech, andDanNeely). Appreciated.
Glock24 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
Totally agree. I can't stand the keyboard being off center because of the num pad, and even worse, some laptops have Frankenstein key shapes, sizes and layouts to make the num pad fit.wiineeth - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Would be a perfect laptop for my work if it comes with a ryzen cpu! Hopefully SOON!!!icedeocampo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I'm all or Ryzen and I hope it creeps into the mobile segment as well, but for the time being- it'll be intel. -Perhaps next year?thesloth - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
It would be nice to have minimum brightness, as well as maximum. Otherwise, a very nice article.thesloth - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
For anyone interested, the NotebookCheck.net review has the minimum brightness pegged at 33 cd/m2 for the FHD panel.MrCommunistGen - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
It is listed in the article as: "The minimum brightness is a relatively high 31 nits, for those interested." under the Contrast Ratio graph.DanNeely - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I disagree about the default screen recommendation. Unless you need battery life above everything else or are on a tight budget I'd go for the 4k screen. The wide gamut is mostly useless if you're not using Adobe apps; but high DPI is wonderful for day to day use. I have the HDPI screen XPS13; and the increased sharpness of the text lets me comfortably read 140dpi equivalent size text (280dpi at 2:1 scaling) to the same distance which is my maximum for non-scaled text on a 100DPI screen.Brett Howse - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I also prefer High DPI displays, but with the gamut being mostly irrelevant for most people, plus the significant price bump, I'd think most people would prefer the longer battery life. But hey the choice is yours.Glock24 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
I personally prefer 1080 screens. Until Windows does scaling right like OS X (or is it MacOS now?) I won't bother. I've not seen a single UHD screen with scaling that looks good under Windows.tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
It's a bit unfortunate that Dell isn't as configurable as they used to be; i.e I'd take the 1050, but don't necessarily need to step up to an i7 for it.
groff - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Did you mean "styling cues"?yetanotherraj - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
"Near the end of 2015, Dell rolled out their new XPS styling queues" ... you mean "cues"?linster - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Where is this option to select the Intel WiFi card instead of Killer? Configuration tool on Dell's website isn't giving me an option to do this.petteyg359 - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I'd rather have the Broadcom chip in the Killer than Intel. Broadcom's Linux drivers actually work reliably, unlike Intel who was putting out buggy as hell drivers for their card in my L502x XPS 15. Several months of broken Wi-Fi and constant connection fails and dropping every two minutes in few rare success cases was great fun...Brett Howse - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Killer is based on Qualcomm not Broadcom.petteyg359 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
Yep. I appear to have been brainless yesterday. Point remains, just search and replace :) I'll take everything Atheros over Intel any day.Vatharian - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
What is this 99 Wh limit you mention at the beginning of the article?tipoo - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
You can't fly with more than a 100Wh battery, so most laptops are at most 99Wh.SaolDan - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Intel 6D 530?? HD?twtech - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
I have the 9550, which has the same chassis & display with different internals. Overall, I like the laptop - I wish every manufacturer would use a similar layout that maximizes display size. But I've had quite a few issues with it, and I'm wondering if any of them apply to the 9560.One of the big ones was an issue with the integrated graphics drivers - I don't know if it was actually an overheating issue later mitigated by the updated drivers, or if the software was just buggy, but for quite a while the driver would crash and restart repeatedly. I thought the machine was damaged - turned out a driver update was all that was needed to fix it, but it took months to get it. That issue I assume has probably been fixed.
The spacebar on the keyboard may be impeded by the battery ribbon cable that runs underneath it, if the cable is at all loose. A loose battery cable sticks up a bit, it interferes with the spacebar, causing it to intermittently not register keypresses. This one could still be an issue for the 9560 if nothing has changed about the design or manufacturing process.
I also recently had an issue with battery swelling in my 9550. It manifested itself as an increasingly hard-to-click touchpad - it's probably actually a good thing that it did, because an expanding battery is an explosion risk otherwise. Searching for information on the ultimately-unusable touchpad led me to the source of the problem. Apparently the battery is susceptible to the issue if you leave the laptop plugged in most of the time. I self-replaced the battery which isn't very difficult - provided you have the right tool to remove the screws.
CubicleHermit - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
Nice review. I've had mine for about two months now, and agree with almost everything you've said. The one exception is the absolutely awful time I had for the first few weeks with the Killer wireless card which among other problems would not connect to the EAP authenticated network at my work or work at all under Linux which I dual boot. Fortunately, unlike some other machines, the wireless card is still a plain M.2 card and was dead easy to replace with an Intel 8265 which works much better.The only annoyance opening the machine is the Torz TX5 screwdriver needed, and that is the same one as all of Dells other extrathin XPS and Precision models so it was easy to find.
Garrett S. - Monday, July 31, 2017 - link
How on earth is everyone using these Dell XPS 15 9560 models?I have purchased 2 brand new factory sealed models from Amazon, and both had defects. If you look under my name (Garrett S.), you will see that the screen shuts off, on/off rapidly like a strobe light in a club. Both laptops did this.
So, I recently ordered a factory refurbished unit from Dell, from a different reseller (again, because brand new factory sealed units were always defective), and the new one has the same issue. Screen randomly shuts off and flickers after a couple of hours. 3 laptops in 1 month.
Don't believe me? I've posted videos of the problem, on amazon, as a verified purchase under product review. Can't fake that...
Already sent off laptop number 3. Here goes laptop number 4, 5, 6, etc...
linster - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
When I read user horror stories like yours, I can't help but think other issues may be involved. Sure, you could be the anti-lottery winner, someone has to be on the other end of the luck spectrum. However, 3 laptops all having the exact same problem? Unless it was a bad batch, statistically highly unlikely. Have you thought maybe of testing to see if it's your environment. I don't know, maybe some type of electronic interference? Something other than just spectacularly bad luck?Garrett S. - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
It's not my power strips, electricity, humidity, environment, or anything else. Other users on amazon are posting similar images and videos of the exact same problem.The funny part is, these are brand new factory sealed laptops directly from dell, and even the refurbished ones from dell have the same issue, but it doesn't replicate itself immediately (it takes 2-3 hours of usage before screen starts flickering).
Users on reddit are posting the same thing. Users on amazon are showing verified purchased review videos of the problem. The Dell XPS 15 9560 laptop on amazon has 3 out of 5 stars which is a great improvement, compared to when it was released. When laptop was released earlier in the year (march?) the laptop had 2 out of 5 stars. Guess what? Not one review had a "manufacturer's response" posted which other computer makers often do.
That leads me to believe that dell doesn't give a flying **ck.
Because all of the brand new laptops have the same problem, I tried dell manufacturer refurbished. Same problem. Customers are returning defective laptops to dell (which is why it's labeled refurbished on the bottom), and the same problem exists.
Why? Most likely, the dell "technicians" are simply turning on the laptop, and if the screen turns on, they immediately ship the device. However, the problem occurs after 2-3 hours of regular web browsing or word processing usage. The screen shuts off and on, and off, and flashes and gets progressively worse, similar to a strobe light. Perhaps the dell "technicians" can't/won't test longer than 5 seconds verifying if the screen simply turns on? The problems *ALWAYS* show after a couple of hours use.
If there is something wrong with my environment, then why do all the product reviews of this laptop on amazon show 3 out of 5 stars (previously 2 out of 5 stars)?
Perhaps everyone's environment is terrible around the world! My environment consists of a very clean table in the dining room. You can see my dining room table on the video posted on amazon, under garrett, in the amazon verified reviews, along with everyone else's. Just be careful you don't have a seizure from watching the strobe like effect that the laptop screens display.
It's ok. Shipping is free.
If I were you guys, I would buy stock in UPS. They are beginning to know me on first name basis. I see this happening all year on this model of laptop from dell.
ddriver - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
Bad karma. I've had lots of dell products, laptops included, never ever had a problem with any of them. Not a single unit manifested any kind of problem during the warranty period, most were working well after double the time until they were sold on the cheap.Garrett S. - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
Once again... respectfully ddriver...Why on earth does the product have 3 out of 5 stars (2 out of 5 stars in first month during release) on amazon for this dell xps 9560 laptop, with verified purchase reviews? Most people buying the product on the most popular online retailer in the U.S. is having the same problem I am having. Review the Dell XPS 9560 on amazon. 3/5 is the review, which is better than it was a short while ago, 2/5. That's the lowest I've ever seen of any product on Amazon.
How is this karma directed towards me? Why is everyone else having the same problem? Check out reddit. There are hundreds of negative reviews of the same thing.
Oh wait a minute... Maybe everyone purchasing these Dell 9560 XPS 15 laptop models have a specific vendetta against Dell and they all want to get even at Dell... Strange that everyone was waiting for years, and they are all choosing now, and only 1 specific newly released model, and they are all showing pictures and videos of the problem... verified purchases...
You're right! It's a conspiracy.. You are onto something here bro....
Glock24 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
From what I've read in forums and other people's experiences, Dell's QC is pretty bad. If you are lucky, you'll get a good unit and it may last over 10 years. But a lot of units have faults and are very problematic.rrinker - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
You know what they all have in common? They were purchased through Amazon. You know what is really really bad? Amazon's shipping and packing. They actually sent me a hard drive which was in the static bag LOOSE IN A BOX with just one piece of crumpled paper for packing. It was, as I expected, DOA. When contacting them for a replacement, I specifically mentioned the poor packaging. Replacement one came - PACKED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY! Luckily this one worked, although what sort of life span it will have is still up in the air. It's multiply backed up so it's just an annoyance at having to tear the box apart if (when) it dies. I left two blistering packaging feedbacks. That takes some kind of special to pack a hard drive like that. At the same time I bought a power supply. It was encased in foam inside the OEM box, PLUS they placed that inside another larger box totally packed with air bags. Really boggles the mind. Wonder if Amazon's involvement with shipping the laptops is causing an issue. I hope Amazon doesn't warehouse these - even here in the northeast there are reports of the inside of the local Amazon distribution center getting well over 100 degrees on a sunny day.Glock24 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
I've had many problems with Dell laptops in the past, from cheap Inspirions to expensive Latitudes. The problems include keyboard failing, motherboard dying, one Latitude melting, LCDs failing, etc. Luckily the client had extended 3 year warranty, and Dell repaired or replaced the units, but even the replacements failed in less than a year. Those were systems from 2012 to 2015. Since then I don't recommend Dell anymore.Seems like they are no better now.
Sancus - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I bought an XPS 9560 and had zero problems with it. I've used my display for 12+ hours at a time and no flickering or anything like this.I suspect a software issue if it's that reproducible, though. I'm not saying that the rate of defects on the 9560 is acceptable, just adding a report of someone who has had no problem.
Rc1138 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
In my case screen flickering issue was solved with uninstall of dell premium color software that was incompatible with new gpu drivers (though that was on 9550)Jodiuh - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
It's 2017...can we PLEASE GET PWM BACKLIGHT RESULTS FOR DEVICES WITH DISPLAYS‽‽‽Rc1138 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I really want to live my xps15 9550 but Dell's QC is pretty much nonexistent. Right after warranty expired my battery swelled and lifted touchpad above the body by 5-6mm. I bought and changed the battery but the situation seems to repeat itself again with touchpad buttons becoming hard to press. And that's not the end of my misery because laptop BSODs and reboots randomly without POSTing and the problem seems to be with hardware because reinstall of Windows 10 and downgrade to older drivers doesn't change anything. How can such a premium machine be so faultyRc1138 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017 - link
I meant like not livedavidedney123 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
I've got a Precision 5520 (which is basically the same laptop) with the 4K screen that has been flawless, my partner has a 9560 with the 1080p which is similarly without issue, and I have a 1080p Precision 5520 on it's way to.I remember reading about a lot of issues users were having with the previous XPS15 and Precision M3800, but I bought dozens of these in 2015/16 and not a single one had any issues on arrival and they have been reliable in use.
TL:DR - don't let a few vocal users with poor experiences put you off, I've found these to be excellent and well built machines.
Glock24 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - link
I like that they don't cram a numeric pad in the keyboard. But the port selection is lacking. I would expect at least 3 USB type A ports or more than 1 USB type C in a laptop this size and weight. Also the lack of Ethernet is a big minus for me.TraderGary - Saturday, August 5, 2017 - link
I've had my Dell XPS 15 9560 for 6 weeks and so far it's been flawless. 4K screen is incredible, 32 GB RAM, 1 Terabyte SSD, Fingerprint reader. I can edit 4K video in DaVinci Resolve Studio in real-time with no proxies. After driver update Killer NIC has been faultless. Windows 10 Pro is great.GoMoeJoe - Tuesday, August 8, 2017 - link
Killer Networking has garbage software support.They post new 'Control Center' releases on their support page -
and then pull them back down - reverting to older versions - all without saying a word.
Plus their control center app messes with Windows 10 Creator something fierce - inducing blue screens and ipV6 issues out of nowhere.
Bad decision for Dell (and MSI) to rely so heavily on Killer tech.
They stink and are no longer a serious player.
billobob - Saturday, August 12, 2017 - link
If only they'd take a cue from microsoft and ditch the horrible 16:9. I love my ultrawide 34" LG, but hate 16:9 formats on notebooks--it's just not terribly practical to have the extra horizontal real estate on a laptop. Even the 16:10 apple uses would be a big improvement. If there were a laptop like this with a better aspect ratio I'd buy it in a heartbeat, even with the NoseCam (TM)nishashrivas93 - Saturday, August 12, 2017 - link
nice features....m planning to buy it.....thank u for this reviewsttekg - Sunday, August 13, 2017 - link
Small business - Out of 13 - Dell XPS 15" Laptops - 3 different models over the past 5 years.. only 4 of that group remain operative today. 7 of them dead mainboard - 2.5-3.5 years of usage. 2 of them were user accidents. I actually don't mind too much - they are good laptops and need to be replaced anyway every 3 years.. ;-)Spede - Sunday, August 13, 2017 - link
Are there also issues with coil whine ? Because the 13" models are plagued with that : http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/os-applica...Perseus10 - Tuesday, August 15, 2017 - link
I've had the 9550 (non-touch screen) for a year now. Great machine in lots of ways but its frustrating to use as a high productivity device. Its sharp edges leave your wrists sore after a lot of typing. The screen touches the keyboard when closed picking up grease. Keypress experience isn't the best and you're never sure if you've hit the right spot to left-click/right-click on the trackpad. Can't reduce the brightness as much as I'd like in the dark. I love the great high-end features: backlit keys, snappy performance, good battery, vibrant matte display, rarely heard fan. So its great when I'm in youtube/facebook mode. Strange no reviewer tests them for productivity.