From the start, the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 was loud. It was sitting on my kitchen bench doing what new PCs do -- downloading a lot of updates to Windows from Microsoft -- and in a few short minutes, its fan was whirling away and making noise that gave me flashbacks of the laptops of yesteryear.
This throwback is unlike the rest of the machine, which is a collection of very good silicon.
The XPS 15 is the first device making use of the Intel CPU and AMD Radeon RX Vega 870 GPU combo to cross my desk, and that means it is one of the more interesting devices this year.
The addition of the Radeon GPU is a double-edged sword.
Firstly, it gives a very welcome boost to the graphics capabilities of the device. The XPS isn't going to be a gaming or rendering system, but those who have been struggling with the Intel HD graphics embedded in laptops will appreciate the reduction in chugging and lost frames.
The drawback that comes with the performance bump is the battery being quickly sapped when the Vega is engaged. When playing a desktop-style strategy game -- an application that is a very long way from the likes of FarCry -- the battery was drained in 90 minutes. It would be wrong to single out the XPS 15 for being the sole offender in this task, as the entire category of gaming laptops suffer from this.
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And then there is the Intel-branded configuration tool for the Radeon, which reminds you that this XPS is a "dogs and cats living together" sort of device you never thought you'd see.
Beyond the GPU, the rest of the silicon in our review unit