Dell Studio 15

But while we're impressed, we reckon Dell can do better. We know the Studio range starts at just £399, yet this review specification works out at a hefty £791 - nearly £930 once VAT is factored in.

This leaves us in a predicament, as the lighter, more robust and polished XPS M1530 can be specified very similarly for hardly any additional cost. With the same processor and Blu-ray drive, 1GB more RAM, 250GB of storage and an equivalent GeForce graphics chip, an XPS M1530 will cost you just £867 plus VAT - well worth considering.

The Studio is undoubtedly an improvement on the Inspiron design, though. Luxury paint jobs and Blu-ray drives aside, it's solid, comfortable and pleasing on both the eye and the fingertips, so its strength will most likely lie at the lower end of the price scale. But again, there's a little too much overlap for our liking. The Inspiron range is here to stay, but at prices very similar to the Studio, so in a sense Dell's merely offering you a choice of chassis once you've picked your components.

This may be confusing but it does add choice for consumers, and from what we've seen we'd opt for the Studio over the Inspiron in most cases. So if you're after an affordable yet well-equipped laptop - or you just fancy a bright orange lid - a mid- to low-end Studio 15 should fit the bill. And, if you're really quick off the mark, Dell are offering this specification for just £680 - a hefty saving of £111 over the normal ex VAT price. Just quote the E-Value code NPUK5-NR53502.

Author: Matthew Sparkes