This XPS 17 is a system for a well-informed professional without much budget constraints. Such a person would value presentation, portability and pixel count over raw performance, but they also have enough computing needs to refuse to compromise too much on performance.Value: If you just want to game on a laptop, you can get basically the same GPU of RTX 2060 and a better AMD cpu of Ryzen 4900hs from the ASUS Zephyrus G14. At $1400 as of this review, the Zephryrus is a far more attractive option based on the numbers. However, there are many details Dell put onto this laptop that makes it possibly worth the +$1000 premium (As of this review, the current generation XPS 17 can be as low as $2400 depending on where you look)Screen: If you have good eyes and a need for screen pixel estate, the glossy 4K+ screen is absolutely gorgeous and can fit a ton of windows and spreadsheets when scaled to 100%. The touchscreen adds a way to efficiently interact with it. This screen is basically bezel-less, you get 17” of screen in a laptop the size of a 15” laptop, indeed I was able to fit this laptop in a bag compartment for 15” laptops only where my old 17” gaming laptop would definitely not fit. The high resolution and normal (I assume 60hz) refresh rate makes it a productivity machine, as opposed to gaming machines with lower resolution and higher refresh rates.GPU: You can game with modern titles, but games would not necessarily be able to run at 4K and still get a good framerate. Compared to my 4 year old gaming laptop with an nVidia GTX 980M, the RTX 2060 max-q in the XPS offers basically the same performance and some new features in a much smaller package. And I know my GTX 980M struggled with games a lot, even at 1080p. The 2060 Max Q is considered “VR-ready” and most games developed for VR should be playable, however normal games with VR mode are more demanding and could struggle to run.CPU: The only reason to choose Intel for this generation is if there are some Intel-specific features you need for your work, or if the rest of the laptop happens to be quite good as is the case here and you’re willing to compromise on the CPU. While by no means a slouch, you are not getting the best laptop CPU in terms of performance and efficiency. The Intel I9-10885H is worse than the AMD R9 4900HS in every way with higher power consumption and lower processing speed, the only exception being slightly better single thread performance - a small consolation in a world where developers are used to optimizing apps for multiple threads. A workload I use a lot is x264 video encoding. Measuring the power draw and frames processed over 12 hours, the i9 has double the efficiency as my 5 year old i7, but 20% less efficiency than my desktop ryzen 3900x. Less efficiency also means more heat: with ideal cooling conditions (a 50W box fan blowing on the laptop), the CPU was able to draw about 90W more power than idle.As a system, the CPU+GPU combination was able to playback youtube 8K60 content with no stuttering.Ports: I like the ports on this laptop, there are 4 thunderbolt/type C ports which serve to both transmit data and charge the laptop. A 130W usb C charger is included, you can also charge using a USB PD (Power Delivery) charger. This is exciting as it opens up the possibility of charging a full size gaming laptop from a USB C power bank via the PD protocol: My current on-the-go tablet, a Surface 3, was purchased entirely on the basis that at the time, it was the fastest windows powered x86 machine I could get that could be charged from a power bank.Battery: A fully charged battery can last more than 3 hours of casual use, or 90 minutes with the CPU at 100%. My attempts to charge the XPS 17 from various power banks 10W-60W and prolong its runtime when not connected to mains, were met with limited success: Starting with both batteries at 100% hoping that the power bank would slow down the discharge rate, older power banks simply would not charge. Newer power banks would connect, but because type c to type c is non directional, the laptop would attempt to charge the power bank instead of letting the power bank charge it (there doesn’t seem to be a software switch to toggle direction of power). Finally, the PD power banks appeared to start charging the laptop after the laptop’s battery dropped below 80%.Dongle: The laptop has only type C ports so regular peripherals will need to be connected via dongles or hubs. A basic HDMI+USBA dongle is included in the package. There are many dongles but I recommend getting one with full 4K 60hz video output and 100W PD, which allows you to charge the laptop through the dongle while freeing up the other ports for more dongles! A well-made single dongle will simultaneously: transfer 4K60 video signal to an external screen, copy files from external usb A hard disks and internal sd card readers at combined 200 megabytes/s, pipe in 900 megabits/s of internet upload/download, and power the laptop from an external PD power sourceLongevity: This laptop includes the “Dell Power Manager” utility that allows you to limit charge to a number less than 100% if you keep your laptop plugged in all the time. Keeping batteries topped off at 100% is bad for longevity – I’ve experienced multiple battery failures on devices I need to leave plugged in 24/7. Capping charge at 60% will maximize battery longevity while 80% will give you a bit more flexibility if there is a power outage or if you need your laptop for an unplanned excursion. If you don’t know what percentage to use, you can leave Power Manager on auto or set it to one of several presets. The technology to limit charging has been around for ages, disappointingly not all manufacturers include this function. The XPS is also a model where you don’t have to worry about availability and instructions for replacing the battery.Software: Windows Hello, using infrared facial recognition to unlock the PC, is a very convenient alternative to passwords. 365 days of McAfee LiveSafe are included although I have not had good experiences with McAfee antivirus in the past.Keyboard: In exchange for the lack of a numpad, you get normal sized backlit keys and nice speakers on the sides of the keyboard. The way the Fn key works is interesting as an inversion of how Fn usually works: the F1/ F2… keys activate the Fn functions by default, if you want to input F4 you have to press Fn+F4. Commands like Alt+F4 still work as usual.Condition: The specs and condition of my unit appeared to be as described and there was no malfunction or inaccuracy in any way.Summary: If you know what you’re getting into, the current generation Dell XPS 17 is a quality asset to your professional or personal needs, engineered for the long haul. A pricey machine that maximizes the utility of a portable small size, the XPS 17 is capable of gaming but best used for productivity or entertainment where fine detail makes a difference.