Dell have released their new and smallest inspired by Intel Ultrabook, the Dell XPS 12.

The Dell XPS 12 isn't your usual slimline Ultrabook, this Ultrabook is a touchscreen version like the bigger Inspiron 15z but also it has a flip screen which turns your XPS 12 into a Windows 8 Surface tablet.

But first lets get the technical stuff out the way. Inside the XPS 12 it is powered by an Intel i7-3537U dual core CPU with Hyper-Threading and intergrated Intel HD 4000 graphics using 2GB of shared memory, Intel QS77 chipset, 8GB dual channel 1333MHz DDR3 memory, 256GB Lite-On SATA3 Solid State Drive (SSD), 6-cell 47Ah Li-ion battery, and a Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 wireless network card and Bluetooth 4.0. Its a pretty damn fast having an i7 Ivy Bridge based CPU and an 6Gbs SSD in the Ultrabook, loading times on startup and applications are very quick.

Some tests that were done on the i7 CPU, the SSD drive and Intel 4000 HD GFX unit
(click on thumbnails to enlarge)

On the outside it is made with carbon fibre and aluminum, the screen is a 12.5 inch IPS based Touch Screen which runs at a 1920x1080 resolution and also uses Gorilla Glass which makes it very hard to scratch/dent. I like this as it is very responsive when I touch it. The screen also flips to make it into a Windows 8 Surface tablet and has a 1.3MP webcam, stereo microphone and light sensor at the top which means they can be used in either mode.

Also it has stereo speakers either side of the keyboard powered by integrated Realtek HD sound which was very loud and clear when watching a Dota 2 game earlier. There is a joint headphone/microphone socket, a volume rocker, 2 USB 3.0 ports, one with Powershare for charging other devices when the Ultrabook is off and a mini display-port connector. It gives it a very unique look when you are able to change the look of the ultrabook into a tablet.

Showing the sides and the keyboard of the XPS 12
(click to thumbnails to enlarge)

Now XPS12 ships with Windows 8 64bit, if there was any sort of gaming laptop I wouldn't fully recommend Windows 8 currently but since this is a touchscreen Ultrabook it uses the Windows 8 Metro tile system very well. You are able to turn the Ultrabook into a tablet PC and just scroll the menus on the screen. The touchscreen can also be used even in normal mode which gives it that unique feeling that I don't always have to be using the touchpad at the bottom of the keyboard.

With Windows 8 you can link a Microsoft account to it, which is linked to various applications like Mail, Calendar, Messenger etc. It is also linked to the Windows Store so if you have a Windows 8 Phone your account can be linked and you can use the apps from your phone onto the XPS. You can also play the game apps on the XPS such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope etc.

Hello Windows 8, has taken some getting use to! (click the thumbnail to enlarge)

Speaking of gaming, don't expect this to be a beast of a laptop to run games like Crysis 3 or Far Cry 3 in high graphics. The games I have attempted to run currently are Dota 2 and Trackmania 2 Stadium. Both games run at 30 to 40fps on minimum settings at 1080p, I haven't tried maximum settings but I'm sure they wouldn't be as fast. You can run indie games though quite easily like Castle Crashers, Torchlight 2, Magic 2013 and of course the ever popular League of Legends as they don't need high spec to run. The Ultrabook can deal with these games without issues and runs at around 40-50 FPS, so is well suited for a bit of casual gaming.

Changing from laptop mode to tablet mode while spectating some staff members of Team Dignitas playing League of Legends
(click the thumbnails to enlarge)

Overall, this Ultrabook does everything that I need it to do, I can watch the games my team plays on Twitch and Youtube, I can also play some of the games needed on here, it might not be the best FPS but still can handle it well. It is very light at around 1.5KG kand easy to carry and if I feel I wanna play some small games on here I can change it into tablet mode so I don't get bored.

I guess the downsides are that it doesn't have an ethernet connection, more USB ports, mini-HDMI out or a card reader but these add a little weight and use power but would be useful if I were using it at home, but seeing as I would be 'on the go' I don't expect to find a wired ethernet connection in a cafe or on a train so it is ok, battery life is good with around 3 to 5 hours after a bit of gaiming. At £1,200 it is quite expensive but you get what you pay for and you get quite a lot.