Dell XPS 13 FHD Non-Touch or QHD Touch

[ryce4lyfe]

Hi.

I will be purchasing a Dell XPS 13 soon from ebay so I could use it in university. My direct response is to purchase the fhd version however, on ebay, the qhd touch is less expensive than the fhd non touch (I live in Canada, prices are sometimes weird). As of writing this, the qhd is $712CAD while the lowest priced FHD is $900CAD. Unfortunately, as much as I like the QHD display (hate touchscreen), I know the battery life will take a big hit. So ultimately, my question is, which one should I buy.

In university, I will be using it mostly for web surfing, typing out word docs, and Netflix. Most of the reviews online usually bullshit the battery life of laptops so I would love it if some of you owners out there could provide a realistic battery life. If you could provide an estimate for both that would be great

For example, what would the battery life be with only web surfing and word docs?
What about watching Netflix?
What about some light gaming?

If needed I will probably purchase an external laptop battery pack from Amazon or purchase the external battery from Dell. Which choice is better? Or are they bad choices? Any recommendations to increase or extend battery life?

I know this post is very long and not everyone will want to read through it all but for those who do, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!
If you post anything here you will actually be a life (and money) saver.
Thanks in advance!!!

 

[StitchExperiment626]

50 amp hour battery. $135.99 & FREE Shipping.
WAY cheaper than replacements.

http/

 

[Solandri]

The used price is not weird. The FHD version is generally considered more desirable because it gets almost 50% longer battery life than the QHD+ version. Whereas QHD+ is pretty pointless on a 13" screen, and touch is of questionable value on a device which does not fold up into tablet mode. The original retail price simply reflected the cost of the components, rather than the market demand. The used eBay prices reflect market demand.

Notebookcheck has pretty thorough reviews of the different versions available (i5-6200U, i7-6500U, i7-6560U, QHD+ and FHD). Links to four different combos are at the top of the review.

http/www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-13-9350-2016-FHD-i7-6560U-Notebook-Review.168175.0.html

As for batteries, I would be careful buying batteries off Amazon. Amazon often makes it difficult to figure out if you're buying from Amazon or a third party, and if you're getting a genuine Dell aftermarket battery or a third party knockoff from China. Normally I'm in the "cheaper is better" camp, but not with batteries. Li-ion batteries are temperamental beasts, and can catch fire or explode if overcharged or over-discharged. A cheap knockoff may not have battery cells configured identically to the genuine thing, so the laptop's built-in charger may overcharge or over-discharge it. I'm not sure it's worth taking that risk to save $30-$50.

 

[ryce4lyfe]

Thank you both very much for your answers. If possible, could anyone answer my question about the realistic battery life of both laptops?

 

[StitchExperiment626]

Thank you both very much for your answers. If possible, could anyone answer my question about the realistic battery life of both laptops?

The other poster said this version version lasted twice as long as the other if it was 2.5 then it would be 5 hours considering that the battery might be used and have less cycles of life if brand new then it might be 6 hours so probably 5 to 5 1/2 hours. The battery is probably under 12 WA watt hours the battery pack on amazon was rated for 50 WA watt hours and you couldn't overdrain it because the display is smaller which uses a lot less of power compared to a 15 or 17 inch display.

Hope that helps.
Bruce G.