MANILA, Philippines — Just one look at Dell’s new laptop, the XPS 15z and you’ll know it won’t fall short on what it is designed to do---perform. From its lid to its chrome-accentuated solid body, this gadget has “class and style” written all over it. Techlab, again, is fortunate enough to be handed this gadget, take it through paces and test limits of its performance envelope.

Given its Core i7 power plant, this high-end laptop has a width of only 24.68mm at the thickest point making it one of the slimmest of its class in the market. The thin frame is then complimented by its light weight.If you have tried taking a high-performance laptop to the office or to school in your back pack, you’ll known what it means to be carrying a tool that is light.  Having a weight of only 2.51 kg, it certainly is not much of a burden.

Unfolding the laptop reveals a spacious workspace.  And by describing it as “spacious” we really mean it.  Imagine this scenario: You have ridden all your life in a compact car and then one day, a friend lends you his full size van.Yes, the XPS 15z gives you that much feeling of space.  Complete this with a chic keyboard flanked with speakers and you have a machine ready to take on any challenge. Though a little compacted, the keyboard is quite easy to use and the keys are aptly spaced, making it good for large or small fingers alike. And get this, the keys are “spill resistant.”With the large workspace that the XPS 15z provides, the user can rest easy knowing that the laptop is against the idea of straining the user’s wrist. The speakers are both for show and force, being able to dish out high-quality waves by using High Definition Audio +Waves MaxxAudio3 combined with 5.1 Surround sound. The only problem in the workspace is that the laptop tends to heat up on the lower left side section, but this aside, nothing feels better than knowing that you’re typing in a sexy keyboard while drinking your favorite beverage knowing that it is invulnerable to spills.

While his little cat may look sexy, it is very much capable of letting out a roar. It runs using the second generation Core i7 and uses a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 525Mand this all translate into better graphics display. The laptop also comes with a 256GB SSD and up to 8GB of memory for faster rendering of graphics and overall performance.

The XPS 15z in terms of screen size, and Dell maximizes this by putting in numerous ports for various uses. It has an HDMI 1.4 port, 3 USB ports, two of which are USB 3.0 and one for a 2.0 with Powershare, and a 9-in-1 combo card reader. Other features include a 1.3MP camera for online conversations, and Dell programs for added security and convenience. Though perfect in the looks and power department, the XPS 15z also takes it all away in terms of versatility.

The XPS 15z is one perfect slab of technology. With the processing power crammed inside a slim and light frame, Dell has truly done a remarkable feat in birthing this laptop.

Editor's note: Usually, the more high-end components inside the laptop, the heavier and bulkier it would be, but the XPS 15z is different. It has the raw power without the agony of having your back broken. The XPS 15z a cool-looking laptop, with undeniably hot specs.