Dell XPS 17 Configuration Guide

As of August 4, 2020, the Dell configuration site for the XPS 17 is here and looks like this. Scroll down for the configuration options.

The two “Creator Editions” are good configurations for architecture work, since our work is largely controlled by CPU-performance. They both include the RTX 2060, which is a very nice graphics card for mobile use, and a 1TB SSD, which is plenty. The difference between the two is the 16GB of RAM versus the 32GB. 16GB is the minimum, and I strongly suggest getting the 32GB now for a 5% price increase. They both have the UHD (which is to say 4K) display, which you can set to scale at 200% in Windows. When you do, you’ll be rewarded with very detailed linework and beautiful images.

If you click through to “Configure and Buy”, you can choose to bump the RAM further, increase storage, and add a warranty. I suggest that you stick with the $3,000 configuration, with 32GB of RAM and the 1TB SSD. If you work with a lot of high resolution photos, take a lot of projects with you when you commute, then bump the SSD to 2TB. If you work with very large buildings, bump up the RAM to 64GB. Both of these items are upgradable later with the removal of a few screws (watch this guide to see that it’s not too daunting).

For the warranty, the Accidental Damage add-on is usually worth it if you have a laptop. It streamlines the claim process and covers things that can happen to laptops more easily than desktops, like drops or liquid spills. I would suggest a 2 year Premium Plus support plan, however the laptop should be able to provide three or four years of service pretty easily, so you can add a couple of years to it if you think you’ll want to own it longer.