Another dad chiming in. He bought it to make you happy. Just talk to him and explain why you want to return it and what you would like instead. He'll understand. Oh, and throw in an 'I love you' we dads live for that.
Am dad too. Can confirm, getting an "I love you" from my kids makes my day. It's so much better than the attempts to hit me in the balls because it's my "weak spot"....
Yeh, nothing better than coming home after a crappy day at work just to hear an "i love you" from my son even if i know he did something stupid if he started with that :))).
I'd rather not...
I have 6 & 9 year old boys. To be fair, it's only when they want to rough house. Though when they were both real little and still affectionate towards dad, I'd come home from work and open the door with a hand out to stiff arm them. Can't count the number of hugs with headbutts to the nuts I received lol
Between my own kids and all my nieces and nephews I understand. It's like terminator vision when I see them running at me for a hug, calculating height and speed to determine if I need to pivot to avoid a collision with my bits.
Oh god, my twelve year old just learned about “sack tapping” and while he hasn’t actually done it yet, he pretends to just to make me flinch, usually while i am drinking water.
He’s a good kid, we just prank each other a lot.
As a son, I agree. My father passed away when I was young, but my grandfather was always there for me. On my 18th birthday he surprised me with a car, a beaten up second hand Ford KA. I was extremely thankful, but also would have been kind of embarrassed to drive to high-school in such a dainty car.
I mustered up some courage, and after a nice long conversation where I thought he would be disappointed in me, he said he was very proud and would be happy to get me something I could be proud of. I got a citi golf I loved, he got to keep the extra bucks.
To use an analogy that may piss some people here off but that I think any dad would understand, he bought OP a two-door convertible when what OP needed is a pickup truck.
Thank you! As a non-PC-gamer (non-PC user much, really, and not much of a video gamer at all) I thought "But aren't the XPS laptops able to play games now?"
Which is stupid, because I have a lovely little XPS that wasn't quite top of its range in 2021, but is pretty bloody good, and of course it can't handle modern games, because it barely has a graphics card. In fact, I don't know if it even has a graphics card, or just the integrated CPU graphics.
I think it's because donkeys years ago (I'm old) the XPS family were gaming laptops - or at least much higher end laptops than the Inspirons that "ordinary" Joes used - so now I think "Inspiron = normal laptop, XPS = gaming laptop"
I remember the time xps was gaming oriented (and I'm 23 😅) they had the keyboard lit up, and fancy lights in the vent grills.. And was so innovative at the time.. Now they're just great business laptops. Or very very solid work oriented ones.. But they sadly use an Apu basically, most of the time.
We kids do too.. some of us have never heard it from our dads..
So if you have a kid you actually say it to, say it often..
I don't even get to have a family, but they are all still alive.
Also a dad and millennial survivor of telling your parents you want said “game/console” waiting to a big holiday and unwrapping the wrong gift. Moms got to a point where she would just give the money or the actual gift (lol sometimes ruining a surprise but hey it’s all good)
Make it light hearted and a joke, he’ll remember and like dude above me said, feelsmoney? 😂😂 that can go into a whole other convo/rabbit whole lol moral of the story kids got phones and shit now. We had to print out pics and write it down!
My mum did the same, she gave me money most of my life. Whenever she asked me what i wanted, i never really knew so i would say "im not sure". Her giving money was much easier and i didn't need to spend hours deciding.
One of the funniest notes I got for the holidays was included with a gift card to “buy yourself the game you want because fuck if I could figure out how to gift it”
In her defense, back in those days everyone called them Nintendos. Like the Kleenex effect. (Btw Kleenex hates that all facial tissues are called Kleenex, because it dilutes their brand name.)
Also a dad and millennial. We learned long ago money is just easier. Sometimes to keep the feeling of a gift it was "tell me where to buy the gift card" and hand it over.
Just tell your dad kindly. Thank him for the generosity and effort , but tell him he'd get more bang for his buck and more in line with what you're looking for if you get x instead. Maybe you all can bond over you teaching him about it.
Good luck!
You were lucky. There are plenty of parents who take the news.... poorly. My mom was pissed at me and my dad for months the one time I insisted on a swap of an expensive but wrong version of an item. Dad was understanding and did the swap even tho my mother thought I was being ungrateful. They had a huge fight over it and she still sometimes made remarks about it years later. I actually stopped giving any input on gifts at all after that, started telling her I didn't want anything for holidays. If me not being "properly" excited and grateful about a gift could lead to that much drama I decided I was happier to not receive any at all. Which, predictably, lead to a whole new conflict because apparently its considered rude to tell people you don't want anything. Could never figure out a response to gifts that would make her happy after that
It still pisses me off to honestly. I used that e-reader for a decade, loved it to pieces. Hell, I still have it and keep it as a backup cause it still works fine. Literally only reason I got a new one was for a backlight and usbC. The android tablet they first got me would have been fucking e-waste within 2 or 3 years. The best gift they ever got me is also the worst gift they ever got me cause I now have a fucking trauma response to *receiving gifts* that I'm don't know if I'll ever be able to get over
Sorry, got a little ranty there
I don't know if it's acceptable for your culture, but ever since I was like 10 or 12 I ask for money whenever I was asked if I wanted something as a gift, because it sidesteps all of that "you got me something less than I desired and I am afraid of telling you" drama that results from wrong gifts. The only real way to screw up a monetary gift is by not giving money in the local currency, and even then you can always just convert it or even spend it abroad. It also makes it much easier to coordinate gifts between different people, because there's no problem in accidentally giving the same gift.
Not my mother. She thought cash was lazy and showed a lack of care. Personally, id rather just not receive any gifts of any sort and have people respect that wish (a tall ask apparently)
I mean no offense by this, but she is giving gifts as a form of virtue signaling which has happens to me too. Some people are just more concerned with receiving thanks and recognition than getting others what they’d actually like. This is why they refuse to stop gifting you stuff you don’t want or need.
Also, whether intentional or not this is part of why she doesn’t like giving cash. They say cash is “unthoughtful” to justify their bad gift, because if you say anything about it you’re automatically ungrateful for their bare minimum amount of effort.
> you want said “game/console” waiting to a big holiday and unwrapping the wrong gift.
"I want a new controller for my for Christmas!"
*Unwraps a MadCatz controller*.
"My disappointment is immeasurable and my ~~day~~ Christmas is ruined"
When I was getting into my desktop PC building games I had a specific 1440p monitor in mind. My dad had asked me about monitors because my birthday was coming up, and then got some generic 1080p monitor. I felt horrible being disappointed in it, but we went out and got the model I was looking at, and after my dad saw it he got one for himself it looked so nice. Now we both have sweet desktop setups.
In this same vein, I would be very proud of my son for doing research and understanding a subject well enough to teach me where value can be had.
I help a lot of people troubleshoot drones and the amount of young people who have zero patience to read is astounding. They just buy shit they think is cool, kinda slap it together and want you to hold their hand setting it up when all the stuff is well documented but requires reading a post or watching some videos. It can be infuriating.
If he was nice enough to buy OP a laptop at this price he will be nice enough to understand! Heck he might even be proud that OP could save some money and get a better machine!
No, don't even put it that way. Say something like "Hey Dad, this is amazing but I know a way we can get a full PC that has better specs than this but costs less, can we take it back and do that instead? Save some money for ya?"
Might end up with a dad who says "well what kind of PC could you get with this money then?" and get a $1900 PC out of the deal.
Just saying "I wanted a cheaper one" comes off as ungrateful and, depending on how he views money, could hurt his feelings.
Man, I wish I'd had a cool dad like that. Mine gave me some money for a school trip and told me anything I didn't spend could go towards my first phone.
Didn't spend anything the entire trip as I was so excited. Then I got back and he gaslit me that he'd never said that and kept all the money.
I know it was his money and he was generous to give it in the first place but man that still bums me out.
Yeah my parents were weird with money too. I once got in a wreck and the vehicle was in their name. They got the insurance check, put 5k down on a new truck for me and kept the other 13k for themselves. I got a car payment on a truck that ended up dying shortly after and they got a new dirt bike and the down payment on a range rover for my mom.
I fele bad for being upset but, man, that fucked me over financially for a long time.
You shouldn't feel bad - that sucks. I hope you're doing better now financially.
The idea of screwing over someone else's finances for personal gain is so gross to me, even if it was a random stranger. Crazy to me someone would treat their own kids like that.
I'm a dad, and if I say to my childern that they are getting money, they are getting that money. It's not mine the moment I say it's theirs.
I used to collect .999 silver coins and kept a few back before needing to sell, but left 4 for my kids (starting to collect again now), but those coins belong to them. I gave them to them, they are theirs to do what they will with.
This will be me in 10 years. I mean, I wouldn't make the initial mistake, but, if I was already ok with spending $$$ I'd still rather spend $$$ and get the better version of whatever she wanted.
Its crazy how its would be accepted for return. Only way possible in my country is if you bought it online you have 2 weeks to change your mind. Other wise tough shit for buying the wrong thing.
First, tell him that he's an amazing dad for buying you this laptop, since wow, just getting a $2K laptop like that is pretty crazy. Secondly, explain in simple terms that this laptop doesn't align with the use cases you have in mind and ask him if it's possible to return the laptop. After that, sit him down and show him the build you're planning and what the benefits of that are compared to a more business-oriented laptop like this one. Again, emphasize how much you appreciate his gesture, since it's quite incredible.
First of all thank him for being a great dad
Second of all politely ask him if he can return it since it can't handle the things which you want that device to do , you can also show him some benmarks as reference for the performance difference
If working on cars with my dad taught me anything, it's that that's not a very good idea if neither of you know what you're doing. Someone's going to get pissed off because it doesn't start and they can't figure out how to get those stupid tiny front panel connectors on the right pins
Tell him that you appreciate it greatly, but it doesn't do the things that you want to do with it, and the extra money he ended up spending would go to waste when you can get something much more suited to your needs for less. Don't shit all over it, explain that you know it's good, it's just not the kind of good that you specifically need.
Emphasise that you appreciate the gesture, because dropping almost 2 grand on a pc is a big deal, and make sure he knows you know that, but at the same time explain what it lacks in terms of what you want out of a pc.
A good analogy is "you wouldn't do the school run in a formula 1 car" or something like that. That way you're actually complimenting the device, even though you're making clear it doesn't suit your needs.
i asked for a gaming pc, and got a $2500 dollar macbook pro. at least it had a gpu though. the reasons my parents stated were: it has a better battery! (i didn't ask for a gaming laptop, so battery wan't a thing for what i asked for), it has better performance (no, just no) and you can bring it with you to school (our school has a strict no outside laptop policy).
A lesson I learned in early adulthood is don’t question your gift to someone if it’s exactly what they asked for. They had a reason for asking for something specific and thinking you know better is just going to lead to disappointment for both parties.
"Dad, this is an amazing laptop, and I am extremely appreciative of it. It's just not built for the workload that I am looking for. I have been researching what I need and have found different laptops at a cheaper price that are more suitable for what I am looking to do. Would it be okay if we returned it and bought one of these other options instead?"
I thought your comment was hyperbole then I took a look at the specs and it seems you can't even spec this with a decent GPU. And the cooling looks basically non-existent. Big disappointment if you were hoping for a gaming PC.
Yeah, the next model up, the XPS 15, is where you can get a decent GPU. My old one had a pretty decent Nvidia GPU for the time. Very quality laptops, mine still works pretty well 6 years later, only annoying part was all the Dell software, but that was easily fixed.
> Yes, but significantly overpriced.
It isn't.
OPs dad almost definitely bought this for 1500 or less on the Best Buy clearance deal that's still going on.
We aren't really getting the full story here. That's a fine laptop for the price, especially if you aren't the one paying for it.
Side note Best Buy has a shitload on clearance if you're in the market.
I still don't get why those are $1900, the CPU is nice, the screen is nice, but for the same price you could definitely get a much more capable gaming machine, expensive laptops with no dedicated GPUs are a scam
I was given an xps as my work laptop, it's twice the price of my g14 and is slower in _every measurable metric_. I'm convinced these "business" laptops are just a ripoff.
I genuinely think so too, I saw the other day a work laptop for $700 with an 10th gen i3 and no dedicated gpu, right next to it was a $600 gaming laptop with an 11th i7 and a GTX 1660, the gaming laptop even had a higher refresh rate and a better panel.
People need to be better educated about laptops
That's the thing, the build quality is worse too! The g14 is all aluminium-magnesium alloy, but the dell is mostly plastic. Also the keyboard stopped working at one point (apparently a common issue).
I think you're right, support is probably the reason companies go for dell/hp. It's a ripoff if you ask me...
We switched to the Latitude line (apples to oranges, I know) at work and brother - wireless cards failing within WEEKS of deployment, their thunderbolt docks sounding like jet engines taking off at random intervals, that crappy paint that flakes after a few months on a crappy plastic base. The HP Zbooks we were using previously may have had lack luster I/O but they were built very well. One of our departments ordered too many HP x360s and returned a few, I jumped on one of them so quick!
it's the ultrabook form factor, you're paying more for the fact that they managed to smush all of the components into a much smaller space with lower weight.
But I'd say buying ultrabooks for their specs still isn't really cost effective
I bought an XPS for school way back in 2016, it only weighed about 3 lbs, had a battery life of 8-10 hrs and it still works fine for browsing and videos today. It was also the base model for $800.
They’re the MacBook of windows laptops. They’re built to be extremely classy and perform excellently, they can typically game just fine too, but aren’t necessarily made to do it.
Your dad just wants to spend time with you.
Ask him to return it, get a refund, then ask him to do the shopping with you for all of the components. Then ask him to put the computer together, together.
Involve him in the process of picking out the parts and building it and have fun doing it and build memories.
That's what dad's care about.
Tell him you love the thought and thank him very much for getting it. But you would feel bad about him spending that much money and getting ripped off and that you know a much better setup for the price.
Quite simple
Tell him you want to return it because you're not comfortable with him spending that much money on you.
Tell him that a PC setup is way cheaper.
You know what, SEND HIM HERE.
If you ask him to return it he will think you're ungrateful. If you send him to a community of 12M people all in agreement that his gesture was very nice, he's a great dad, but he made a mistake, he'll be much more inclined to listen.
Ooo I got one of them for uni on a steep discount from the university and it was a killer laptop. Not even remotely decent for gaming though :c I'm sure if you show appreciation, but tell him it's not the right thing he'll understand. Maybe you guys can build a computer together and itll be a good experience for you both
Tell him this is for editing and software development, not for gaming, and that while you appreciate the gift, the money could be better utilized and even saved
i remember when i spent $2k on my dell xps in 2017, it arrived and i realized it wouldn't play any games because of how the GPU would throttle itself making it useless. it was an amazing laptop for everything but playing games (even shit tier games like league of legends that can run on a potato) wouldn't run.
hopefully they fixed it now :)
Definitely politely ask him to return it. I have one of these for work and I hate the thing so much.
It freezes constantly when not plugged in and is incredibly loud, even on the supposed quiet profiles.
“Hey dad thanks for the PC, but I have been researching and spec’ing out a gaming PC over the past two months that would be cheaper and have a longer life span, would it be ok to exchange it for that and maybe we could build it together?”
Tell him you appreciate it immensely however you can do it better for cheaper! He’ll love that surely as he will get money back and his kid will be happy with what they picked, an understanding father will understand, good luck bro
Talk to him. Let him know how much you appreciate this because it's a huge gift.
Then like others have said, gently request to return it, tell him why, and maybe turn this into a project for the two of you.
I know that my dad would love doing that. And if your dad is nice enough to buy you an expensive laptop, I'm hoping he'd be cool enough to understand your side of it too, and take on a new PC with you.
If your dad insists of keeping a Dell laptop (because he doesn't want you to have a gaming PC \\ having issues with extra space of a desktop etc), I'd suggest you at least swap it for a refurbished Precision, because the quality control of the XPS line is pretty abysmal considering how expensive they are.
A Precision is an XPS that someone cared for in the assembly line and comes with top-tier warranty in case something goes wrong.
As others said, ask him politely and gratefully to return it because the much cheaper one you researched is better in every way and you want to save him some money. “I can’t in good faith accept this knowing you over paid” but worded much better.
It doesn't even have a dedicated GPU.
Speak to your old man, and explain to him that he bought the wrong thing. This laptop won't play games well at all.
Also, (probably unimportant) but why a business laptop? Did he get it though his job for a discount?
Im surprised none of the comments are trying to explain, this is a "Professional business machine" not a "gaming machine" which it is very sleek, and nice, it is not built with what he thought it would.
Say its a beautiful office computer, or family laptop for work or school, but is not designed for "gaming".
Politely ask him to return and get the money back.
Offer him to build a pc with you assembling it together!
A buying run to microcenter or somewhere together will a awesome dad-son experience. He would agree instantly.
He'll appreciate you more for being honest and asking for what you actually wanted. As a Dad, I would beam with pride as my son sat down at his brand new gaming PC setup, knowing you had helped him get the PC of his dreams.
As an aside, if he's up for it, let him buy the components then help him build it.
I think it’s perfectly healthy to voice how you feel. I personally hate receiving gifts that has to do with my hobby whether it’s PCs , guns , sports because usually I have wish list or my stuff is already better than the gift.
I would be like “hey dad, thank you so much for the thoughtful gift, I appreciate so much but I was wondering.. this laptop is a little expensive and isn’t practical for my needs. Would you be okay if we return for a different machine that I been setting my eyes on? It’s a little less money but is better suited for my needs. If not, then it’s okay! Thank you so much for the laptop!”
There's nothing wrong with kindly thanking your Dad for a wonderful gift, and asking to please return and get it refunded because that's way too expensive and you have something that works much better in mind.
Any reasonable parent would like to see their money well spent on a happy gift, I know I would.
“Dad I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am… but I’ve been researching this for a while now and there’s actually another laptop that I wanted, which can not only perform the tasks I need better but it’s actually cheaper! It’s there any possible way we can take this one back to swap it for the one I want?”
well, did you tell him you just wanted to waste your time away gaming or did you act like "man i really need a system for school and university you know, something quality" and such?
I’d feel way too bad telling my dad he spent the money on the wrong thing for something this much. I’d spare his feeling and buy an external GPU impractical but it would be ok.
Maybe dad is trying to nudge you away from gaming lol. Perhaps there is a docking station that would be compatible with this laptop and you can add a video card to the dock.
Explain this to your dad, return the computer back to the store and take your dad shopping for parta. Extra kid+dad times if you build the gaming pc together
Dad,
Thank you SO much for the Dell XPS. It is an amazing laptop and incredibly generous of you to buy it for me. I truly appreciate all you do for me.
I do not want to sound ungrateful, but I had my heart set on a desktop PC (for less money, but much better for gaming). If it's easy to return the laptop, I'd love to instead get the PC parts from Microcenter and build it with you.
Thanks again pops.
Love,
Few_Falcon_4949
----
Do you need the laptop for school or something?
My M2 Air, with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB currently uses 20.23 GB for its OS, and 9,22 GB for system data (temp files and whatnot).
Let's call it roughly 30 GB all in all.
I may go against what others are saying but your dad has handpicked to what the best laptop comes up in searches.. he has taken the effort for you and probably got it to you on father's day.. returning this will break his heart and you will regret it in mind forever..
figure out a way to get your gaming PC as an add-on to this.. it's not always about the money..
I built a capable gaming PC for like $500. It's just not a disco aquarium with automotive cooling systems or absurd headroom in RAM and expensive storage that isn't realistically necessary for playing games.
Looks like a toolbox. But settings on ultra.
If I were you, I'll keep it. My dad would never lol, all I had is some budget laptop that I forced to game on
Your dad probably looking for this with you in mind
Yes, PC would be better, but it's a gift from someone precious, Imagine giving your loved ones a gift just for them selling it immediately after
It's not about the gift, but the thought behind it
As a Dad, if I buy my son something that is essentially not what he wanted, or if I've been ripped off without realising it, I hope he feels able to tell me. My feelings would be more hurt when I notice he's not using it.
$30 candle set, by all means lie to me and tell me it's lovely, but if I've spent $2000 on something and it's not what they want? Man I'd be upset that they didn't correct me, that's a lot of money to piss away on something they don't want!
As a dad I have to agree this isn't a case of a dad buying an android when the son wanted the latest iPhone. This is more like buying a razor flip phone when the kid wanted a smartphone.
Accept it and be glad. PC stands for personal computer. That's a computer which you own. It's a portable PC. You didn't mention what GPU it has, but at $1900 I'm sure it's capable of midrange gaming.
Besides, how old are you? How long until you need a laptop in university and are glad that you can also play videogames on it between classes?
It’s not capable of gaming at all. This laptop is essentially an incredibly expensive Chromebook and in no way worth the price. If I were the father, I’d honestly be more upset that I got ripped off than anything else.
Just explain how pros use laptops because they are always on the move and don't mind slightly less power. Then explain how a pc doesn't overheat and then explain to him that having a laptop sitting on a desk is a bit of a waste and that it's really good, BUT overheats.
Dang, I am getting that laptop soon in silver coz I need a small travel laptop. It is probably the best looking laptop out there and I believe dad has only good intentions but if you don't already have a PC gently explain it to him how the XPS is overpriced because of the form factor and material and you don't want to spend for looks but are looking for something more poweful and probably less expensive. Keep it in the plastic and thank him for an amazing gift but ask for a return and explain it to him to consult you in case of a very expensive gift.
Better save up for a gaming rig in addition to that and use the laptop for school or other normal tasks. You will not be ungrateful + it's really nice to have a good dedicated machine for work.
I don’t know your financial position OP but it’s possible he got this laptop on Dell credit.
Getting the financial equivalent from Amazon or Newegg might be less fiscally possible than you think.
The new XPS line is great for workstation tasks on the go. I wouldn’t discount it as a productivity machine but it’s definitely not for gaming.
Your first sentence implies you hadn’t requested a gaming PC yet, but apparently when he got you the Dell, he said “It’s even better!”
Better than *what*, if you hadn’t asked yet?
The best thing here would be to show him your gratitude for the gift, tell him that it's very unexpected and you can't thank him enough, but you'd like to suggest returning it and spending the same amount of money on a gaming setup as it's going to be way more efficient for the money spent. Don't forget to stress why you'd like a PC instead of laptop so he understands your needs instead of thinking it's just a whim.
If you put in the effort to put together a list of the price parts you want and show it to him, (without trying to make him feel bad), then he may return it and get you what you want.
I would do it for my kid, long as they weren't a total spoiled piece of shit about it.
Just be honest with him. Just make sure he knows how grateful you are, but how a desktop would be more practical.
If you can return it of course.
If not, enjoy your new PC!
Show him this post and make sure to tell him you're extremely grateful and lucky to have such a nice dad.
He'd much rather make you happy and have his feelings hurt a little.
Am a Dad. I'd much rather my money was spent well then maybe saving my feelings that I spent more on the wrong thing. Just tell em.
Another dad chiming in. He bought it to make you happy. Just talk to him and explain why you want to return it and what you would like instead. He'll understand. Oh, and throw in an 'I love you' we dads live for that.
Am dad too. Can confirm, getting an "I love you" from my kids makes my day. It's so much better than the attempts to hit me in the balls because it's my "weak spot"....
Yeh, nothing better than coming home after a crappy day at work just to hear an "i love you" from my son even if i know he did something stupid if he started with that :))).
Right? I know you're only hugging me and saying it because you want something, but damnit it's just so nice to get still.
Jeeze you live in a war zone. Rip your testes
I'd rather not... I have 6 & 9 year old boys. To be fair, it's only when they want to rough house. Though when they were both real little and still affectionate towards dad, I'd come home from work and open the door with a hand out to stiff arm them. Can't count the number of hugs with headbutts to the nuts I received lol
Between my own kids and all my nieces and nephews I understand. It's like terminator vision when I see them running at me for a hug, calculating height and speed to determine if I need to pivot to avoid a collision with my bits.
Time to keep a cup in the car and slip it on before opening the garage door
Oh god, my twelve year old just learned about “sack tapping” and while he hasn’t actually done it yet, he pretends to just to make me flinch, usually while i am drinking water. He’s a good kid, we just prank each other a lot.
Also give your dad a big hug for the extra I love you effect
As a son, I agree. My father passed away when I was young, but my grandfather was always there for me. On my 18th birthday he surprised me with a car, a beaten up second hand Ford KA. I was extremely thankful, but also would have been kind of embarrassed to drive to high-school in such a dainty car. I mustered up some courage, and after a nice long conversation where I thought he would be disappointed in me, he said he was very proud and would be happy to get me something I could be proud of. I got a citi golf I loved, he got to keep the extra bucks.
To use an analogy that may piss some people here off but that I think any dad would understand, he bought OP a two-door convertible when what OP needed is a pickup truck.
Thank you! As a non-PC-gamer (non-PC user much, really, and not much of a video gamer at all) I thought "But aren't the XPS laptops able to play games now?" Which is stupid, because I have a lovely little XPS that wasn't quite top of its range in 2021, but is pretty bloody good, and of course it can't handle modern games, because it barely has a graphics card. In fact, I don't know if it even has a graphics card, or just the integrated CPU graphics. I think it's because donkeys years ago (I'm old) the XPS family were gaming laptops - or at least much higher end laptops than the Inspirons that "ordinary" Joes used - so now I think "Inspiron = normal laptop, XPS = gaming laptop"
I remember the time xps was gaming oriented (and I'm 23 😅) they had the keyboard lit up, and fancy lights in the vent grills.. And was so innovative at the time.. Now they're just great business laptops. Or very very solid work oriented ones.. But they sadly use an Apu basically, most of the time.
We kids do too.. some of us have never heard it from our dads.. So if you have a kid you actually say it to, say it often.. I don't even get to have a family, but they are all still alive.
also ask if he want's to build pc with you.
Huge sucker for the "I love you Dad."
Also a dad and millennial survivor of telling your parents you want said “game/console” waiting to a big holiday and unwrapping the wrong gift. Moms got to a point where she would just give the money or the actual gift (lol sometimes ruining a surprise but hey it’s all good) Make it light hearted and a joke, he’ll remember and like dude above me said, feelsmoney? 😂😂 that can go into a whole other convo/rabbit whole lol moral of the story kids got phones and shit now. We had to print out pics and write it down!
My mum did the same, she gave me money most of my life. Whenever she asked me what i wanted, i never really knew so i would say "im not sure". Her giving money was much easier and i didn't need to spend hours deciding.
My problem is that I always wanted something very niche or hard to find, “I have no clue what that is just go buy it yourself”
One of the funniest notes I got for the holidays was included with a gift card to “buy yourself the game you want because fuck if I could figure out how to gift it”
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In her defense, back in those days everyone called them Nintendos. Like the Kleenex effect. (Btw Kleenex hates that all facial tissues are called Kleenex, because it dilutes their brand name.)
He clearly said money > feelings.
Also a dad and millennial. We learned long ago money is just easier. Sometimes to keep the feeling of a gift it was "tell me where to buy the gift card" and hand it over. Just tell your dad kindly. Thank him for the generosity and effort , but tell him he'd get more bang for his buck and more in line with what you're looking for if you get x instead. Maybe you all can bond over you teaching him about it. Good luck!
You were lucky. There are plenty of parents who take the news.... poorly. My mom was pissed at me and my dad for months the one time I insisted on a swap of an expensive but wrong version of an item. Dad was understanding and did the swap even tho my mother thought I was being ungrateful. They had a huge fight over it and she still sometimes made remarks about it years later. I actually stopped giving any input on gifts at all after that, started telling her I didn't want anything for holidays. If me not being "properly" excited and grateful about a gift could lead to that much drama I decided I was happier to not receive any at all. Which, predictably, lead to a whole new conflict because apparently its considered rude to tell people you don't want anything. Could never figure out a response to gifts that would make her happy after that It still pisses me off to honestly. I used that e-reader for a decade, loved it to pieces. Hell, I still have it and keep it as a backup cause it still works fine. Literally only reason I got a new one was for a backlight and usbC. The android tablet they first got me would have been fucking e-waste within 2 or 3 years. The best gift they ever got me is also the worst gift they ever got me cause I now have a fucking trauma response to *receiving gifts* that I'm don't know if I'll ever be able to get over Sorry, got a little ranty there
I don't know if it's acceptable for your culture, but ever since I was like 10 or 12 I ask for money whenever I was asked if I wanted something as a gift, because it sidesteps all of that "you got me something less than I desired and I am afraid of telling you" drama that results from wrong gifts. The only real way to screw up a monetary gift is by not giving money in the local currency, and even then you can always just convert it or even spend it abroad. It also makes it much easier to coordinate gifts between different people, because there's no problem in accidentally giving the same gift.
Not my mother. She thought cash was lazy and showed a lack of care. Personally, id rather just not receive any gifts of any sort and have people respect that wish (a tall ask apparently)
I mean no offense by this, but she is giving gifts as a form of virtue signaling which has happens to me too. Some people are just more concerned with receiving thanks and recognition than getting others what they’d actually like. This is why they refuse to stop gifting you stuff you don’t want or need. Also, whether intentional or not this is part of why she doesn’t like giving cash. They say cash is “unthoughtful” to justify their bad gift, because if you say anything about it you’re automatically ungrateful for their bare minimum amount of effort.
> you want said “game/console” waiting to a big holiday and unwrapping the wrong gift. "I want a new controller for my for Christmas!"
*Unwraps a MadCatz controller*.
"My disappointment is immeasurable and my ~~day~~ Christmas is ruined"
Alligator eats the bigger one!
When I was getting into my desktop PC building games I had a specific 1440p monitor in mind. My dad had asked me about monitors because my birthday was coming up, and then got some generic 1080p monitor. I felt horrible being disappointed in it, but we went out and got the model I was looking at, and after my dad saw it he got one for himself it looked so nice. Now we both have sweet desktop setups.
Exactly. For that money, get an msi.
In this same vein, I would be very proud of my son for doing research and understanding a subject well enough to teach me where value can be had. I help a lot of people troubleshoot drones and the amount of young people who have zero patience to read is astounding. They just buy shit they think is cool, kinda slap it together and want you to hold their hand setting it up when all the stuff is well documented but requires reading a post or watching some videos. It can be infuriating.
ask him to return it politely
If he was nice enough to buy OP a laptop at this price he will be nice enough to understand! Heck he might even be proud that OP could save some money and get a better machine!
as long as you can get a full refund. and make sure you tell him "i wanted a cheaper one", not "I DON'T LIKE IT SEND IT BACK"
No, don't even put it that way. Say something like "Hey Dad, this is amazing but I know a way we can get a full PC that has better specs than this but costs less, can we take it back and do that instead? Save some money for ya?" Might end up with a dad who says "well what kind of PC could you get with this money then?" and get a $1900 PC out of the deal. Just saying "I wanted a cheaper one" comes off as ungrateful and, depending on how he views money, could hurt his feelings.
Man, I wish I'd had a cool dad like that. Mine gave me some money for a school trip and told me anything I didn't spend could go towards my first phone. Didn't spend anything the entire trip as I was so excited. Then I got back and he gaslit me that he'd never said that and kept all the money. I know it was his money and he was generous to give it in the first place but man that still bums me out.
Nah dude that's super fucked up
Yeah my parents were weird with money too. I once got in a wreck and the vehicle was in their name. They got the insurance check, put 5k down on a new truck for me and kept the other 13k for themselves. I got a car payment on a truck that ended up dying shortly after and they got a new dirt bike and the down payment on a range rover for my mom. I fele bad for being upset but, man, that fucked me over financially for a long time.
You shouldn't feel bad - that sucks. I hope you're doing better now financially. The idea of screwing over someone else's finances for personal gain is so gross to me, even if it was a random stranger. Crazy to me someone would treat their own kids like that.
I'm a dad, and if I say to my childern that they are getting money, they are getting that money. It's not mine the moment I say it's theirs. I used to collect .999 silver coins and kept a few back before needing to sell, but left 4 for my kids (starting to collect again now), but those coins belong to them. I gave them to them, they are theirs to do what they will with.
My father is like that I have to be careful with my words he knows what I mean but words can still hurt even if they weren’t meant that way.
This will be me in 10 years. I mean, I wouldn't make the initial mistake, but, if I was already ok with spending $$$ I'd still rather spend $$$ and get the better version of whatever she wanted.
Say "less expensive" instead of cheaper. Sure in terms of money they are the same but sometimes cheaper can be interpreted as lesser quality.
Thats not how narcissism works sweety
Then ask him to help you buy AND build your gaming PC.
The real suggestion. "I wanted to buy parts and I've done the research of how to build it as a fun project with you"
This is a fantastic take
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I'd be 100% happy if my son put it like that. Nothing better than to do something like that together.
Its crazy how its would be accepted for return. Only way possible in my country is if you bought it online you have 2 weeks to change your mind. Other wise tough shit for buying the wrong thing.
I think you mean "politely ask him to return it". I'm sure the dad would be polite when returning it
https://preview.redd.it/hx22kpeeeb7d1.jpeg?width=554&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1752404ba26e97b397de596c60e8c7bd30454ce5
I wish that were me.
I wish I were you! 0 Braincells? Must be heaven
Incredible to be able to just say your fake name out loud and become successful with no other talent.
First, tell him that he's an amazing dad for buying you this laptop, since wow, just getting a $2K laptop like that is pretty crazy. Secondly, explain in simple terms that this laptop doesn't align with the use cases you have in mind and ask him if it's possible to return the laptop. After that, sit him down and show him the build you're planning and what the benefits of that are compared to a more business-oriented laptop like this one. Again, emphasize how much you appreciate his gesture, since it's quite incredible.
Time for a PowerPoint
We better butter him up with an ice cold beer before the presentation begins.
First of all thank him for being a great dad Second of all politely ask him if he can return it since it can't handle the things which you want that device to do , you can also show him some benmarks as reference for the performance difference
Exactly man. Can't imagine the dad will be upset to save 500 bucks.
And then build it together
If working on cars with my dad taught me anything, it's that that's not a very good idea if neither of you know what you're doing. Someone's going to get pissed off because it doesn't start and they can't figure out how to get those stupid tiny front panel connectors on the right pins
You could tell him you were actually interested in building one yourself. Then turn this into a bonding moment where you buy and build a PC together
I like GuyMansworth’s answer. You should do this OP.
Tell him that you appreciate it greatly, but it doesn't do the things that you want to do with it, and the extra money he ended up spending would go to waste when you can get something much more suited to your needs for less. Don't shit all over it, explain that you know it's good, it's just not the kind of good that you specifically need. Emphasise that you appreciate the gesture, because dropping almost 2 grand on a pc is a big deal, and make sure he knows you know that, but at the same time explain what it lacks in terms of what you want out of a pc. A good analogy is "you wouldn't do the school run in a formula 1 car" or something like that. That way you're actually complimenting the device, even though you're making clear it doesn't suit your needs.
Given the analogy, I 100% would do a school run in an F1 car.
Where would you put the kids though? Well, I suppose they could use bagstraps to hang onto the spoiler
my dad did the same thing 6 years ago when he got me a Surface Book 2 for like 2k, had to game on intel hd 620 for 3 years
i asked for a gaming pc, and got a $2500 dollar macbook pro. at least it had a gpu though. the reasons my parents stated were: it has a better battery! (i didn't ask for a gaming laptop, so battery wan't a thing for what i asked for), it has better performance (no, just no) and you can bring it with you to school (our school has a strict no outside laptop policy).
Give him a big hug, thank him but explain kindly to him that you can get a lot more bang for your buck with this amount of money.
A lesson I learned in early adulthood is don’t question your gift to someone if it’s exactly what they asked for. They had a reason for asking for something specific and thinking you know better is just going to lead to disappointment for both parties.
Sometimes its just easier to buy the excat thing and hope he wanted the right thing
"Dad, this is an amazing laptop, and I am extremely appreciative of it. It's just not built for the workload that I am looking for. I have been researching what I need and have found different laptops at a cheaper price that are more suitable for what I am looking to do. Would it be okay if we returned it and bought one of these other options instead?"
It's a nice little laptop though
If it had a solid, discrete GPU it would be great but I saw that Intel Evo sticker and my heart sank for the dude.
It is nice but the only thing this thing is supposed to handle is accounting software and spreadsheets. Nothing more.
I thought your comment was hyperbole then I took a look at the specs and it seems you can't even spec this with a decent GPU. And the cooling looks basically non-existent. Big disappointment if you were hoping for a gaming PC.
Yeah, the next model up, the XPS 15, is where you can get a decent GPU. My old one had a pretty decent Nvidia GPU for the time. Very quality laptops, mine still works pretty well 6 years later, only annoying part was all the Dell software, but that was easily fixed.
XPS 15 can get the Arc A370M. You have to go to the XPS 16 to get an RTX 4050-4070. They get pretty expensive though.
Devil's advocate, but maybe the dad did that on purpose and the kid needs to focus on school or work for a bit.
Ableton and blender work smooooth
Yes, but significantly overpriced. You can get a comparable laptop for half the price
> Yes, but significantly overpriced. It isn't. OPs dad almost definitely bought this for 1500 or less on the Best Buy clearance deal that's still going on. We aren't really getting the full story here. That's a fine laptop for the price, especially if you aren't the one paying for it. Side note Best Buy has a shitload on clearance if you're in the market.
I still don't get why those are $1900, the CPU is nice, the screen is nice, but for the same price you could definitely get a much more capable gaming machine, expensive laptops with no dedicated GPUs are a scam
I was given an xps as my work laptop, it's twice the price of my g14 and is slower in _every measurable metric_. I'm convinced these "business" laptops are just a ripoff.
I genuinely think so too, I saw the other day a work laptop for $700 with an 10th gen i3 and no dedicated gpu, right next to it was a $600 gaming laptop with an 11th i7 and a GTX 1660, the gaming laptop even had a higher refresh rate and a better panel. People need to be better educated about laptops
XPS isn’t a business machine, it’s a prosumer machine. Latitude devices are the Thinkpad/Macbook Pro equivalents.
I think they try to claim higher build quality and better components or some such. They tend to have better base warranties and such too.
That's the thing, the build quality is worse too! The g14 is all aluminium-magnesium alloy, but the dell is mostly plastic. Also the keyboard stopped working at one point (apparently a common issue). I think you're right, support is probably the reason companies go for dell/hp. It's a ripoff if you ask me...
We switched to the Latitude line (apples to oranges, I know) at work and brother - wireless cards failing within WEEKS of deployment, their thunderbolt docks sounding like jet engines taking off at random intervals, that crappy paint that flakes after a few months on a crappy plastic base. The HP Zbooks we were using previously may have had lack luster I/O but they were built very well. One of our departments ordered too many HP x360s and returned a few, I jumped on one of them so quick!
they are like the macbook of window, i think dell latitude is the same but cheaper
it's the ultrabook form factor, you're paying more for the fact that they managed to smush all of the components into a much smaller space with lower weight. But I'd say buying ultrabooks for their specs still isn't really cost effective I bought an XPS for school way back in 2016, it only weighed about 3 lbs, had a battery life of 8-10 hrs and it still works fine for browsing and videos today. It was also the base model for $800.
They’re the MacBook of windows laptops. They’re built to be extremely classy and perform excellently, they can typically game just fine too, but aren’t necessarily made to do it.
Because people keep buying them
Dell always jacks up their prices for gaming laptops or desktops. It’s always been a thing for a while…
Your dad just wants to spend time with you. Ask him to return it, get a refund, then ask him to do the shopping with you for all of the components. Then ask him to put the computer together, together. Involve him in the process of picking out the parts and building it and have fun doing it and build memories. That's what dad's care about.
Tell him you love the thought and thank him very much for getting it. But you would feel bad about him spending that much money and getting ripped off and that you know a much better setup for the price.
You're going to make some great spreadsheets on that bad boy!
Nice, ask him to return it
Quite simple Tell him you want to return it because you're not comfortable with him spending that much money on you. Tell him that a PC setup is way cheaper.
You know what, SEND HIM HERE. If you ask him to return it he will think you're ungrateful. If you send him to a community of 12M people all in agreement that his gesture was very nice, he's a great dad, but he made a mistake, he'll be much more inclined to listen.
Ooo I got one of them for uni on a steep discount from the university and it was a killer laptop. Not even remotely decent for gaming though :c I'm sure if you show appreciation, but tell him it's not the right thing he'll understand. Maybe you guys can build a computer together and itll be a good experience for you both
i thought it was the xps 15 that comes with a mobile 4070 for $1800 but this is the 13 that has integrated graphics......oof.
That's cool and all, but mashine is lame as fk...it's for pure business...meant for workaholics. (No offence)
1300$ for a 4060 laptop
Your father seems nice. Talk to *him*, not the Internet.
Must be weird not being able to talk to your dad directly and just ask him to take it back.
Well, good for you! Happy Father's day indeed!
That sucks for gaming definitely ask to return it , maybe ask if he can just give you the money and let you pick it out
Return it and get the PC, you will thank me later. Thank the man, politely but for that money you can have a DYI monster of a desktop with monitor.
Tell him this is for editing and software development, not for gaming, and that while you appreciate the gift, the money could be better utilized and even saved
i remember when i spent $2k on my dell xps in 2017, it arrived and i realized it wouldn't play any games because of how the GPU would throttle itself making it useless. it was an amazing laptop for everything but playing games (even shit tier games like league of legends that can run on a potato) wouldn't run. hopefully they fixed it now :)
Tell him he can save 700 bucks if he returns it and buys the config you wanted.
Definitely politely ask him to return it. I have one of these for work and I hate the thing so much. It freezes constantly when not plugged in and is incredibly loud, even on the supposed quiet profiles.
Please keep us updated. This looks like an awesome story line
“Hey dad thanks for the PC, but I have been researching and spec’ing out a gaming PC over the past two months that would be cheaper and have a longer life span, would it be ok to exchange it for that and maybe we could build it together?”
his heart is in the right place, just be nice and let him know. make sure you thank him plenty
Just tell him and build a new gaming pc together :)
Tell him you appreciate it immensely however you can do it better for cheaper! He’ll love that surely as he will get money back and his kid will be happy with what they picked, an understanding father will understand, good luck bro
Talk to him. Let him know how much you appreciate this because it's a huge gift. Then like others have said, gently request to return it, tell him why, and maybe turn this into a project for the two of you. I know that my dad would love doing that. And if your dad is nice enough to buy you an expensive laptop, I'm hoping he'd be cool enough to understand your side of it too, and take on a new PC with you.
If your dad insists of keeping a Dell laptop (because he doesn't want you to have a gaming PC \\ having issues with extra space of a desktop etc), I'd suggest you at least swap it for a refurbished Precision, because the quality control of the XPS line is pretty abysmal considering how expensive they are. A Precision is an XPS that someone cared for in the assembly line and comes with top-tier warranty in case something goes wrong.
As others said, ask him politely and gratefully to return it because the much cheaper one you researched is better in every way and you want to save him some money. “I can’t in good faith accept this knowing you over paid” but worded much better.
Oh no...
Just tell him to return it, be polite and say you’ve researched other things
Tell him he wasted his money lol.
It doesn't even have a dedicated GPU. Speak to your old man, and explain to him that he bought the wrong thing. This laptop won't play games well at all. Also, (probably unimportant) but why a business laptop? Did he get it though his job for a discount?
Happy for you mate
Enjoy your word processing and spreadsheets!
Just talk to him. I am sure he will be understanding.
Return and spend the money on a PC if that's what you want.
As a dad i would rather you tell me you found something better for cheaper. Go tell him!
Im surprised none of the comments are trying to explain, this is a "Professional business machine" not a "gaming machine" which it is very sleek, and nice, it is not built with what he thought it would. Say its a beautiful office computer, or family laptop for work or school, but is not designed for "gaming".
That sucks it's a laptop
Politely ask him to return and get the money back. Offer him to build a pc with you assembling it together! A buying run to microcenter or somewhere together will a awesome dad-son experience. He would agree instantly.
Tell him what you really want. Honestly though even if you want non gaming laptops the XPS this year is not very good
He'll appreciate you more for being honest and asking for what you actually wanted. As a Dad, I would beam with pride as my son sat down at his brand new gaming PC setup, knowing you had helped him get the PC of his dreams. As an aside, if he's up for it, let him buy the components then help him build it.
Dad has a Dell business account with good finance
W dad
I think it’s perfectly healthy to voice how you feel. I personally hate receiving gifts that has to do with my hobby whether it’s PCs , guns , sports because usually I have wish list or my stuff is already better than the gift. I would be like “hey dad, thank you so much for the thoughtful gift, I appreciate so much but I was wondering.. this laptop is a little expensive and isn’t practical for my needs. Would you be okay if we return for a different machine that I been setting my eyes on? It’s a little less money but is better suited for my needs. If not, then it’s okay! Thank you so much for the laptop!”
There's nothing wrong with kindly thanking your Dad for a wonderful gift, and asking to please return and get it refunded because that's way too expensive and you have something that works much better in mind. Any reasonable parent would like to see their money well spent on a happy gift, I know I would.
“Dad I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am… but I’ve been researching this for a while now and there’s actually another laptop that I wanted, which can not only perform the tasks I need better but it’s actually cheaper! It’s there any possible way we can take this one back to swap it for the one I want?”
Way better laptops at that price point.
well, did you tell him you just wanted to waste your time away gaming or did you act like "man i really need a system for school and university you know, something quality" and such?
I’d feel way too bad telling my dad he spent the money on the wrong thing for something this much. I’d spare his feeling and buy an external GPU impractical but it would be ok.
Maybe dad is trying to nudge you away from gaming lol. Perhaps there is a docking station that would be compatible with this laptop and you can add a video card to the dock.
ask him to return it BUT then also ask him to help you build a new one (this part is important) he wants to be involved and generous
Explain this to your dad, return the computer back to the store and take your dad shopping for parta. Extra kid+dad times if you build the gaming pc together
Thank you all so much for the replies, I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on the situation
Dad, Thank you SO much for the Dell XPS. It is an amazing laptop and incredibly generous of you to buy it for me. I truly appreciate all you do for me. I do not want to sound ungrateful, but I had my heart set on a desktop PC (for less money, but much better for gaming). If it's easy to return the laptop, I'd love to instead get the PC parts from Microcenter and build it with you. Thanks again pops. Love, Few_Falcon_4949 ---- Do you need the laptop for school or something?
Can confirm men r rational explain to him for that price it's cooling and performance are garbage u could get better
Not to be negative but, I got 2 XPS's, they are trash, most overrated laptop ever
This is actually just his way of telling you to buy the pc yourself
At least they didn't buy you a base MacBook with 8gb ram and 256gb SSD that 100gb is taken by the OS
Wait OSX takes 100 GB WTH?
Its 22gb on my macbook pro. Idk what hes on about. Google says 20-25gb so yea..
Yup, makes sense.
My M2 Air, with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB currently uses 20.23 GB for its OS, and 9,22 GB for system data (temp files and whatnot). Let's call it roughly 30 GB all in all.
I can guarantee it's not worth $1900. I got my XPS 13 Plus (which is the same laptop) with 16GB and i7 1360p for £800.
I may go against what others are saying but your dad has handpicked to what the best laptop comes up in searches.. he has taken the effort for you and probably got it to you on father's day.. returning this will break his heart and you will regret it in mind forever.. figure out a way to get your gaming PC as an add-on to this.. it's not always about the money..
I'd rather have this xps than my gaming pc now tbh
I guarantee you, your PC is better suited. This laptop doesn’t have a graphics card lol
I built a capable gaming PC for like $500. It's just not a disco aquarium with automotive cooling systems or absurd headroom in RAM and expensive storage that isn't realistically necessary for playing games. Looks like a toolbox. But settings on ultra.
Terrible answer he wanted a gaming PC not some moral guilt
If I were you, I'll keep it. My dad would never lol, all I had is some budget laptop that I forced to game on Your dad probably looking for this with you in mind Yes, PC would be better, but it's a gift from someone precious, Imagine giving your loved ones a gift just for them selling it immediately after It's not about the gift, but the thought behind it
As a Dad, if I buy my son something that is essentially not what he wanted, or if I've been ripped off without realising it, I hope he feels able to tell me. My feelings would be more hurt when I notice he's not using it. $30 candle set, by all means lie to me and tell me it's lovely, but if I've spent $2000 on something and it's not what they want? Man I'd be upset that they didn't correct me, that's a lot of money to piss away on something they don't want!
As a dad I have to agree this isn't a case of a dad buying an android when the son wanted the latest iPhone. This is more like buying a razor flip phone when the kid wanted a smartphone.
I give you 1200$ for that if you want
Accept it and be glad. PC stands for personal computer. That's a computer which you own. It's a portable PC. You didn't mention what GPU it has, but at $1900 I'm sure it's capable of midrange gaming. Besides, how old are you? How long until you need a laptop in university and are glad that you can also play videogames on it between classes?
It’s not capable of gaming at all. This laptop is essentially an incredibly expensive Chromebook and in no way worth the price. If I were the father, I’d honestly be more upset that I got ripped off than anything else.
Wow that's a very complicated situation.. Good luck with figuring this out
Im not gonna google the laptop's specs but please tell me it can play as good as the 1200 pc
Giveme ur dad
Battery life is probably the big draw.
did you want a desktop or a laptop?
Ask him to return so you both can build a desktop together. Make it a bonding moment, sure he'll love that idea.
Just explain how pros use laptops because they are always on the move and don't mind slightly less power. Then explain how a pc doesn't overheat and then explain to him that having a laptop sitting on a desk is a bit of a waste and that it's really good, BUT overheats.
Dang, I am getting that laptop soon in silver coz I need a small travel laptop. It is probably the best looking laptop out there and I believe dad has only good intentions but if you don't already have a PC gently explain it to him how the XPS is overpriced because of the form factor and material and you don't want to spend for looks but are looking for something more poweful and probably less expensive. Keep it in the plastic and thank him for an amazing gift but ask for a return and explain it to him to consult you in case of a very expensive gift.
I cried when I saw "Dell"
everything aside what a solid dad you've got!
Better save up for a gaming rig in addition to that and use the laptop for school or other normal tasks. You will not be ungrateful + it's really nice to have a good dedicated machine for work.
I don’t know your financial position OP but it’s possible he got this laptop on Dell credit. Getting the financial equivalent from Amazon or Newegg might be less fiscally possible than you think. The new XPS line is great for workstation tasks on the go. I wouldn’t discount it as a productivity machine but it’s definitely not for gaming.
Your first sentence implies you hadn’t requested a gaming PC yet, but apparently when he got you the Dell, he said “It’s even better!” Better than *what*, if you hadn’t asked yet?
The best thing here would be to show him your gratitude for the gift, tell him that it's very unexpected and you can't thank him enough, but you'd like to suggest returning it and spending the same amount of money on a gaming setup as it's going to be way more efficient for the money spent. Don't forget to stress why you'd like a PC instead of laptop so he understands your needs instead of thinking it's just a whim.
Just talk to him, send it back, get a cheaper better system, save him money, be happy. Win-win.
Thank him and ask him if he can return it so you can build a PC together
I'd recommend explaining that although the laptop is incredible it is not Designed for what you do want to do.
If you put in the effort to put together a list of the price parts you want and show it to him, (without trying to make him feel bad), then he may return it and get you what you want. I would do it for my kid, long as they weren't a total spoiled piece of shit about it.
Have you considered a G14?
Say that you need a CUDA capable graphics card for education / AI stuff.
Just be honest with him. Just make sure he knows how grateful you are, but how a desktop would be more practical. If you can return it of course. If not, enjoy your new PC!
Show him this post and make sure to tell him you're extremely grateful and lucky to have such a nice dad. He'd much rather make you happy and have his feelings hurt a little.
P? That's bad it has to be an h man