XPS are meant to be good according to all the reviews, one of the best of that type of laptop.
Saying that, I've actually been using a Dell Vostro with exactly the same spec this week and although it feels fast it doesn't feel that fast (borne out by benchmarks) compared to the desktop we use that cost about the same price.
I don't know what the modelling you're doing is but if it's CPU intensive I'd be tempted to get a desktop and RDP into it rather than try and keep up with laptops.
XPS are meant to be good according to all the reviews, one of the best of that type of laptop.
Saying that, I've actually been using a Dell Vostro with exactly the same spec this week and although it feels fast it doesn't feel that fast (borne out by benchmarks) compared to the desktop we use that cost about the same price.
I don't know what the modelling you're doing is but if it's CPU intensive I'd be tempted to get a desktop and RDP into it rather than try and keep up with laptops.