To support its position as the best 15-inch laptop available, the Dell XPS 15 is back with updated hardware and classic XPS design.
The XPS 15 is currently Dell’s closest offering to a nearly ideal workhorse computer. Its stunning exterior conceals incredible power for difficult tasks, but it can also handle games when you need some downtime. Additionally, it has almost all the features we’d want in a contemporary laptop, particularly if you choose the stunning OLED display. Dell demonstrates, like Apple, how long-lasting a good design can be.
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Table of Contents
Overview Of Dell XPS 15
Pros
- Sleek design
- Great performance
- Excellent keyboard and trackpad
- Long battery life
- Gorgeous display
Cons
- Could use more ports
- Keyboard and trackpad look messy after use
The smooth carbon fiber surrounding the keyboard and the exterior aluminum of the XPS 15 both have the impression of having been fine-tuned to perfection. Although I’m sure Dell will eventually release an XPS 15 Plus that borrows design cues from the more recent XPS 13 Plus, the current model still has a level of polish that exceeds that of most Windows laptops.
This year, Intel’s new 12th-gen hybrid processors are the main selling point for the XPS 15. They are much more capable than those from last year when it comes to balancing a lot of work thanks to their combination of high performance and efficient cores. Furthermore, the low-power cores are helpful for extending battery life. The XPS 15 is now even more of a true powerhouse thanks to NVIDIA’s 45-watt RTX 3050 Ti GPU (which was also in the model we covered last year).
Specs Of Dell XPS 15
| CPU | 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12700H (24MB Cache, up to 4.7 GHz, 14 cores) |
|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 (40W) |
| Display | 15.6-inch 3.5K (3456 x 2160) InfinityEdge OLED touch display, DisplayHDR 500, 400-nit, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 176° wide viewing angle +/- 88° / 88° / 88° / 88°, up to 0.65% anti-reflective, anti-smudge |
| Body | 344.72×230.14x18mm (13.57×9.06×0.71in), 1.96kg (4.31lbs) |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) with DisplayPort and Power Delivery 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort / Power Delivery) 1x Full-size SD card reader v6.0 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack Wedge-shaped lock slot 1x USB-C to USB-A v3.0 & HDMI v2.0 adapter ships standard |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe 4 x4 SSD |
| Memory | 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5 Dual Channel at 4800MHz |
| Battery | 86Whr battery (built-in), 130W AC adapter (USB Type-C) |
| Audio | Studio quality tuning with Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Waves Nx 3D audio Quad-speaker design with 2.5W x2 woofers and 1.5W x2 tweeters = 8W total peak output 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack featuring Waves Nx 3D audio with head tracking Dual microphone array optimized with Waves MaxxVoice supporting VoIP Microsoft Cortana capable |
| Inputs | Touch Display (optional) 2 Digital Array Microphones Full size, backlit chiclet keyboard; 1.3mm travel Glass surface Precision Touchpad Windows Hello fingerprint reader in power button & HD (720p) Windows Hello camera in upper bezel Ambient Light Sensor for display backlight control |
| Material | CNC machined aluminum in platinum silver with carbon fiber composite palm rest in black |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Price | $2,253 |
Price & Availability Of Dell XPS 15
- The Dell XPS 15 9520 starts at $1,449 and is available now
- It’s available in either Platinum Silver or Frost colors
The Dell XPS 15 9520, which was introduced this spring, is currently on sale and costs $1,449 up front. The components of that base model will be a Core i5-12500H processor, 8GB of DDR5 memory, a 256GB SSD, and an FHD+ screen. Dedicated graphics won’t be present.
There are numerous options, as usual. The display has two different 4K options (technically the OLED one is considered 3.5K), one of which is OLED and the other isn’t, and you can get it with up to 64GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. The graphics card and CPU can both be upgraded to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti.
The first is Platinum Silver and comes with a black carbon fiber keyboard deck. The style is a staple of XPS. The other is Frost, who uses a keyboard deck made of white woven glass fiber.
Design Of Dell XPS 15
- Absolutely gorgeous
- Fantastic display
- Decent number of ports
The Dell XPS 15 (2022) really shines in terms of design, bringing the classic XPS look while maintaining a lightweight and comfortable design (and sticking with the carbon fiber palm rests).
Starting with the brushed CNC aluminum chassis, the XPS 15 is fairly light for a 15-inch laptop. Even though it is still twice as heavy as some of the best Ultrabooks, it is still easily portable enough to throw into a backpack and go. For anyone who values portability in any way, this is the best 15-inch laptop.
Considering the type of hardware it has hidden away under the hood, the laptop is also incredibly thin. Though the RTX 3050 Ti in the model we reviewed isn’t the most potent discrete GPU you’re likely to find in a laptop, it’s still powerful enough that you need to consider how you’re going to cool it, and active cooling can significantly increase a device’s thickness. It’s quite an accomplishment that the XPS 15 can fit everything into a chassis that is slightly smaller than 3/4 of an inch.
The XPS series laptops are known for their comfortable carbon fiber palm rests, which are visible when you open the laptop. Two of the laptop’s speakers flank the keyboard on either side (there are also two downfiring speakers, making a total of four), and the carbon fiber extends above the keyboard to complete the appearance.
A 92% screen-to-body ratio, which is quite respectable, is achieved by the display’s InfinityEdge technology, which is Dell’s term for extremely thin bezels. Even though the OLED display on our test unit is absolutely stunning, displays with up to 500-nit brightness still look fantastic.
Display Of Dell XPS 15
- The screen is 15.6 inches diagonally with a 16:10 aspect ratio
- It comes in FHD+, OLED 3.5K, and non-OLED 4K
It has a 15.6-inch display, which has been changed to a 16:10 aspect ratio since the release of the XPS 15 9500, as you might expect from a product named “15.” Three possibilities exist: 1,920×1,200, 3,456×2,160 2,400 x 3,840 IPS LCD and OLED. The OLED model, which Dell sent me, is undoubtedly my favorite.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t really need Dell’s OLED displays. You won’t even notice much of a difference between their OLED and non-OLED screens. Due to the fact that OLED pixels only light up when necessary and the absence of a backlight, true blacks and vibrant colors are both achieved. However, Dell also provides a really good IPS LCD screen that could pass for an OLED display.
With support for 100% sRGB, 94% NTSC, 96% Adobe RGB, and 100% P3, the OLED screen on the Dell model that I was sent clearly performed well in my display tests. You’ll find that these are the best results. But once more, the 90s will also be reached by the other configurations.
Maximum brightness was slightly higher than the promised 400 nits at 405.7. You can see that OLED has the advantage that black does not get lighter as brightness gets higher.
The idea I want to convey is that Dell equips its XPS laptops with really fantastic displays. As usual, OLED is fantastic, and FHD+ is for when extra battery life is truly needed.
Dell is dedicated to having the smallest bezels available for the most immersive experience as always. In fact, it has prioritized that above all else, even reducing the chin a few years ago when switching from a 16:9 to a 16:10 display. Unfortunately, this also means that there are still 720p webcams available, even though the rest of the market is transitioning to 1080p webcams due to the rise in home-based employment. See more about Can You Connect AirPods To A Chromebook?
Keyboard Of Dell XPS 15
- Dell uses one of the largest touchpads on any 15-inch Windows laptop
- The fingerprint sensor still requires you to wait for the PC to boot
As previously mentioned, the palm rest is made of carbon fiber in a sleek black color, and the keyboard has Chiclet-style keys and a matching color. The keyboard is accurate and comfortable, though it could be better compared to, say, a ThinkPad X1 Extreme given that ThinkPads are known for having the best keyboards. I will say that even though it isn’t quite as quiet, I actually prefer the force curve a little bit more. The key depth on ThinkPad computers from Lenovo is, in my opinion, too long, and they occasionally lack a modern feel.
The large old touchpad that Dell decided to include is one thing that I adore. The only other OEM I see attempting to produce a large touchpad is Apple, and it’s about as big as they come in a 15-inch laptop. It’s wonderful to see on the Windows side. I will admit that the large touchpad occasionally feels a little shaky, and I believe a haptic touchpad in its place would be a welcome change. Maybe in a later version, we’ll see that. I will unquestionably count this large touchpad as a win in the interim.
The speakers on Dell’s laptops are positioned on either side of the keyboard; two of them are located below the laptop. It produces excellent sound thanks to its dual 2.5W woofers and dual 1.5W tweeters. This is a fantastic device for consuming media because it has Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Waves Nx 3D tuned audio and video.
The high-quality display, high-quality sound, and other features were all grouped together under the name Dell Cinema in earlier Dell marketing materials. The quality is still there even though the branding is no longer present.
Battery Life Of Dell XPS 15
- Fantastic battery life
- Massive battery is going to need a big charger
The Dell XPS 15 (2022)’s battery life is the last and most welcome surprise in our tests.
The majority of what we’ve seen from Intel Alder Lake laptops has been their complete disregard for battery life in favor of performance, but the XPS 15 leads us to believe that the issue may have been less with Alder Lake itself and more with its integration or driver improvements.
The XPS 15 appears to take these battery issues in stride; it is one of the few Alder Lake laptops that can easily get through a full workday on a charge, lasting an average of 12:01 in our PCMark 10 test and about two hours less (10:07 in particular) in our HD movie test.
Should You Purchase The Dell XPS 15?
Even though the Dell XPS 15 9520 excels at its intended task, you should consider whether your use case falls within that scope.
If, then you ought to purchase a Dell XPS 15
- You want the best creator machine with a 15-inch display
- You want the best experience when streaming movies and TV shows
If the following conditions apply to you:
- You’re looking for a productivity machine (check out the XPS 13 instead)
- You’re looking for a quality webcam
I think the biggest reason not to get the If you’re looking for a productive computer, consider the Dell XPS 15. Because of this, a Dell XPS 13 would actually be a much better choice for you than an XPS 15 because it has integrated graphics and U-series processors. There is also the webcam issue, which is something to be aware of, of course.
The End
The recent redesign of the XPS 15, which drastically reduced the bezel width and gave the entire computer a more contemporary appearance, is a major contributing factor in this. The thickness of a laptop’s unsightly display border practically dates the device. Even though I’ve seen it in different configurations over the past few years, I still adore the way the lower portion of the keyboard and the screen seamlessly blend together. The screen actually appears to be floating thanks to those imperceptibly thin borders, despite the cliché that might follow.
I appreciate you reading.