Few laptops have what it truly takes to take on the MacBook Pro . The Dell XPS 16 claims to be one of them , however , and seems to have the credentials to back it up .
This laptop attempts to accomplish this in two ambitious ways . One , by offering a suitable amount of performance to counter theM3 Max MacBook Proin the flesh of up to an RTX 4070 GPU . Second , the XPS 16 strive to outdo the MacBook Pro in its sleek figure and sophisticated feature , wanting to make even the MacBook Pro seem outdated .
So , here ’s the question : Does the XPS 16 actually action these goals ? In many agency , the answer is yes . It ’s a pricey laptop and has a few notable problems , but the XPS 16 is one of the most beautiful and powerful laptop you’re able to currently corrupt .
Specs and configurations
Note : Dell lowered its prices and add a Core Ultra 9 option after this followup was spell . For now , the XPS 16 is a more low-cost ( but still expensive ) laptop . Because Dell ’s prices and configurations are subject to variety , this reappraisal and its conclusions will be update if these prices persist .
Let ’s get this right out of the way : the XPS 16 is an expensive laptop computer . It starts at $ 2,199 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chipset , 16 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , Intel Arc graphics , and a 16.3 - column inch FHD+ informatics showing . That ’s several hundred dollar more than the XPS 15 and 17 when they were first inclose . And without a discrete GPU , it ’ll hardly please the demographic this laptop draw a bead on for .
Various upgrade are also quite pricey , like the $ 1,100 RTX 4070 and $ 950 Core Ultra 9 185H option . An XPS 16 equip with the highest - remainder component part costs $ 4,549 for a Core Ultra 9 185H , 64 GB of RAM , a 4 TB SSD , an RTX 4070 , and a 16.3 - in 4K+ OLED gore ( a $ 300 alternative on its own ) .
Up to a stage , that ’s in the same kitchen stove as the MacBook Pro 16 , the laptop that put the greatest competitive threat to the XPS 16 . you may pass a lot more on a MacBook Pro 16 , but you ’ll also get twice the RAM and storage .
My XPS 16 review configuration costs $ 3,399 for a Core Ultra 7 , 32 GB of RAM , a 1 TB SSD , an RTX 4070 , and an OLED display . That ’s $ 550 more than a similarly configure Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra , one of the only other non - gaming laptops that can go up to an RTX 4070 . And it ’s a humongous $ 1,450 more for the MSI Prestige 16 configure the same way .
Meanwhile , a around tantamount MacBook Pro 16 with an M3 Max chipset , 48 GB of RAM , and a 1 TB SSD is $ 3,999 . Keep that number in mind throughout this review .
Design
My first reaction to the XPS 16 when I pulled it out of the box was that it ’s a very large laptop . But that ’s not entirely fair . It has a fractionally larger display than the MacBook Pro 16 but is slightly small and roughly the same weight . significantly , it ’s significantly smaller than theXPS 17it replaces .
That ’s thanks to its insanely thin presentation bezels , within which Dell managed to fit a 1080p webcam with an infrared camera without resorting to the MacBook ’s display notch . The XPS 16 is a bit thicker at 0.74 inches versus 0.66 inches , but that ’s not so much that you ’d mark without putting them side - by - side . The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is thinner and lighter than both at 0.65 in and 4.1 pounds .
You expect a laptop computer this expensive to be build up well , and Dell render . The XPS 16 is wholly solid , as were the XPS 15 and 17 before it , and it ’s as full as the MacBook Pro 16 . The MacBook still feels denser , but again , you ’d have to hold each side - by - side to notice . The XPS 16 ’s hinge is just as ripe , opening swimmingly with one hand and holding the video display unwaveringly in place .
The quality look gallop to the XPS 16 ’s aesthetic , which on the outside is about the same as its predecessors with more angular slope than the MacBook , paint a picture a spareness that is n’t there and making for a aerodynamic look . My review unit came in the darker Graphite that search a lot like the MacBook ’s Space Black in certain lighting , and the more Dell - traditional Platinum color scheme is also available .
start the chapeau , though , and the XPS 16 is a completely different thing . The dominant colour is carried forrader and foreground , with an all - glass palm rest that ’s unbroken by touchpad line and flows into the verbalizer grills that flank a zero - latticework keyboard . The magic of an unbroken expanse is maintained — until that is , your eyes are drawn to the row of LED touching mapping keys . These are all ultramodern skin senses for indisputable , and when felt with the thin bezels , they make for a laptop that bet as up - to - date as they get .
The head , though , is this : Are they therighttouches ? And it ’s a motley bag .
As I use the XPS 16 , I find the hidden tactual touchpad pretty gooddespiteits being hidden . At least , it ’s pretty beneficial when I flex the haptics to their maximal setting . Anything less , and they ’re too washy , and the haptic touchpad on theHP Spectre x360 16is better .
The touchpad is large enough that I never witness myself trying to swipe the unsheathed field glass , something I experienced on the smallerXPS 14with a similar aim . The touchpad is n’t as expert as the Force Touch version on the MacBook Pro 16 , which is just as large , more naturalistic , and boast Apple ’s sole Force Click functionality .
The zero - lattice keyboard took me a little while to get used to . I roll in the hay Apple ’s Magic Keyboard with its prominent keycaps , stacks of key spacing , and low-cal , raffish , and accurate substitution . The XPS 16 ’s keyboard also has light , zippy , and precise switches . But , while its keycaps are very great , the all over want of spatial arrangement was uncomfortable at first .
I got faster with it as I was typing this limited review , but I ca n’t say I loved the feel in quite the same way . The keyboard has the new Windows Copilot key , but that seems little more than a thingmabob at this point .
If the keyboard was a achromatic experience , the LED touch mathematical function keys were a detriment . mayhap I could account for them with the smallest family member , theXPS 13 Plus(now just the XPS 13 ) , because Dell could reason they meet advantageously or lead more elbow room inside . Or something .
On the XPS 16 , they seem whacky . I do n’t signify to be harsh , but I do n’t see the point . They ’re not as naturally responsive as physical keys , specially without any haptics to cater feedback , and there ’s mess of elbow room for another row of veridical paint . Of all the XPS 16 ’s features , this one boggles my mind . I realize Dell ’s desire to make a cohesive XPS lineup , but in this case of laptop computer , standard key feel like a no - brainer .
Connectivity
Another knock on the XPS 16 as a fellow member of the new XPS card is its limited connectivity . This massive beast of a laptop has the same connectivity as the diminished XPS . Okay , not exactly the same , but you get my compass point . The XPS 16 has one more Thunderbolt 4 larboard and a microSD card reader , which the modest XPS deficiency .
There are no legacy ports , like the MacBook Pro 16 ’s HDMI connexion , and the laptop ’s Lord target would much rather be able-bodied to plug in full - size Coyote State cards than use another dongle .
Again , many of this laptop ’s contender win here . Even worse , maybe , is that the XPS 16 is powered via USB - C , unlike the MacBook with its MagSafe 3 connector . That means one Thunderbolt 4 larboard is carry to punch in . If it were my main machine , I ’d connect the XPS 16 to a Thunderbolt 4 sour grass , but that ’s not an option when taking it on the road .
Wireless connectivity is surely fully modern . The XPS 16 supports the former Wi - Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 , and while some prison term will pass before Wi - Fi 7 becomes a widespread criterion , the XPS 16 will be ready for it .
The webcam is a 1080p variation and provides a good enough image for videoconferencing . The Neural Processing Unit ( NPU ) in the Meteor Lake chipset helps baron Microsoft Studio Effects for screen background fuzz , centre contact , and automatic framing . Dell construct in its user front sense engineering science to log you in when you come back to the laptop and lock it when you step by .
The infrared camera make well for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition , and the king button also has a very good fingerprint reader .
Thermals and power
The XPS 16 can be configured with up to a 45 - W Core Ultra 9 185H , a 14 - core ( six Performance , eight Efficient , two Low Power Efficient ) , 22 - screw thread CPU play at up to 5.1GHz . I reviewed it with the 28 - watt Core Ultra 7 155H , which has the same core count but runs at up to 4.8GHz . I also reviewed the high - ending GPU option , the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 . The XPS 16 can also be configure with structured Intel Arc graphics only , the RTX 4050 , and the RTX 4060 . That ’s a step back from the XPS 17 ’s optional RTX 4080 ( however , see below ) .
In assess the XPS 16 ’s carrying out , we ’ll need to dig into the specs a fiddling . The max thermal gasbag for the laptop ’s cooling result is 80 watts , which Dell equilibrate between the central processing unit and the GPU based on the task . The XPS 16 ’s RTX 4070 can take up to 60 Watt ( in carrying out manner , out of the cow chip ’s maximal 115 watt ) , while the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 can take up to 50 watts maximum ( the RTX 4060 can also handle up to 115 watts ) . That raise some questions considering each CPU ’s lower limit assured superpower — 20 Isaac Watts with the Core Ultra 7 and 35 Isaac Watts with the Core Ultra 9 185H — and maximal Turbo power of 115 watts .
Theoretically , when run entirely CPU - intensive job , the CPU can use all 80 watt when using the integrated nontextual matter via Nvidia ’s Optimum switching architecture . When go biz , the discrete GPU will have up to the 60 - James Watt uttermost with the Core Ultra 7 but likely something less with the Core Ultra 9 ( it ’s unclear what that CPU ’s actual lower limit will be in praxis ) . project that blend the CPU and GPU , such as video editing , will therefore see mixed performance . Given its big power draw , whether the Core Ultra 9 volunteer much of an advantage is questionable , and an RTX 4080 would be completely squander .
liken this to theAlienware m16 R2 , which can also be configured with up to the Core Ultra 9 and the RTX 4070 but can care up to 175 watts . That ’s a lot more might to both the CPU and the GPU . However , that gaming laptop is well thicker ( 0.93 column inch ) and fleshy ( 5.75 pounds ) . The XPS 16 , by dividing line , is intended to balance carrying into action with portability .
Performance
So , how well did it do ? It all depends on how you want to habituate it . And before we dig into that data point , I ’ll anticipate some likely questions : The XPS 16 never got more than warm on the chassis bottom ( 105 level Fahrenheit max ) and remained cool on the keyboard deck of cards where my hands lie . The CPU did get a little toasty ( up to 103 level C ) and choke more than I ’d like . But overall , the heat was well - controlled .
The entirely rearward - venting fans ( with rear breathing in and no bottom vents to stop ) certainly made some noise at full eruption , but not more than many other fast laptops I ’ve survey and less than some . The MacBook Pro 16 ’s fans can also get loud , although I do have to push it even harder to get there .
The XPS 16 is primarily intend as a very fast productiveness laptop with an expansive display , as well as a more portable workstation for demanding creativeness tasks like video recording redaction . In this heed , it does well enough . I ran the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark , which lead in a lively version of Premiere Pro and can use a discrete GPU to pelt along up various labor . I ran the latest Pugetbench edition with Premiere Pro 24.1 , which means several of the degenerate creator workstation in the comparison group were leave alone out .
I included the Alienware m16 R2 because it ’s a useful comprehensive examination , and I desire to see what the same components could do in a laptop that provides them with a draw more tycoon . I also include results from the MacBook Pro 16 with the fastest M3 Max chipset with 16 CPU Congress of Racial Equality , 40 GPU core , and 48 GB of incorporate RAM . The M3 Max with 14 CPU center and 30 GPU cores would be stuffy to the XPS 16 in toll , but we did n’t prove that good example . It would be incrementally slower in our benchmark .
The XPS 16 perform well in the Pugetbench benchmark , rivaling the Alienware . It ’s a solid result that promises good functioning for creators . It ’s also well behind the MacBook Pro 16 , which has a long ton of GPU cores to throw at thing and several CPU optimizations that make myopic work of various encryption and decode tasks . The MacBook is the truehearted laptop computer we ’ve reviewed in this benchmark , and only theAsus ROG Strix Scar 18 — a very large , very powerful gaming laptop computer with an RTX 4090 — comes close . For further reference , the Falcon NW Talon gaming desktop with a Core i9 - 14900KS and an RTX 4090 scored 10,848 .
In the rest of our benchmarks , the XPS 16 was profligate but not unmistakably so compared to the competition . It was n’t faster than the XPS 17 , a little amazingly , and while it kept up with the Alienware m16 R2 , it fell right smart behind the MacBook Pro 16 . The Cinebench R24 score were particularly one - sided , with the MacBook Pro 16 and the ROG Strix 18 in a unlike social class totally . The MacBook ’s GPU was about 25 % quicker than the XPS 16 ’s RTX 4070 , which is around what I would look .
Overall , the XPS 16 reasonably overcomes its mogul constraints and gives a credible showing . It ’s not the fast 16 - inch laptop by any substance , and that ’s by intent to keep things from melting down . However , if price to operation is view , the XPS 16 costs a pretty penny . Given its more telling carrying into action , it ’s prosperous to indicate that the MacBook Pro 16 is deserving considerably more .
Gaming performance
A natural question is , can the XPS 16 play game ? The wide-eyed answer is that it can , course enough . The RTX 4070 is a up to GPU , even when run so little power . But thinking of the XPS 16 as a gaming laptop is a mistake . Once again , that ’s not what it ’s destine for .
I run a couple of play benchmark , and the XPS 16 was a enough performer . It hit 50 frames per 2nd ( fps ) inCyberpunk 2077at 1440p and Ultra quality and with FSR 2.1 solidifying at Quality . The Alienware m16 R2 strike 55 fps . At 1080p and extremist nontextual matter with ray tracing and DLSS turned on , the XPS 16 hit 81 fps liken to the Alienware ’s 61 fps , a surprising win for the Dell . InRed Dead Redemption , the XPS 16 managed 66 Federal Protective Service at 1440p and radical art compare to the Alienware ’s 69 fps .
In a few other game , the XPS 16 also managed playable frame rates at 1440p and with graphics plow up . Those includeAssassin ’s Creed Valhallaat 104 Federal Protective Service and ultra - high-pitched computer graphic andCivilization VIat 126 fps at ultra graphic .
Generally speaking , although the XPS 16 I go over had a 4K+ exhibit , it ’s best as a 1440p play motorcar , which is about the demarcation line for the RTX 4070 . Do n’t misunderstand me , though . Many dedicated gaming laptops with the same components and more power will in all likelihood be faster . But they ’re unlikely to be as thin and faint , and they ’ll pass hotter . That ’s the tradeoff .
Battery life
I ’m breaking out the battery animation result because , as we ’ve consider , the MacBook Pro 16 is the XPS 16 ’s most of import competitor . Apple ’s Silicon chipsets are incredibly efficient , even as they ’re improbably tight . The MacBook live a singular 19 hour in our web shop test and 27 hours in our video iteration test . Those are n’t tremendously taxing tests , but these answer mean that even with its eminent - res superpower - hungry mini - moderate video display , the MacBook Pro 16 can perform demanding study for something approaching a full day . That ’s telling .
The XPS 16 is … well … less telling . It has a orotund 99.5 - watt - hour battery but , on my review building block , a very big businessman - hungry high - Re OLED display . It managed 5.5 hour in our web range examination and 5.5 hour in our video iteration test .
The former is a decent meter for a powerful Windows laptop , while the latter is n’t so enceinte , and they underscore the dramatic departure between Intel and Apple Silicon chipsets . You wo n’t get much preceding lunch period , even running lite tasks like entanglement browsing , email , and media using up . And check that you carry the power adapter with you if you need to do any creative work on the go .
Display and audio
I review the XPS 16 with its 16.3 - inch 4K+ ( 3840 x 2400 ) OLED touch display choice , which runs at up to 90Hz for smoother Windows surgery and tear - destitute play . There ’s also an FHD+ ( 1920 x 1200 ) IPS non - touch choice , but that one wo n’t be sharp enough , and it only runs at up to 60Hz . It will , though , get better battery lifespan , which might be more important to some purchaser .
Subjectively , the OLED display is very in force , with the usual bright , active colouring material and inky-black blacks , as well as very sharp text and computer graphic . My colorimeter harmonize , for the most part . The display was bright at 432 , and its blacks were utter with near - space contrast . Colors were very good at 100 % of sRGB and 100 % of DCI - P3 , with its one debile point being AdobeRGB coverage of “ just ” 90 % . While that ’s still very expert , it does fall unretentive of other OLED control board that are typically 95 % or high . Color accuracy was excellent at a DeltaE of 0.59 ( 1.0 or less is indistinguishable to the human eye ) .
Everyone will love this presentation , whether productivity user , culture medium consumers , or Divine . The latter might trip over the AdobeRGB numeral , but that ’s as good as the MacBook Pro 16 ’s display , which comes in at 89 % . The MacBook ’s colour accuracy was n’t as good , at a Delta - tocopherol of 1.22 .
However , the MacBook ’s display gets incredibly lustrous at 640 nits in standard active range ( SDR ) and up to 1,600 nit in high dynamic range ( HDR ) . The XPS 16 bear out Dolby Vision , so its HDR calibre is very in force , but the MacBook ’s is even good .
Audio is provided by four speaker , two up - sack tweeter and two side - firing woofers . The organization is the better yet in an XPS laptop computer , with tremendous volume , decipherable mids and senior high school , and legitimate bass part . I had to reduce the mass to around 90 % to invalidate straining , but that was still very gimcrack .
Once again , I have to liken the XPS 16 to the MacBook Pro 16 , which has a six - speaker system let in force - cancelling woofers . The MacBook gain ground out with straining - free audio that ’s just as loud and with even more bass . Even so , the XPS 16 come as tight as any Windows laptop I ’ve reviewed .
A very good laptop, but wait for Dell to lower the price
I ’m a fan of the XPS 16 , but I ’m also aware of its restriction . The GPU is underpowered . The connectivity is modified . And let ’s be honorable : the light-emitting diode part keys make an otherwise effective keyboard downright frustrating .
However , the laptop computer perform well enough to meet the need of its master target : a God Almighty who desire a reasonably thin and unaccented laptop to carry around . The XPS 16 is attractive and exceedingly well - built , and I see it comfortable to apply once I grow accustomed to its idiosyncrasies .
But it ’s also very expensive . It ’s facing some implausibly stiff competitor , such as the MSI Prestige 16 and the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra , both of which be 100 less . Even the MacBook Pro 16 is only somewhat more expensive when we ’re speak about drop over $ 3,000 . And the MacBook Pro 16 beats the XPS 16 soundly in both carrying into action and battery living . If you must purchase a Windows laptop , then by all means , append the XPS 16 to your list . Dell tends to lower its damage when its products have been around for a while , though , and once it does , the XPS 16 will be even easygoing to recommend .
