Dell XPS 13 Black Friday Deal 2021: Cheapest Price Today

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There have been tons of amazing discounts and promotions for weeks as retailers got going earlier than ever this year. These include some of the best Black Friday deals we've seen in a long time. Of course, if you're looking for something specific, like Black Friday laptop deals, it makes sense to check out not just the big retailers, but some of the more popular tech stores as well. Take Dell Black Friday deals for example. There are tons of great deals out there in their store, even Dell XPS Black Friday deals on their latest XPS 13 laptops.

Dell XPS 13 Black Friday Deal 2021: Lowest Price Today

Person sits and holds Dell XPS 13 laptop on lap.

However, there are also stand-alone offers that are in the spotlight for some time. Right now, you can get the latest model of the Dell XPS 13 laptop for $ 650 with free shipping – that's $ 300 off the normal price! That's a great deal for a 13.3-inch Windows 11 laptop with an 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. You can check out this fantastic offer below or read on for more information on the XPS 13 laptop!

There's a reason the Dell XPS 13 9305 (2021) deserves a spot on our list of the best Dell laptops for 2021. It's powerful, offers great battery life, and is a "stylish trendsetter" that looks absolutely stunning. But much more is under the hood and offers a user-friendly and pleasant experience.

The full specs include an 11th generation Intel Core i5 quad-core processor with clock speeds of up to 4.2 GHz. It also has 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM at 4267 MHz, a 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 solid-state drive, and Intel Iris Xe graphics. The 13.3-inch FHD display runs at a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 and has ultra-thin InfinityEdge bezels. You also get the Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2 × 2), Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connectivity, and the CNC machined aluminum case, and all of this feels great thanks to its lightweight design.

You normally pay $ 950 for the latest Dell XPS 13 laptop, but they dropped the price by $ 300 thanks to a crazy Black Friday deal. That means you can grab it now for $ 650 with free shipping and have it delivered to your door within the next few days. If you're interested, act soon – we're already seeing some wait on the Dell website and it looks like this deal is in high demand!

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we carefully and independently choose what we cover. The prices, details and availability of the products and offers in this post are subject to change at any time. Make sure they are still valid before buying.

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Editor's recommendations



Dell XPS 15 9510 OLED Review: The Best Keeps Getting Better

Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table.

Dell XPS 15 OLED 2021

RRP $ 2,400.00

"The Dell XPS 15 is everything you could want in a powerful 15-inch laptop."

advantages

  • Superior build quality

  • Nice aesthetics

  • Excellent creative and productive performance

  • Good keyboard and touchpad

  • Beautiful OLED display

What are you doing to make the best 15 inch laptop even better? Well, you don't change what is outwardly. It already has a killer design and an excellent OLED screen.

Instead, you change what's inside instead. That is exactly what Dell did with the update of the XPS 15 in 2021, the CPUs of the 11th generation.

I tested the XPS 15 with a Core i7-11800H CPU and the RTX 3050 Ti, which costs a cool $ 2,400. This is not a cheap laptop. But as we'll see, with the XPS 15, you get what you pay for – a laptop that does what it has to do to hang on the crown.

draft

Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table. Look at the back.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My wife, who rarely comments on the laptops I have tested, called the XPS 15 “beautiful”. That is kudos, and it is well deserved for this remarkably designed laptop. It's hard to point out simplicity, but that's exactly what Dell did. The XPS 15 does not have the extravagant gemstone-cut aesthetics of the HP Specter x360 15, for example with contrasting colors and large bevelled and angled edges.

Instead, the XPS 15 has sparkling clean lines, a silver aluminum lid and case base with a black soft-touch carbon fiber or white fiberglass keyboard deck, and double anodized chrome edges that resist scratches and pull the design together. The tiny display bezels offer a true screen-to-body ratio of 92.9% (no big chin tucked under the back of the keyboard deck), which makes the larger 16:10 screen seem to float in mid-air. In short, the XPS 15 has a uniform look that is unmatched among 15-inch laptops.

And the XPS 15 doesn't just look good. It's also rock-solid without bending, bending, or twisting in the lid, keyboard deck, or case. The machined aluminum combined with the carbon or fiberglass gives the XPS 15 a feeling of durability that you won't find in many other laptops. The Specter x360 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 are just as stiff, but I can't think of any other 15-inch laptop that feels this solid. Even the hinge on the XPS 15 works better than most, making the laptop easy to open with one hand and still keeping the display firmly in place. These are all traits shared with other XPS laptops like the XPS 13 and XPS 17, and it is evident that Dell has paid a lot of attention to making laptops that exude quality.

If the XPS 15 has one weakness in design, it's connectivity.

The XPS 15 is also a remarkably small laptop for such a powerful device that is narrower than the Specter x360 15 and ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3. Thanks to the larger 16:10 display, it's a little deeper than the Specter and it always is even thinner than the ThinkPad, even if you take into account the traditional 16: 9 panel of this laptop. The XPS 15 is 0.71 inches thick compared to the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 at 0.72 inches and the Specter x360 15 at 0.79 inches.

Finally, the XPS 15 with the OLED display and 86 watt-hour battery weighs 4.31 pounds, compared to the Specter at 4.23 pounds and the ThinkPad at 3.75 pounds. Overall, that makes the XPS 15 a smaller laptop that is a bit heavier and feels tighter in the hand, which isn't a bad thing with these weights – none of these laptops are particularly heavy for larger machines.

Left side view of the Dell XPS 15 OLED notebook. Two micro USB ports.

Right side view of the Dell XPS 15 OLED notebook. Micro USB port and SD card reader.

If the XPS 15 has one weakness in design, it's connectivity. You'll only find three USB-C ports, two with Thunderbolt 4 support, a full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Dell includes a USB-C to HDMI and USB-A adapter, which is a plus, but it's unfortunate to need dongles at all. However, the SD card reader will be welcome to developers compared to the microSD card readers you typically find on modern laptops. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 provide wireless connectivity through the Killer AX1650 chipset.

power

You can configure the XPS 15 with a range of Intel 11th Generation H-Series processors, from the Core i5-11400H to the Core i9-11900H. My test device was equipped with the Core i7-11800H, a fast 8-core CPU with 16 threads that has proven itself well in other devices, along with 16 GB of RAM (up to a whopping 64 GB can be configured) and a 512- GB PCIe solid state drive (SSD and up to 4 TB can be ordered). Two SSD slots mean you can install two 4TB SSDs for a total of 8TB of storage.

You'll also find a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU inside, which lives on the lower end of the RTX line but still beats the integrated graphics many times over. You would expect this combination to work well for demanding tasks like video editing and others that appeal to both developers and productive users.

The XPS 15 performed admirably in our benchmarks. We didn't do all of the testing with the 2020 XPS 15, but where we overlap, the new model is faster. That is to be expected. The new XPS 15 does not dominate our comparison group, but it is right at the front. It does particularly well against the XPS 17, which benefits from a larger case and even better thermal than the very well constructed XPS 15.

Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

If you look at the CPU-intensive benchmarks, our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video in H.265 and Cinebench R23, the XPS 15 competes strongly with the XPS 17 and the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with AMD Ryzen 7 5800H. The Ryzen chips are fast on CPU-intensive tasks, and so the XPS 15's score here is impressive. When you get to the Core i9 model, you will likely outperform the Ryzen 7. The XPS 15 also scores well in the PCMark 10 Complete Benchmark, scores in the upper range of the laptops we tested and scores particularly well in the content creation part of the test.

In the Pugetbench test, which uses Adobe Premiere Pro for several brutal tasks, the XPS 15 got a score of 507. Dell equipped the XPS 15 with its power supply to optimize the CPU for less heat and fan noise while the performance limited or running at full speed in performance mode. In all of our other tests, the utility made no difference in performance, but in Pugetbench, the performance mode increased the score to 590. That's well below the 692 on the XPS 17 (with the faster RTX 3060) but closer to the 622 on the Legion 5 Pro makes the XPS 15, which benefits from both a fast CPU and a discrete GPU that can speed up some tasks in Adobe apps, a strong performer for Adobe developers – if not the most powerful we've ever seen.

Overall, the update to the XPS 15 has increased its performance enough to be worth the effort, and it's one of the faster 15-inch laptops you'll find – especially for such a thin and light device. Of course, it flies through productivity tasks and won't slow down no matter what you throw at it. As mentioned earlier, it works for both mobile developers and productive users.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 Handbrake
(Seconds)
PCMark 10 Fourteen days
(1080p epic)
Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Dell XPS 15 OLED 2021 (Core i7-11800H) 4540 1513/9979 1544/8299 101 6024 50 fps 73 fps
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-10875H) 3860 n / A 1314/7549 122 n / A 60 fps 53 fps
Dell XPS 17 (Core i7-11800H) 7039 1525/10145 1568/8801 n / A 6209 78 fps 104 fps
LG gram 16 (Core i7-1165G7) 1390 1394/4137 1573/5454 213 4827 13 fps n / A
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (Ryzen7 5800H) 9175 1430/11195 1460/7227 99 n / A 101 fps 114 fps

The RTX 3050 Ti installed by Dell in the XPS 15 is limited to 45 watts, although it is technically designed for 80 watts. Hence, it's not the fastest iteration of the chip you'll find. In theory, this limits performance, especially when gaming. In our tests, however, the XPS 15 did well and achieved 4540 points in the 3DMark Time Spy test. That's a solid result for laptops with the RTX 3050 Ti.

It managed 73 frames per second (fps) in Civilization VI at 1080p and ultra graphics, beating the Acer Swift X with the same GPU and a Ryzen 7 5800U at 66 fps and the 2020 XPS 15 at 53 fps. Eventually, the XPS 15 managed 50 fps at 1200p and epic graphics in Fortnite, oddly behind the 2020 XPS 15 but within a few fps of other RTX 3050 Ti laptops. Despite the slower clocked GPU, the XPS 15 is a good entry-level gaming laptop.

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Dell XPS 15 OLED screen.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell offers several 15.6-inch 16:10 displays for the XPS 15. You can choose between a Full HD + (1,920 x 1,200) non-touch display, a 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160) OLED touch display and a UHD + (3,840 x 2,400.) IPS touch display. The latter two support Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) for excellent Netflix binging (though, read on). My test device was equipped with the 3.5K OLED display and it is stunning. Colors pop, black is ink, and it's bright enough to be used outside (though maybe not in direct southern California sunlight). I'm not sure why Dell went for the 3.5K resolution versus true 4K as the latter would be great for watching 4K HDR media, but the display is sharp enough for everything else you do want to use it. Subjectively, this is a great ad.

This is an excellent display that, with the performance of the XPS 15, does well for creators.

My colorimeter agreed. The colors were extensive with 99% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB and also spectacularly accurate with a DeltaE of 0.49 (1.0 or less is considered excellent). At 381, the brightness wasn't as high as some OLED displays, but that's nothing to complain about. The contrast was a gaudy 381.130: 1, which is what makes the inky black colors. Compare that to the AMOLED display on the HP Specter x360 15 and you'll find similarly wide colors and high contrast, though the Specter was a bit brighter at 405 nits and not as accurate at 1.29.

The 2020 XPS 15's 4K IPS display was just as colorful and almost as accurate at 0.65 and much brighter at 442 nits. The contrast was 1480: 1, high for an IPS display, but not as unearthly as the OLED panel on the XPS 15.

Subjectively or objectively, this is an excellent display that goes well with the performance of the XPS 15 for developers. It's also a nice display for the productivity worker who appreciates the rich colors and black text that contrasts against white backgrounds.

The sound of the XPS 15 is also impressive. Four speakers – two facing up flanking the keyboard and two facing down and to the sides – pump tons of volume without distortion. There's more bass than usual, and the mids and highs are clear and comfortable. This is the best set of Windows 10 laptop speakers I've personally tested, with only the MacBook Pro's speakers doing better. You don't have to worry about carrying headphones around unless you want your privacy – this audio system will be more than enough for your Netflix Bing and music listening needs.

Close up of the correct size speaker on the Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard of the XPS 15 is spacious with large keycaps and light gray lettering. There's a lot of travel and a light touch that's consistent across the keyboard, though I found the punch-through action less snappy than I remembered it on the last XPS laptop I used, the XPS 13. There's a reason for this – the XPS 13 keyboard has less travel, so Dell tuned the mechanism in no time.

The XPS 15 has a comfortable feel that helps long typing sessions without fatigue, but I missed the XPS 13's precise responsiveness, but it's also faster and offers more feedback for each key press. Lots of people will love the XPS 15's keyboard, so I won't fault it, but it's not my personal favorite.

Image of the keyboard and trackpad of the Dell XPS 15 OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The XPS 15's touchpad is huge by Windows 10 standards, thanks to the ample palm rest offered by the taller display and Dell's decision to fill most of it with touchable surface. It's fun to use, with soft-click buttons and a smooth glass surface that feels incredibly large. Of course, the touchpad supports Microsoft's Precision drivers, so Windows 10's multi-touch gestures are reliable and responsive. It's the best touchpad you'll find on a Windows 10 laptop (alongside the XPS 17). Additionally, the OLED display is touch sensitive, and I appreciated that as I tapped the on-screen buttons with my thumb and scrolled long web pages.

Passwordless login under Windows 10 Hello is provided by a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button and an infrared camera for facial recognition. Both worked perfectly, logging me in the minute I hit the power button if I walked that route or as soon as I woke up the laptop if I turned on face recognition.

Dell does not offer a webcam privacy option. That's a shame because the feature has become standard on premium laptops.

Battery life

Close-up shots of the bezels and screen of the Dell XPS 15 OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell has reduced the maximum battery capacity on the new XPS 15 design from 97 watt hours to 86 watt hours, but the usable battery life has even improved in some areas. In our web browser test, the XPS 15 lasted over nine hours, while the 2020 XPS 15 only lasted seven hours in this test and was equipped with a 4K IPS display. With its 4K OLED display and 82 watt-hour battery, the Specter x360 15 only manages six hours. Yes, the display on the XPS 15 isn't quite 4K, but it's close enough that we shouldn't expect 50% more battery life. In the video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the XPS 15 reached 11.15 hours. Many laptops exceed 14 hours on this test, but they don't have energy-hungry high-resolution OLED displays. And the 2020 XPS 15 managed just seven hours in the test, which means that the results of the new version are significantly better in comparison.

I also tested the PCMark 10 Applications Battery Benchmark, the best test for typical productivity battery life. The XPS 15 only survived this test for eight hours, less than what I expected given the results when surfing the Internet. We didn't test the 2020 XPS 15 with the benchmark and the Specter x360 15 got 6.5 hours. We don't have many other relevant comparisons, so 15-inch laptops with H-series CPUs and OLED displays, but to get an idea of ​​what's possible, the LG Gram 16 with a Core i7-1165G7 and WQXGA (2560 x 1,600) IPS display lasted a spectacular 17.8 hours in the test. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which drives the CPU and GPU, the XPS 15 managed around 1.5 hours. This is typical of the more powerful laptops that we tested and showed that the XPS 15 kept up speed on battery power.

Overall, these results are pretty good for a machine the size of the XPS 15. It is quite possible to last a whole working day on a single charge, which I did not expect. Obviously, you'll need to have your charger handy whenever you're doing something intense, but for general productivity work, the XPS 15 is a surprisingly durable laptop.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 15 is the best 15-inch notebook you can buy. In addition, it is one of the best laptops available today. It's beautiful, has a sense of quality the moment you touch it, and works extremely well. You will probably love the keyboard, you will definitely love the touchpad, and the 3.5K OLED display is great.

You could complain about the price, but that would be silly. Yes, the XPS 15 is expensive, but Dell obviously put a lot of engineering into making this luxurious, high-performance laptop – and it's well worth the money.

Are there alternatives?

In all honesty, there aren't many 15-inch laptops that I would recommend as serious alternatives. The HP Specter x360 15 performs well and has its own gorgeous OLED display if you want the flexibility of a 2-in-1 convertible, and it's less expensive. So there is a possibility.

You could step up to the XPS 17 and get even better performance, the same build quality, and a display that – while not an OLED – offers great colors, brightness, and contrast. It's expensive too, so keep that in mind when choosing.

If you really want to save money, you can also consider the HP Envy 15. It's also fast, with an even faster GPU and an AMOLED display that is just as good as Dell's OLED version.

How long it will take?

Forever. No, seriously, the XPS 15 will last you for as long as you want to use it, with a build that can withstand abuse and a configuration that will keep Windows 10 buzzing for years. If the configured 16 GB in our test device is not enough for you, you can upgrade the RAM to 64 GB and add a second SSD to expand the memory.

The one-year warranty is disappointing for such an expensive notebook, but it still offers on-site service.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. If you're looking for a 15-inch laptop that's as beautiful as it is powerful, you've come to the right place.

Editor's recommendations



Dell XPS 17 Review: A Mobile Workstation in Disguise

The Dell XPS 17 sits in front of a window.

Dell XPS 17 in the test: a camouflaged mobile workstation

RRP $ 2,800.00

"The Dell XPS 17 is unrivaled when it comes to extra-large, high-performance laptops."

advantages

  • Bright, beautiful screen

  • Fantastic build quality and design

  • Performance is impressive

  • Ultra-thin bezels

  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad

disadvantage

  • Mediocre battery life

  • Bad webcam

If you mainly work from home, the idea of ​​a large 17-inch laptop may sound attractive. The screens on these laptops are just inches smaller than some external PC monitors, wrapped in a single package that you can take with you on the go.

But the Dell XPS 17 is more than just that. It's a powerhouse in terms of performance and hopes to replicate not only the large-screen format of a desktop setup, but performance as well. The latest model comes with an Nvidia RTX 3060, an Intel Core i7-11800H and a touchscreen with 4K resolution. That particular configuration costs a whopping $ 2,800, but if you need the size and performance, the XPS 17 remains one of the best laptops you can buy.

design

The Dell XPS 17, opened in front of a window.

The Dell XPS 17 is a very large notebook. I'll start there as it's the most important feature of this laptop from the rest of the XPS range.

Apart from the XPS range, the size of the XPS 17 is unique. Other 17-inch laptops like the LG Gram 17 or the HP Envy 17 are much smaller than the XPS 17, but that's hardly a fair comparison. These laptops run on lower wattage processors and cannot be configured with high-end discrete graphics cards.

The XPS 17 has more in common with modern workstation laptops like the Asus ProArt studio books or the HP ZBook Fury 17. But even there, many of the options you find haven't been updated in a while and aren't nearly as slick as the XPS 17.

In terms of size (and performance), the Razer Blade 17 is the closest competitor to the XPS 17. The XPS 17 is slightly smaller in most dimensions than in thickness, where the two laptops are almost on par.

It feels high quality and looks elegant, just like other XPS laptops.

If you're looking for a bigger, more creative-facing laptop, chances are, 16-inch laptops are also worth considering. Laptops that fit into this category, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, the ROG Zephyrus M16, and the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, follow in the footsteps of the MacBook Pro 16-inch. The XPS 17 is thicker and heavier than most of these laptops, despite everything Dell has done to shrink the case, weighs 5.3 pounds and measures 0.77 inches thick.

But Dell has stuck to its guns with the XPS 17, making it a pretty unique offering in 2021. The larger screen with 16:10 aspect ratio makes the laptop appear even more expansive – even with the insanely thin bezels that wrap around the display.

The Dell XPS 17, open to reveal its carbon fiber palm rests.

The XPS 17 is heavier, wider, and thicker than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and is larger in almost every way compared to the LG Gram 17. But size comparisons with laptops like this one are hardly fair, especially considering how much more power there is to pack into the XPS 17.

Otherwise, the XPS 17 looks almost identical to the XPS 15. While much of the internal structure is unique, the aluminum shell, ultra-thin bezels, and black carbon fiber palm rests will look very familiar. It feels high quality and looks elegant, just like the smaller versions of the same laptop.

It's one of my very favorite designs. I wish Dell offered the white variant (as seen in the XPS 13), but I'm not going to complain about the aesthetics. Since it was first launched, it's one of the best looking laptops you can buy.

Ports

The closed Dell XPS 17, held in one hand.

The Dell XPS 17 keeps its connections simple: four Thunderbolt 4 ports and a full-size SD card slot. These ports say a lot about where the XPS 17 gets its inspiration from and who it is primarily intended for. If you're frustrated by the limited ports in the MacBook Pro, the XPS 17 isn't of much help. It is noteworthy that there is no HDMI port or USB-A.

Fortunately, Dell includes a USB-C adapter with USB-A and HDMI for free, which makes me happy. Hard to complain with Dell doing the dirty work for you.

The full-size SD card slot is of course there for photographers and videographers. The ability to switch directly from a camera to a computer is extremely useful, even for hobbyists and amateurs. If you have one, your friends and colleagues with MacBook Pros will get jealous.

Keyboard and touchpad

No surprises – the XPS 17 has an excellent keyboard and touchpad. The keystrokes are bouncy and contain no nonsense about nonsense with low travel. Typing is quiet and comfortable.

The keycaps, however, are the highlight of the keyboard. They feel sturdy under the fingers instead of wobbly. I also love how big the keycaps are, leaving very little white space between the keys and nice wide keys on the sides. You can find wider shift keys on another laptop.

The touchpad is similarly wide. Rather than just using the same-sized touchpad on the smaller XPS laptops (as other manufacturers do), this touchpad was specifically designed to take advantage of the 17-inch form factor. The tracking is precise and the click is pleasantly quiet.

Display and speakers

The Dell XPS 17 is all about its screen. The 17-inch screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is perfect for this size laptop. It offers a large workspace for expanding windows and multitasking. The resolution is 3840 x 2400, which is even more pixels than a standard 4K screen. The result is an extremely sharp display with a touch function.

The base model is a 1920 x 1200 model and does not come with a touch screen. It's a $ 400 difference in price, so choose wisely. I don't recommend going for 1080p resolution on such a large display as you start to pick the pixels.

Like the port selection, this high-resolution screen was designed with the creative in mind. It is a bright and colorful screen with almost perfect color saturation, reaching 100% in sRGB and 98% in AdobeRGB color spaces. The color accuracy is also on point and the maximum brightness was measured with 491 nits. It's a thoroughly bright, beautiful screen.

However, the temperature of the screen is rather warm. In many cases, the warmer tint is welcomed. But while watching videos or movies, I noticed some skin tones with a strange orange tinge. Dell only includes a single color mode in the Windows settings.

The 720p webcam, which is located in the frame above the display, is terrible.

Speaking of entertainment, the speakers are decent. I was hoping for more bass for a laptop of this size, but the XPS 17 offers a nice stereo image and can be quite loud without crackling. If you want to hear background music or podcasts while you work, these speakers should be enough without too much discomfort.

However, I have a lot of complaints about the webcam. The 720p webcam located in the frame above the display is terrible. It's part of the compromise with such a narrow top bezel. It gets you through the occasional video call, but if you have to be in front of the camera all day, this isn't the laptop for you.

perfomance

The Dell XPS 17 starts at $ 1,550. What you get in this base model is the Intel Core i5-11400H, integrated Intel UHD graphics, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. This model is a bit cheaper, but does not rely on the strengths of the XPS 17.

With up to eight cores (and the addition of a separate graphics card), the Dell XPS 17 becomes a much more powerful performer. My device came with the Core i7-11800H, 16 GB of RAM, an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 1 TB SSD. But in exchange for your $ 2,800, you get a laptop that excels at heavy-duty tasks like creative application performance and gaming.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 PCMark 10 Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Dell XPS 17 (Core i7-11800H) 7039 1525/10145 1568/8801 6209 78 fps 104 fps
Dell XPS 17 (Core i7-10875H) 5801 13876 1315/7959 n / A 82 fps 90 fps
LG Gram 17 (Core i7-1165G7) 1408 1312/3912 1503/4606 4880 13 fps n / A
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (Ryzen 7 5800H) 9175 1430/11195 1460/7227 n / A 101 fps 114 fps

The XPS 17 was already a powerful laptop, but the jump to the RTX 30 series graphics increases performance. The benefits are easy to see when comparing the 3DMark results, with the newer model being 18% faster in the same test. You may write off the RTX 3060 compared to the 3070 or 3080 in gaming laptops, but the names can be misleading. The system can deliver 70 watts of power to the graphics card, which is more than what many non-gaming laptops can do. However, to put things in perspective, the Razer Blade laptops can deliver up to 100 watts of power to the graphics.

This leads to faster frame rates in the games I tested. Outside of the heaviest games, the XPS 17 can achieve over 60 fps (frames per second) in games with 1920 x 1200. Outside of a lighter, more processor-heavy game like Civilization VI, you won't be trying to play games in native resolution, of course. The 60 Hz refresh rate is also a limitation on how enjoyable the gaming experience will be. Because of this, it's not a laptop that should be bought primarily for gaming. But it's a bloody benefit, that's for sure.

The improved graphics as well as the better performance in creative applications. I tested the laptop's video editing capabilities in PugetBench's Premiere Pro benchmark, which tests everything from 4K video playback to timeline export. It outperformed the last Intel-based 27-inch iMac I tested, which had a desktop Core i9-10910. It is the top-scoring laptop that I tested in this benchmark, and you will likely see comparable performance in many other content creation applications.

Of course, processor performance is also extremely important in these tests, and the 11th generation Intel Core i7-11800H, the heart of the XPS 17, does admirably. The CPU hummed with around 3.2 GHz and occasionally increased up to 4.19 GHz. Its PCMark 10 results were fantastic, which tests daily tasks like web surfing, video conferencing, and spreadsheets. It should be noted, however, that laptops with AMD's Ryzen 5000 platform are just as strong in this benchmark, even with smaller 13-inch laptops like the Asus ROG Flow X13.

Much of the XPS 17's impressive performance comes from its good thermals. The surface temperatures never get too hot and the internal temperatures stay pretty cool. I noticed occasional jumps up to a maximum of 100 degrees Celsius (for both the GPU and CPU), but temperatures mostly stayed below 70 degrees for most of my tests.

Battery life

The battery life of the Dell XPS 17 is not that great. Dell packed a 97-watt-hour battery inside – you can't safely pack a much larger battery. Still, you shouldn't expect all-day battery life. The combination of large, high-resolution screen, 45-watt CPU and RTX graphics are all power guzzlers and show how long the battery will last.

The laptop lasted a little over five hours in our light web browser test. It did much better on video playback, where it took nearly 10 and a half hours while a 1080p movie trailer repeated until it ran out of battery. It's unusual to see such a large discrepancy between these two tests, but no matter what you do, you can't expect the XPS 17 to last a full day on a single charge.

The 1080p model with no RTX graphics will of course likely last longer. The XPS 15 also gives you a few hours more battery life.

Our opinion

That Dell XPS 17 is in a class of its own. If all you want is a big screen, the price and size of the XPS 17 may be excessive. However, if you need a bigger screen and extra performance, the XPS 17 is hard to beat.

Are there alternatives?

The next real alternative to the Dell XPS 17 is the Razer Blade 17. These are the only two 17-inch laptops that can be configured with powerful graphics, 4K screens and powerful 45-watt processors. The Razer Blade 17 is more expensive, however.

The LG Gram 17 or HP Envy 17 are both cheaper and more portable options, but they can't be configured as high as the XPS 17.

If you like the design and performance of the XPS 17, then you should also consider the smaller XPS 15. It's a little cheaper, has better battery life, and is easier to carry around.

How long it will take?

The Dell XPS 17 should last four or five years if you look after it. The model offers the possibility of exchanging components such as RAM, memory and the Wi-Fi card. Dell also allows you to add tons of RAM or storage during configuration – but it costs you extra. The XPS 17 can be configured with up to 64 GB RAM and a 2 TB SSD via Dell's own store.

Should you buy it?

Yes, especially when you can take advantage of the extra power and brilliant screen.

Editor's recommendations



Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub P3222QE Review: 4K Docking Perfection

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor sits on desk next to plant and light.

Dell P3222QE 4K Hub Monitor

RRP $ 899.00

"The Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor is an ideal addition to a home office setup."

advantages

  • Excellent connectivity options

  • Great IPS image quality

  • Robust, modern construction

  • Large 4K panel

  • Super guarantee

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • Not a wide color space

Choosing the best monitor for yourself is not easy, especially if you are looking for a display that can be connected to your notebook with a single USB-C cable and will handle all of the connectivity. Fortunately, Dell has a new 32-inch 4K offering called the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor, codenamed P3222QE.

The two main highlights of this display are its large 4K IPS panel along with USB-C hub functions, which means that it can charge your laptop, display and audio data to the monitor as well as USB and Ethernet signals via a single cable can send. But this feature set doesn't come cheap: the P3222QE is priced at $ 899. Still, it has the potential to be a great home office centerpiece for those who just want to switch between laptop and desktop modes.

design

Back view of the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

When you unpack the display, you are immediately greeted with the sturdy stand and the solid workmanship of the display. You won't find a fancy metal construction here, but the plastic housing of the P3222QE is of high quality with a slim design and without ugly gaps in the panels. The P3222QE has a clean, professional appearance and fits well in most homes and offices, with its great visual feature being its large size.

The stand has a noticeable weight and has all the essential functions that we expect from Dell stands: height adjustment, tilting, swiveling and rotating into portrait format – this is essential for productivity monitors for an ergonomic, healthy posture.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor brightness settings stand close-up.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

The stand also has a cable hole through the middle for neat cable management, although I would have preferred to see this cutout a little higher. At halfway up positions, many of the cables are still visible – but this is not a problem at lower positions.

Ports & controls

View of the connectors and ports on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.

View of the connectors and ports on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.

As mentioned earlier, connectivity is the P3222QE's strong point with HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C inputs. The hub has four USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, although a headphone jack appears to be missing.

Two of the USB ports are located next to the display inputs for connecting other fixed devices such as mice, webcams and keyboards, while two more USB ports are located on the underside of the display in a practical place for connecting USB sticks or short-term connected devices of this type.

Two USB ports within easy reach make the P3222QE a practical desktop companion.

Some other USB-C monitors with abundant connectivity occasionally have a DisplayPort out, as is the case with the P2720DC. The P3222QE, on the other hand, doesn't have this feature, so you're limited to a single monitor if you only want to use a single cable. But there is a good reason for this: the Type-C connection does not have the necessary bandwidth for multiple 4K displays. So it's hardly a point of criticism.

The P3222QE can charge the connected USB-C device with up to 65 W power, which is sufficient for the vast majority of productivity-oriented notebooks. However, more powerful mobile workstations or gaming laptops may require more power. So please check your laptop's power requirements before purchasing this monitor.

The P3222QE's OSD (on-screen display) is simple but has most of the essential features needed for this type of monitor. There are two controls on the back of the monitor: a power switch and a small joystick to control the OSD.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor brightness settings power button.

Close up of the brightness settings on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor.

The OSD itself is sharp and easy to navigate, although the text is quite small and is placed way down in the lower right corner of the display. Since it's a fairly large display, navigating the OSD is a bit un-ergonomic as you have to bend down to read. But it's just the OSD, and it's not that you're going to be spending much time there anyway.

All the important controls are there, including brightness and contrast settings, various preset color modes and a handful of device settings. For inputs, there is even the option to rename the inputs, which is nice if you want to name the USB-C port in "laptop", DisplayPort in desktop and HDMI in console, for example.

picture quality

With a large, 31.5-inch IPS panel with a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, the P3222QE offers a pleasantly sharp image with great color performance. The panel is able to display 1.07 billion colors, with an evaluated color space covering 99% of the sRGB space. As such, this is not a monitor with a wide color gamut and is not supplied with a factory calibration. So we'll see how it does in our tests right now. Dell also promises a static contrast ratio of 1000: 1, which is expected from an IPS panel, and the typical brightness is stated at 350 nits.

One of Dell's strengths in its monitors are the coatings – where they were quite aggressive a decade ago, Dell has honed their coating process to create a very smooth anti-glare coating that is still very effective at reducing glare. The P3222QE also has this soft coating, which makes its image easy on the eyes even at higher brightness levels.

So without further ado, let's toss our Datacolor Spyder X Elite at the P3222QE and see how it performs.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor sits on desk next to plant and light.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

All in all, the P3222QE actually delivers a good performance. Its color space is limited to 99% of the sRGB space, which fans of wide-gamut panels will miss, but its color space is easy on the eyes and a very good sRGB panel in terms of quality. Gamma performance is perfect at 2.2 with a deviation of just 0.01, and color accuracy is tested with a Delta-E (difference from reality) of 1.67. This is good enough for photo editing work, which the P3222QE is great for with its large size and high resolution.

Meanwhile, the brightness performance of 350 cd / m² is just right, with the static contrast ratio measured with a peak value of 1100: 1 and exceeding the promised specification. Only the white point was a bit off target at 6900K, which creates a slightly colder image than desired.

After using the Spyder X Elite to calibrate the display and reevaluate its performance, we found we squeezed out 1% more sRGB coverage and improved color accuracy to an impressive Delta-E of just 1.01 . The white point has also been refined so that the overall performance of the P3222QE can be improved even further with a simple calibration. But the picture is more than good enough for most use cases. So if you're not doing professional editing, we'd just leave it as it is.

Our opinion

The P3222QE is an excellent 4K monitor that is particularly suitable for use with notebooks thanks to its integrated hub functions. With up to 65 watts of power output via its USB-C port, four USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, the P3222QC has all the connectivity required to set up a (home) office workstation that is connected to the Laptop docks.

And that's not to ignore the picture of the P3222QE: with a large 32-inch 4K panel, you get a lot of sharpness on a large panel, at a DPI that is just comfortable enough for most people to not allow UX scaling to need what offers you a lot of monitor real estate to work. Color performance is also excellent as long as you work in the sRGB color space. For most people, this is not a problem and might even be preferable for eye protection, although professional editors may opt for a high color gamut display if their job calls for it.

All in all, the P3222QE is an excellent large monitor for use with modern laptops that offers an unmatched level of practicality and excellent processing and image quality. The only real catch is the $ 899 price tag, though that's not entirely fancy considering the panel size and quality combined with Dell's connectivity options and excellent warranty program.

Are there alternatives?

If a 4K panel is too big for you and you prefer smaller displays, the Dell P2720DC might be more for you.

Otherwise alternatives are the LG Ergo 32UN880 with similar specifications, or the LG 32UP550 at half the price if you're willing to sacrifice the quality of the IPS panel for a cheaper VA unit.

How long it will take?

Dell covers the P3222QE with a 3-year upfront exchange service guarantee, which means you have a new one delivered to your office or home before you pick the old one up – and in my experience they get you there really quickly, too. This is ideal when you can't be without a monitor for long.

Outside of the warranty period, the P3222QE should also last at least five years, if not longer. LED lighting is not prone to failure and there are no other complexities that could affect its potential lifespan.

Should I buy it?

Yes, if you're looking for a large 4K monitor for your laptop that offers the convenience of a single cable connection, the Dell P3222QE is for you. It's a bit pricey at $ 899, but you get a lot of quality and gear for the money so the price is justified.

Editor's recommendations



Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Review: The Business Tablet

Dell Latitude 7320 detachable 2

Dell Latitude 7320 detachable

RRP $ 2,189.00

"The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best Windows tablet for business users."

advantages

  • Solid build quality

  • Very good presentation

  • Competent productivity performance

  • Thin and light

  • Good range of business features

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • The keyboard and pen are expensive add-ons

  • Below average battery life

Windows tablets are making a comeback in the business world. Microsoft released its Surface Pro 7+ for business users, and Lenovo released the ThinkPad X12 Detachable. The Lenovo is an especially strong competitor that makes it onto our list of the best 2-in-1s. Now Dell has jumped into the race with the Latitude 7320 Detachable, another business-centric laptop that aims to meet the needs of corporate users.

Dell sent me a $ 2,189 (retail price) $ 3,127 configuration with an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1180G7 CPU with vPro support, 16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB PCIe Solid State Drive (SSD) , a 13-inch IPS FHD + (1920.). x 1280) 3: 2 display and the optional keyboard and pen. The detachable tablet has a very special shape developed by the Surface Pro, and the Latitude 7320 Detachable follows that format exactly. Is it enough to stand out in an increasingly dense field?

design

Dell Latitude 7320 detachableMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Latitude 7320 Detachable and Surface Pro 7+ don't look exactly the same. They are similar, but Dell's aluminum case is more rounded at the edges than Microsoft's magnesium case. It's a darker gray color compared to Microsoft's lighter silver, and the bezels are smaller on the sides – a big plus. There is more resemblance to the Surface Pro X, which is also more rounded and has smaller margins. The Latitude 7320 Detachable is an attractive device, albeit a rather conservative design, with few decorations other than the Dell and Latitude logos on the back of the case.

The tablets from Dell and Microsoft have the same type of stand that opens along the back and expands to similar angles, and their detachable keyboards are almost identical (more on that later). I would like to note here that the stand of the Latitude 7320 Detachable opens further down and is not as stable as the Surface Pro 7+ the more upright you position the tablet. Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable also has a similar design, although it uses the iconic ThinkPad look and feel, with a soft-touch finish compared to the cold metal of the other two and an all-black aesthetic. Interestingly, the Lenovo is more similar to the Surface Pro 7+ on the sides, and its stand is also better positioned for a more solid feel.

Each of the tablets are remarkably similar in size, with the Latitude 7320 Detachable being 0.33 inches thick and 1.7 pounds (tablet only) compared to the Surface Pro 7+ at 0.33 inches and 1.7 pounds and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable at 0.34 inches and 1.67 pounds. Thanks to the slightly larger 13-inch 3: 2 display (compared to the 12.3-inch 3: 2 displays on Microsoft and Lenovo tablets), the Latitude 7320 Detachable is slightly taller. However, these are all very light and good-sized tablets, so none of them have an advantage here.

In terms of durability, the Latitude 7320 Detachable feels almost as sturdy as its competition, which says a lot. Both the Surface Pro 7+ and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable are rock-solid devices, and the Dell is following suit – for the most part. The only difference is in the stand. Again, the Dell version is inferior to the other two. It just doesn't feel as good as the others, and as we mentioned earlier, the tablet doesn't feel as stable at a certain vertical point.

A profile picture of the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable with a charging port and power switches. Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is limited to a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support on each side of the tablet and a 3.5mm audio jack on the top left. If you opt for the optional WWAN LTE 4 support, you will also find a micro-SIM slot on the right-hand side. Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

performance

Dell equipped the Latitude 7320 Detachable with low-power versions of Intel's 11th generation Core processors, and my test device was configured with the Core i7-1180G7 with vPro. This is the first laptop we tested with this specific CPU, despite testing slower versions. I expected the same performance from the Latitude 7320 Detachable; H. solid productivity performance, but not enough performance for CPU-intensive creative apps.

Unsurprisingly, that's exactly what I experienced. In Geekbench 5, for example, Dell performed a little slower than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano with a Core i7-1160G7, but faster than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable with a Core i5-1130G7. The HP Specter x360 14 was slower, but I am reporting its performance in "Optimal" mode rather than "Performance" mode as set in the HP Command Center utility. This laptop is much faster in performance mode. Speaking of thermal and power management utilities, the Latitude 7320 Detachable uses the Dell Power Manager utility, but it made little difference in our benchmarks.

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Screen 2Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265, the Latitude 7320 Detachable came last in our comparison group. Four minutes is pretty long for modern CPUs in this test, and while the Specter x360 14 was also slow, it was significantly faster in performance mode. Next up is Cinebench R23, where Dell again came last. It's clear the tablet has to throttle the CPU to keep things cool in such a thin case. Note that I only added the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED to show how these slower Intel Core machines compare to AMD's contemporary Ryzen chips.

Finally, I ran the PCMark 10 Complete test which, as you can imagine, lagged the Latitude 7320 Detachable. These results were transferred to the Essentials, Productivity and Content Creation areas of the benchmark, with the latter being particularly slow. Interestingly, the Dell Power Manager utility made a bigger difference in this review than any other utility I've used. The difference wasn't significant, but the Latitude 7320 Detachable was faster than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and ThinkPad X1 Nano in performance mode.

Overall, as I suspected, the Latitude 7320 Detachable is really quick for productivity tasks, which we can say for every modern laptop we've tested. You won't notice any slowdowns or delays while running your web browser, Office apps, and the like, but try to do anything that is CPU intensive and you will be disappointed. The tablet stayed cool even to the touch, with quiet and inconspicuous fans that revved up during hard work. We tested the Surface Pro 7 long before we switched our benchmark tests, so I can't make a direct comparison. The Surface Pro 7+ uses 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs at full speed and is therefore likely faster than the Dell.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Dell Latitude 7320 detachable
(Core i7-1180G7)
1532/5031 247 1246/3339 4410 1443
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 detachable (Core i5-1130G7) 1352/4796 185 1125/3663 4443 926
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
(Core i7-1160G7)
1466/5139 180 1377/4550 4600 1549
HP Specter x360 14
(Core i7-1165G7)
1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(AMD-Ryzen7 5800U)
1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342

I ran Fortnite on the Latitude 7320 Detachable to see how well the tablet can play, and in short, it can't. It only managed 14 frames per second (fps) with 1080p and high graphics and 8 fps with epic graphics. This is similar to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and is to be expected for a tablet that is thermally limited and runs a GPU with low power consumption.

Display and audio

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable ScreenMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Like the Surface Pro X, the Latitude 7320 Detachable has a 13-inch 3: 2 display that's slightly larger than the 12.3-inch displays on the Surface Pro 7+ and the ThinkPad X12 ThinkPad. It runs at 1920 x 1280 (like the ThinkPad), which is a lower resolution than the Surface Pro X'2 at 2880 x 1920 and the Surface Pro 7+ at 2736 x 1824. If you're a pixel peeper you might notice the difference, but I imagine most people will be happy with the resolution.

Fortunately, according to my colorimeter, Dell chose a nice panel for the Latitude 7320 Detachable. First, it's very bright at 397 nits, well above our threshold of 300 nits, which is compared to the ThinkPad with 364 nits and the Surface Pro 7 with 377 nits – we haven't tested the Surface Pro 7+ yet, but we can assume that it is that the ads are the same. The Dell beat our preferred contrast ratio of 1000: 1 by 1040: 1, while the ThinkPad missed by 940: 1 and the Surface Pro 7 came in at 1140: 1.

In terms of color, the Latitude 7320 Detachable has a slightly above average 77% AdobeRGB and 99% sRGB (most premium laptops are 75% and 95% respectively) compared to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable with 72% and 97% and the Surface Pro 7 at 70% and 93%. In terms of color accuracy, Dell also led the way with a Delta E of 1.17 (1.0 or less than excellent), the ThinkPad with 1.59 and the Surface Pro 7 with a disappointing 3.51.

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is used as a stylus tablet.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I enjoyed the display during my testing and found that it showed vivid colors that weren't oversaturated and offered crisp black text and a comfortable media streaming experience. Creative types who want bold color might not like it, but everyone else is happy to use it.

Two side-firing speakers provide audio, and I found it extremely quiet even at maximum volume. The quality was fine, with balanced mids and highs (but no bass) and no distortion. The speakers are just too quiet. You'll need headphones or a bluetooth speaker if you want to do more than just listen to system sounds and occasionally watch YouTube videos.

Keyboard, touchpad and webcam

A close up of the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable's pen and keyboard.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In contrast to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and just like the Surface Pro 7+ and X, the Latitude 7320 Detachable does not come with a keyboard and pen. While the slim active pen (more on that in a moment) costs a reasonable $ 70, the keyboard costs $ 200. Part of this cost is justified by the design, which includes a docking bay for the stylus that is hidden when the keyboard is set up. Otherwise, the detachable keyboard on the Lenovo is very similar to the Microsoft version. Aside from being a bit larger to accommodate the larger display, it's hard to tell them apart just by looking at them.

You'll notice a bigger difference once you start typing. The keyboard of the Latitude 7320 Detachable has a metal plate inside, which provides a certain rigidity. It's not as bouncy as the Surface Pro 7+ keyboard, but it's also not as solid as the ThinkPad X12 Detachable's keyboard. The typing feel is very similar to the Microsoft keyboard too, with plenty of travel and a mechanism that offers a nice click, but I found its bottom-through action weak and the overall experience less precise than the best of the best keyboards. You'll enjoy the HP Specter and Apple Magic Keyboard a lot more than this one, and you won't feel the keyboard wobble as you type. I would rate the typing experience as good, but not great, and a bit behind Lenovo's detachable keyboard.

The active pen is a slim version that fits into the keyboard docking station for magnetic storage and charging. According to Dell, the pen charges 100% in just 30 seconds and then offers 90 minutes of continuous use. This sounds good in theory, but 90 minutes may not be long enough in practice and other pens will last longer. For example, Microsoft estimates that the slim pen on the Surface Pro X will last 15 hours. The pen uses Wacom AES technology and supports Windows Ink (of course), and while I couldn't figure out the pen specifications like resolution, I found that it offers a smooth and responsive ink experience. As usual, the display is of course touch-enabled and responsive.

The case of the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

A prominent component of the Latitude 7320 Detachable is the webcam. Dell has taken note of the increasing use of video conferencing thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and has installed a 5 megapixel (MP) webcam that enables full HD videos (1,920 x 1,080) at 30 fps. This is significantly better than the usual 720p laptop webcam and puts the Latitude in a different category as a video conferencing device. There is also an 8 MP outward-facing camera on the back that can capture 1080p video at 30 fps.

Administration, security and data protection

The Latitude 7320 Detachable is available with the optional vPro support that came with my test device. This increases manageability and security when connected to a corporate environment. Dell has also built in some of its optimization features, including ExpressConnect to automatically join the strongest network, Express Response to prioritize the most important apps, and ExpressSign-In. The latter uses an Intel Connect Sensing proximity sensor that can detect when a user is in front of the tablet and automatically wake it up and lock the tablet when the user leaves.

It's a nice feature that works well, although it can disrupt long processes – I had to turn it off to complete our longer benchmarks and run battery tests. There's also ExpressCharge for a 35 percent charge in 20 minutes or an 80 percent charge in an hour, and Intelligent Audio, which improves audio quality and reduces background noise.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by both an infrared camera and facial recognition and a fingerprint reader located on the back of the case near the power button. If both work reliably and quickly, and you enable facial recognition, the Latitude 7320 Detachable can automatically recognize you when you return to work and log you directly into Windows.

What is missing is a way to turn off or cover up the webcam. This is common with modern laptops and tablets and is missing here.

Battery life

A profile picture of the charging port on the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable. Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The battery capacity of the Latitude 7320 Detachable is 40 watt hours, close to the 42 watt hours of the ThinkPad X12 Detachable and further behind the 50 watt hours of the Surface Pro 7+. With the lower resolution display and the power-saving CPU, I expected a similar battery life to that of these two devices.

We didn't test the Surface Pro 7+, so I can't make this comparison. But the Dell outlasted the Lenovo in our tests, starting with the web browser test, in which the Latitude 7320 Detachable lasted a little over seven hours compared to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, which shut down 12 minutes earlier. That's not a very strong score, with most modern laptops getting closer to 10 hours on this test. In our video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Dell lasted a stronger 13.5 hours, while the Lenovo only exceeded 11 hours.

In the PCMark 10 gaming test, which stresses the CPU, the Latitude 7320 Detachable was at the lower end of our database with 2.5 hours, where the ThinkPad X12 Detachable only managed 18 minutes more. In the PCMark 10 Applications test, which provides the best indication of the likely battery life, the Dell achieved an average of 10.75 hours, while the Lenovo lasted about 30 minutes less.

Overall, these aren't the best results. You might make a day of work if you keep your chores light but put a strain on the CPU and you'll be looking for the charger. This is common with Windows 10 tablets, however, and while the Latitude 7320 Detachable can't compete with larger convertible 2-in-1s and clamshell laptops, it's fine for a Windows 10 tablet.

Our opinion

The Latitude 7320 Detachable is a good Windows 10 tablet with features that will appeal to business users. It doesn't exactly stand out in terms of its performance or battery life, but it's just as well built as the competition (except for the stand) and offers a good typing and ink experience. It doesn't beat the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable, but it is a stronger competitor to the Surface Pro 7+.

Really, any of these tablets are good choices. The Dell should be on your shortlist if you like its feature set and you probably will.

Are there alternatives?

The ThinkPad X12 Detachable is the strongest competitor. It's cheaper than the Dell and doesn't offer quite as many business features. But it's just as fast and has similar battery life, and the detachable keyboard is more solid.

The Surface Pro 7+ is another alternative tablet and a great choice if you're a Surface fanatic. It's likely a bit faster than the Latitude 7320 Detachable and may offer slightly longer battery life. It's also quite expensive and won't save you any money.

If you'd rather look at a convertible 2-in-1 and don't care too much about business features, then the HP Specter x360 14 is a solid contender. It's cheaper and better-looking, with a spectacular OLED 4K display and a larger 13.5-inch 3: 2 panel. It's bigger, heavier, and doesn't work as well as a tablet, but it's a better laptop.

The iPad Pro deserves a mention as it continues to add features that make it a stronger competitor to Windows 10 tablets. If you've shopped into the Apple ecosystem, the iPad Pro should be heavily considered.

How long it will take?

The Latitude 7320 Detachable is a rugged laptop with modern components that should stay with you for years. The one-year warranty is disappointing for a business-class device, but Dell offers several service upgrades.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Latitude 7320 Detachable has enough features to make it a solid choice for business people.

Editor's recommendations



Dell XPS 8940 SE Desktop Review: The Do-It-All Home PC

dell xps 8940 se desktop review 2

"Dell's midrange GPU still delivers over 80% of the performance of the flagship GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, saving customers a ton of money."

  • Chic aesthetics

  • Good balance between performance and price

  • 4K games in a compact design

  • Easy way to get an RTX 3070 despite a GPU shortage

  • No Ryzen configurations

  • Limited expandability

If you need a work-from-home desktop, you've probably considered the Dell XPS desktop at some point. It's neither for hardcore gamers nor as boring as a normal office tower. Don't forget, however, that this is XPS, a premium brand that is highly regarded in the laptop space. So the question is whether the XPS desktop strikes the same balance between excellent design and impressive performance.

To find out, I looked at the latest iteration, the XPS 8940 SE desktop, which is the white version of the standard black model. Prices start at $ 649, but my updated configuration rose to $ 2,136 because of the Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia RTX 3070, and 32GB of RAM.

Aside from problems with GPU supply, Dell offers numerous upgrade options to get a system that does as much as you need it to be. This makes the XPS Desktop a versatile champion for homes, dorms, and even games and moderated creative endeavors when it has top notch chores. the-line specifications.

design

The XPS 8940 is available either in a subtle night sky black or in the chic mineral white color of our Special Edition configuration. It's a new look for the line and definitely an improvement overall. It's a simplified and modernized design as long as you know what you're getting into. Compared to the Alienware Aurora gaming desktop from Dell, the XPS foregoes the pronounced curves and strong contours of its premium sibling in favor of a traditional and decidedly box-shaped design.

Although the sharp lines and angular design of the XPS desktop create boring images of a corporate desktop, it looks less conservative than it appears in the mineral white color. The top half of the front is surrounded by a slightly curved, smooth plastic plate that houses the optional optical drive – a rarity even for desktops these days – as well as a power switch and vertically oriented ports, one of which is a USB-C port for a little future security.

Immediately below the curved plate is a flat and slightly recessed perforated grill in the lower half of the front panel of the XPS Desktop. This lower panel adds not only a bit of texture to an otherwise muted design, but also a bit of visual interest. The special edition white shade enhances the overall aesthetics of the desktop. The perforated plate can resemble a car panel and give the desktop a modern and contemporary look in a minimalist structure. However, you can also feel equally comfortable in a summer house, as the lattice can also be seen as a modern reinterpretation of sugar cane or rattan furniture in this setting. I wish the plastic plate on the front was a bit higher quality as it feels hollow and light to the touch.

The sides of the XPS Desktop consist of color-coordinated metal plates, which are connected at the top with an off-center seam. The left cover can be easily removed with a couple of thumbscrews on the back, making upgrades and repairs relatively easy. The solid metal sides – instead of a clear tempered glass side window – help ensure that the XPS Desktop's design is conservative enough to be used in a more professional office setting, as there is no attention-grabbing RGB lighting coming from inside the tower.

And without the distraction of clear panels, Dell was able to focus its engineering efforts on function rather than form. Cable management is still tidy despite the lack of a window design, but the layout of the interior is rather sparse without many details or RGB lighting. The nice thing about it is that Dell did an excellent job with cooling and airflow. While the XPS isn't as whisper-quiet as a fanless laptop – like Apple's MacBook Air – the fan noise is very quiet and not distracting. The Dell desktop has a single fan in the case and two fans to cool the GPU. The CPU, meanwhile, uses a twin-tower style air cooler. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it does the job.

Ports and Connectivity

I really appreciated that the ports are split between the front and back, which is both easy to access and easy to manage cables.

On the front, you'll find a full-size memory card reader, headset jack, and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, including three Type-A ports and a single Type-C port. It's nice that Dell has a Type-C port on the front that can be used to quickly connect or charge modern smartphones. The optical drive can also write to Blu-ray discs.

On the back you will find four more USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, all of type A, as well as two additional USB 2.0 ports. There is a Gigabit Ethernet socket as well as sockets for headphones, microphone and audio output.

The motherboard has its own HDMI and DisplayPort. However, since the desktop comes with its own GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, you should use either the line HDMI or three DisplayPort video outputs to connect an external display.

Expandability

Dell's use of proprietary components can make this rig less attractive to enthusiasts. The tower's compact size of 19 liters also means that Dell used a dedicated motherboard, so upgrades (aside from RAM and storage) could become more difficult as the system ages.

However, if you're a data hunter, the good news is there are two empty 2.5-inch drive bays to add more storage space. Installing more space should be fairly easy, even for a novice PC.

Dell Special Edition XPS Desktop RTXChuong Nguyen / Digital Trends

Despite its small size, Dell was able to put a full-length GPU under pressure in our test unit. The graphics card occupies both the PCIe x16 slot and the expansion slot for graphics cards with double width. However, upgrading to an RTX 3070 can be pointless. The desktop can also accommodate additional PCIe x1 and PCIe x4 cards.

There are some limitations with this desktop. The first is that while the 500 watt power supply is sufficient for this class of graphics, upgrading the power supply for more powerful graphics is a challenge. Do-it-yourselfers are limited by the space available for the power supply at the bottom of the case. The bigger problem, however, is using a proprietary Dell 6-pin connector to power the motherboard. This means that if you want more powerful graphics, you'll have to resort to an external power supply and plug cables into the inside of the case as a clumsy workaround.

The cables inside are neatly arranged – wires generally snake across the top, down the front, and flow down to where the power supply is located. Cables are bundled with a few zip ties, but you won't find the sleek cable management systems found in premium boutique buildings. It's not a complete mess which is good.

performance

Our Special Edition XPS Desktop, priced at $ 2,136 configured, came with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10700K processor, though Dell didn't overclock the CPU straight away, paired it with a mid-range Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU and 32 GB memory. Given that the XPS lineup is rounded off with an RTX 3070, customers looking for something higher – like an RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 – will have to switch to the higher end Alienware Aurora Desktop in the Dell lineup.

Although Dell recently introduced a minor performance update to its XPS desktop by offering 11th Gen Intel Core configurations, AMD gamers will have to look elsewhere as well. In particular, Dell doesn't include builds with Ryzen processors, although some limited configurations come with Radeon graphics. Wish there were more different builds, but the performance I got with the 10th Gen K-Series processor on our Special Edition test unit is more than for most gaming, creativity, and productivity tasks suitable, and even gamers will be satisfied with the agility of this desktop with a few upgrades.

The XPS scored a little more than 7,300 points in our PCMark 10 test, which is what you can expect from the Intel Core i7-10700K. The performance of the XPS desktop is expected to be lower than that of a system with a Core i9-10900K configuration, but better than a rig equipped with AMD's Ryzen 9 3950X, such as the Ryien-powered Aurora R10 AMD Edition from Alienware.

The Core i7 is more than capable of handling most of the tasks I asked it to do, and Dell's K-series variant offers strong performance at a cheaper price. Similar to PCMark 10, the Core i7-10700K achieved a single-core score of 1,355 points and a multi-core score of 9,034 points. These values ​​mean that the i7 lags behind the Core i9-10900K and i9-10900KF processors, but only to a negligible extent.

In the synthetic Geekbench 5 benchmark, the XPS desktop score shows that the 10th generation Intel processor can maintain its multi-core performance compared to the new M1 processor from Apple on the Mac mini desktop. The single-core value of the Mac Mini of 1,707 points is above the XPS desktop, but the Apple desktop was almost 1,700 points behind Dell's offer in the multi-core test.

The XPS Desktop achieved competitive single and multi-core results in the Cinebench R23 test compared to other Intel processors, scoring 1,311 and 13,586 points, respectively. As with the Geekbench 5 scores, this means that the M1-powered Mac Mini performed better on the single-core Cinebench R23 score, but Intel is maintaining its multi-core performance for now with a margin of 42% over that M1 processor.

For everyday tasks, the system can handle multiple browsers with multiple tabs open, Microsoft Office applications, and creative software such as Adobe Creative Suite without noticeable delays or delays. Some more demanding games started a little faster on the better Core i9 processors. However, this is only noticeable if you can compare both systems side by side.

The XPS Desktop comes with two drives. This strategy allows Dell to provide the largest amount of storage at a lower cost and free up space for additional drives. Inside, in addition to a 3.5-inch 2TB hard drive, is a primary 512GB NVMe solid-state drive that plugs into the only M.2 slot on the motherboard. With the solid-state drive, the speeds were very fast. You want to keep your apps and games that you need most on the 512GB drive and reserve the more spacious 2TB for less frequently used digital files.

The performance of the Core i7-10700K in our Blender test shows that it lags behind the more powerful Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 9 5900X CPUs in the BMW benchmark. In fact, the rendering performance of the Core i7-10700K is similar to that of the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and Ryzen 7 3800XT.

In the classroom benchmark, the performance of the Core i7-10700K is very similar to that of the Core i9-9900K, although the rendering time was a bit longer than the AMD Ryzen 7 2800 X and XT series. Upgrading to a 10th generation Intel Core i9 would help reduce rendering time even further.

Graphics performance

Despite a build that only comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, the XPS desktop isn't a problem. The RTX 3070 can handle most of the 4K games you throw at it. Most players will choose this card well as it can handle modern titles with ease. Dell equipped our test device with a 500 watt power supply that is powerful enough for this GPU configuration. Hobbyists who want to upgrade to more powerful graphics, however, are limited by the power of the power supply.

In our 3D Mark benchmark, the Fire Strike score of the XPS Desktop of 61,213 points and the Time Spy score of 12,489 points are ahead of the previous generation RTX 2080 and within striking distance of the premium GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. This is in view of the The middle position of the RTX 3070 in Nvidia's RTX 3000 series is quite an achievement. For comparison: The RTX 2080 scored just over 11,500 points in the Time Spy test, while the RTX 2080 Ti scored in the mid-13,000s.

The RTX 3070's performance in creative tasks is similar to its graphics performance. In our PugetBench Premiere Pro benchmark, the XPS Desktop value of 689 is again behind the performance of the RTX 2080 Ti and ahead of the RTX 2080. Compared to the almost 800 mark of the 3070, the performance is around 85% more expensive siblings. This card should be able to easily complete photo and video editing tasks for most home users.

This card should be able to handle photo and video editing tasks with ease.

Given the lower price in the Nvidia product range compared to the premium RTX 3080, it's hard to complain about Dell's decision to buy the RTX 3070, as this card can still achieve frame rates of more than 100 frames per second (fps) 4K. The RTX 3070's strong performance is reason enough for avid gamers to upgrade to the latest GeForce generation if they come from an older GPU.

In fast-paced games such as Epics Fortnite, the RTX 3070 ran at 120 fps in ultra game settings, although a reduction to high game settings increases the frame rate to a whopping 187 fps, which is a jump of 55%. In 4K, the frame rate drops to just 63 fps in Ultra and 110 fps in High settings.

This compares to the RTX 3080's 78 fps performance in Ultra at 4K and the RTX 2080 Ti's performance of around 55 fps. Here, the RTX 3070's performance is roughly 81% of the RTX 3080's, and this year's midrange card outperformed the previous generation's 2080 Ti by 8 fps.

In more graphics-intensive titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the RTX 3070 had a little more problems due to the limited hardware capabilities of the GPU and the fact that this card only contains 8GB of GDDR6 RAM compared to 10GB of GDDR6X memory on the flagship RTX 3080. This one Game was played at 74 fps in 1440p and only 48 fps in 4K with the RTX 3070, with the quality of the game set to Ultra. On a system with RTX 3080, the game never dropped below 60 fps in the Ultra settings at 4K. Players who play titles with more sophisticated graphics rendering should keep the resolution of 2K 1440p or UWQHD.

The RTX 3070 manages to handle Battlefield V, a demanding title, relatively easily and to achieve over 80 fps in Ultra settings at 4K. The performance jumps to 140 fps when you zoom out to a resolution of 1440p. With Battlefield V, Nvidia's latest midrange range outperforms the flagship of the previous generation, as the RTX 2080 Ti was only able to express 76 fps in 4K, while this year's RTX 3080 ran at 97 fps.

In Civilization VI in the Ultra settings, the game clocked consistently more than 100 fps in 4K. If you're a gamer who plays less demanding titles, even the graphics capabilities of the RTX 3070 may be over the top.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 8940 Desktop offers a good balance of performance, performance and price in a stylish and compact tower. In a sea of ​​boring, office-oriented PC towers, the XPS has just enough design finesse to make it stand out. It's an excellent work PC and, with the right configuration, a powerful slot machine. If you want a desktop that you don't have much to do with, the XPS 8940 is the best option you can buy.

Are there alternatives?

While the XPS Desktop isn't billed as a gaming rig, it's versatile enough to compete with other creative workstations as well as gaming-forward PCs. Competitors include the powerful Lenovo IdeaCentre 5i, which, like the Dell, is available for an affordable $ 499. Unlike the XPS, however, the IdeaCentre isn't as good for gaming as it doesn't offer an option for a discrete GPU. As a result, the Lenovo desktop is better suited for office work, web browsing, and light gaming. Creatives in need of more graphics power should probably turn to the company's Legion desktop line of products.

The HP Omen 25L is another big competitor to the XPS desktop. The Omen 25L offers a more compact footprint than the larger Omen 30L, a gaming-forward window design, RGB backlighting, and more configuration options. The smaller omen only comes with an RTX 2000 GPU. So if you need more modern 3000 series graphics, you'll need to upgrade to the Omen 30L. At $ 1,999, the similarly configured HP system with a slightly better Core i9 processor in a larger size is slightly cheaper than our test device.

How long it will take?

Given the power and performance of the XPS desktop, this rig will provide years of work productivity and gaming fun. The ability to update key components such as the motherboard and GPU is more limited due to Dell's use of proprietary components. So be sure to select the build you want at the time of purchase. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) applies to the ability to upgrade this system.

Dell offers a standard one-year warranty with its Premium Support and Premium Support Plus packages with the option to upgrade to packages with longer coverage, add accidental damage, and perform at-home repairs. Extended coverage starts at $ 179 for two years of service, although a four-year plan with accidental damage coverage and automated virus removal costs $ 679.

While premium coverage may seem like a decadent addition to a desktop that's less prone to damage than a laptop, those working from home amid the global health pandemic may want to turn to Dell's technicians for some IT support.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's not for the die-hard PC enthusiast, but it's a fantastic desktop tower for the average buyer.

Editor's recommendations




Dell XPS 13 9310 Review: Tiger Lake Perfects Perfection

Dell XPS 13 9310 Featured Image

Dell XPS 13 9310 review: Tiger Lake perfects perfection

"The XPS 13 9310 with Tiger Lake isn't so much faster than the Ivy Lake version that you'll be forced to upgrade, but it solidifies the XPS 13 as the best there is."

  • Optimized design

  • Tiny bezels all around

  • 16:10 display increases productivity

  • The keyboard and touchpad are larger and excellent

  • Solid productivity performance

  • Connectivity is limited

  • The battery life has been downgraded

I've checked many laptops for digital trends over the past few years and it has been great. There was a loophole in my experience though – I'd never had the chance to review a Dell XPS laptop, which was pretty disappointing. So imagine my excitement when I was assigned the Tiger Lake upgrade of the Dell XPS 13 for review.

I got a fairly high-quality configuration of the XPS 13 9310 for $ 1,550 – the base price is $ 1,150 – with an 11th generation quad-core Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe -Solid-state drive (SSD) and a 13.4-inch full HD display in the new 16:10 aspect ratio from Dell. I know that my editor Luke Larsen loves the XPS 13 and has consistently rated it as the best notebook on the market. I asked myself: would I feel the same way?

design

Dell XPS 13 9310 designMark Coppock / Digital Trends

OK, after spending some time with the new XPS 13, I get it. The latest versions are really well designed laptops. I say this because I haven't had a chance to spend much time with one until my test unit arrived, and while I trust Luke to do a thorough and accurate review, it's the rare laptop I believe will earned the perfect score he assigned the last version.

From a design point of view, it's perfectly proportioned and just enough aesthetic elements are mixed in to enhance the otherwise simple design. Compared to the HP Specter x360 13 (in my opinion the strongest competitor of the XPS 13) with its gem-carved design and outstanding color schemes, the XPS 13 looks serious. While I love the HP and actually consider it one of my favorites, I can appreciate what Dell has done with the XPS 13 as well. There is no unnecessary line or angle on the case of the laptop – it just looks right. My test device is the arctic white model with a woven fiberglass palm rest that is not only comfortable but also looks good. The new aluminum strips on the sides add a little flair, and the tiny bezels that wrap around the display thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio are as modern as possible.

And yes, the build quality is excellent. The laptop feels just like a premium laptop – although it's made from different materials like glass, metal, and fiberglass, it's all somehow fused into one cohesive whole. There's nowhere to bend, twist, or bend. Other laptops, like the Specter x360 13 and competitive Asus laptops, can boast the same thing, but there's no doubt that the XPS 13 is firmly anchored among the best of the group. That includes you, MacBook Pro.

Dell has also gone to some extra effort to ensure durability, such as: B. by double dipping the aluminum on the side during anodizing so that you don't scratch the surface every time you connect a peripheral device. The hinge can be easily opened with one hand and then tightened at the right moment to hold the display firmly in place.

Compared to the previous XPS 13 (not the last version, but the previous one), the laptop is 0.58 "thinner than 0.62", which is significantly thinner than the 0.67 "of the Specter x360 13. It comes with 2.8 pounds versus 2.7 pounds the smallest bit heavier than the previous generation, and the Specter x360 13 outperforms both at 2.88 pounds. To be honest, these are tiny differences. If you hold the XPS 13 next to the Specter x360 13, you'll find that it's only the smallest bit deeper and the smallest bit less wide. In practice, they are essentially the same in how small they feel when you carry them around and use them on your lap.

I'm going to criticize the XPS 13 a bit for its connectivity, which only includes two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support (in the Tiger Lake manifestation) and a microSD card reader. The Specter x360 13 also offers you two Thunderbolt 4 ports (in the latest version) and a USB-A 3.1 port for your older devices. Make sure you carry around the included USB-C to USB-A dongle, which Dell throws in the box. Of course, there is also Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 to make sure your wireless connection is as up-to-date as possible.

performance

Dell XPS 13 9310 performanceMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Will Tiger Lake Make the XPS 13 a Faster Laptop? The answer is of course yes. How much faster? That is the more important question.

Starting with Geekbench 5, the XPS 13 equipped with a Core i7-1165G7 achieved 1,540 points in the single-core test and 5,432 points in the multi-core test. This is comparable to the Ivy Lake Core i7-1065G7 version with 1,329 and 4,862. So this is a significant leap. The Specter x360 13 with its Core i7-1065G7 only managed 1,164 and 3,981 and was therefore significantly slower. Note that you can use the HP Command Center utility to enable performance mode. This affects the performance of the Specter x360 13. HP has been a bit conservative in tuning the thermals to ensure the 2-in-1 stays cool and quiet.

It took the Tiger Lake XPS 13 a little over three minutes to complete the test with the older version of the handbrake that we used to test the Ivy Lake XPS 13, which only required one test another eight seconds. Switch to Dell's performance mode and you'll save 10 seconds less than Tiger Lake. The Specter x360 13 took a full 5.86 minutes in normal mode and 3.9 minutes in performance mode. If we examine the results of the Tiger Lake XPS 13 on the newer version of Handbrake, it's faster than 10th generation CPUs.

While the XPS 13 in this version took 3.35 minutes to complete the process in this version, the Surface Book 3 13 with the Core i7-1065G7 took almost four minutes. The XPS 13 also beat some other Tiger Lake laptops, like the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA, which took four minutes longer in normal mode and 30 seconds longer in performance mode than the XPS 13 in performance mode, which took a little over three minutes to complete. The Acer Swift 5 was only three seconds slower in normal mode than the XPS 13 in performance mode (the Acer utility's performance mode actually made things slower). In summary: The Tiger Lake XPS 13 was fast in our handbrake test, but not the fastest and not much faster than the Ivy Lake version.

I also ran Cinebench 20 on the Tiger Lake XPS 13, which we didn't run in the previous version. Here it scored 518 in single-core mode and 1,921 in multi-core mode (the increase was marginal in performance mode). This is a bit behind the Acer Swift 5, which manages 542 and 2,091, and just behind the faster Intel reference laptop we tested with the higher-clocked Core i7-1185G7. However, the XPS 13 was much faster than the ZenBook 14 UX425EA, which reached 498 and 1766 in performance mode – despite the ZenBook's thicker case and theoretically better thermals.

In short, the Tiger Lake XPS 13 is an absolute performance upgrade, if not enough to upgrade if you are happy with the performance of your Ivy Lake XPS 13. If you choose among the current Tiger Lake laptops, however, the XPS 13's performance is so good that you don't have to sacrifice speed just to get the fantastic design of the laptop.

display

Dell XPS 13 9310 displayMark Coppock / Digital Trends

One of the biggest changes to this iteration of the XPS 13, both the Ivy Lake and Tiger Lake versions, was the transition to a 16:10 aspect ratio from the usual 16: 9. The value of such movement is triple. First, you get a bigger display that shows more information with less scrolling, albeit with the trade-off between a little bit of letterboxing in the video. Second, you can fill an entire ad with actual screen real estate, leaving little or no chin under. Third, if you get it right, you can increase the amount of palm rest, which is always good.

In the case of the XPS 13, all of these things are true. The way I used it, I liked the larger display just as much as I did when I used Microsoft's Surface devices with an even larger 3: 2 aspect ratio. Is it a deal breaker for me? Not really – the difference isn't that big. The XPS 13 certainly has the smallest bezels you'll find, and that includes the chin, which is just as small as the other three sides. Third, the XPS 13 has larger palm rests and a slightly larger touchpad, both of which are very welcome changes.

My test device was equipped with a Full HD + display (1,920 x 1,200), which was a bit of a disappointment for me given my preference for high resolutions. I've also found that most Full HD displays (or something like that) are of significantly lower quality than the 4K displays that companies like Dell build into their laptops. So I wasn't expecting the best news from my colorimeter.

As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the display is very bright at 458 nits and approaches the display's 500 nits rating. The contrast ratio is also high at 1350: 1. That's a lot better than most of the Full HD displays you'll find, like the Acer Swift 5's 14-inch, 327-nit, 950: 1 contrast ratio, Full HD display. I won't go with that Compare the Specter x360 13, because the version we tested used an OLED display that blows the Dell display out of the water.

The color support was average for a premium Full HD display. The panel covered 98% of sRGB and 75% of AdobeRGB. Both are great results, but don't come close to any of the better 4K displays you can buy. For example, choose the XPS 13 4K display and you will likely get a little north of 90% AdobeRGB, which makes creatives happy. The color accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.36 – less than 1.0 cannot be differentiated with the human eye and is the standard for professional displays.

In real use, the display was a pleasure. The brightness and contrast made black text pop off the page, which is incredibly important to me as a writer. I found the colors natural and more than vivid enough, but then again, I don't edit photos and videos. If you do, the 4K display will make you happier. Finally, watching Netflix was a great experience thanks to the support of Dolby Vision which continues to provide the best HDR experience in a laptop.

Audio was a nice surprise too, with lots of volume coming from the down-facing speakers and no distortion. The mids and highs were fine, and there was even a hint of bass. You won't be using the internal speakers to share Netflix with friends, but that's enough for solo sessions.

Keyboard and touchpad

Dell XPS 13 9310 keyboard and touchpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell has integrated a keyboard with larger keycaps and better spacing between the keys in the new XPS 13 and has retained the same travel as the older keyboard. For these reasons alone, I liked it better. But I also liked the switches, which provided a snappy feel and comfortable floor movement. Finally, another Windows 10 keyboard catches up with the HP Specter keyboard as my favorite – it's a virtual connection. Only Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks is better.

The touchpad is also slightly larger and has a convenient glass cover. The buttons click quieter than before and, like all Microsoft Precision touchpads, are responsive and precise. There's also a touch display, which like all touch panels today, works well and made me happy (I hate non-touch displays after getting used to tapping and swiping over the display).

Windows 10 Hello support is provided in two ways. First, a fingerprint reader is built into the (strangely unlabeled) power button on the top right of the keyboard. It was quick and responsive, and I prefer fingerprint readers built into the power button. Second, a very slim infrared camera is built into the tiny bezel above the display, which detects my face with absolute reliability.

Battery life

Dell XPS 13 9310 battery lifeMark Coppock / Digital Trends

There is one area where the Tiger Lake XPS 13 lags behind its Ivy Lake predecessor: battery life. I can't explain why – I didn't conclude that Tiger Lake had poor battery life, but then again, our database of 11th generation machines remains quite small. Although the XPS 13 9310 has the same battery capacity as the 9300, namely 52 watt hours, the 9310 fell significantly behind in the tests we were able to run.

As with every other Tiger Lake laptop I've tested, the XPS 13 wouldn't complete the Basemark web benchmark test, which is our biggest claim. Instead, I ran PCMark 10's gaming battery test, which put a strain on the CPU and GPU, and found it lasted almost four hours. The Acer Swift 5, the other Tiger Lake machine I tested with PCMark, lasted just under two hours. The XPS 13 beats at least one Tiger Lake rival when stressed.

The Tiger Lake XPS 13 lasted 8.5 hours and has now moved on to our web benchmark, which serves as the best estimate of battery life productivity. This corresponds to Intel's Evo certification requirement of nine hours of battery life in practice. With the right mix of tasks, you might be in the right place. The Ivy Lake XPS 13 lasted 11.5 hours and the Acer Swift 5 fell 35 minutes behind the XPS 13 9310.

Next, I ran the XPS 13 through our video loop test, which played a Full HD Avengers trailer until the battery ran out. It took 12 hours, well behind the 14.3 hours of the Ivy Lake XPS 13 and ahead of the 11.5 hours of the Swift 5. I won't bother including the Specter x360 13 in this comparison – the OLED display is incredible hungry for performance and cannot keep up with these Full HD laptops.

Ultimately, the XPS 13 9310 will likely get you through a full day of work and it is close to meeting Intel's nine-hour Evo certification requirements. As always, when you squeeze the CPU and / or GPU you get less, but for general productivity tasks, I rate the battery life as good, not great.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 13 9310 with Tiger Lake remains the best laptop you can buy, despite the shorter battery life. It's just as good as its predecessor in terms of design, input options, and general usability, while also being a bit faster.

It's not the cheapest laptop, and as we found in the XPS 13 9300 review, you can find some great alternatives if you're on less than $ 1,000. However, if you are looking for a 13-inch clamshell laptop, the XPS 13 9310 is your best bet.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 13 remains a strong competitor to the XPS 13 and is now available in the same tiny and eye-catching package with Tiger Lake. You'll also save hundreds of dollars over the equivalent XPS 13. You can also consider the Specter x360 14, which uses an even more productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio for its display and outfits Tiger Lake components for roughly the same price as the one XPS 13.

We recommended the MacBook Air as an alternative, but that's now made more difficult by Apple's migration to its own Apple Silicon M1 CPU, which completely changes the game. We'll check that out soon. So hold on to see if it's a viable alternative to the XPS 13.

Finally, Microsoft's Surface Laptop 3 is a laptop to consider because of its similar price, weight, and thickness. It uses the 3: 2 aspect ratio, making it more productive. And it's a great looking laptop to boot into.

How long it will take?

The XPS 13 9310 has an impressive build quality that inspires confidence in years of reliable service. The components are up to date and should be able to keep up the hum. The one-year warranty is industry standard and, as usual, is disappointing. However, you can always purchase an extended warranty if you are concerned about long term coverage.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The XPS 13 9310 is still the best laptop out there.

Editor's recommendations




The Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise Review

Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise Review p1012395

Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise

"The Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise is for businesses who need precise, careful management of their laptops and are willing to pay for them."

  • Robust design

  • Excellent performance from Chrome OS

  • Good keyboard and touchpad

  • Superior 4K display

  • Extremely expensive

  • Many functions are only of interest to large companies

  • 4K shortens the battery life

The Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise is not your typical Chromebook. For my test device, it costs $ 1,900. It contains an Intel Core i5-10310U processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB PCIe solid-state drive and a 14-inch 4K display (3840 x 2160).

This is a hugely expensive Chromebook, and I have to wonder what justifies the high price. The answer? With this laptop, Dell is targeting large businesses that need to manage their laptops – including their Chromebooks – with a level of control that the average consumer would never even consider.

Is the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise offering right value for its enterprise customers?

design

Dell advertises the longevity of the Latitude 7410 Chromebook. It touts a wide variety of military certifications as one of its selling points. The laptop mostly lives up to its bill. The lid is robust, without bending, the underside of the aluminum housing withstands pressure and there is only the slightest keyboard flex.

My test device with a 4K display and additional battery (more on that later) was 0.66 inches thick and, at 0.67 inches, a bit thinner than the Acer Chromebook 13 (another powerful Chromebook). The Dell weighs 3.36 pounds for the aluminum version, which is a bit much for a 14-inch laptop, but then the Acer Chromebook 13 is almost exactly 3.5 pounds. You have to look at something like the 13.3-inch (0.5-inch and 2.3-pound) Google Pixelbook Go if you want a thin, light Chromebook.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

It's a nondescript laptop with a dark silver or gray case – and a complete lack of gloss. The display bezels are not huge on the sides, but rather bulky at the top and bottom. It won't attract any attention in a boardroom or coffee shop.

The connectivity of a Chromebook is strong. On the left, you'll find two USB-C ports that support power and display, plus a full-size HDMI port and microSD card reader. On the right side you will find two USB-A 3.2 ports, a Kensington lock slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 provide wireless connectivity as well as an optional Intel XMM 7360 Global LTE advance chip (which was not included in my test device). You won't find many Chromebooks with this level of connectivity. This is a check box for Dell.

performance

My test device was equipped with the Intel Core i5-10310U Comet Lake CPU with quad-core of the 10th generation, a very fast processor for Chrome OS. The only common benchmark we can run from our suite (due to operating system compatibility issues) is Geekbench 5. There, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook scored 1,025 in the single-core test and 2,712 points in the multi-core test with the Android app . We recently tested the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 for $ 410 with a Core i3-10110U that scored 975 and 1,659, respectively. So the Core i5 definitely speeds things up.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In practice, there was little I could do to slow down the Latitude 7410 Chromebook. With 16GB of RAM and a fast PCIe SSD for the overkill processor, I could easily open as many tabs as I wanted. The same was true for opening a handful of Android apps in the background. If you need a Chromebook that won't slow you down, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook will do the job.

I've played a few games like Asphalt 9, and the Chromebook has kept up with those too. There's no touch screen, so a lot of games aren't much fun. But for those who can get by with keyboard controls, you'll enjoy the experience.

display

Perhaps the most consumer-friendly feature of the Latitude 7410 Chromebook is the optional 4K IPS display, which Dell says will be the first with blue light protection to ship on a Chromebook. The display makes everything razor-sharp, aided by how easy Chrome OS makes it to scale the display to the apparent resolution you want. They can create screen elements just the right size for you while still maintaining incredible clarity which I really like.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I couldn't put the display to my colorimeter – again, since our usual testing software doesn't run on ChromeOS – but my eyes told me it was bright, with natural colors and lots of contrast. It was a pleasure to work on and the videos and pictures looked great.

The 4K display is also equipped with a large 68 watt hour battery (versus 52 watt hour) to take into account the additional power consumption. However, it is also possible to configure the Full HD model with this larger battery. I would withhold this display from any Chromebook out there, including the excellent displays on the Acer Chromebook 13 and the Google Pixelbook Go.

The audio was average, with enough volume to watch YouTube for itself and, if necessary, surprise Netflix. The mids and highs weren't the clearest I've ever heard and there wasn't any bass, but the sound system is good enough for typical use. Include headphones or external speakers if you want to enjoy your music or really immerse yourself in an action movie.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard of the Latitude 7410 Chromebook is the typical island style with a lot of travel and a relatively stiff key feel. There is a very pronounced ground action that will let you know that you pressed a button. If you don't prefer a lighter touch, this keyboard will suit you.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I found the keycaps a little small and the gap felt tight. I like the HP Specter line of keyboards better, and of course the new Magic keyboard on the MacBook is the best there is. However, most touch typists can run at full speed with the Latitude 7401 Chromebooks. The keyboard has the usual five levels of brightness from Chrome OS, which is always a nice bonus.

The touchpad is average in size, but it's covered with plastic, not glass. Still, it's convenient to swipe and use multitouch gestures with Chrome OS. I didn't have any problems with it during my tests. The display is non-contact so you only have to use the touchpad to stay in control.

Battery life

My Latitude 7410 Chromebook tester contains 68 watt hours of battery. That should be enough for a Chromebook, but think of the power-hungry 4K display.

In our demanding Basemark web benchmark test, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook lasted about 3.75 hours, which is an average score given the respectable Intel processor in this laptop. The Acer Chromebook 13, for example, lasted about 20 minutes less.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Our web browsing test, which scrolls through a series of busy web pages and best reflects typical productivity, lasted nearly nine hours on the Latitude 7410 Chromebook. Compared to Chromebooks with low-power CPUs and Full HD displays, this would be a poor score, but reasonable for a computer with a fast processor and a 4K screen. The Acer Chromebook 13 uses a QHD + (2256 x 1504) 3: 2 display and it took about 10 minutes less.

In our video rundown test, which ran through a Full HD Avengers trailer, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook got a little off the rails. It only lasted a little under five and a half hours, which isn't particularly impressive even with the 4K screen. The Acer Chromebook 13 lasted almost four hours longer.

When Dell says that the Latitude 7410 Chromebook is the 10th generation's longest-lasting Chromebook, then of course it's not about my test configuration. If you want to guarantee all day battery life, you should opt for the Full HD display but keep the larger optional battery.

Corporate functions

The Latitude 7410 Chromebook justifies its high price point with features that are aimed directly at large companies that need to fully manage their laptops.

The first of these features is Chrome Enterprise, a confusingly named reference to a Chrome OS version that adds a variety of business-oriented controls and plug-ins that improve security and remote administration. These include a managed Google Play Store that allows companies to specify which apps are installed, manage the Chrome browser and installed extensions, Microsoft Active Directory integration, single sign-on and much more. There is also around the clock business support that goes beyond what the typical consumer will experience.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

There is an annual fee of $ 50 for these features, which is not included in the price of the laptop. Every company that chooses the Latitude 7410 Chromebook needs to factor that cost into their equations.

Another feature that is unusual for a Chromebook and offers added value is the optional LTE card already mentioned, which enables an always connected Internet. This was not included in our verification unit so you pay even more for the privilege.

Finally, the laptop has a sliding privacy screen that covers the webcam for added security. This is usually not the case in Chromebooks, although I imagine it won't be long before it becomes a standard feature in the Windows 10 world.

Of course, none of these features (except perhaps the privacy lock) are of interest to consumers. In this review, I asked myself if a very expensive Chromebook has its place, and it does – in large companies.

Our opinion

You really need the business features of the Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise to justify the purchase price. It's a well-built, if somewhat bland-looking Chromebook with more than enough performance to meet the needs of Chrome OS. It offers things like a privacy lock and optional LTE that make it a more private and easy-to-use laptop. An additional $ 50 per year must be considered to unlock Chrome Enterprise features. However, if you are in your budget for $ 1,900, you shouldn't have a problem getting approval for the extra charge.

However, this is nothing close to a consumer Chromebook. If you are not a corporate employee making a calculated investment decision, you should steer clearly.

Are there alternatives?

If you want a fast Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 13 is a great choice, though it still uses 8th generation CPUs. It's also less than half the price and doesn't include any corporate features. Hence, it is more of a consumer option.

The Google Pixelbook Go is another great Chromebook option that is far cheaper but is also just for consumer use. Corporate buyers will want to look elsewhere.

If you need an enterprise laptop, then you can consider the HP Pro c645 Chromebook Enterprise. It's not out yet, but it looks like it will bring businesses the same Chrome Enterprise benefits and a similarly robust design. If you can't wait, the Acer Chromebook Enterprise Flip 13 offers the same business management in a 2-in-1 format for $ 1,300, though you'll get stuck with an 8th Gen Core i7 CPU. The 2,256 x 1,504 3: 2 display would be a nice feature, however.

How long it will take?

The Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook will keep Chrome OS running for years and is durable enough. A three-year on-site / in-home warranty is included in the Chromebook price, which goes far beyond the previous one-year mail-in warranty.

Should you buy it?

If you are a consumer, no. The price is insane and you can get a Chromebook that just as quickly has the features you need for a fraction of the price. If you're a large company that needs a rugged laptop with great connectivity and Chrome Enterprise on board, this might fit into your budget.

Editor's recommendations




Dell S2721QS Review: 4K Basics At A Great Price

Dell S2721QS

"The S2721QS from Dell is a simple, no-frills 4K monitor with excellent build quality and an excellent warranty."

  • Excellent workmanship

  • 3 year advance guarantee

  • Clear 4K picture

  • Accurate colors

  • Inconspicuous connectivity

  • Basic equipment

  • Not a lot of bandwidth for photo editors

Dell's 27-inch USB-C monitor is a good buy at around $ 400 – but what if you don't care about USB-C and want a sharper image? For this audience, Dell developed the S2721QS, which offers a 4K IPS panel and simple connectivity for practically the same price. In fact, it's currently reduced to just $ 340, making it one of the more budget-friendly 4K monitors out there. But is it good enough to make our list of best monitors?

design

The Dell S2721QS comes in a large, slim white box. As you unpack, you will be greeted as usual with one of Dell's excellent stands. This has a slightly different design than the P- and U-series monitors, with the back of the foot rounded and the sides angled inward. It's also lighter in color and the neck has a more slender profile than before.

The height, tilt, and rotation settings in portrait mode are valued by home office users as they enable healthy posture

You lose the swivel function on the stand, but that's not a huge loss at the price, and you keep the great height adjustment, tilt and rotation to portrait – the most important options. As the monitor is designed for use in the (home) office, these adjustments are particularly appreciated as they help you maintain a healthy posture.

The rest of the display is inconspicuous. Boring, but not bad. The back of the monitor is made of durable white plastic, which makes the monitor look like a giant piece of chiclet chewing gum. It looks professional, has slim bezels on the top and sides of the display, and fits in most homes and offices.

However, if you're looking for something a bit more stylish, then you must check out Dell's ultra-thin S2719DC instead.

Connections and controls

At that price, of course, concessions have to be made, and those are additional features. The Dell S2721QS is a monitor and little more. It has two HDMI inputs and a DisplayPort connection. You won't find any USB-C connectivity here, nor a built-in USB hub or any other luxury. The only extra is the inclusion of built-in speakers. They're nondescript and sound thin, but they make a sound loud enough to be heard. So this is a win.

The OSD in the Dell S2721QS offers a fair number of options for a monitor of this type, but some are missing. The OSD is unusually pixelated for a 4K monitor. It has brightness and contrast controls, PiP settings (picture-in-picture), RGB color adjustments, sharpness, response time settings and much more. What is missing? We found that there is no way to adjust the white point temperature, which by default deviates a little towards the cold side. This adjustment is common even with monitors at this price.

With the buttons below, the OSD is always within reach, although in practice you rarely, if ever, have to get involved.

picture quality

Since Dell's S2721QS doesn't score high on features, you can see how the image quality affects it.

With a 4K IPS panel (3840 x 2160 pixels), it offers an incredibly sharp picture, especially when you consider that it gives you that resolution at a diagonal size of only 27 inches. You'll have to rely heavily on Windows screen scaling, which doesn't work too well, but that's not the monitor's fault (macOS image scaling works better). 4K video, pictures, and general usage look extremely sharp, but older programs may look small or blurry. Even so, you'll only find a sharper image on Apple's 27-inch iMac 5K or a 24-inch 4K monitor.

Dell's numbers indicate a brightness of 350 nits and a static contrast ratio of 1300: 1. Our tests showed that the monitor is capable of exceeding these brightness levels and hitting almost 400 nits, in contrast, at 790: 1, it's a bit disappointing. After calibration, it improved to 940: 1.

Since the S2721QS from Dell offers 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel, the image is extremely sharp

Dell claims 99% coverage of sRGB storage space, which is what you should expect from most midrange monitors. Our tests confirmed this number, and we also measured 76% AdobeRGB coverage and 82% of DCI-P3 storage space. If you only use this monitor for internet browsing and basic office tasks, it will work just fine.

You need to look for a full color gamut monitor like the Acer ConceptD CM2 if you need anything for color grading in photography and video editing, or you risk cropping – a phenomenon where colors may appear correct to you when you are at the end of your monitor's gamut, but look more intense on someone else's display or in print.

Gaming performance

Why is there a segment here for gaming performance? This is not sold as a gaming monitor. However, Dell has equipped the S2721QS with Adaptive Sync technology, which is based on AMD's Freesync, and in our tests we also confirmed G-Sync support for Nvidia cards.

The 60Hz refresh rate won't make you the most competitive player on the online battlefields, but adaptive sync will take care of the tearing and some stuttering. Of course, the 4K resolution means you'll need a ton of GPU grunt to get anywhere near the 60Hz refresh rate. Due to the adaptive synchronization, frame rates between 30 and 60 frames per second should still appear fluid thanks to uniform image stimulation. In other words, you'll have a clearer and more consistent experience than without FreeSync or G-Sync support.

Of course, for a more playful monitor, check out 144Hz displays like the Razer Raptor 27. Note, however, that you will likely have to sacrifice resolution to get a higher refresh rate, as most monitors offer 1440p or 1080p resolution at around 60Hz. This Dell can be useful for gamers who prefer extreme image quality over high frame rates, as it delivers a razor-sharp and attractive image.

Our opinion

If you are looking for a solid 4K monitor at an affordable price, the Dell S2721QS is probably the one for you. Apart from the sharpness, it is not outstanding in any area, but more than sufficient for everyday use. It delivers a clean, crisp image with no major imperfections to distract you.

This monitor also has great build quality with a solid range of ergonomic options. Think of this as Dell's entry-level option for a 4K monitor while maintaining great materials quality and warranty and you are on the right track.

Are there alternatives?

Absolutely. If you're not interested in the elaborate stand or material quality, LG offers a 27-inch 4K IPS monitor with similar specs for significantly less. LG also has the 27BL85U, which comes similarly outfitted with an equally impressive stand for roughly the same price, and this one includes USB-C. If you're looking for something in this format and resolution, but with a wider color gamut for photo work, the Dell U2720Q may be better for you, albeit at a higher price.

How long it will take?

The Dell S2721QS should have a lifespan of at least five years, of which Dell covers three years with an advance replacement warranty. This means that in the event of a disaster, the company will send you a new (refurbished) monitor first and then let you return the old one after you are set up.

Should I buy it?

Yes. If you want a simple, no-frills 4K display, you can't go wrong with the Dell S2721QS.

Editor's recommendations




Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Review: Too Cheap to Be Good?

Dell Inspiron 14 5000 review 06

Dell Inspiron 14 5000 review: Too cheap for your own good?

"The Dell Inspiron 14 5000 is a cheap laptop that feels and works like one."

  • Decent productivity performance

  • The touchpad works reliably

  • Affordable

  • Good expandability

  • Poor build quality

  • The battery life is terrible

  • Chunky design

Budget laptops are experiencing a renaissance. The latest models were slimmer, faster, and more durable than ever – in some cases, they competed with premium laptops.

If you need some examples, just check out laptops like the Lenovo Yoga C640, the Lenovo Flex 5 14, and the Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen. From performance to design, it's hard to overstate how good these laptops have gotten.

I looked at the Inspiron 14 5000 from Dell to see if it was in line with the trend. My test device was equipped with a 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU, 8 GB RAM, a 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a 14-inch 1080p display. This configuration of the Inspiron 14 5000 costs $ 650, but is currently available for $ 580.

This is a very attractive price, but can the Inspiron 14 5000 exceed the bar set by other current inexpensive laptops?

design

Sometimes a laptop is made of plastic, but doesn't feel like it. It is very rigid and exudes a high quality feel – the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is a prime example (yes, I will mention this laptop in this review). Then there is the Inspiron 14 5000, a plastic laptop that looks and feels.

The cover, the keyboard cover and the case base are bent and bent far too much. A year ago I might have written it off because of the price. Today, the Inspiron just feels cheap. Even opening the hinge looked cheap – the hinge is quite stiff and you have to open it with two hands. And yet the screen wobbled during use.

The Inspiron 14 5000 is similar to many laptops in this price range.

The Inspiron 14 5000 is also quite chunky at 0.83 inches thick and 3.63 pounds. These dimensions are fairly close to the 0.82 inches and 3.3 pounds of the Flex 5 14. However, the Flex 5 14 always felt that it had the build quality to justify the extra bulk. The Inspiron 14 5000, on the other hand, simply feels like an old-school budget laptop that's too big just because the technical costs weren't spent on downsizing it.

The Ryzen-based Swift 3 from Acer, another 14-inch clamshell laptop, only costs 0.63 inches and 2.65 pounds and costs only $ 650. If there is really a new wave of high-quality budget laptops on the go, the Dell doesn't fit.

The Inspiron 14 5000 is similar to many laptops in this price range. It has a silver chassis with a few chrome accents here and there. The dark bezels don't add to the look, and even though they're thin enough on the sides, the massive chin is unsightly.

Once again, the Inspiron 14 5000 looks like an inexpensive old school laptop and not like one of the newer machines that should cost more in this case. The Lenovo Yoga C640 and Flex 5 14 are examples of better designed budget devices.

The expandability is an advantage of the Inspiron 14 5000 over its competitors.

The expandability is an advantage of the Inspiron 14 5000 over its competitors. You can configure two drives, up to a 2 TB hard disk drive (HDD) and up to an SSD with 512 GB at the same time. This is an advantage for anyone who has to carry around a lot of files.

Dell also used the larger case to equip some ports. There are two USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port, a full-size HDMI port, an Ethernet drop-jaw port, and a full-size SD card reader. If you choose to configure with a discrete GPU, you will also get a USB-C 3.1 port.

Overall, Thunderbolt 3 is missing, but it's an impressive collection of ports. The wireless connection is Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0.

performance

The Inspiron 14 5000 uses a 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU, a midrange processor from the core series that promises solid quad-core performance. The Inspiron delivered that – good performance that does justice to the CPU, but nothing special. The challenge for Dell is that two of the other competitors mentioned, the Flex 5 14 and the Swift 3, use AMD's Ryzen 4000 processors that make the Intel offering a mince at this price.

In Geekbench 5, the Inspiron scored 1,169 points in the single-core test and 3,197 points in the multi-core test. This is comparable to another laptop with the same CPU, the Acer Spin 3, which scored 1,215 and 3,615 points. However, this is not the real story as the Flex 5 14 reached 1,096 and 4,543 and the Swift 3 reached 1,120 and 4,831. It is clear that the AMD chips can use their additional cores for significantly better performance and at the same basic price.

The same goes for our more realistic handbrake test, which converts a 420MB file to H.265. Here, the Inspiron took just over 4.6 minutes to complete the test, compared to the Spin 3 with just over four minutes, which means that the Inspiron even lagged behind its most direct competitor. The Flex 5 14 took only 2.7 minutes and the Swift 3 in 2.5 minutes. This shows how much faster the AMD processors are for demanding tasks.

Don't get me wrong – the Inspiron 14 5000 does the work for productivity tasks, surfing the Internet, consuming media, and the like. Laptops like the Flex 5 14 and the Swift 3, which use the excellent new silicon from AMD, are however facing strong competition.

Display and speakers

Some inexpensive laptops make up for other shortcomings by outfitting a nice display, like the Yoga C640, which has a display that can keep up with laptops that cost more than twice as much. Unfortunately, this is not the Inspiron 14 5000 – its display lies far behind the curve and shows the kind of low quality that we once thought we would see with laptops in this price range.

First of all, it suffers from a very low brightness, namely 195 nits, which is significantly below our preferred 300 nits and has a real influence on working on the laptop, displaying images and watching videos. It's an anti-glare display, and that helps a little. But as you can see in the photos above, it is still a little difficult to read with any significant ambient lighting. The Yoga C640 and Flex 5 14 both achieved more reasonable 242 nits in comparison.

The display is another area in which the Inspiron 14 5000 cannot stand out from the competition.

The contrast is low at 720: 1, and we want to see 1,000: 1 or more. Admittedly, not many inexpensive laptops offer nearly this contrast. The Yoga C640 was an exception to 1040: 1. The Flex 5 14 was more like the Inspiron with 770: 1.

With only 64% of sRGB and 48% of AdobeRGB, the color depth was also missing. The Yoga C640 reached 96% of sRGB and 73% of AdobeRGB, a much stronger value, while the Flex 5 14 was also bad at 63% and 47%, respectively. However, the Inspiron's color accuracy was decent at 1.74 (below 1.0 is considered excellent).

The Inspiron 14 5000 display guides you easily through your productivity tasks, but you won't love the experience. Ultimately, it is another area where the Inspiron 14 5000 cannot stand out from some of its competitors.

The audio was mixed similarly. The speakers offer a lot of volume, but some distortion when things get louder. The bass was missing and mids and highs were not pleasant, which made this a disappointing sound system. You will undoubtedly want to connect headphones or use an external Bluetooth speaker if you do more than just watch YouTube videos occasionally.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Inspiron 14 5000 is not equipped with the excellent keyboard that you find in the more expensive XPS series, but instead uses a version with smaller keycaps and less distance, which gives a somewhat cramped feeling. The mechanism is fine, with good travel and a precise click that doesn't fall uncomfortably on the ground. If you are a typist with a quick touch, this keyboard may not reach your maximum speed, but you are not too far away.

The touchpad is equally sufficient. It is a Microsoft Precision touchpad that reliably supports the multi-touch gestures of Windows 10. The surface is comfortable and offers good tactile feedback. There is no touch display here, which may or may not be important to you. I prefer laptops with touch displays, but I may be a minority there.

Windows 10 Hello is provided by a fingerprint reader that is integrated into the unmarked power button. I was able to log in quickly and accurately without ever needing my PIN or password.

Battery life

Another measure of an inexpensive old school laptop is the battery life, which is rather poor because the battery capacity is sacrificed in the name of cost. The Inspiron 14 5000 suffers from a poor 42.5-watt-hour battery, which is significantly less than the 52.5-watt-hour in the Lenovo Flex 5 14. For a laptop with a core CPU and 14-inch battery, that's not much Juice display. My battery tests have only confirmed this.

First, the Inspiron 14 5000 only took an hour and a half in our demanding Basemark web benchmark test. This is a poor score that typically applies to gaming laptops that run fast CPUs at full throttle. The Flex 5 14, which we did not rate well for the battery life, lasted almost four hours and the Yoga C640 over 3.5 hours. Simply put, the Dell won't last long if you press the CPU.

The next step was our web browsing test, in which the Inspiron achieved 4.7 hours. This is also a bad result: the Flex 5 14 lasts eight hours, the Yoga C640 10.5 hours and the Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen almost eight hours. With the Inspiron 14 50oo, you are unlikely to spend more than half a day doing light productivity and web browsing tasks.

We ended up running our local Full HD movie trailer until the battery ran out and the Inspiron 14 5000 couldn't make it to six hours. The Flex 5 14 did 11 hours, the Yoga C640 23 hours (pretty bizarre) and the Swift 3 10 hours.

The bottom line is that the Inspiron 14 5000 has a poorer battery life, which is disappointing despite the price – and especially compared to some other current affordable laptops.

Our opinion

The Dell Inspiron 14 5000 is an affordable, old-school notebook that cuts corners everywhere, making it a little difficult to check it out so soon after checking out the Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Yoga C640. The Inspiron's display is boring, the performance is affected by Ryzen 4000 laptops, and the battery life is terrible.

Budget laptops are getting better and the Inspiron 14 5000 has been left behind.

Are there alternatives?

This test shows that there are better alternatives than the Inspiron 14 5000. The most important of these is the Lenovo Flex 5 14 for $ 600, which offers a similarly poor display, but which Dell outperforms in terms of performance, battery life, durability, and overall good performance. It's also a 2-in-1 game, which is a nice advantage.

You can also opt for the Acer Swift 3, another 14-inch clamshell that is faster and has better battery life. And it costs the same as Dell's retail price and is worth the $ 80 premium at the Inspiron's retail price.

How long it will take?

The Inspiron 14 5000 does not inspire as much confidence in its durability. It will probably make a few falls, but I don't want to abuse it. As usual, the one-year guarantee is standard and disappointing.

Should you buy it

No. The Inspiron 14 5000 might have been attractive at a price a few months ago, but there are many much cheaper laptops today.

Editor's recommendations




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