Dell XPS 16 review: Beauty and power comes at a cost

Dell’s XPS 16 takes the minimalist style of the XPS 13 Plus and scales it as much as a 16-inch system that’s much more effective and practical. Simply like with that earlier device, which was Dell’s very first effort at executing an “unnoticeable” trackpad in its palm rest, there are some use tradeoffs. It’s tough not to be impressed by how streamlined the XPS 16 looks– personally, I consider it among the most appealing Windows laptop computers around– however power users who require a wide array of ports might discover it doing not have. (Even Apple can fit a full-sized SD card slot and HDMI port on the MacBook Proswhy can’t Dell?)

It’s not a surprise why Dell is leaning so hard on the XPS 13 Plus’s style language: That device looked unlike any other Windows PC when it debuted 2 years earlier. Now rather of being a different “Plus” variation, it’s discussing the XPS 13 mantle completely. (Pour one out for the conventional XPS 13 style we’ve enjoyed a lot.) The XPS 14 and 16on the other hand, are more effective MacBook Pro rivals that repair a few of the issues with the smaller sized design. They both have earphone jacks, for one, and they likewise use an overall of 3 USB-C ports (rather of simply 2) and a microSD card slot.

I’ll confess, despite the fact that I had concerns with the XPS 13 Plus, I was still wowed by the XPS 16 the immediate I opened it up. Its 16.3-inch OLED screen was remarkable to witness, with the barest quantity of bezel around the edges. Its all-glass wrist rest and touchpad appeared like a crystal clear pond that was frozen over with a classy layer of frost. And the XPS 16’s classy keyboard was virtually asking to be typed on. It’s so damn quite.

Will that appeal get in the method of its performance, as it did for the XPS 13 Plus? The simple existence of more ports (and an earphone jack!) makes it clear that Dell is believing more virtually with the XPS 16. It is, after all, a possible follower to the XPS 15, an item that we’ve applauded as one of the go-to choices for 15-inch Windows note pads.

While Dell is sticking to the undetectable trackpad that I discovered annoying on the XPS 13 Plus, it’s a bit less of an issue on the XPS 16. For one, the real trackpad location is far bigger, extending in between the Windows secret on the left and Copilot button on the right, so there’s far less opportunity you’ll miss it. Dell likewise uses adjustable haptics for the touchpad, which you can modify from definitely no feedback (a setting for the criminally outrageous) and to genuinely deep and gratifying clicks. There’s still no genuine validation for concealing the trackpad totally, however, and utilizing it takes some change.

I’m all for PC makers taking wild style swings, however Dell’s unnoticeable trackpad stays more of a celebration technique than a leap forward for computing. Techies frequently slam Apple for stressing aesthetic appeals over performance, however a minimum of I can plainly inform precisely where a MacBook’s trackpad lacks looking down. There’s still a constant sensation of smoothness throughout Apple’s palm rests, so Dell does not have a significant benefit either.

The XPS 16’s capacitive leading row of buttons, which can change in between function secrets and multimedia controls, is another style quandary. Sure, it looks a bit cleaner than a common laptop computer keyboard, and it enables much better air flow because Dell can suit more cooling hardware beneath it, however it’s difficult to touch type any of those secrets. Even after numerous days of screening, I could not train my fingers to right away make their method to a particular function secret. That’s bad for basic functionality, along with for users with availability requirements.

A lot of damning of all, the capacitive leading row buttons entirely vanish in direct sunshine (and even on a cloudy-yet-bright day (see listed below). You’ll require to cup your turn over them or discover some sort of shade to alter your volume or screen brightness. Is that actually worth preventing another basic row of secrets?

A minimum of Dell got the keyboard right, which’s constantly been an emphasize of the XPS lineup. The XPS 16’s keyboard is luxuriously broad, with big essential caps and a deep 0.3 mm meal. Dell had the ability to make more space for those functions by shaving away the area in between the secrets. I’ll confess, it takes some getting utilized to given that it feels various than many other laptop computers, once I suffered through a couple of hours of typos, I discovered myself taking pleasure in the typing experience in general. For as soon as, my hands had space to expand.

The keyboard and trackpad experience will likely feel comparable throughout all of the brand-new XPS designs, however it’s the remarkable 16.3-inch screen that sets the XPS 16 apart. You can pick in between a 1080p+ LCD screen with a 120Hz revitalize rate, or a 4K+ OLED panel that peaks at 90Hz. The OLED alternative (which our evaluation system featured) is the one to choose if you’re trying to find real color precision, considering that it supports 100 percent of the DCI-P3 range (the LCD design covers 100 percent of the sRGB minimum spec). And obviously, it likewise features all of the benefits of OLED: High levels of contrast and inky dark black levels.

The XPS 16’s huge screen permitted me to multitask quickly, and it permitted me to see an extensive timeline while dealing with an Audacity recording completely screen. With its high level of color accuract, whatever simply popped on the XPS 16, from searching the web to seeing motion pictures on Netflix. (It likewise supports Dolby Vision HDR, which includes more depth to dark scenes and greater peak brightness highlights).

It’s worth keeping in mind that the OLED screen is ranked at 400 nits of brightness, 100 nits less than the LCD design, however I didn’t have any difficulty checking out off our evaluation system’s screen outdoors in direct sunshine. (It’s irritating that the costlier OLED can’t reach a 120Hz revitalize rate, however it still looks decently smooth at 90Hz.)

In addition to having an incredible screen for imaginative jobs, the XPS 16 likewise crams in sufficient power to get you through a frustrating work day (and likewise enough to let you video game a bit when you require a break). Our XPS 16 evaluation system was geared up with Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU, a setup worth a substantial $3,399.

While I’ve seen Intel’s brand-new CPU in action on the ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED, it was much more excellent on the XPS 16, where it scored nearly 3,000 points greater than the ZenBook in the Geekbench 6 CPU standard. The XPS 16 was likewise almost two times as quick in the Cinebench 2024 criteria when it concerned multi-threaded CPU work. (These ratings likewise make me question if the ASUS device was simply awfully unoptimized, because it was among the very first note pads launched with a Core Ultra chip.)

The XPS 16 likewise peacefully bested the Framework Laptop 16, another cinema note pad targeted at imaginative experts (together with being nearly totally modular). It scored over 1,000 points greater than the Framework device in the Geekbench 6 multithreaded CPU standard, and it was over two times as quick in the Cinebench 2024 GPU test.

Oddly, the XPS 16 just scored a couple of hundred points greater in PCMark 10 compared to the 2022 XPS 15 (which utilized an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti), however the benefit this year is that Intel’s brand-new chips likewise include an NPU for AI jobs. The XPS 16 scored 3,109 points in the Geekbench ML test, a cross-platform criteria for comparing artificial intelligence abilities. That puts it on par with an iPad Pro with Apple’s M2 chips.

In Windows, NPUs generally allow unique functions like Studio Effects, which can blur your background or enhance your lighting in video chats. Designers like Adobe and Audacity have actually devoted to including more AI-powered tools in their apps, so having a capable NPU might pay off down the line.

The XPS 16’s raw horse power likewise makes it a capable (if overpriced) video gaming maker. I had the ability to play Halo Infinite in 1440p+ (2,560 by 1,600 pixels) with maxed out graphics settings at approximately 63fps. Cyberpunk 2077 Reached 63fps on average in 1440p, so long as I made it possible for NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling and prevented ray tracing. These aren’t really outstanding ratings when compared to devoted video gaming systems, however it’s definitely much better than what I saw on the XPS 15 a couple of years earlier. The XPS 16’s keyboard is well fit to shooters, thanks to its big secrets and tactile feedback, however it’s a discomfort if you’re playing something that regularly utilizes function buttons. If you’re actually excited to video game on this system, you’re much better off going with the 1080p LCD screen, because it can strike a greater 120Hz revitalize rate and needs less GPU rendering power.

After coping with the XPS 16 for a couple of weeks, I’m still truly impressed by its large charm and power. It’s not the simplest device to take a trip with, considering that it clocks in at 4.8 pounds. That’s about the very same weight as the most effective MacBook Pro 16-inch, so it’s not overkill, however is still something to think about. In contrast, the most recent XPS 15 weighs 4.5 pounds, while the brand-new XPS 14 is even more portable at 3.7 pounds. If you require a lots of screen area, you’ve most likely currently resigned yourself to having a big device. It’s still worth considering what your real workflow looks like. Do you genuinely require a 16 inch screen at all times, or would you rather have something lighter for travel that you couple with a roomier display at your desk?

Another huge advantage of a big device? Lots of battery life. The XPS 16 lasted 8 hours and 30 minutes in the PCMark 10 Modern Office standard, while the Framework Laptop 16 endured for just 4 hours. The ZenBook 14 OLED is still our leading entertainer for that test– it opted for 12 hours and 43 minutes– however you’ll still have the ability to last a common workday with the XPS 16 without looking for power.

As you can most likely distinguish our evaluation system’s expense, the XPS 16’s rate is its greatest prospective problem. It begins at $1,899 with the Intel Core Ultra 7, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD and a 1080p+ LCD screen. The most recent XPS 15 begins at $1,099 with a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and a comparable construct. At least, it’s great to see that Dell isn’t delivering workhorse makers with 8GB of RAM by default (like Apple therefore numerous other business are). Other upgrades for the XPS 16, regrettably, will cost you a lot: It’s another $400 to get an NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU ($600 for the 4060 and $1,100 for the 4070), bumping as much as OLED expenses another $300 and stepping up to 32GB of RAM is an astonishing $600 additional.

Excellent appearances do not come inexpensive. The exact same is real for every other premium 16-inch laptop computer (the MacBook Pro 16 starts at $2,499!). This isn’t always a classification for discovering a bargain, unless you’re browsing older or reconditioned designs. The XPS 16 is implied for individuals with deep pockets who require a massive screen, lots of power and lovely hardware. In that regard, it’s an overall success– as long as you’re not too frustrated by its undetectable trackpad.