- Dell announced its XPS series laptops in 2021.
- The XPS 15 and XPS 17 now contain 11th generation Intel CPUs with RTX 30 series GPUs from Nvidia.
- The series starts at $ 1,249.
After upgrading its XPS 13 model late last year, Dell is bringing new Intel and Nvidia hardware to its larger Dell XPS series of laptops. The flagship XPS 15 9510 and XPS 17 9710 build on the revisions of the previous models with faster hardware and more configuration options.
Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 remains the smaller of the two and has a 15.6-inch display. Despite its hefty base weight of 1.86 kg, it is now connected to the smallest 15.6-inch form factor available from Dell.
Users can choose between a 4K or 1080p LCD touch panel or a 3.5K OLED display. All three options have an aspect ratio of 16:10 and support Dolby Vision, but only the denser panels offer DisplayHDR technology.
Visually, not much has changed compared to the previous model. Dell still uses machined aluminum and carbon fiber in the construction of the laptop. There’s also a Corning Gorilla Glass 6-coated touchpad and a backlit keyboard with 1.3mm of travel.
The Dell XPS 15 has three 11th generation Intel CPU configurations with the octa-core headliner i9-11900H. This gives the machine a maximum clock speed of 4.9 GHz, slightly lower than the 5.3 GHz i9-10885G option on the previous model. However, the RAM storage is still 64GB, and up to 4TB of PCIe-based SSD storage is now an option too. Users can stick to Intel’s built-in GPU or Nvidia’s RTX 3050 series for graphics.
For the power supply, Dell offers the choice between a 56-hour or 86-hour battery. Charging is done using a 90 W or 130 W USB-C charger. Three USB-C ports – two Thunderbolt 4 functions – provide charging and display functions. There is also a full size SD card reader and a 3.5mm combo jack. Dell also includes a USB-C to HDMI adapter for external monitor users.
Other benefits include support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1, a 720p Windows Hello camera, an ambient light sensor, two microphones and four speakers.
Dell XPS 17
The larger sibling of the XPS 15 trades less portability for more impressive hardware. For those who consider the XPS 17 a desktop replacement, that’s a fair trade.
The device’s 17-inch display does not have an OLED option, but is available in 3840 x 2400 or 1920 x 1200 resolution. Both panels also support Dolby Vision with a maximum brightness of 500 nits.
A 97 Whr battery is included in the large body, but this brings the weight closer to 2.5 kg. A 90W or 130W charger is also available with the XPS 17.
See also: The Best Laptops You Can Buy In 2021
Internal XPS 17 is offered with four CPU configurations. The headliner is the octa-core i9-11980HK, which offers 24 MB cache and a 5 GHz turbo boost. For graphics, Dell also offers the Nvidia RTX 3060 with up to 64 GB RAM and 4 TB PCIe-based SSD storage.
The XPS 17 has similar I / O, wireless technologies, and audio devices to its smaller sibling.
Dell offers both XPS computers with Windows 10 Home or Pro. Both receive one year of premium support from the company in the US as well.
Dell XPS Series: Price and Availability
The Dell XPS 15 9510 starts at $ 1,249.99, which is slightly cheaper than the entry-level price of the previous model. The Dell XPS 17 9710 starts at $ 1,449.99, but the longest-range configurations of both computers are expected to pay much more.