Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: The Ultimate XPS Face-off

Do I get the bigger or the smaller sibling? Read this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 to find out which one we recommend for purchase.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: At First Glance

The Dell XPS line is one line-up series that I have always found myself to be drawn towards. Perhaps the reason for this is because the lineup features some of the lightest laptops as well as some of the best student laptops.

My interest in the Dell XPS 13 9310 and the Dell XPS 15 9500 sparked up even more when I held them in my hands and discovered how light they were. The density of their builds was glaring when I slid them out of their sleek boxes. 

When I ran my fingers across both laptops’ aluminum bodies, I could barely contain my excitement to get started with the comparison. The Dell XPS 15 9500’s beautiful design was an additional fuel for my burning desire to kick start the comparison.

At this point, it is safe to say that Dell has mastered the art of premium ultraportables and the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 are evidence of its mastery. Both laptops duly maintain their top standings in the portable laptops hierarchy.

Similarly, both laptops look capable enough to uphold the heritage of their line and their predecessors. The updated hardware of both laptops feature reassures this prediction.

Apart from their hardware specifications, the Dell XPS 13 9310 and Dell XPS 15 9500 also feature other little changes. The small changes collectively add up to what could be seen as big changes in each of the laptops.

For instance, the Dell XPS 13 9310 comes with a bigger keyboard and touchpad, a thinner all-around bezel, and a smaller frame.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 9500’s size is reduced compared to its predecessor’s. Despite reducing the laptop’s size by 5.5 percent, Dell was able to make its keyboard and touchpad bigger.

The more noticeable change is the improved infinity edge display. Dell has reduced the thick bottom bezel on the laptop, giving you a thinner all-around screen that promises a more immersive viewing experience.

In their respective categories, both laptops are top-notch. Nevertheless, let’s see how both laptops measure up against each other in a direct comparison.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Design, Dimension and Weight

Both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 come delivering the “wow-factor” look that will easily place them side-by-side with other elite laptops. 

It might seem like I’m exaggerating, but believe me when I say both laptops are beautiful enough to challenge even Apple’s MacBook Pro. Both laptops are so beautiful that one could be tempted to buy them just because of their beautiful looks.

Take either of the two laptops into a business meeting and you will be surprised at how quickly they would snatch people’s attention from you. Point is, these laptops look very fitting for professional purposes.

With their CNC-machined aluminum chassis and carbon fiber components, neither of the two laptops feel too different from other laptops in the XPS line. Knowing this, it is only natural that both laptops look very much like their predecessors.

In fact, both laptops are quite identical in terms of their looks. One of the most glaring features both laptops share is Dell’s boundary-pushing InfinityEdge display.

Though I really like the Frost White-colored models, I still don’t see myself picking them over the regular platinum silver and black color scheme models. Despite the fact that the silver lid on both laptops is simple and patternless, they still manage to capture and retain attention.

The only pattern you will find on both laptops’ lids is the laser-cut stainless steel Dell logo in the center that complements the look of both laptops. Both laptops look even more premium because of the reflective touch the Dell logo offers.

Thanks to their beveled edges, the sides of the laptops look shiny and elegant with their lids closed. Open the lid of the platinum silver model, and you will be welcomed by a familiar black carbon fiber deck.

As always, this carbon fiber deck feels soft and generally, very appealing. According to Dell, it also offers high resistance to heat. 

On the other hand, the white version of both laptops comes with a deck made of woven glass fiber. This keyboard deck offers a distinct, trippy texture that you can see and feel. 

According to Dell, It usually comes with a coating that makes it UV and stain-resistant. 

These fiber composite materials also enhance the beauty and elegance of the laptops regardless of the color version you purchase. Also, they make the typing experience on both laptops more comfortable since they usually surround the keyboard and touchpad.

Resting your palm on the fiber is comforting and therapeutic. To an extent, this feeling amends for the small palm rest on the Dell XPS 13 9310.

The small palm rest is the price that Dell had to pay for a larger keyboard layout on the XPS 13 9310. Its chiclet keyboard stretches across the width of the deck, making the key travel on the laptop more adequate. 

As a result, the laptop’s keys are big and are about 9 percent bigger than the keys on its previous model’s keyboard. This improvement makes the keys easier to hit.

The overall typing experience on this laptop felt great. When I took the 10fastfinger typing test, I reached 73 words per minute.

This score exceeded my regular 68 to 70 words per minute. 

In addition to its comfortable keys, the XPS 13 9310’s keyboard also comes with two-stage backlighting which brightens up well. Even on the Frost White model’s white keyboard, the backlighting offers a discernible contrast.

Just like the Dell XPS 13 9310, the XPS 15 9500 features larger keys on its full-sized keyboard. Despite the 9.7 percent larger size, the keys are well spaced and they offer an excellent 1.3mm key travel.

In use, the keyboard on the Dell XPS 15 9500 is an absolute joy to type on. I didn’t feel any discomfort while typing on the laptop and I was able to type 85 words per minute.

Unlike the XPS 13 9310, the XPS 15 9500 has two slim front-firing speakers positioned on opposite sides of its deck. Thankfully, this placement did not affect the keyboard’s layout.

Furthermore, the trackpad on the Dell XPS 13 9310 is also excellent. Though there isn’t enough space for the touchpad to be bigger, the experience of using it is satisfying.

It has a smooth glass surface that makes swiping and gliding easy. Performing Windows 10 gestures such as two-finger scroll, pinch-zoom, and three-finger tap and flick was easy on the  2.5 x 4.4-inch touchpad.

The 5.9 x 3.5 inches touchpad on the Dell XPS 15 9500 isn’t bad either. It was easy for me to navigate websites and documents because of how big and smooth the touchpad is.

Just like with Dell XPS 13 9310, Windows 10 gestures such as three-finger tap and two-finger scrolling were sharp and accurate. 

Despite how clicky the keyboards and the bottom of both laptops’ touchpads were, their decks barely had any flex. Likewise, their lids also feel solid.

Consider the size of both laptops and you will be more stunned by how rigid they feel. The XPS 13 measures 295.7 x 198.7 x 14.8 mm, while the XPS 15 measures 344.72 x 230.14 x 18 mm.

For their measurements, both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and Dell XPS 15 9500 are incredibly light. While the Dell XPS 13 9310 weighs 1200 g, the XPS 15 9500’s weight ranges from 1830 g – 2005 g.

The lightness and compactness of these laptops came at a price. Dell had to equip both laptops with a limited port selection.

You won’t get the trendy USB Type-A ports on the Dell XPS 13 9310. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card reader. 

The Dell XPS 15, on the other hand, offers 1 USB Type C 3.1 port,1 HDMI 2.0 port, and 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports. You also get 1 USB-C port, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

In terms of design and build, there’s very little to complain about in both laptops. They both look stunning.

Still, the Dell XPS 15 9500 is unarguably the more elegant laptop. It offers more in its compact build – one of them is its better port array.

As a result, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores a nine in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 in this design comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scores an eight.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Processor (CPU) Performance

Both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 offer Intel processors. Though they both feature the same processor types, the Dell XPS 15 9500 offers a broader range of CPU configurations.

While Dell offers four CPU configuration options for the XPS 15 9500, they have provided a single CPU configuration for the XPS 13 9310. I would have criticized Dell’s decision, but discovering the exact processor type the XPS 13 comes with made me withhold my critique comments.

They have decided to do away with the 10th Generation Ice Lake processor. I was delighted to discover that the Dell XPS 13 9310 now features the current Tiger Lake CPU.

To be precise, Dell has equipped the XPS 13 9310 with a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor. This processor has a 12 MB cache, a base frequency of 2.80 GHz, and a boost frequency of 4.70 GHz.

Although the XPS 15 9500 offers more CPU configuration options, it doesn’t offer the Tiger Lake CPU. You can only buy the Dell XPS 15 9500 with the 10th generation processors.

With XPS 15 9500, Dell offers an Intel Core i5-10300H, an Intel Core i7-10875H, and an Intel Core i9-10885H processor. Each of these processors has eight cores which aid Hyper-Threading.

As a result, these processors have a relatively good base and boost frequencies. The Core i5-10300H processor has a base frequency of 2.50 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.5 GHz.

It also has an 8 MB cache.

Meanwhile, the Core i7-10875H has a base frequency of 2.30 GHz and a boost frequency of 5.1 GHz. Compared to the Core i5 processor’s cache, this processor has a bigger cache – 16 MB.

The Core i9-10885H has the most impressive frequency speed amongst the other processors. It has a base frequency of 2.40 GHz and a boost frequency of 5.3 GHz.

Like the Core i7-10875H processor, the Core i9 processor also has a 16 MB cache.

In addition to these processor options, Dell also offers a six-core Intel Core i7-10750H. Like the other processor options, this processor also offers impressive frequency speeds.

It has a 12 MB cache, a base frequency of 2.60 GHz, and a boost frequency of 5.0 GHz.

Without further digressions, let’s move on to the main subject of this comparison. For this comparison, we have acquired a Dell XPS 15 9500 that features the Core i7-10875H processor.

Though its name says otherwise, this Core-i7 processor is more of a successor to the Core i9-9880H than to the Core i7-9750H. Even the performance tests show how close the Core-i7 processor is to the Core i9-9880H in terms of performance.

Therefore, you should expect a worthwhile processor performance from this laptop. Likewise, you should expect a significant boost in the processing power of the Dell XPS 13 9310. 

Both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and the XPS 15 9500 were able to handle all the regular computing tasks. The two laptops performed instant emailing, document editing, web browsing, and video streaming without any issues.

When I got to the benchmark tests, I was able to further access both laptops’ processing power. On a Cinebench R20 benchmark test, the Dell XPS 15 9500 started the face-off on a strong footing.

The XPS 15 9500 scored 3250 points in the multi-core aspect of the Cinebench test. It convincingly surpassed the XPS 13 9310’s 1873 points.

However, things took a quick turn in the single-core aspect. The Dell XPS 13 9310 scored 556 points, exceeding the Dell XPS 15 9500’s 493 points.

On another Cinebench test (Cinebench R15 test), I observed a similar pattern in the results. Like on the Cinebench R23 benchmark test, the Dell XPS 15 9500 outperformed the XPS 13 9310 in the multi-core aspect but was unable to do the same in the single-core aspect.

In the multi-core aspect of the test, the XPS 15 scored 1391 points, far exceeding the XPS 13 9310’s 766 points. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13 9310 performed better than the XPS 15 9500 in the single-core aspect.

Its 221 points surpassed the XPS 15 9500’s 204 points.

To further expand the playing field, I decided to test both laptops on the Geekbench 5 test. Following the same pattern on the previous tests, the Dell XPS 15 9500 still couldn’t surpass its sibling in the single-core aspect.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 scored 1541 points, while the XPS 15 9500 scored 1318 points. As always, the Dell XPS 15 was able to outperform the XPS 13 in the multi-core aspect.

While the Dell XPS 15 9500 scored 7799 points, the XPS 13 9310 scored 5771 points.

In addition to these benchmark tests, I also carried out a HandBrake test to see how well both laptops perform in video conversion. On my test, the XPS 13 took 18 minutes, 35 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 9500 converted the same 4K video to 1080p in 9 minutes and 54 seconds. 

Overall, the processing performance of both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and the XPS 15 9500 are excellent. They displayed enough power to handle every general computing operation.

Although the Dell XPS 15 9500 was able to show its superiority by a little margin, there’s no denying that the XPS 13’s processor was also up to the task.

Hence, both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 score eight in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 processor performance comparison.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Memory (RAM) Performance

In this aspect, the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 hardly share much in common. Aside from the fact that Dell has provided more than one choice of configuration for both laptops’ memory, they have very little in common.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 features an LPDDR4x memory type while the XPS 15 9500 comes with a DDR4 Dual Channel SDRAM. In addition, the Dell XPS 13 9310 has only one non-removable RAM slot while the XPS 15 9500 has two RAM slots.

Thanks to its two RAM slots, it is possible for you to upgrade the XPS 15 9500’s RAM to as much as 64 GB. Meanwhile, you can only buy the XPS 13 9310 with either 16 GB or 32 GB.

For this comparison, our Dell XPS 13 9310 comparison model features 16 GB RAM. Meanwhile, our Dell XPS 15 9500 comparison model features 32 GB RAM.

To kick off this comparison, we will first take a look at how the two laptops perform in the real-world performance tests. On this test, I was able to stream an episode of Loki on Netflix with 33 Chrome tabs opened while I simultaneously replied to tweets on Twitter, and some Slack messages.

Both did well on the real-world performance test. Throughout the period I tested both laptops, operations were running smoothly despite how many tasks they were performing simultaneously.

Upon the completion of this phase of the testing and comparison, I moved on to the synthetic benchmark tests. On a PCMark 10 test, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scored 10492 points in the essential aspect of the test.

On the same essential aspect, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scored 9808 points.

In the productivity aspect, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scored 6964 points. Once again, the Dell XPS 15 9500 outscored the XPS 13 9310 – it scored 7994 points.

Overall, both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and Dell XPS 15 9500 did great in this memory performance aspect but the XPS 15 9500 is the better laptop. If this fact was not clear after the real-world performance test, it became clearer after the benchmark performance test.

Hence, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores an eight in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 memory performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scores a seven.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Storage Options and Performance

The Dell XPS 13 9310 and Dell XPS 15 9500 do not share a lot of similarities. Dell equips the XPS 13 9310 with a 1 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 1 microSD card reader for extra external storage purposes.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 9500 comes with a 2 TB PCIe 3 x4 SSD. The XPS 15 also offers a 1x Full-size SD card reader for storage expansion.

With this specification sheet, it looks as though the Dell XPS 15 9500 will be making another statement of superiority. We will never know if we don’t start finding out.

Let’s get right into the details of these laptops’ storage performance.

The first test I carried out on both laptops revealed that the Dell XPS 15 9500 still struggles to outperform the XPS 13 9310 completely. Although on the CrystalDiskMark 5 test, the XPS 15 9500 was able to offer a much better sequential write speed compared to the XPS 13 9310’s.

While the Dell XPS 15 9500 offered a sequential write speed of 2054 MBps, the XPS 13 9310 offered a sequential write speed of 853.8 MBps. 

It was when I got to the sequential read speed that I found the Dell XPS 15 9500 to be lagging behind the XPS 13 9310. The Dell XPS 13 9310 offered a better sequential read speed of 2167 MBps compared to the 1617 MBps that the XPS 15 9500 offered.

On our file transfer test, the Dell XPS 13 9310 copied a 4.97 GB multimedia file within 6 seconds at a rate of 804.2 MBps. Meanwhile, it took the Dell XPS 15 9500 7 seconds to copy the same multimedia file at a rate of 715.6 MBps.

Even though the speed difference is just by 1, we could say the XPS 13 9310 is slightly faster than the Dell XPS 15 950. From the beginning to the end of this storage aspect, we can surmise that a proportionate amount of wins has been shared relatively between the two laptops.

The specs and particularly the benchmark test results affirm this notion. In some aspects of this comparison, the Dell XPS 15 950 displayed better performance.

Likewise, the Dell XPS 13 9310 also displayed better performance in some aspects. In terms of specification, the Dell XPS 15 950 offers a larger storage capacity, but based on our real-life file transfer test, the XPS 13 9310 is slightly faster.

Hence, I draw my conclusion from all these considerations and give both laptops a score of eight in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 storage comparison.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Graphics Card Performance

In the preceding aspects, the Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 shared at least a few things in common. Things are very much different in this aspect.

A glance at both laptops’ graphics card options shows just how much they differ in terms of graphics. While Dell offers the XPS 13 9310 with a single graphics card option, they offer two configuration options for the XPS 15 9500’s graphics card.

Dell ships the XPS 13 9310 with an integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics card. This graphic card offers a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1300 MHz.

On the other hand, you can buy the XPS 15 9500 with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics or a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card. 

The Intel UHD Graphics card has a base frequency of 350 MHz and a boost frequency of 1250 GHz. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA GeForce graphics card comes with a 4 GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM which helps to improve its base and boost frequencies.

As a result, the NVIDIA GeForce graphics card has a great base and boost frequencies. It has a base frequency of 1350 GHz and a boost frequency of 1485 GHz.

To keep you informed, I will like to quickly mention that our Dell XPS 15 9500 review unit comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card.

With that being said, let’s begin our review comparison right away.

On the 3DMark 11 GPU performance test, I was completely taken aback by the huge difference between both laptops’ results. The XPS 15 9500 scored 12865 points.

This score was miles ahead of the XPS 13 9310’s 6647 points.

Minutes after I finished up with the 3DMark 11 GPU performance test, I went further to test both laptops based on real-world gaming performance. The results of the gaming tests I ran were all in favor of the Dell XPS 15 9500.

When I ran Dota 2 Reborn on the XPS 13 9310, the game played at 76.1 frames per second at a low graphics setting. At high graphics settings, the game played at 74.7 frames per second.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 9500 offered frame rates of 150 FPS when I ran the game at low settings. At high graphics settings, the XPS 15 played the game at 150 frames per second.

On another gaming test, the Dell XPS 13 9310 ran The Witcher 3 at 98.6 frames per second at low settings. The XPS 15 9500, on the other hand, played the game at 209.9 frames per second on the same low graphics setting.

We don’t need to put much thought into it before we can conclude that the XPS 15 9500 completely shone better than the XPS 13. In this aspect, the XPS 15 9500 performed better than the XPS 13 9310 both in the real-world gaming test and the benchmark tests.

Hence, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores a nine in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 graphics performance comparison. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 13 9310 scores a seven.

Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500: Battery Life and Performance

Both the Dell XPS 13 9310 and Dell XPS 15 9500 come with built-in batteries. The Dell XPS 13 9310 features a 4-Cell 52 Whr battery, while the Dell XPS 15 9500 comes with either a 56WHr or 86Whr battery.

Thanks to its Tiger-Lake processor and low power sipping graphics card, the Dell XPS 13 9310 is categorized as an Intel Evo laptop. Hence, you should expect a battery life that at least exceeds the 9-hour mark and I’m glad to say the XPS 13 meets the criteria.

With its screen set to medium brightness, the XPS 13 lasted 11 hours and 12 minutes on our battery test. This battery test involved a continuous web surfing session under Wi-Fi.

Meanwhile, the XPS 15 9500 lasted 8 hours and 5 minutes on the same battery test. Though this runtime isn’t encouraging when you compare it with the XPS 13’s runtime, it is fair enough for a 4K laptop.

Besides, the XPS 15 9500 can last through most of a normal workday on a single charge, but I will advise you to keep your charger with you. If you intend to just stream movies while lying in bed, you might want to plug the laptop in. 

Similarly, if you plan on playing games for an extended period of time, you will need to keep your charger within reach.

In the case of the Dell XPS 13 9310, all-day battery life may be slightly possible depending on what activities you perform on the laptop. Activities like offline document editing or local video playback will not quickly run down the battery.

However, long gaming sessions or extended browsing sessions will most likely make the laptop’s battery run down faster.

In conclusion, the Dell XPS 13 9310 outperforms the XPS 15 9500 in this aspect because of its longer battery runtime. Hence, it scores an eight in this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 battery life comparison.

Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores a seven.

Our Rating Summary

Conclusion

The Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 15 9500 are exceptional laptops with plenty to offer. They both feature cutting-edge computing components enclosed in a beautifully designed and remarkably well-constructed chassis.

As a result, these XPS laptops are solid choices for those in search of a premium laptop that offers a beautiful design and reliable performance. The two laptops are also relatively portable, but the XPS 13 9310 comes in a more portable size.

The fact that the XPS 15 9500 is larger and heavier than the XPS 13 doesn’t mean it’s not thin and light. Anyone who loves a larger screen will be satisfied with the XPS 15’s size.

Due to the XPS 13 9310’s size and hardware options, it is suitable for professionals or casual users who constantly find themselves on the move. The laptop’s 11th Gen Core i7 CPU is powerful enough to handle photo editing and even some light gaming. 

Unfortunately, the XPS 13 9310 isn’t equipped with a dedicated graphics card to help it handle more graphics-intensive tasks. This is one of the major areas where the XPS 15 9500 beats the XPS 13 9310.

In fact, the XPS 15 9500 begins to pull away from the XPS 13 9310 when it comes to performance and hardware. Despite the XPS 13’s strong performances, the XPS 15 still sets itself above it.

Whether you’re planning to carry out an intensive task or you’re planning to enjoy some gaming, the XPS 15 is much more suitable for the job. If you want an extra screen and a more powerful performance, then the is the more ideal option.

Hence, we recommend the Dell XPS 15 9500.

Based on our comprehensive review and comparison of Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500, we recommend:

Although we recommend the Dell XPS 15 9500, if you prioritize battery life over all-around performance power, you should consider the Dell XPS 13 9310.

I hope you found this Dell XPS 13 9310 vs Dell XPS 15 9500 comparison helpful.  If you found the review helpful, kindly spare a few minutes to share your thoughts by responding to the “Was this page helpful?” question below.

Finally, for more laptop reviews, visit our Laptop Comparison Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.