Dell XPS 15 9500: At First Glance
For a few years now, it has seemed like Dell had forgotten about the XPS 15 model. While the XPS 13 evolved into one of the most admirable Ultrabooks, the XPS 15 remained the same.
However, that has now changed. The latest Dell XPS 15 features many modern design modifications.
These modifications include a larger screen with thin bezels, a slimmer chassis, as well as an improved keyboard and trackpad.
These upgrades and other features make Dell XPS 15 9500 one of the best 15-inch laptops ever produced.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Design, Dimension, and Weight
The Dell XPS 15 9500 is built with a well-constructed aluminum chassis. Its aluminum construction makes it feel very premium.
Additionally, it has the same build quality as the Microsoft Surface Book line and the Apple MacBook line of laptops.
Weighing 2005 g and measuring 344.72 x 230.14 x 18 mm, the laptop is not too heavy. Moreover, its compactness contributes to the durability of the laptop.
The Dell XPS 15 15 9500 has very thin bezels on all four sides of its display. Dell calls this feature “ InfinityEdge ”.
Furthermore, the laptop’s improved keyboard feels very great. Also, its keys are almost 10% larger than the keys in the previous model – and they are well-spaced.
Similarly, the laptop’s trackpad is also bigger than before. It is very sensitive, so it works well with multi-touch gestures.
For ports, you get a USB-C 3.1 with power delivery & DisplayPort, a full-size SD card reader, and a headphone jack. You also get 2x Thunderbolt 3 with power delivery & DisplayPort.
That is not all, the laptop also offers a USB-C to USB-A v3.0 & HDMI v2.0 adapter.
Dell has clearly put a lot into the build of this laptop to give it a premium design. Therefore, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores a nine for its excellent build quality and design.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Processor (CPU) Performance
Dell offers various configuration options for this laptop’s processor. You can get the 4-core Intel Core i5-1030H, or the 6-core Intel Core i7-10750H.
You can also get the 8-core Intel Core i7-10875H or the 8-core Intel Core i9-10885H.
This review is based on the 8-core Intel Core i7-10875H processor. With this processor, the CPU performance of the Dell XPS 15 9500 is excellent.
Furthermore, the Dell XPS 15 9500 can handle almost any computing task you throw at it – heavy browsing, video, and photo editing, or word processing.
A series of tests were carried out on this laptop with the Intel Core i7-10875H to further determine its performance.
In a Geekbench 4 test, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scored 25,934, surpassing the 17,203 premium laptop average. Also, in a Cinebench R20 test, it scored 3,560.
This laptop’s extreme CPU power makes it a suitable laptop for power consumers. Therefore, it scores a nine in this review for its impressive CPU performance.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Memory (RAM) Performance
Like its processor, Dell offers different configurations for the Dell XPS 15 9500’ memory. You can get the laptop with 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB DDR4 SDRAM.
With 32 GB RAM, the Dell XPS 15 9500 performs excellently. The laptop is what I would call a “multi-tasking beast”.
Moreover, the Dell XPS 15 9500 operated smoothly with 30 Chrome tabs while simultaneously running three programs and streaming on Soundcloud. It multitasked easily between several computing operations.
Furthermore, the RAM performance of Dell XPS 15 9500 RAM is even more impressive when you consider its configuration options. It is safe to conclude that the laptop will hardly slow down any of your computing operations with the maximum 64 GB size.
The Dell XPS 15 9500 scores an eight in this review because of its ability to multitask without stuttering or lagging.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Storage Options and Performance
Dell equipped XPS 15 9500 with a 2 TB PCIe 3 x4 SSD. It also has an SD card storage option – 1 x Full-size SD card (Version 6.0).
This laptop’s storage capacity is more than enough to store your files. Its large storage provides enough room for images, designs, and several multimedia files.
Moreover, the Solid-state drive storage used in the Dell XPS 15 15 9500 speeds up the laptop and enables it to boot up in few seconds.
Furthermore, the Dell XPS 15 9500 transferred 4.98 GB of mixed media files in 8 seconds at a transfer rate of 710.3 MBps. It surpasses the category average speed of 657.3 MBps.
In comparison, it surpassed the Microsoft Surface Book 3 that transferred at the rate of 282.7 MBps.
In conclusion, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores an eight in this review for its storage speed and capacity.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Graphics Card Performance
The Dell XPS 15 9500 offers two configuration options for its graphics card. It could either come with an Intel UHD Graphics card or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.
Although the laptop’s graphics card options are very impressive, the Dell XPS 15 9500 is not a gaming laptop. You may not be able to fully enjoy playing some latest AAA games at their highest graphical settings.
As an example, Dell XPS 15 9500 barely delivered playable frame rates while playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider at its highest game settings. It ran the game at 16 FPS
Nonetheless, the Dell XPS 15 9500 still offers a remarkable gaming performance. It is very capable of playing those AAA title games at 1080p with medium settings.
It ran Dirt3 at 134 FPS with maximum graphical settings. It also ran games like Fortnite and Civilization VI at 60 FPS with maximum settings.
Even though Dell prioritizes the CPU performance over the GPU performance in this laptop, it still does well at gaming. Therefore, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scores an eight in this review for its satisfactory performance.
Dell XPS 15 9500: Battery Life and Performance
Dell XPS 15 9500 comes with either a 56 Whr or a 86 Whr battery.
The battery life of the Dell XPS 15 9500 is quite long. On a full charge, the laptop can last up to 12 hours with very basic operations – it lasts almost an entire workday!
On a battery life test, it lasted 8 hours with continuous web surfing. It is a bit impressive, but it doesn’t surpass most of its competitors.
For instance, the 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted 10 hours on the same battery test. Also, it is just on par with the Microsoft Surface Book 3 that lasted 8 hours as well.
Overall, the Dell XPS 15 9500 might not have the best battery life amongst its competitors, but its battery performance is still impressive. Therefore, it scores seven in this review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it does. According to Dell, the Dell XPS 15 9500 is available with a UHD touch screen. However, you’ll have to pay extra to get a configuration with a touchscreen.
Dell XPS 15 9500 is one of the best 15-inch non-convertible laptops available today. It features an excellent variety of configuration options. This laptop has a premium design that makes it befitting to move around. Moreover, it comes with a lot of upgrade options.
The Dell XPS 15 9500 is a very powerful laptop that can handle the major operations a student will need to carry out. Its battery life is also suitable for students. You can play games, do editing, and other intensive tasks much more easily on the Dell XPS 15 9500
Yes, it is. The Dell XPS 15 9500 is powerful enough to handle photo editing tasks. It provides a good combination of performance, weight, and screen quality that will enhance your operations.
The Dell XPS 15 9500 is not that heavy. Moreover, its weight depends on your configuration. For non-touchscreen with 56Whr battery, it weighs 1830 g, and for touchscreen with 86Whr battery, it weighs 2005 g.
Conclusion
The Dell XPS 15 9500 is one of the best 15-inch laptops today. It is an ideal choice for creatives and power users.
Moreover, the general improvements Dell made on this laptop makes it a very impressive option. However, its battery life isn’t the longest amongst its competitors, but it is a good laptop nevertheless.
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