Dell XPS vs Latitude: Which is a Better Business Laptop?

Are you stuck deciding between the Dell XPS and Latitude? This comparison has all the details you need to help you make a choice.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: At First Glance

From the get-go, the Dell XPS series has always been a high-performing workstation laptop. As for the Dell Latitude series, it exists to satisfy professionals and executives. 

With a similar target market, it is understandable if one finds it difficult to pick one between both laptop series. Out of all Dell laptops in this series, our focus in this comparison will be on the Dell XPS 15 9500 and Dell Latitude 5590. 

In previous comparisons, we’ve seen the Dell XPS 15 coming top when compared with laptops of other brands. Some of these laptops that were second options to the XPS 15 are the HP Spectre x360, Surface Book 2, and even the MacBook Pro!

With that fact, one cannot help but wonder if the Dell Latitude 5590 will not join the list of these other laptops. Be sure to read on if you’re also curious!

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Design, Dimensions, and Weight

In the aspect of design, you will surely notice some key differences between the XPS 15 and Latitude 5590. Starting with the build material, the XPS 15 has an aluminum build that already gives it a pricey look.

Asides from having a premium look, we cannot take away the fact that this laptop also looks strong enough for a corporate workday. Furthermore, you might almost mistake this Dell XPS for the Apple MacBook.

One way you’ll quickly know this brand is the “Dell” logo boldly placed at the very center of the laptop’s lid. As expected, the Dell Latitude also has the “Dell” logo; however, it looks nothing like that XPS 15.

The reason for that is because of its plastic build. Just by looking at the Dell latitude, one can almost be certain that this laptop can take a beating.

Despite that, it has a very solid and durable look that will make you less worried when traveling with this laptop on a bumpy road. Apparently, the Latitude 5590 isn’t premium and sleek but it sure is sturdy and durable.

With such a description, you’re likely wondering how thick and heavy these laptops might be. To answer that, the Dell latitude 5590 weighs 1880 g with a dimension of 376 x 250.7 x 20.6 – 23.3 mm (W x D x H).

Comparatively, the Dell XPS 15 weighs between 1830 g – 2005 g and has a dimension of 344.72 x 230.14 x 18 mm (W x D x H). From all indications, the Dell Latitude is thicker than the Dell XPS.

If you’re surprised at the slight difference in weight, you should not be. This is because laptops with a plastic build are more lightweight than those with an aluminum build.

With weight and dimensions out of the way, let’s talk about what’s underneath the lid of these laptops. As you would typically expect, a display screen, keyboard, and touchpad are what you’ll find underneath the lid of both laptops.

Starting with the display screen, the thick bezels of the Dell Latitude is one unattractive feature that you’ll first notice. Even for a 2018 laptop, these bezels are quite thick.

In contrast, the Dell XPS 15 looks sharp with an almost bezel-less look. With that alone, you can tell that the XPS 15 has a more modern look than the Latitude. 

As for the screen itself, both the Dell XPS and Latitude have a 15.6” display size. When it comes to the display resolution, Dell is one company that always provides options.

Thankfully, these two laptops follow that trend. You can get the Dell Latitude with HD (1366 x 768), or Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution.

The Dell XPS though has more sophisticated options with the 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) or FHD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution. If you look at the numbers closely, you can tell that all these display resolution options are not in the same league.

Obviously, the higher the resolution, the better the display quality. Speaking of display quality, how about I address that next?

Just before I do that, it’s important you know the display resolution our comparison models come with. This review comparison is based on the best resolution both laptops offer which is the 4K UHD+ for the Dell XPS and the Full HD for the Dell Latitude.

In terms of display quality, the 4K resolution of the XPS does a better job than the FHD of the latitude. Every image displayed on this 4K resolution provides great depth, clarity, and color reproduction is also at its a-game.

The FHD resolution, on the other hand, is a boss in its own right. It may not match up with the 4K, but it performs fair enough with a good amount of color reproduction and display clarity. 

Speaking of clarity, you definitely will not enjoy using this Dell Latitude laptop in direct sunlight. The reason for that is the 243 nits of brightness this laptop offers.

On the contrary, it would interest you to know that the Dell XPS has double that, with its brightness level at 500 nits. By the way, nit is the metric for measuring display brightness, and as expected, the higher the figure, the better.

When a device has low brightness levels, using it outdoors is just straining, which is why more nits are better. Another aspect of display we should definitely talk about is viewing angles.

Viewing angles, as the name suggests, refers to all the angles a display can be viewed comfortably. Having good viewing angles means you’ll still get good display clarity regardless of your sitting position while viewing the display.

Fortunately, both laptops deliver excellently when it comes to viewing angles. An additional display feature both Dell products have in common is the touchscreen feature.

If you think having the touchscreen feature of a laptop is the icing on the cake, Dell made it optional. To be exact, when you pay a little extra, you can get the touchscreen feature on either the Dell XPS 15 9500 or Dell Latitude 5590. 

Having said all there is to be said about the display features, it’s time to move on to the keyboard area. While the Lenovo ThinkPad laptops have been known to have the best keyboards yet, the Dell XPS seems to also be matching up.

This particular Dell XPS has good key spacing and legible keys that are clear enough. Furthermore, the key travel for this laptop is 1.3 mm which also contributes to a comfortable typing experience.

To clarify, key travel refers to how deep a key goes into the chassis when typing before coming back up. That said, a 1.3mm key travel is a really good figure that beats the typical 1.5mm mark. 

Another thing that adds to that typing experience is the backlit feature of the keyboard on this Dell XPS laptop. Being backlit means you can easily type in the dark, thanks to the keyboard lights. 

For the Dell Latitude 5590, its keyboard is also backlit, but the keys are slightly smaller than that of the Dell XPS. Another difference is its 1.7mm key travel which means the keys go deeper into the chassis while typing than the XPS keyboard.

These keys also tend to make some audible clicky sounds while typing but nothing too unbearable. If you’re familiar with Dell laptops, you must have seen the TrackPoint which is sometimes referred to as the pointing stick. 

Focusing on the TrackPoint, this is a small round button between the G, H, and B keys on the Latitude laptops series. As for its function, the TrackPoint makes it possible to navigate while still typing without necessarily using the touchpad.

The TrackPoint of the Dell Latitude works perfectly fine and looks appealing with its teal-green color. Since the TrackPoint seems to be exclusive to the Dell Latitude, you won’t find it in the Dell XPS.

Away from the keyboard and TrackPoint, the Dell XPS and Latitude have very responsive touchpads. However, the fundamental difference anyone would notice between these two touchpads is the size.

Specifically, the Dell XPS 15 9500 has a large touchpad that is almost the size of two debit cards. Such a large size makes it more comfortable to use than the smaller-sized touchpad of the Dell Latitude 5590.

Having discussed the components of the lower deck, we cannot possibly ignore the ports, right? Well, both laptops have useful ports but in different forms – if that’s confusing, not to worry, I’ll explain. 

Starting with the left side of the Dell Latitude, there are USB Type-A and Type-C ports that support DisplayPort output. That’s not all; there’s also a full SD card reader with a cover to prevent particles.

On the right side, there’s the audio jack, a USB Type-A port, and a VGA connector. As if that isn’t enough, the Dell Latitude also has ports at the back by the hinges. 

Right at the back, there’s an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a USB Type-A port, and finally, the power plug. Notably, there’s an air vent also at the back that serves as a cooling system for the laptop.

Having said all there is to be said about the Dell Latitude’s ports, let’s see what the Dell XPS has in store. This XPS model has a USB Type-C, a full SD card reader, and a headphone jack on the right side. 

On the left side, there are two Thunderbolt 3 ports that support power delivery & DisplayPort. Those are all the ports available for the Dell XPS laptop which might actually keep you wondering – “what about the HDMI and USB Type-A ports?”

To answer that, Dell made provision for that with a dongle. For those who don’t know, a dongle is a small external adapter that is about the size of an earbud case.

By having this dongle, you can easily connect an HDMI or USB Type-A port to this laptop. A laptop with more modern ports and a dongle is not such a bad idea, except for the fact that you always have to carry the dongle around. 

You probably now understand why I said both laptops have similar ports but in various forms. At the end of the day, you can achieve what you need to do with both Dell laptops.

By and large, the Dell XPS and Latitude share some similarities, which is understandable since they’re from the same manufacturer. Similarly, we cannot also ignore that there are key differences in the design features of these two devices.

Specifically, there are key differences starting from the build material to display features, keyboard, touchpad, and of course, the ports selection. Considering all that has been said, the Dell XPS beats the Latitude hands down in this section of this comparison.

As for ratings, the Dell XPS 15 9500 deserves a nine out of ten in this design section. The Dell Latitude isn’t so bad either, so I’ll rate Dell Latitude 5590 a seven in this Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Processor (CPU) Performance

One common reason Dell fans love the brand is because of the various processor options the manufacturer offers. While the Dell XPS offers four processor options to choose from, the Latitude has only one.

Starting with the least, the Dell Latitude comes powered with an Intel Core i7-8650U quad-core processor. This processor also has an 8 MB cache with base and maximum frequency at 1.90 GHz and 4.20 GHz, respectively.

Next up, I’ll focus on the XPS, which starts with an octa-core Intel Core i5-10300H processor. This processor also has an 8 MB cache with a base and maximum frequency of 2.50 GHz and 4.5 GHz, respectively.

A second processor option of this Dell XPS is a 6-core Intel Core i7-10750H processor with a 12 MB cache. To add to that, this processor has a base frequency of 2.60 GHz while its boost frequency is 5.0 GHz.

If this Core i7 does not do it for you, Dell offers the third option which is also an octa-core Intel Core i7-10875H processor. This processor has a 16 MB cache with a base and maximum frequency of 2.30 GHz and 5.1 GHz, respectively.

The final processor alternative of the Dell XPS is the 8-core Intel Core i9-10885H. This processor has a 16 MB cache that’s accompanied by a base and maximum frequency of 2.40 GHz and 5.3 GHz, respectively.

So now you know all the processors available for both laptops, but can you tell the performance level? To answer that, I will provide processor performance test results derived from Cinebench R20. 

This Cinebench R20 is widely recognized as the CPU test tool that analyzes the performance level of a processor. The results of this test are in numerical values and as such, a higher score means better performance.

Before getting started with the test results, one thing to note is the processor model this review is based on. Since the XPS has four processor options, you should specifically know that our review model features the Intel Core i7-10875H processor.

Moving on, the Dell XPS does well with about 4000 points on the Cinebench R20. The Dell Latitude, however, tried but could not achieve half of that with its 1500 points.

In addition to that, the wide difference in test figures is also evident in real-life performance. Both Dell laptops perform well with text software like MS Word and web browsers like Google Chrome.

In fact, you can comfortably open multiple tabs and programs on both laptops, and they will handle the task well. Asides from the software the laptops can run, 3D rendering and saving on Photoshop are also impressive for those who intend to edit photos.

To give you some ideas about the real-life performance of these laptops, I will share some examples.

The processor of the Dell Latitude makes it possible to render a file on Photoshop in about 9 seconds. For the same file, the XPS renders it in about 6 seconds.

Clearly, the XPS does a better job in CPU performance than the Latitude. Even though both laptops can handle similar tasks, they seem to do them at different speeds.

Summarily, it is definitely commendable to have many processor options for the Dell XPS than what the Latitude is offering. Considering that and the processor performance of both laptops, we can say that the Dell XPS is on top.

In terms of ratings – the XPS is worth a nine, while the Latitude deserves a seven in this section of the Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Memory (RAM) Performance

One sure way to better understand the multitasking ability of a laptop is through its memory performance. It would however be out of place to simply kick off with memory performance without providing specifications.

In light of that, both the Dell XPS and Latitude have two DDR4 memory slots. A notable similarity of these slots though is that one is soldered to the motherboard and the other is not.

Consequently, it means only one slot can be easily replaced by you, the end-user. This should not bother you, especially if there are different options to go for.

Speaking of which, similar to what we saw in the processor section, the Dell XPS has memory options to choose from. In more precise terms, you can get the XPS 15 9500 with 8, 16, 32, or 64 GB RAM.

This avails you the opportunity of getting the right amount of RAM that you would actually need. Also, this implies that 64 GB is the maximum memory the Dell XPS can handle.

On a different sphere is the Dell Latitude with just one option which is the 8 GB standard memory. As for maximum memory, this laptop can only handle up to 32 GB.

Just by looking at these numbers side-by-side, it is obvious that the Dell XPS offers more options and even a higher max memory. Nonetheless, the available RAM on the Latitude is still usable and functional for its target audience.

Now that we’ve properly established the memory specs and features of these Dell laptops, let’s talk about performance.

Contrary to the test tool used in the processor section, the PCMark 10 is the most ideal benchmark test tool for analyzing memory performance.

This test tool carries out a series of productivity work tests on the laptop’s memory just to see how much it can handle. The test results are in figures and as expected, the higher the score, the better the performance.

Since the Dell XPS has more than one memory option, it is important I clarify that our comparison review unit comes with 16 GB RAM.

Without further ado, the XPS achieved a score of about 9800 points, while the Latitude did well for itself with about 6000 points. Even though the Dell XPS did better, these test scores are above the 5800 average productivity score.

Also, this connotes that both laptops are capable of handling office tasks. However, to further prove that point, it would interest you to know how these laptops perform in real-life tasks.

Fortunately, both laptops stay true to their target audience with their multitasking abilities. You can comfortably open multiple web tabs while video streaming and editing some text documents.

Both the Dell XPS and Latitude can handle all these simultaneously without lagging. Considering all the facts from memory options, benchmark tests, and real-life test performance, it is fair to say that the Dell XPS 15 9500 wins this round.

To best describe their respective performances, the Dell XPS deserves a nine in this memory comparison section. For the Latitude, it is best rated an eight in this Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Storage Options and Performance

So far, we’ve seen quite a number of differences between the XPS and Latitude, and the storage aspect is no different. To get right to it, the XPS features four PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage slots.

Each of these slots comes with 500 GB storage which amounts to a total of 2 TB maximum storage size for the XPS. The Latitude, on the other hand, takes a slightly different turn.

On purchasing the Dell Latitude, you have two options. You can get this laptop with a 500 GB HDD onboard storage and an empty SSD slot beside it.

Alternatively, you can get this laptop with a 256 GB SSD onboard storage and an empty HDD slot also beside it. The empty slots are made available so you can include additional storage to meet your needs.

Speaking of which, the Latitude does not have 2 TB maximum storage like the XPS. Its maximum storage for both the HDD and SSD variants is 1 TB.

In addition to that, both laptops have full-sized SD card slots. Having this slot makes it possible to easily transfer files from a digital camera to the laptop.

Furthermore, some may consider having an SD card for additional storage.

Back to storage options, it is good to have both the SSD and HDD storage on one laptop, like that of the Dell Latitude. However, why combine both a slow and fast storage drive operating at the same time?

If you did not understand that, I will clarify. You see, the HDD drive is quite slow compared to the SSD when it comes to transferring, storing, and even opening files.

To make it even clearer, the average speed of an HDD storage drive is 80MB per second to 160MB per second. Now compare that with the SSD drive, which has an average transfer speed of 200MB per second to 550MB per second.

Think about that for a second, and then imagine yourself having to transfer a 6GB file. You definitely know an SSD drive will do that faster than HDD.

Speaking of transfer speed, we were able to discover the transfer speed of both the Dell XPS 15 9500 and Dell Latitude 5590. By the way, our comparison review unit of the Latitude comes with 256 GB SSD onboard storage.

Moving on, the XPS spends about 10 seconds transferring a 4.97GB file. Comparatively, the Latitude can transfer that same file in about 28 seconds.

Despite the fact that both storage drives are SSD, they still perform differently. This is an indication that the particular SSD drive of the XPS is on a different level as compared to the Latitude.

So as not to conclude on just that test, there is yet another method of analyzing storage performance. Thankfully, benchmark tests are not limited to just processor and memory performance.

Hence, the CrystaDiskMark test is the way to go when it comes to storage tests. This benchmark achieves this by presenting the read and write speed.

Wondering what that means? Well, read speed refers to how long it takes a storage type to open a file.

As for write speed, it measures how long it takes the storage to save a file. Now, you probably understand why this test is important.

As for the results, the XPS has 1617 MB/s as its read speed, while its write speed is about 2054 MB/s. Far below these numbers, the Latitude has a read speed of 503.09MB/s, and its write speed is 392.95MB/s.

Surely, we can say the XPS is taking the lead yet again in this aspect! Not only does the XPS have more storage capacity, but it is also proving to be faster.

Therefore, it is not far-fetched to rate the XPS a nine in this storage section. With a different score, I will rate the Latitude a seven in this section of the Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Graphics Card Performance

Whether or not you engage in graphics-intensive tasks, it is important to know the graphics performance of these Dell products. To immediately get started with graphics performance will be out of place if you do not know the specifications first.

Speaking of that, Dell is fond of providing options in different aspects of their laptops and this is no exception. For both the XPS and Latitude, you get to choose between the two main types of graphics cards – integrated and dedicated graphics.

Do those two terms seem strange? Not to worry, I will explain what they mean.

In plain terms, an integrated graphics card does not have its own RAM (called Video RAM or VRAM). As a result, it performs graphics tasks by sharing the system’s memory with the CPU.

Contrary to this, a dedicated graphics card has its own VRAM. This VRAM is capable of handling graphics tasks which means it does not share the system’s memory with the CPU.

With that understanding, it is evident that a dedicated graphics card is more powerful than an integrated one.

Having clarified that, it’s time to move on to the specific graphics card on both the XPS and Latitude. For the XPS 15 9500, you can get this laptop with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics card.

Furthermore, this GPU has a base and boost frequency of 350 MHz and 1250 MHz, respectively. Alternatively, there is the more powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti dedicated graphics card.

As expected for a dedicated GPU, this graphics card has a VRAM of 4 GB GDDR6. In the aspect of frequency, this GPU has a 1350 MHz base frequency with a boost frequency of 1485 MHz.

Switching over to the Dell Latitude 5590, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 is the integrated GPU you can opt for with this laptop. Similar to the XPS, this GPU has 300 MHz and 1150 MHz as its base and boost frequency.

For the dedicated GPU option, Dell offers the NVIDIA GeForce MX130. The VRAM of this GPU is 2 GB GDDR5.

Also, its base frequency is at 1109 MHz while its boosts frequency is at 1189 MHz.

Out of all these GPU options, our base model of both laptops features dedicated GPUs.

As regards GPU performance, benchmark test tools are a more accurate way to determine that. A commonly used benchmark for this is the 3DMark 11.

This 3DMark analyzes graphics performance on a computer by running graphics-intensive tasks such as 3D rendering and gaming. Like the previous benchmark test results in previous sections, a higher test score is ideal.

In this test, we discovered that the Dell XPS scored about 9800 points. Comparatively, such a figure is no match for the Dell Latitude, which scored about 2500 points.

As relevant as benchmark test tools are, it is also helpful to know the real-life performance of these GPUs. To do that, I will provide the gaming performance of both laptops measured in FPS (frame per second).

Specifically, Dota 2 is a playable game on the Dell XPS and Latitude. You would be getting around 34 fps on the XPS and 31 fps on the Latitude at medium settings.

With such frames per second, gaming will not be anything remarkable, but it sure will play. Another game that will likely interest you is GTA V which is playable on both laptops.

Actually, this game should perform around 30 fps on medium settings on the Latitude. For the XPS, however, it performs better at around 90 fps.

Summarily, you are sure to get a better gaming experience with the Dell XPS as compared to the Dell Latitude. However, we sincerely cannot fault either laptop for its overall graphics performance.

Both laptops performed well, considering the fact that they are business-focused laptops. Nevertheless, you pretty much have an idea of how both laptops will likely perform if you decide to play some games in your spare time.

Considering the benchmark test scores and gaming performance, we can say the Dell XPS is way ahead. Based on that, I will rate the Dell XPS 15 9500 a nine in this section of the comparison.

For the Dell Latitude 5590, I will rate it a seven in this GPU section of the Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Dell XPS vs Latitude: Battery Life and Performance

The power consumption level of a laptop is definitely one purchasing decision no one wants to play with. Fortunately, Dell understands this quite well, and yet again, they offer multiple battery options to choose from on both laptops.

Specifically, you can get the Dell XPS with either a 56Whr or 86Whr battery. Switching to the Latitude, there are more battery options.

You can get this laptop with a 42Whr or 51Whr, or even a 68Whr. Considering the fact that there are many battery options, you should not expect them all to sell at the same price.

In plain terms, the 68Whr battery will definitely be more expensive than the 42Whr battery. Furthermore, it is expected that a larger battery size will very likely have more battery life.

To really prove that point, let’s talk about the battery life of both the XPS and Latitude. Just before that, it is worth noting that our comparison review units both have the largest battery size.

This means that our comparison review unit of the Dell XPS features an 86 Whr battery. On the other hand, our Dell Latitude review model features a 68 Whr battery.

With that clarified, the Dell XPS is one laptop that can last you a whole day. To be specific, this laptop should last about 15 hours on continuous web browsing with screen brightness at 50%.

In comparison to the Latitude, this is not so bad. Specifically, the Dell Latitude should last you about 10 hours also on continuous web browsing and 50% screen brightness.

Asides from web browsing, you may want to watch some of your favorite movies on this laptop. In that aspect, we were also able to find out just how long these laptops can stay alive while streaming videos.

On that note, the Dell Latitude should last about 8 hours if you solely decide to watch videos till the laptop dies. Predictably, the Dell XPS beats that with its battery life spanning about 10-11 hours also for video playback.

In a word, the Dell XPS has secured a solid spot as the winner of this section. However, let’s not forget the fact that both laptops have different battery sizes and, as such, will not have the same battery life.

Nonetheless, a rating of nine best suits the battery performance of the Dell XPS. For the Latitude, we believe it is worth an eight in this section.

This means that both laptops score nine and eight, respectively, in this Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison.

Our Rating Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

On a final note, the Dell XPS appears to be above the Dell Latitude’s league. Despite this fact, in some aspects like battery and memory, the Dell Latitude tried to measure up, but it still could not.

However, either laptop can work for you based on your needs. That said, if you need a laptop with more configuration options, a sleek design, and very reliable performance – the Dell XPS is the right pick.

The Dell Latitude, on the other hand, may be considered if you need a laptop that can handle minimal tasks. Furthermore, this Dell Latitude is a good pick for someone on a budget.

I hope you found this Dell XPS vs Latitude comparison helpful. If you found the comparison helpful, we would love to hear from you.

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