Dell XPS 16 review: The latest Dell XPS 16 9640 is the latest and largest XPS laptop that Dell makes. TL;DR, this laptop is worthy of the “eXtreme Performance System” or XPS badge. But before you make a buying decision, here’s a five-pointer so you know what you’re getting for the “eXtreme” asking price, which is north of 3.5 lakh rupees.
But before that, here’s a quick look at the Dell XPS 16 spec sheet to give you an idea of what it packs on paper.
Dell XPS 16: Specifications
| Specifications | Dell XPS 16 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Ultra 7 155H (16-core) Intel Ultra 9 185H (16-core) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX4060 laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6 |
| Display | 16.3-inch 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED touchscreen 400nits brightness, Dolby Vision |
| Memory | 32GB LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4 SSD |
| Keyboard | 0.3mm key travel with touch control row |
| Webcam | 1080p IR webcam with Windows Hello and AI auto-framing, eye contact features |
| Connectivity | WiFi 7 ready, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| I/O | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) 1x microSD card reader 1x USB-C to USB-A converter |
| Audio | 10W quad speakers |
| Battery | 99.5 Watt-hr |
| Power Adapter | 130-watt USB-C AC adapter |
| Dimensions and weight | 18.7 x 358.1 x 240 mm Starting from 2.20kg |
| Colours | Platinum |
Dell XPS 16 review: Design
As promised, this will be a short and quick review. The XPS 16 has a clean design inside out. The keyboard looks slick, there’s no way to tell the trackpad’s location unless you touch that section, and the touch function row has a satisfying feel.
There’s no USB-A port or HDMI port, but Dell gives a USB-C to USB-A converter to fit your pen drives. Moreover, there’s a microSD card reader, but no slot for a proper SD card that many professionals use. This clean design is also affected by the weight of this thing. It is over 2 KG heavy, and if you decide to carry it in a backpack, you’ll feel the weight.
Dell XPS 16 review: Display
The Dell XPS 16 display has its merits and limitations. Here are 3 good things, and 2 things that could be better on this laptop’s screen.
- You’ll love the 16.3-inch OLED 4K touchscreen panel. It has punchy colours, yet enough depth to make it look lively and not overly sharp.
- It has razor-thin bezels, and the immersive screen ensures you don’t notice them.
- The screen has a 120hz refresh rate with a snappy response time, so gaming and social media browsing are good to go.
- No complaints in the speaker department. These are loud, clear, punchy speakers that sound good for a laptop. Of course, there’s a clear lack of bass, but nothing that’ll hamper your binge-watching experience.
- The screen could’ve been dimmer. If you’re using it in a low-lit room or late at night, then the screen might be a little be too bright.
Keyboard and trackpad
As I mentioned in the design, the keyboard is one of the best-looking parts on the Dell XPS 16. So here’s a 4-pointer with 3 good points, and 1 thing that could be better with this keyboard combo:
- This is one of the prettiest-looking keyboards I’ve seen. The clean lines, the touch controls, and the neat white light, all make it look as professional as it gets.
- It has a 0.3mm key travel with a completely flat keyboard. Once you get used to it, the form serves a function, and you can type blazing fast without lifting your fingers by gliding over the keyboard.
- Dell has given this laptop a large glass trackpad, which is fairly snappy, responsive, and useful.
- I think the touch panel is a weak spot on the keyboard. There can be accidental taps, and the presence of a touch panel slows down the user’s approach sometimes, but again, get used to it and you’re good to go.
Dell XPS 16 review: Performance
Well, I mentioned that it proudly wears the “eXtreme Performance Series” badge. And here’s why this matters so much, in 5 points:
- The boot speed is blazing fast, and you have Windows Hello facial recognition and fingerprint sensor options to log in.
- With multiple Chrome tabs, MS Office workflows, music playing, and benchmarks running side-by-side, the XPS 16 doesn’t even break a sweat.
- This is an ideal machine for advanced video editors as the Ultra 9 chip, paired with RTX4060 give it a lot of horsepower.
- Casual gamers can also consider this laptop, but the XPS 16 is not designed for gaming, so the 4060 will reach its limit sooner than you finish a couple of rounds in Forza.
- Lastly, the Ultra 9 chip is overkill for casual office work, just the right chip for video editors, but underpowered for heavy gamers.
Dell XPS 16 review: Battery and charging
Here are some quick points on the Dell XPS 16 battery and then we’ll wrap up this review with a conclusion:
- The 99.5 W/hr battery gives roughly 7-8 hours of battery backup to the XPS 16.
- This massive cell also has 130-watt USB-C fast charging, Which can juice up the laptop in around 1.5 hours.
- At maxed-out settings, you’ll get roughly 6 hours of battery, which is a solid backup.
Dell XPS 16 review: Verdict
Let me let go of the bullet points and put this in a TL;DR manner. The Dell XPS 16 is a powerful laptop for creators, video editors, and casual gamers. The form factor gives you a large screen, a large battery, and a generous keyboard and keyboard combination. The Intel Ultra series chips, along with generous RAM and storage options make this AI-ready and future-proof.
However, even the highest-spec variant gets only the RTX4060, which is a letdown if you want a capable daily driver that can easily handle triple-A titles. That said, the Dell XPS 16 9640 isn’t for hardcore gamers anyway, so if you have 3.5 lakh rupees, and want a clean, minimal, powerful laptop, the XPS 16 sits right in the sweet spot.
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