Dell XPS 13 (2024) With Lunar Lake Evaluate: Extremely Gentle and Further

There are lots of of the identical points with Dell’s different XPS merchandise, such because the XPS 14 and XPS 16. It doesn’t change with a brand new chip. Nonetheless, I’ve needed to offer the XPS 13 a strive since Intel first introduced its Lunar Lake chips and see what it meant for ultra-thin laptops like this one. My model of the XPS 13 comes with the Intel Core Extremely 7 256V and a non-touch LCD. Dell stated you get one among these laptops with an Intel Core Extremely 9 288V, which appears like it could be one hell of an attention-grabbing machine, however you received’t discover that config accessible on Dell’s website or wherever else.

There are different variations of the XPS 13 with Extremely 7 258V, and similar to I stated with the Asus Zenbook S 14, I might search for the higher-end chip first regardless of the value distinction. The 256V does properly sufficient for fundamental productiveness duties, however when shopping for a brand new laptop computer for something that requires a bit extra juice, I promise it is going to be value it. Now that the M4 MacBooks are out, we’ve got a brand new, excessive bar for CPU efficiency throughout laptop computer chips, so I’d argue it is best to strive to ensure your subsequent laptop computer is as future-proof as attainable.

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Ought to that new laptop computer be the $1,400 MSRP XPS 13 (9350)? It has a good show, and it certain appears to be like distinctive. The battery life is unimaginable, as long as you’re not doing something strenuous. It’s additionally an extremely gentle laptop computer with such a easy, modern end you’re dealing with a stone slate greater than a pc. On the similar time, it’s too perfunctory for its personal good, particularly at this worth level.

Dell XPS 13 Evaluate: Efficiency

My XPS 13 got here with the Intel Core Extremely 7 256V CPU, which is on the decrease finish of the middle-weight Lunar Lake chips. The laptop computer packs 16 GB of DDR5x RAM and 512 GB of storage. All that’s to say, that is the lower-end rendition of the XPS 13 you will get, and its efficiency might not match your expectations for what you might have heard about Lunar Lake.

That’s to not say it is best to ignore this model altogether. Should you go for this config for fundamental productiveness, it’s an extremely speedy machine in such a skinny package deal. In Geekbench 6, the Core Extremely 7 256V will rating higher than the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus in single-core settings however path barely behind multi-core. It additionally received’t beat AMD’s newest Strix Level processors just like the Ryzen 9 HX AI 370, which yow will discover in PCs just like the Asus TUF Gaming A14.

It’s a worse performer within the Cinebench rendering take a look at, which I discovered nonetheless underperformed in multi-core settings by near 300 factors in comparison with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or the Ryzen 9 HX AI 370. I’m nonetheless on the lookout for that fabled laptop computer that can comprise the Intel Core Extremely 9 288V, not to mention extra with the marginally higher-performance Lunar Lake chips than simply the 258V.

After all, any PC with a devoted GPU will likely be much better for graphics exams like 3D Mark. The Dell XPS 14 with simply an Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050 can topple something that Intel’s onboard ARC graphics can strive. I’m nonetheless disillusioned primarily by the gradual occasions on our Blender exams, the place we time how lengthy it takes for the PC to render a single picture of a BMW underneath CPU and GPU settings.

Dell XPS 13 Evaluate: Construct High quality and Usability

As any individual who makes use of quite a lot of laptops repeatedly, I find yourself typing with a number of totally different keyboards repeatedly all through my workday. On condition that, I ought to have expertise with the newfangled XPS design due to my time with the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops. Then I returned to it with the XPS 13 and its flat panel, no-space keyboard, and invisible trackpad, and it nonetheless in some way made me really feel like a fish out of water.

I may develop to love it if I spent ages with it and obtained so used to the space-less keyboard that I might wrestle to get the identical really feel on different keyboards. Why would I, although, when the expertise is worse than different laptops?

Worse nonetheless is the contact operate row, which merely disappears when the PC is turned off. Worse, with this eggshell colour, the light-up contact keys disappear like ghosts in direct daylight. The sunshine-up keys might turn into an accessibility nightmare for anyone with imaginative and prescient points.

All that’s such a disgrace as a result of I might in any other case get pleasure from utilizing the XPS 13. This factor is gentle at solely 2.6 kilos. For comparability, an M3 MacBook Air weighs 2.7 kilos. It’s just some grams lighter than an Asus Zenbook S 14. Past the burden, it’s packing WiFi 7 and a vibrant show for indoor and out of doors use. Nevertheless, there’s no downside worse than routinely hitting the improper key while you’re typing, simply because you may’t really feel out the place your fingers are except you’re trying on the keyboard.

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Dell XPS 13 Evaluate: Display screen, Webcam, and Sound

This 13-inch laptop computer has a good display, an okay webcam, and mediocre sound high quality. The 13.4-inch LCD runs at a 1920 by 1200 decision with a VSS between 30 and 120 Hz. No, it’s not as inky and fairly as OLED, which you’ll get on prettier configs than the 9350, however on the very least, it’s vibrant.

The 1080p webcam appears to be like truthful underneath vibrant gentle, however issues begin to look fuzzy as quickly as any dim fluorescent gentle illuminates you. With out house for bodily audio system, there’s solely a lot you may count on from the sound on a skinny laptop computer. The XPS is nice sufficient for listening to it by your self, however it has a skinny high quality that’s instantly obvious when you swap off from any 14-inch laptop computer to this 13-inch one. It may get reasonably loud, on the very least.

Dell XPS 13 Evaluate: Battery Life

The Dell XPS 13’s battery life is likely to be its greatest promoting level. When Dell and Intel first introduced this config at IFA, it was a part of the corporate’s declare that you’d get near 24 hours of battery life from an x86 chip. That’s an enormous promise, and we already knew it was solely examined in video playback.

In our personal video playback exams, the place we ran down the battery watching a 24-hour YouTube video, the laptop computer conked out after 23 hours. That’s excellent and the form of battery you’d need from such a light-weight, fanless design.

As for each day use, it’s additionally a really sturdy contender. A whole workday of typing on it, with out plugging it into any exterior displays, resulted in me nonetheless having round 40% battery left over. I forgot to cost it and will nonetheless go half a workday with out reaching for the plug. The battery drained far sooner when supporting multiple monitor, as anticipated. It’s a greater end result than I had with the Asus Zenbook with the identical chip, so Dell nonetheless has a fantastic inside design to depend on, even when I don’t jive with the outside.

Dell XPS 13 Evaluate: Verdict

The Dell XPS 13 (9350) looks like a laptop computer that prices, at most, $1,100, which is the place it at present stands on sale earlier than the tip of November. I do know I’ve already stated this design is just not my jam, however even at a lower cost, I might hesitate to achieve for this over one thing extra customary. It’s simply one of many lightest, most well-balanced laptops I’ve used. It hangs out in my backpack and barely places any extra weight on my shoulders than the hoard of paperback books I have a tendency to hold round.

Plus, it has a superb battery life that provides to its longevity and retains me from bringing a charging brick in all places I’m going. The charging unit that comes with the XPS 13 is already comparatively small and light-weight, in order that’s a plus. When put like that, there’s a lot I wish to like about this laptop computer, although maybe not with this configuration. Then once more, the subsequent step up, with the 258V, 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, and an LCD, prices $1,700 MSRP (at present $1,500 on sale). The OLED touchscreen model is much more dear. Even on sale, I can’t think about shopping for a super-thin laptop computer for that worth when there are different machines you will get.

It’s a superbly usable laptop computer and maybe one you may start to like. However I’m a curmudgeon, and I don’t prefer it once I faucet a key and by accident faucet two. Maybe I ought to blame myself for my imprecise digits. As a substitute, nevertheless, I’ll blame the laptop computer.

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