Dell XPS 15 vs. XPS 17: Excessive-performance siblings duke it out

You’d be forgiven for mistaking the Dell XPS 17 for handiest a slightly bigger XPS 15. Each are magnificent laptops that boast some valorous performance claims. Nonetheless, there’s more going on between the two than meets the witness.

Exquisite how huge of a distinction is there between the XPS 15 and the XPS 17? Here’s the entirety or no longer it is a must to know about these two immense laptops, and which it’s most likely you’ll maybe perchance well perchance capture.

Variety and size

There aren’t any vital impact choices that distinguish the Dell XPS 17 from its smaller sibling. The XPS 15 used to be redesigned in 2020, and launched alongside the XPS 17, which is the important thing of its kind. The XPS 17 makes employ of the particular identical keyboard and magnificent touchpad, and it also borrows the identical offers for each the palm rests and lid.

The size, even though, is where these two laptops go. There are 1.4 inches of diagonal distinction in hide hide size between the two, which technique the XPS 17 is the better and heavier option.

Most noticeably, the XPS 15 weighs 4.5 pounds, which is a fleshy pound lighter than the XPS 17. It is most likely you’ll maybe perchance well feel the distinction, significantly when lugging it around to your backpack, or even resting it to your lap. That applies to the scale of these devices, as nicely. The XPS 15 is 8% thinner at 0.71 inches thick. The final footprint will be 8% better.

In case you go for the non-contact fashions, each XPS laptops are lighter (beginning at 4.0 or 4.7 pounds, respectively), even though it’s the identical percentage distinction.

Ports

There are two valuable differences between the XPS 15 and XPS 17. First, the XPS 15 offers stunning three USB ports, where the XPS 17 has four. Bigger than that, all four of the XPS 17’s four USB-C ports also pork up Thunderbolt 3.

Thunderbolt 3 technique faster info transfer speeds, 4K point to output at 60Hz, charging, and the skill to vitality external graphics cards. Four Thunderbolt 3 ports fits what Apple offers in its MacBook Pro 16-ride.

Each devices also embody a headphone jack and a fleshy-size SD card slot.

Repeat

The purpose to choices between the XPS 15 and XPS 17 are the same. They each employ a 16: 10 facet ratio and comprise two dedication choices: 1,920 x 1,200 and 3,840 x 2,400. The lower dedication is frail within the general nefarious fashions, while the upper dedication panel is an option.

They’re diversified panels, even though, with a piece of tweaked calibration. In my checking out of every high-dedication fashions, I discovered the XPS 17’s hide hide to be about 50 nits brighter, besides to 43% more color simply, with a piece of greater dissimilarity. Each of these high-dedication screens feature about a of the widest color gamuts I’ve ever examined, along with obscene sharpness of the pixel density.

I didn’t test the lower dedication fashions, however Dell tends to make employ of a lower-quality hide hide on its nefarious fashions.

Performance

Eventually, the explanation for the existence of the XPS 17 is extra performance. It’s more than stunning a slightly better model of the XPS 15, largely on account of its more powerful GPU choices. It is most likely you’ll maybe perchance well configure the XPS 17 up to an Nvidia RTX 2060, whereas the XPS 15 is caught at an Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti.

It’s 35% faster in 3DMark’s Time Behold benchmark, which ends in a great deal greater body charges in celebrated 3D video games. The XPS 17 could well perchance well play video games enjoy Fortnite at 82 frames per second at Myth settings (in 1080p), 27% faster than the XPS 15. Even a no longer easy game enjoy Assassin’s Creed Odyssey used to be playable at 41 frames per second with settings at Ultra Excessive. It a uneven abilities at those settings on the XPS 15, rendering at below 30 frames per second.

It also makes a sizable distinction in squawk material creation. As an instance, rendering video in an application enjoy Adobe Premiere Pro can tax the GPU more carefully. The XPS 17 used to be 34% faster at rendering the particular identical test mission, which makes a vital distinction when working on magnificent video projects.

Each laptops provide processor choices that differ from the Intel Core i5-10500H up to the eight-core Core i7-10875H. A Core i9 mannequin will be within the works, however it absolutely isn’t but available for capture.

The memory and storage choices are also diversified. At the moment, the XPS 17 supports up to 64GB of RAM, while the XPS 15 is capped at 32GB. Equally, the XPS 17 could well perchance well very nicely be configured with up to a 2TB SSD, and the XPS 15 is caught at 1TB.

Battery lifestyles

The better hide hide and improved performance of the XPS 17 does advance with one compromise: Battery lifestyles. Each devices comprise the identical size battery choices (86 watt-hour battery). Neither high-dedication devices will final a fleshy workday on a single fee, however the XPS 15 lasts around 45 minutes longer in most conditions.

That is, pointless to sing, for the high-dedication fashions that I examined. The 1,920 x 1,200 fashions have to final at least a further hour or two on a single fee, even though I haven’t examined them but to substantiate those numbers. Either technique, the smaller hide hide helps the XPS 15 receive more juice out of its battery.

Conclusion

For loads of folks, the XPS 15 will provide more than ample performance. That’s significantly appropriate whenever you’ll essentially be working with more CPU-dependent applications.

In case you aren’t gunning for the tip-stage XPS 17 with the Nvidia RTX 2060, it’s the next value to dash along with the XPS 15. Reckoning on the configuration, the XPS 17 sells for $200 to $300 more than the XPS 15 with similar hardware, and in our exams, the better XPS 17’s chassis doesn’t provide a performance comprise.

The XPS 17 is exclusively whenever it’s most likely you’ll maybe perchance perchance like improved GPU vitality. In case you’re in a space to fall $3,000 on the RTX 2060-powered mannequin, you’ll perceive a gigantic performance originate bigger that makes the 17-incher supreme for skilled video enhancing or 3D modeling.