Careful, the Dell XPS 15 9500 AC adapter can get really hot at up to 60 C or 140 F

We're currently in the midst of reviewing the XPS 15 9500 with our full review coming soon. In the meantime, however, we want to bring attention to its compact 90 W AC adapter that ships with the base configuration. When the system is under high loads for long periods, the adapter can reach uncomfortably high surface temperatures of 60 C as shown by our temperature map above.

Of course, warm AC adapters are not uncommon, but 60 C is warmer than almost every AC adapter we've seen thus far (the Razer Blade 15 AC adapter is the notable exception at 65+ C). Even the 130 W AC adapter that ships with the XPS 15 7590 Core i9 approaches "just" 50 C when under similar load conditions.

We suspect that the high temperature can be partly attributed to the small size of the AC adapter. At just ~13 x 6.5 x 2.3 cm, the Dell adapter is smaller than most others including last year's 130 W version that shipped with the XPS 15 7590 Core i9. It's a compromise that users will have to make at the moment if they want more portable AC adapters for their Core H-powered laptops.

If you own or are planning to own an XPS 15 9500, then we definitely recommend keeping the AC adapter away from cables and other sensitive items just to be on the safe side.