Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U Laptop Review: Faster Than The Core i5 XPS 15
Hexa-core power. After an impressive showing with the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1, the original XPS 13 clamshell deserves some love, too. Dell is putting the XPS 13 back in the spotlight with the Intel Comet Lake-U Core i7-10710U to be one of the first subnotebooks shipping with a full-fledged hexa-core ULV CPU.

After a short delay, the Dell XPS 13 7390 clamshell with Intel's latest 10th gen Core i7-10710U processor has finally begun shipping. Dell was first out of the gate with an Intel Core i7 Ice Lake offering earlier last month and now it is first again with with Intel's Core i7 Comet Lake-U CPU. This particular processor is notable for being the first hexa-core CPU in the 15 W Core U series whereas all previous Core U CPUs had a maximum of just two or four physical cores.
Other than the CPU swap, the chassis here remains identical to the XPS 13 models that have come before it. The change in model name (7390 vs. 9390) was also announced earlier this year as detailed here. We therefore recommend checking out our existing reviews on the XPS 13 9380 and XPS 13 9370 to learn more about the keyboard, display, ports, and other physical features of the XPS 13. This review will instead focus on the new Core i7-10710U and how much of a performance boost users can expect.
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Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
87% | 11/2019 | Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U i7-10710U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.2 kg | 11.6 mm | 13.3" | 3840x2160 | |
87% | 05/2019 | Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN 8565U, GeForce MX150 | 1.1 kg | 12.9 mm | 13.9" | 1920x1080 | |
83% | 11/2019 | Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ 3500U, Vega 8 | 1.5 kg | 18 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 | |
84% | 06/2019 | Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR-81H9000VGE 2700U, Vega 10 | 1.7 kg | 17.6 mm | 14" | 1920x1080 | |
88% | 02/2019 | Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K 8565U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.2 kg | 11.6 mm | 13.3" | 3840x2160 |
Case
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SD Card Reader
SDCardreader Transfer Speed | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) |
Communication
Networking | |
iperf3 Client (receive) TCP 1 m 4M x10 | |
Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 i5-8250U | |
iperf3 Client (transmit) TCP 1 m 4M x10 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 i5-8250U | |
Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 |
Display
Dell has equipped our Comet Lake-U unit with the same 4K UHD AU Optronics B133ZAN IPS panel as found on the XPS 13 9380 series. Thus, innate characteristics like color coverage, response times, and contrast ratios are almost the same between them.
Uneven backlight bleeding, however, is slightly worse this time around. Our picture shows moderate bleeding from the corners of the screen that becomes noticeable when viewing videos with black borders.
Maximum brightness drops to about 300 nits from 400 nits when disconnected from an outlet. Unlike on most other laptops, this power-saving behavior can only be toggled via the XPS 13 BIOS.
|
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 311.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 1047:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.6 | 0.6-29.43 Ø6, calibrated: 2.03
ΔE Greyscale 7.5 | 0.64-98 Ø6.2
93.5% sRGB (Argyll 3D) 59.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U AU Optronics B133ZAN, Dell P/N: 90NTH, IPS, 13.3, 3840x2160 | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Sharp LQ134N1, IPS, 13.4, 1920x1200 | Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K ID: AUO 282B B133ZAN Dell: 90NTH, IPS, 13.3, 3840x2160 | Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 ID: AUO 282B B133ZAN Dell: 90NTH, IPS, 13.3, 3840x2160 | Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD ID: Sharp SHP148B, Name: LQ133D1, Dell P/N: 8XDHY, IPS, 13.3, 3840x2160 | Dell XPS 13 i5-8250U ID: Sharp SHP144A, Name: LQ133Z1, IGZO IPS, 13.3, 3200x1800 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Response Times | 11% | -20% | -10% | -33% | 28% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 51.6 (26.4, 25.2) | 47.6 (23.2, 24.4) 8% | 64.8 (31.6, 33.2) -26% | 58 (26, 32) -12% | 69.6 (32.4, 37.2) -35% | 29 (19, 10) 44% |
Response Time Black / White * | 33.6 (17.2, 16.4) | 29.2 (16, 13.2) 13% | 38 (19.2, 18.8) -13% | 36 (20, 16) -7% | 44 (24.4, 19.6) -31% | 30 (18, 12) 11% |
PWM Frequency | 2500 (25) | 3759 (20) | 19500 (100) | |||
Screen | 30% | 21% | 9% | 18% | 1% | |
Brightness middle | 408.2 | 549.8 35% | 428.3 5% | 404 -1% | 478.5 17% | 361 -12% |
Brightness | 399 | 520 30% | 414 4% | 389 -3% | 466 17% | 303 -24% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 86 -3% | 88 -1% | 85 -4% | 86 -3% | 72 -19% |
Black Level * | 0.39 | 0.39 -0% | 0.27 31% | 0.37 5% | 0.43 -10% | 0.33 15% |
Contrast | 1047 | 1410 35% | 1586 51% | 1092 4% | 1113 6% | 1094 4% |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 4.6 | 2.12 54% | 2.69 42% | 3.72 19% | 3.09 33% | 5.26 -14% |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 11.84 | 3.66 69% | 6.19 48% | 7.38 38% | 5.94 50% | 7.79 34% |
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 2.03 | 1.37 33% | 2.01 1% | 2.06 -1% | 2.06 -1% | |
Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 7.5 | 2.6 65% | 3.7 51% | 4.44 41% | 2.4 68% | 5.69 24% |
Gamma | 2.12 104% | 2.3 96% | 2.1 105% | 2.34 94% | 2.063 107% | 1.63 135% |
CCT | 7966 82% | 6884 94% | 6706 97% | 7095 92% | 6883 94% | 6499 100% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 59.5 | 65.4 10% | 60.4 2% | 60 1% | 69.47 17% | 59 -1% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 93.5 | 99.7 7% | 93.5 0% | 93 -1% | 98.36 5% | 92 -2% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 21% /
27% | 1% /
15% | -1% /
6% | -8% /
10% | 15% /
5% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
33.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17.2 ms rise | |
↘ 16.4 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 87 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (24.8 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
51.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 26.4 ms rise | |
↘ 25.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.9 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (39.4 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 51 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 9338 (minimum: 43 - maximum: 142900) Hz was measured. |
Performance
Much like the jump from dual-core Kaby Lake to quad-core Kaby Lake-R, the hexa-core Comet Lake-U adds two more physical cores for a total of 12 threads under the same 15 W to 25 W power envelope. Intel has even managed to up the single-core Turbo Boost frequency every-so-slightly from 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-8565U to 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-10710U. Note that only the Core i7 SKU is hexa-core as the lesser Core i5-10210U Comet Lake-U option is quad-core.
As expected, the XPS 13 still suffers from DPC latency issues just like many of its older siblings.
Processor
CPU performance is impressive at first glance because of the very fast but short-lived multi-core Turbo Boost potential of the hexa-core CPU. As illustrated by our graph below, running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop results in high initial scores before performance eventually falters over time in order to keep thermals in check. While this behavior is normal for ULV CPUs, the extent to which this occurs is more extreme on the hexa-core XPS 13 7390. The highest and lowest scores recorded on our hexa-core unit, for example, came out to be 1062 points and 689 points, respectively, compared to 637 points and 581 points on the older XPS 13 9370 with the Core i7-8550U CPU. This means that the hexa-core XPS 13 7390 is at its best when short bursts of high CPU performance is desired.
See our dedicated pages on the Core i7-10710U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell Precision 7530 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (2.07 - 2.18, n=2) | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Dell Precision 7530 | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (11.8 - 12.3, n=2) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 |
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Single 32Bit | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell Precision 7530 | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (6599 - 7345, n=2) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ | |
Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR-81H9000VGE | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | |
Dell Precision 7530 | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (31463 - 31824, n=2) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR-81H9000VGE | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 |
wPrime 2.0x - 1024m | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U |
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - --- | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (8 - 10451, n=7) | |
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD | |
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 |
Cinebench R20 | |
CPU (Single Core) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (460 - 460, n=2) | |
Dell G3 3590 | |
Dell G7 7590 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR-81H9000VGE | |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 | |
CPU (Multi Core) | |
Dell G7 7590 | |
Average Intel Core i7-10710U (2410 - 2598, n=2) | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Dell G3 3590 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T590-20N4002VGE | |
Lenovo Yoga 530-14ARR-81H9000VGE | |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 | |
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark benchmarks rank our Comet Lake-U-powered XPS 13 7390 behind the Ice Lake-U-powered XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 despite the faster CPU performance of the former. It's likely that the significantly more powerful Iris Plus GPU of the Core i7-1065G7 was enough to propel the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 over its clamshell sibling.
We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the unit. We recommend users become familiar with the Dell Power Manager app as key functions like power profiles, performance level, and battery health can all be accessed here.
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3442 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4578 points | |
Help |
Storage Devices
Dell sources their SSDs from multiple suppliers for all their laptops. We've personally tested XPS 13 units equipped with Samsung, Toshiba, or SK Hynix and so it's a safe bet that your next XPS purchase will house one of these three manufacturers. Our XPS 13 7390 uses the newer SK Hynix PC601 SSD in contrast to the SK Hynix PC401 on last year's XPS 13 9380.
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U SK Hynix PC601 NVMe 512 GB | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ512G | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ256G | Dell XPS 13 9380 i7 4K Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ | Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AS SSD | -54% | -69% | 44% | -29% | -23% | |
Copy Game MB/s | 1210.98 | 926.53 -23% | 496.06 -59% | 1147.63 -5% | 617.61 -49% | 503.34 -58% |
Copy Program MB/s | 534.87 | 560.31 5% | 298.44 -44% | 503.31 -6% | 287.93 -46% | 570.18 7% |
Copy ISO MB/s | 1515.14 | 1292.6 -15% | 676.58 -55% | 1294.49 -15% | 893.32 -41% | 584.6 -61% |
Score Total | 2608 | 2583 -1% | 3180 22% | 4526 74% | 1479 -43% | 1911 -27% |
Score Write | 947 | 388 -59% | 368 -61% | 2379 151% | 471 -50% | 596 -37% |
Score Read | 1119 | 1472 32% | 1877 68% | 1430 28% | 704 -37% | 926 -17% |
Access Time Write * | 0.095 | 0.625 -558% | 0.722 -660% | 0.029 69% | 0.051 46% | 0.055 42% |
Access Time Read * | 0.044 | 0.069 -57% | 0.099 -125% | 0.036 18% | 0.061 -39% | 0.059 -34% |
4K-64 Write | 731.77 | 208.96 -71% | 198.87 -73% | 2104.54 188% | 300.07 -59% | 444.78 -39% |
4K-64 Read | 893.39 | 1252.59 40% | 1683.87 88% | 1178.92 32% | 460.96 -48% | 678.32 -24% |
4K Write | 115.01 | 67.02 -42% | 59.05 -49% | 127.4 11% | 105.65 -8% | 107.45 -7% |
4K Read | 45.1 | 39.7 -12% | 37.52 -17% | 53.26 18% | 39.74 -12% | 29.36 -35% |
Seq Write | 1000.27 | 1125.2 12% | 1102.81 10% | 1473.18 47% | 657.79 -34% | 435.82 -56% |
Seq Read | 1804.31 | 1801.35 0% | 1557.63 -14% | 1981.01 10% | 2034.83 13% | 2204.54 22% |
* ... smaller is better
GPU Performance
The integrated UHD Graphics 620 has not changed from the previous generation. While Fire Strike and Time Spy Graphics scores are each 19 percent higher than the average UHD Graphics 620 in our database, that's not really saying much since this particular GPU is years old. You'll have to opt for an Ultrabook with the Core i7-1065G7, Ryzen 7 3700U, or GeForce MX150/MX250 if you want more GPU horsepower.
3DMark 06 Standard | 14158 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 2228 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 62104 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 9916 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1237 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 491 points | |
Help |
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1280x720 Lowest Preset | |
Dell G3 3590 | |
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro i7 | |
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 | |
Razer Blade Stealth i7-1065G7 Iris Plus | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (12 - 21.7, n=6) | |
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U |