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Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 Review: Now Even More Like a MacBook Pro

A breath of fresh air. This is the biggest XPS 15 refresh since 2016, but is it everything XPS fans have wanted? Of course not — die-hard fans will always find something to complain about. For everyone else, the significant gen-to-gen improvements and new 16:10 display all help make the system more comfortable to use than ever before.
Left: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15, Right: Dell XPS 15 9500
Left: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15, Right: Dell XPS 15 9500

After almost five years of using the exact same chassis from the XPS 15 9550 all the way up to the XPS 15 7590, the Dell XPS 15 9500 is the complete redesign that the series sorely needed. The system brings a host of gen-to-gen changes both inside and out with the new 16:10 aspect ratio display being the most prominent.

Internally, the CPU and GPU have been updated to the Intel 10th gen Comet Lake-H series and the optional GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, respectively, alongside faster DDR4-2933 RAM and new display options. Launch prices range from $1300 USD all the way up to $2300 or more. The system we'll be checking out today is the least expensive configuration with the Core i5-10300H CPU, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB NVMe SSD, and 1200p display. Expect a second review on a higher-end Core i7 and GeForce configuration at a future date so we can properly compare how the two SKUs will differ.

Direct competitors to the XPS 15 include other 15.6-inch flagship Ultrabooks like the HP Spectre x360 15, Asus ZenBook 15, MSI Prestige 15, Lenovo Yoga C940-15, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15, and the Apple MacBook Pro series.

More Dell reviews:

Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 (XPS 15 9500 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-10300H 4 x 2.5 - 4.5 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 630, 26.20.100.7870
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-3200, 21-21-21-47, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel 145 PPI, Sharp LQ156N1, IPS, SHP14D1, Dell P/N: FKR1K, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel WM490 (Comet Lake PCH-H)
Storage
Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-H - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, 3 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s (ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 344.72 x 230.14 ( = 0.71 x 13.57 x 9.06 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2.5 W x2 subwoofers, 1.5 W x2 tweeters, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, USB-C to USB-A adapter, USB-C to HDMI adapter, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.83 kg ( = 64.55 oz / 4.03 pounds), Power Supply: 420 g ( = 14.82 oz / 0.93 pounds)
Price
1300 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.8 %
05/2020
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630
1.8 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1200
85.2 %
03/2020
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
1.6 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
86 %
12/2019
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
2 kg19.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
85 %
01/2020
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250
2.1 kg19.3 mm15.60"3840x2160
89.7 %
12/2019
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M
2 kg16.2 mm16.00"3072x1920

Case

Externally, Dell has made several changes to the XPS 15 chassis with many that are similar to the jump from the XPS 13 7390 to the XPS 13 9300. The bottom metal plate, for example, now rises to cover the edges and corners whereas last year's model had black carbon fiber instead. Dell says this will create a stronger chassis that's more resistant to bumps and bruises without deviating too far from the visual design of the previous generation. From what we can tell, attempting to twist the base or lid doesn't show any more or less flexing than on the XPS 15 7590.

The next most noticeable change involves the redesigned hinges. Dell has ditched the long bar hinge of the previous design in favor of smaller and more inconscpicuous dual hinges. This approach has allowed for a very narrow bottom bezel and an even higher screen-to-body ratio as a result. Hinge rigidity remains satisfactory with no creaking or teetering when adjusting angles.

And lastly, the empty space down the two sides of the keyboard now have speaker grilles not unlike on the Razer Blade Pro 17. These visual changes make it easy to tell the difference between an XPS 15 9500 from earlier models.

Chassis materials are otherwise the same as the generation and so the textures of the black carbon fiber palm rests and silver magnesium alloy outer lid will be instantly familiar to any XPS owner.

As if the XPS 15 7590 wasn't small enough, the XPS 15 9500 is even smaller and lighter as shown by our comparison tool below. The newer design is about 1 mm thicker, however, which is a fair trade-off when considering the more significant savings in weight and footprint.

Same carbon fiber palm rests that have come to define the XPS series. Unfortunately, expect instant fingerprint buildup as well
Same carbon fiber palm rests that have come to define the XPS series. Unfortunately, expect instant fingerprint buildup as well
The metal alloy now reinforces the edges and corners in contrast to last year's model
The metal alloy now reinforces the edges and corners in contrast to last year's model
Lid opened to maximum (~150 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum (~150 degrees)
Smooth edges and corners. New design incorporates more speaker grilles than ever before for the series
Smooth edges and corners. New design incorporates more speaker grilles than ever before for the series
The bezels are even narrower this time especially along the bottom edge. The Dell logo is no longer here
The bezels are even narrower this time especially along the bottom edge. The Dell logo is no longer here
Hinges have been redesigned to be more similar to the Asus Zenbook series
Hinges have been redesigned to be more similar to the Asus Zenbook series
361.2 mm / 14.2 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 2.1 kg4.65 lbs355.2 mm / 14 inch 238.4 mm / 9.39 inch 19.7 mm / 0.776 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 16.2 mm / 0.638 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs354 mm / 13.9 inch 220.4 mm / 8.68 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.6 kg3.42 lbs344.72 mm / 13.6 inch 230.14 mm / 9.06 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Three USB Type-C ports are available and all are capable of both recharging the laptop and outputting to an external monitor. Only the two along the left edge, however, are compatible with Thunderbolt 3 accessories.

When compared to the outgoing XPS 15 7590 model, the XPS 15 9500 has dropped all USB Type-A ports, the HDMI port, the proprietary AC barrel charging port, and the battery checker button. Users will have to rely on USB Type-C adapters moving forward not unlike most MacBook Pro owners.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: USB Type-C 3.1 w/ Power Delivery and DisplayPort, SD reader, 3.5 mm combo audio
Right: USB Type-C 3.1 w/ Power Delivery and DisplayPort, SD reader, 3.5 mm combo audio
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Noble lock, 2x Thunderbolt 3 w/ Power Delivery
Left: Noble lock, 2x Thunderbolt 3 w/ Power Delivery

SD Card Reader

XPS laptops have some of the fastest SD card readers for any consumer-class laptop and the new XPS 15 is no different. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop only takes about 5 to 6 seconds.

Integrated SD reader is not spring-loaded. A fully inserted SD card still protrudes by almost half its length
Integrated SD reader is not spring-loaded. A fully inserted SD card still protrudes by almost half its length
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
204.4 MB/s
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
181.3 MB/s -11%
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
178 MB/s -13%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
154.7 MB/s -24%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
199.2 MB/s
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
198 MB/s -1%
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
188 MB/s -6%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
183.5 MB/s -8%

Communication

The Killer 1650s comes standard across all SKUs for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 compatibility. Though we experienced no issues when connected to our Netgear RAX200 test router, transfer rates could have been more stable.

The M.2 1216 WLAN module is not user-upgradeable
The M.2 1216 WLAN module is not user-upgradeable
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI GS66 10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1243 (1000min - 1395max) MBit/s +18%
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1178 (1025min - 1264max) MBit/s +12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1049 (253min - 1334max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
671 (233min - 843max) MBit/s -36%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
623 (577min - 656max) MBit/s -41%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1388 (875min - 1490max) MBit/s +8%
MSI GS66 10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1349 (804min - 1497max) MBit/s +5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1281 (1079min - 1478max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A515-54G
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
743 (462min - 930max) MBit/s -42%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
634 (621min - 646max) MBit/s -51%

Webcam

ColorChecker
4.2 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
3.7 ∆E
5 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
6.2 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
2.1 ∆E
2.4 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
ColorChecker Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5: 5.43 ∆E min: 2.09 - max: 10.63 ∆E

Maintenance

Servicing requires a T5 Torx wrench and a sharp edge to pry open the edges. The metal panel is very sharp and so this should be done carefully.

Once removed, users will have direct access to the storage bays, RAM modules, and battery.

XPS 15 9500
XPS 15 9500
XPS 15 7590 for comparison. Note that WLAN is upgradeable on the older model
XPS 15 7590 for comparison. Note that WLAN is upgradeable on the older model

Accessories and Warranty

Dell throws in two useful adapters in the box: USB Type-C to HDMI and USB Type-C to USB Type-A. You'll definitely want to keep them around since port variety is more limited compared to last year's model.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with plenty of extension options of up to four years.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Dell has revamped the keyboard for the XPS 15 9500. Keys are now larger than they were on the XPS 15 7590 with slightly crisper feedback when pressed for a better typing experience. Travel hasn't changed significantly and it is still shallower than the keys on the HP Spectre x360 15. We had expected a keyboard more alike the MagLev keys of the XPS 15 9575, but Dell seems content with refining the standard membrane keys instead and we can't really complain about the results.

Touchpad

At 15.1 x 9 cm, the Precision-enabled clickpad is 52 percent larger than the clickpad on the XPS 15 7590 (10.5 x 8.5 cm) to be one of the largest we've seen on any Windows laptop. It's difficult to go back to smaller clickpads after spending time with the XPS 15 9500. Gliding is smooth and reliable with no cursor jumping and very little sticking if moving at slower speeds.

No matter how large the clickpad may be, however, the lack of dedicated mouse keys makes precision clicks difficult. Dragging and dropping is still easier on a traditional ThinkPad like the T490 where firm mouse keys are available. The integrated clickpad keys on the XPS 15 9500 are soft, quiet, and shallow with weak feedback when pressed.

Slight layout changes from the XPS 15 7590. Dell has added additional speaker grilles along the sides of the keyboard
Slight layout changes from the XPS 15 7590. Dell has added additional speaker grilles along the sides of the keyboard
Very large and comfortable clickpad. Unfortunately, the integrated click keys are on the spongy side
Very large and comfortable clickpad. Unfortunately, the integrated click keys are on the spongy side
Keys are larger and with crisper feedback. All key symbols are backlit
Keys are larger and with crisper feedback. All key symbols are backlit
The left and right arrow keys are larger than on last year's model
The left and right arrow keys are larger than on last year's model

Display

The display is easily the highlight of the XPS 15 9500. Even the baseline configuration we have here comes with one of the brightest displays we've seen on any 15.6-inch consumer laptop. When compared to the XPS 15 7590 FHD panel, the XPS 15 9500 manages to offer both marginally faster response times and wider color coverage without impacting brightness or contrast. Pulse-width modulation is completely gone as well for a flicker-free experience.

The 16:10 aspect ratio is immediately apparent for a noticeably larger screen area when compared to the typical 16:9 laptop. The Sharp LQ156N1 IPS panel can be found on no other laptop in our database since Dell is one of the first to offer a 16:10 Ultrabook for mass adoption.

Our main gripe is that the screen is ever-so-slightly grainy which is to be expected from a matte overlay. Luckily, Dell offers glossy options to alleviate this. Note that OLED is no longer available likely because there is no sufficient supply of 16:10 OLED panels in the market.

16:10 screen is roomier and much better for browsing
16:10 screen is roomier and much better for browsing
The side bezels are even narrower this time at less than 4 mm from the edge of the screen to the outer edge of the lid
The side bezels are even narrower this time at less than 4 mm from the edge of the screen to the outer edge of the lid
RGB subpixels. Note that they are not crisp due to the matte overlay
RGB subpixels. Note that they are not crisp due to the matte overlay
Slight uneven backlight bleeding along the corners and edges
Slight uneven backlight bleeding along the corners and edges
556.2
cd/m²
593.7
cd/m²
586.3
cd/m²
551.9
cd/m²
592
cd/m²
586.5
cd/m²
504.7
cd/m²
560.4
cd/m²
551.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Sharp LQ156N1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 593.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 564.8 cd/m² Minimum: 35.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 592 cd/m²
Contrast: 1287:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.19 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.03
ΔE Greyscale 3.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
71.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
79.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
81.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.25
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Sharp LQ156N1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1200
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
LQ156M1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N63, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
LG Philips LP156WFC-SPU1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
AU Optronics AUO30EB, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
APPA044, IPS, 16.00, 3072x1920
Display
-11%
-18%
-17%
-12%
Display P3 Coverage
81.5
66.5
-18%
65
-20%
61.5
-25%
68.3
-16%
sRGB Coverage
100
98
-2%
86.2
-14%
92.7
-7%
94.3
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
79.6
68.4
-14%
62.9
-21%
63.6
-20%
68.4
-14%
Response Times
-19%
-9%
-21%
-39%
-23%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
42 ?(20, 22)
52.8 ?(25.6, 27.2)
-26%
45 ?(24, 21)
-7%
48.4 ?(24.4, 24)
-15%
56.8 ?(26, 30.8)
-35%
52.4 ?(23.9, 28.5)
-25%
Response Time Black / White *
28.8 ?(15.2, 13.6)
32 ?(16.4, 15.6)
-11%
32 ?(18, 14)
-11%
36.4 ?(21.2, 15.2)
-26%
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
-42%
34.9 ?(17.8, 17.1)
-21%
PWM Frequency
1020 ?(25)
131700
Screen
7%
-17%
-6%
-12%
14%
Brightness middle
592
588
-1%
299
-49%
484.8
-18%
284.6
-52%
519
-12%
Brightness
565
555
-2%
280
-50%
463
-18%
285
-50%
477
-16%
Brightness Distribution
85
89
5%
89
5%
82
-4%
85
0%
86
1%
Black Level *
0.46
0.4
13%
0.21
54%
0.26
43%
0.25
46%
0.39
15%
Contrast
1287
1470
14%
1424
11%
1865
45%
1138
-12%
1331
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.19
2.5
22%
4.76
-49%
4.5
-41%
3.52
-10%
2.28
29%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.45
6.3
-16%
9
-65%
7.55
-39%
5.56
-2%
6.54
-20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.03
0.6
70%
1.19
41%
3
-48%
0.86
58%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.9
4.5
-15%
3.53
9%
5.7
-46%
3.2
18%
0.9
77%
Gamma
2.25 98%
2.2 100%
2.3 96%
2.45 90%
2.28 96%
2145 0%
CCT
6522 100%
6836 95%
7228 90%
6101 107%
7070 92%
6572 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
71.6
63.2
-12%
56
-22%
58.7
-18%
61.1
-15%
78
9%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
98
-2%
86
-14%
92.8
-7%
93.8
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / 0%
-15% / -16%
-15% / -10%
-21% / -15%
-5% / 8%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is at an interesting spot as it is measurably wider than sRGB while being smaller than AdobeRGB. In fact, just 80 percent of the XPS 15 9500 3D color space is enough to cover sRGB in its entirety. The 72 percent AdobeRGB coverage is also wider than on most other Ultrabooks where the 60 percent range is more common, but users will have to upgrade to Dell's pricier 4K UHD+ configuration for full AdobeRGB coverage.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter show a decently calibrated panel out of the box. Colors and grayscale would improve just marginally from average DeltaE values of 3.9 to 1.1 and 2.9 to 1.96, respectively, after calibrating the panel ourselves. It should be possible to get even better results with more fine-tuning if calibrating against the sRGB spectrum since the panel is capable of reproducing the space completely.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15.2 ms rise
↘ 13.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 72 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibiity is better than most other Ultrabooks simply due to how bright the display is on the XPS 15. The matte panel helps to reduce glare as well which makes it preferable over the glossy option when outdoors. Keep in mind that the maximum brightness of the display will automatically drop from 592 nits to 504 nits when running on battery power unless if you take these steps.

Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Wide IPS viewing angles. Colors and contrast change only if viewing from extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Colors and contrast change only if viewing from extreme angles

Performance

All SKUs come with either the quad-core Core i5-10300H, hexa-core Core i7-10750H, or octa-core Core i7-10875H. There are no Core i9 options as of this writing and we're definitely not complaining given the lackluster Core i9 performance on the XPS 15 7590.

The only discrete GPU option is the GeForce GTX 1650 Ti which we will test at a later date. It's a shame that no AMD options are available.

(June 3, 2020 update: We previously stated that the Nvidia GeForce option is a Max-Q GPU, but that is not correct. This has been amended.)

Processor

The Core i5-10300H is performing where we expect it to be relative to other Core i5-10300H laptops in our database. In fact, sustained performance when running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop is about 13 percent faster than the MSI GF75 equipped with the same CPU. We wouldn't expect any less especially since our XPS 15 configuration omits the discrete Nvidia GPU. Had the system struggled to run the Core i5-10300H, then we would have been worried for the more demanding higher-end SKUs.

See our dedicated page on the Core i5-10300H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. Upgrading to the Core i7-10750H or Core i7-10875H option will net users roughly 40 percent and 80 percent more multi-thread performance, respectively. The CPU performance difference between the Dell Optimized and Ultra Performance power profiles appears to be minimal according to CineBench R20.

CineBench R20 (Dell Optimized power profile)
CineBench R20 (Dell Optimized power profile)
CineBench R20 (Dell Ultra Performance power profile)
CineBench R20 (Dell Ultra Performance power profile)
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810855Tooltip
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø870 (827.87-893.75)
MSI GF75 Thin 10SCXR GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø768 (755.39-839.42)
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø788 (771.02-810.57)
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø812 (765.87-840.02)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4663 Points +121%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
3801 Points +80%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
3293 Points +56%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
2932 Points +39%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
2707 Points +28%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
2562 Points +22%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2379 Points +13%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
2107 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (1397 - 2240, n=15)
2046 Points -3%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
1821 Points -14%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1793 Points -15%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
1728 Points -18%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
511 Points +15%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
489 Points +10%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
468 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
458 Points +3%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
457 Points +2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
446 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (312 - 470, n=15)
443 Points -1%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
404 Points -9%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
403 Points -10%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
387 Points -13%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
386 Points -13%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
344 Points -23%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1995 (1946.66min - 1995.21max) Points +124%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
1818 (1544.4min - 1818.6max) Points +104%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1600 (1090.6min, 1367.66P1 - 1369.3max) Points +80%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
1288 (1201.27min - 1287.87max) Points +45%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1237 Points +39%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
1191 Points +34%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
1138 Points +28%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
889 (827.87min - 893.75max) Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (536 - 921, n=17)
825 Points -7%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
818 Points -8%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
799 Points -10%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
769 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
665 Points -25%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
213 Points +15%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
201 Points +8%
Gigabyte Aero 15-Y9
Intel Core i9-8950HK
193 Points +4%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
190 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
189 Points +2%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
189 Points +2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
186 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (108 - 194, n=17)
174 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICH
Intel Core i5-8300H
172 Points -8%
Dell G5 15 5590-PCNJJ
Intel Core i5-9300H
169 Points -9%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
165 Points -11%
Asus TUF FX505DT-EB73
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
157 Points -16%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
145 Points -22%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (479 - 555, n=14)
515 Seconds * -1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
508 Seconds *
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
368 Seconds * +28%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
285 Seconds * +44%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
248 Seconds * +51%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
5457 MIPS +12%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
5015 MIPS +3%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4889 MIPS
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4711 MIPS -4%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (2945 - 4956, n=14)
4704 MIPS -4%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
53883 MIPS +121%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
47170 MIPS +93%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
35130 MIPS +44%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
24388 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (15146 - 24841, n=14)
23295 MIPS -4%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
1347 Points +14%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
1233 Points +4%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1207 Points +2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
1183 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (703 - 1241, n=16)
1166 Points -1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
892 Points -25%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
8672 Points +97%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
8087 Points +84%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
6216 Points +41%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4399 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (2783 - 4728, n=16)
4351 Points -1%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0002ng
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
3448 Points -22%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
14.1 fps +94%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
13 fps +79%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
10.1 fps +39%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
7.28 fps
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (6.13 - 7.78, n=14)
7.1 fps -2%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
63.6 s *
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
60.7 s * +5%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (23.9 - 94, n=14)
58.9 s * +7%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
52.4 s * +18%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
52.1 s * +18%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (0.625 - 1.088, n=14)
0.68 sec * -5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
0.646 sec *
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
Intel Core i7-10750H
0.606 sec * +6%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
0.574 sec * +11%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.547 sec * +15%
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
889 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
53.7 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are consistently ahead of last year's XPS 15 7590 Core i5 — if just barely. It's recommended to run Dell updates as soon as possible since the manufacturer is notorious for releasing hotfixes for its XPS lineup.

Strangely, our test unit would sometimes not recognize our Logitech USB receiver when plugging it into one of the three USB Type-C ports. Unplugging and re-plugging would solve the issue, but it's an annoyance nonetheless. We don't know for sure if it's just an issue specific to our unit or if it's something greater.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Radeon Pro 5500M, i9-9880H, Apple SSD AP1024 7171
5500 Points +27%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4887 Points +13%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4490 Points +4%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
4329 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4105 Points -5%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4101 Points -5%
Essentials
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
10539 Points +7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
9874 Points
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
9477 Points -4%
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
9000 Points -9%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8911 Points -10%
Productivity
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7284 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
7193 Points +3%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
6996 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
6771 Points -3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
6625 Points -5%
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4178 Points +31%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3786 Points +19%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3187 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
3096 Points -3%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
2981 Points -6%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Radeon Pro 5500M, i9-9880H, Apple SSD AP1024 7171
4900 Points +28%
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
4175 Points +9%
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
4069 Points +6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3842 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3761 Points -2%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
3365 Points -12%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
5359 Points +2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
5271 Points
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5265 Points 0%
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
5070 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Radeon Pro 5500M, i9-9880H, Apple SSD AP1024 7171
4812 Points -9%
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
4633 Points -12%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3842 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5271 points
PCMark 10 Score
4329 points
Help

DPC Latency

LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when opening multiple tabs on our homepage. 4K video playback on YouTube is otherwise smooth with no dropped frames.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
HP ProBook 430 G7-8VU53EA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3942 μs * -159%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
1521 μs *
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10750H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
905 μs * +40%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX463FA-AI039T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3512GJ1
466 μs * +69%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Two M.2 2280 PCIe x4 slots are available with no 2.5-inch SATA III options on any configuration level. Like last year's XPS 15 7590 base model, Dell is once again using a slower budget 256 GB Toshiba NVMe SSD. Higher-end XPS 15 9500 configurations with higher capacities will come with faster drives much like what we observed on the XPS 15 7590 series.

See our table of SSDs and HDDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
Occupied primary M.2 slot with copper heat spreader
Occupied primary M.2 slot with copper heat spreader
Whereas the last generation XPS 15 had just one M.2 slot, the XPS 15 9500 has two
Whereas the last generation XPS 15 had just one M.2 slot, the XPS 15 9500 has two
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Apple SSD AP1024 7171
AS SSD
109%
112%
38%
62%
122%
Seq Read
1423
2357
66%
2643
86%
769
-46%
1220
-14%
2531
78%
Seq Write
766
1235
61%
1533
100%
351.1
-54%
1152
50%
2289
199%
4K Read
42.21
43.29
3%
49.12
16%
69.1
64%
52.3
24%
15.85
-62%
4K Write
74.8
99.7
33%
134.7
80%
100.9
35%
146.6
96%
39.88
-47%
4K-64 Read
973
1020
5%
1028
6%
472
-51%
652
-33%
1267
30%
4K-64 Write
218.8
1502
586%
1353
518%
948
333%
847
287%
1749
699%
Access Time Read *
0.125
0.07
44%
0.033
74%
0.071
43%
0.077
38%
0.122
2%
Access Time Write *
0.552
0.039
93%
0.028
95%
0.137
75%
0.106
81%
0.095
83%
Score Read
1157
1299
12%
1342
16%
618
-47%
826
-29%
1536
33%
Score Write
370
1726
366%
1641
344%
1084
193%
1109
200%
2018
445%
Score Total
2094
3640
74%
3622
73%
2024
-3%
2371
13%
4317
106%
Copy ISO MB/s
1151
2145
86%
2226
93%
839
-27%
2070
80%
1995
73%
Copy Program MB/s
499.4
565
13%
506
1%
455.8
-9%
571
14%
584
17%
Copy Game MB/s
733
1320
80%
1230
68%
969
32%
1219
66%
1135
55%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
32%
48%
25%
25%
33%
Write 4K
93.3
93.6
0%
138.1
48%
102.2
10%
151.5
62%
55.5
-41%
Read 4K
45.9
41.87
-9%
45.89
0%
114.3
149%
59.3
29%
16.21
-65%
Write Seq
1211
1698
40%
2147
77%
468.3
-61%
1424
18%
1959
62%
Read Seq
1633
1978
21%
2188
34%
1236
-24%
1609
-1%
1763
8%
Write 4K Q32T1
273.1
383.1
40%
427.8
57%
556
104%
393.6
44%
398.5
46%
Read 4K Q32T1
356
326.9
-8%
404
13%
421.6
18%
369.4
4%
648
82%
Write Seq Q32T1
1198
2778
132%
2396
100%
1264
6%
1946
62%
2727
128%
Read Seq Q32T1
2269
3119
37%
3454
52%
2239
-1%
1934
-15%
3242
43%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
71% / 81%
80% / 89%
32% / 34%
44% / 49%
78% / 90%

* ... smaller is better

Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2269 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1198 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 356 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 273.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1633 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1211 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 93.3 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

The UHD Graphics 630 is barely any faster than the aging UHD Graphics 620 as found on most other Ultrabooks. If you plan on doing lots of GPU-heavy workloads, then you should absolutely consider upgrading to the GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q option.

See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 630 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
 
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
45246 Points +358%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
38419 Points +289%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
23806 Points +141%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
18770 Points +90%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
17803 Points +80%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
16695 Points +69%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
13329 Points +35%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
9873 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (3863 - 11199, n=9)
9333 Points -5%
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
8190 Points -17%
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
7681 Points -22%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8532 Points +618%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
7329 Points +516%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
3868 Points +225%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3517 Points +196%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
2950 Points +148%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
2692 Points +126%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
1682 Points +41%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (722 - 1472, n=11)
1228 Points +3%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1189 Points
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
1065 Points -10%
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1058 Points -11%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3353 Points +778%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
2108 Points +452%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
1160 Points +204%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
1050 Points +175%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
824 Points +116%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
794 Points +108%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
534 Points +40%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (367 - 459, n=10)
410 Points +7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
382 Points
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
343 Points -10%
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
300 Points -21%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3676 Points +734%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
2252 Points +411%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
1308 Points +197%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
1168 Points +165%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
937 Points +112%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
899 Points +104%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
599 Points +36%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (425 - 534, n=10)
475 Points +8%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
441 Points
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
393 Points -11%
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
340 Points -23%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
12388 Points +610%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
10113 Points +480%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
4905 Points +181%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4508 Points +158%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4506 Points +158%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
4279 Points +145%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
2543 Points +46%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1744 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (642 - 2025, n=12)
1742 Points 0%
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
1678 Points -4%
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1677 Points -4%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8801 Points +394%
Dell XPS 15 9575 FY00N
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
7666 Points +330%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-10510U
4532 Points +154%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4126 Points +131%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4086 Points +129%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13 Core i5-1035G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7
3409 Points +91%
Chuwi AeroBook Plus
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6287U
2165 Points +21%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (1647 - 2181, n=12)
1851 Points +4%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1783 Points
Asus Vivobook 15 F512DA-SH31
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, R3 3200U
1447 Points -19%
Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51-56UX
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1359 Points -24%
3DMark 11 Performance
1985 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9619 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1095 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
441 points
Help
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 17.3 10.8
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 79 50 19.7 17.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 22.4 14.3 12.8

Emissions

System Noise

The system is able to remain silent for much longer than most other laptops. When running the 90-second benchmark scene in 3DMark 06, for example, the fans in the XPS 15 wouldn't pulse at all. This may change when we test the higher-end Core i7 SKUs with GeForce GTX graphics, but at least base model users can rest easy knowing that they can browse, email, and play videos without a hint of fan noise.

At worst, we're able to record a fan noise of 41.9 dB(A) when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously which is louder than what we recorded on last year's Core i5 base model. For most users, fan noise will generally remain well below 32 or 36 dB(A).

Cooling solution consists of twin ~45 fans and two copper heat pipes... again
Cooling solution consists of twin ~45 fans and two copper heat pipes... again
Fans are able to remain almost silent even through the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Fans are able to remain almost silent even through the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Empty space on motherboard for the optional GeForce GPU and VRAM modules
Empty space on motherboard for the optional GeForce GPU and VRAM modules
RAM is thankfully still upgradeable. We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit
RAM is thankfully still upgradeable. We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
UHD Graphics 630, i5-9300H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Radeon Pro 5500M, i9-9880H, Apple SSD AP1024 7171
Noise
-4%
-6%
-13%
-7%
-15%
off / environment *
28
29.3
-5%
30.3
-8%
28.7
-3%
30.1
-8%
29.8
-6%
Idle Minimum *
28
29.3
-5%
30.3
-8%
28.7
-3%
30.1
-8%
29.9
-7%
Idle Average *
28
29.3
-5%
30.3
-8%
28.8
-3%
30.1
-8%
29.9
-7%
Idle Maximum *
28
29.8
-6%
30.9
-10%
28.8
-3%
30.1
-8%
29.9
-7%
Load Average *
28
32.4
-16%
31.3
-12%
45
-61%
30.1
-8%
43
-54%
Load Maximum *
41.9
37.2
11%
38.2
9%
44.7
-7%
42
-0%
46.1
-10%
Witcher 3 ultra *
38.1
44.7
39.7
45.4

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28 / 28 / 28 dB(A)
Load
28 / 41.9 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are almost the same as what we recorded on the XPS 15 7590 Core i5 base model. When under extreme loads, the center of the keyboard can become as warm as 43 C while the bottom can approach 40 C. You'll want the system on a flat desk if running demanding applications since the metal bottom will heat up noticeably.

Dual rear exhaust
Dual rear exhaust
AC adapter can become very warm at up to 60 C
AC adapter can become very warm at up to 60 C
Max. Load
 33.8 °C
93 F
37.2 °C
99 F
35.6 °C
96 F
 
 37.2 °C
99 F
42.4 °C
108 F
30 °C
86 F
 
 28.4 °C
83 F
26.4 °C
80 F
25.6 °C
78 F
 
Maximum: 42.4 °C = 108 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
32 °C
90 F
39.6 °C
103 F
35 °C
95 F
31.6 °C
89 F
36.8 °C
98 F
35 °C
95 F
31 °C
88 F
33 °C
91 F
33.2 °C
92 F
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  60 °C = 140 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.4 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.2 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.4 °C / 83.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+0.4 °C / 0.7 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

Unlike most other laptops, Dell XPS and Alienware laptops like to run their processors warmer than 90 C and the XPS 15 9500 continues the trend. When running Prime95, core temperature would rise to 100 C and then remain at 100 C for the first few minutes to maintain a high clock rate of 4.2 GHz. Fan noise would then pick up considerably for a slightly cooler core temperature of 95 C. We applaud the system for not throttling the CPU even when under 100 percent utilization, but this comes at the cost of very warm core temperatures and loud fan noise.

Running on battery power will not impact performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8389 and 1751 points, respectively, compared to 8576 and 1744 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95 stress (after 20 minutes)
Prime95 stress (after 20 minutes)
Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 39
Prime95 Stress 4.2 -- 95
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 4.2 1047 86

Speakers

Dell has revamped the internal speakers to include both subwoofers and tweeters and the resulting audio quality is very well balanced especially for an Ultrabook. Pink noise measurements show roll-off beginning at the 200 Hz range compared to 300 Hz or greater on most cheaper laptops. The major downside is that the keyboard deck will vibrate to the touch much more than expected even when at 50 percent volume. We find the vibration to the distracting when word processing since your palms will be resting on the palm rests.

Speakers have been re-positioned compared to last year's model
Speakers have been re-positioned compared to last year's model
Pink noise curve is flatter than most other laptops for more balanced treble and bass reproduction
Pink noise curve is flatter than most other laptops for more balanced treble and bass reproduction
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.439.338.4253737.5373135.333.335.34033.431.633.45034.532.534.56342.63142.68044.93044.910055.928.755.912563.827.463.81606726.46720068.925.668.925072.425.972.431570.725.270.740069.923.869.950070.322.670.363070.82270.880075.121.375.1100074.820.774.8125076.320.976.3160075.420.675.4200066.620.766.6250066.720.966.7315064.620.964.6400072.821.272.8500071.521.371.5630071.321.571.3800069.421.669.41000068.421.568.41250066.721.466.71600068.821.468.8SPL84.233.684.2N65.4265.4median 69.9median 21.5median 69.9Delta31.1335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell XPS 15 9500 Core i5Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (7.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 1% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Despite the slightly higher resolution display, the XPS 15 9500 doesn't appear to be more demanding than the last generation XPS 15 7590. Running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06 consumes an average of 42 W compared to 62 W on last year's base Core i5 model.

Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously consumes a maximum of 94.8 W from the compact (~13 x 6.5 x 2.3 cm) 90 W AC adapter. The system is only able to maintain a draw of ~77 W after extended periods of extreme stress due to throttling limits.

Minimum brightness from 0s to 10s and maximum brightness from 10s and onward. Maximum brightness consumes an additional ~3.7 W when compared to minimum brightness
Minimum brightness from 0s to 10s and maximum brightness from 10s and onward. Maximum brightness consumes an additional ~3.7 W when compared to minimum brightness
Relatively constant power consumption when running 3DMark 06
Relatively constant power consumption when running 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 88.1 W before falling, rising, and eventually stabilizing at 77.7 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 88.1 W before falling, rising, and eventually stabilizing at 77.7 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to ~94 W for approximately two minutes before eventually falling and picking up again
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to ~94 W for approximately two minutes before eventually falling and picking up again
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.35 / 0.82 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.9 / 7.6 / 8 Watt
Load midlight 41.7 / 94.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1200, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
i5-9300H, UHD Graphics 630, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, Intel SSD 660p 2TB SSDPEKNW020T8, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, Apple SSD AP1024 7171, IPS, 3072x1920, 16.00
Power Consumption
-20%
-15%
-95%
-31%
-65%
Idle Minimum *
2.9
3.79
-31%
2.8
3%
5.2
-79%
5.2
-79%
3.7
-28%
Idle Average *
7.6
6.9
9%
7.7
-1%
10.7
-41%
8.5
-12%
12.1
-59%
Idle Maximum *
8
9.2
-15%
9.4
-18%
24.3
-204%
8.7
-9%
17
-113%
Load Average *
41.7
62
-49%
57
-37%
84.4
-102%
65.6
-57%
91.5
-119%
Load Maximum *
94.8
108
-14%
116
-22%
142.8
-51%
92.4
3%
102.3
-8%
Witcher 3 ultra *
62
83.9
56.5
103

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Two battery options are available depending on the SKU: 56 Wh and 86 Wh. Even though we have the lesser 56 Wh option, runtimes are still very long at almost 9.5 hours of real-world WLAN use and the 86 Wh option will indubitably last for even longer. Note that older XPS 15 systems have larger 97 Wh battery options meaning battery capacity has dropped gen-to-gen.

Charging from empty to full capacity is relatively fast at 1 to 1.5 hours. Of course, the 86 Wh option will likely take a little longer to charge.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
26h 21min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 16min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 33min
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, 56 Wh
Dell XPS 15 7590 i5 iGPU FHD
i5-9300H, UHD Graphics 630, 97 Wh
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 71 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 69 Wh
HP Spectre X360 15-5ZV31AV
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, 84 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, 99.8 Wh
Battery Runtime
30%
30%
-21%
29%
-5%
Reader / Idle
1581
1629
3%
1092
-31%
1355
-14%
WiFi v1.3
556
844
52%
743
34%
583
5%
646
16%
718
29%
Load
93
100
8%
142
53%
59
-37%
173
86%
58
-38%
Witcher 3 ultra
54

Pros

+ more metal alloy surfaces than the XPS 15 7590
+ long battery life even for base 56 Wh option
+ brighter display than most other Ultrabooks
+ extremely narrow bezels on all four sides
+ excellent CPU Turbo Boost sustainability
+ full sRGB coverage even for base option
+ normal webcam and IR positioning
+ quiet during low to medium loads
+ keys have crisper feedback
+ 2x M.2 2280, 2x SODIMM
+ noticeably better audio
+ very large clickpad
+ 16:10 aspect ratio
+ no more PWM

Cons

- carbon fiber palm rests and clickpad are fingerprint magnets
- palm rests will vibrate when on high volume settings
- bottom panel is more difficult to open than before
- very warm core temperatures of over 90 C
- no more integrated HDMI or USB Type-A
- slightly thicker than the XPS 15 7590
- integrated clickpad keys are spongy
- smaller internal battery capacity
- subpar 1 MP, 720p webcam
- soldered WLAN module
- very warm AC adapter
- no webcam shutter

Verdict — Bigger Screen in an Even Smaller Footprint

In review: Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
In review: Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5

From the point of view of an average consumer, the refreshed XPS 15 checks almost all the right boxes. The bright 16:10 display, improved keyboard feedback, roomy clickpad, expanded audio system, long battery life, quiet fans, upgradeable RAM, and new secondary M.2 slot all help to make the system a joy to use. If you've been holding out on upgrading to an XPS 15, then now would be the time to reconsider because this latest revision improves upon the older design in significant ways. The omission of both HDMI and USB Type-A will inevitably be an annoyance, but at least adapters are included in every box which is more than what we can say for the MacBook Pro.

From an enthusiast's point of view, however, it appears that the cooling solution hasn't improved by all that much. Core temperatures are already reaching over 90 C on our quad-core Core i5 base configuration which means the higher-end octa-core Core i7 GeForce GTX configuration will more than likely run even warmer and louder. If you weren't a fan of the unexceptional cooling solution on the last generation model, then this latest model probably won't change your mind. Furthermore, the WLAN module and keyboard are now more difficult to service than before since their components are more heavily integrated onto the mainboard.

We'll be revisiting the XPS 15 9500 soon with different configurations to get a better picture of the overall model. But for the base price of $1300, Dell's flagship system is making all the right changes in almost all the right places for an admirable first impression.

Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 - 06/09/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
92 / 98 → 94%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
67 / 80 → 83%
Weight
65 / 20-72 → 87%
Battery
87 / 95 → 91%
Display
88%
Games Performance
51 / 90 → 56%
Application Performance
89 / 90 → 98%
Temperature
93%
Noise
96 / 95 → 100%
Audio
95%
Camera
43 / 85 → 50%
Average
81%
87%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 Review: Now Even More Like a MacBook Pro
Allen Ngo, 2020-05-29 (Update: 2020-06- 4)