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Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Laptop Review: No Core i9 Nonsense

Core i7-10875H is the new Core i9-9980HK. What are the differences between a $1300 XPS 15 and a $2400 XPS 15? Aside from the obvious display resolution and performance advantages, there are some smaller changes as well. We go over all of them here.

(June 11 update: Right after we finished this review, Dell announced an even faster Core i9-10885H option for the XPS 15 9500. Our original text below remains unchanged.)

Last week, we checked out the least expensive Dell XPS 15 9500 configuration equipped with the quad-core Core i5-10300H CPU, integrated UHD Graphics 630 GPU, and matte FHD+ display for $1300 USD. This week, we're here to see how the system looks from the other side of the spectrum for users willing to spend $2400 on the highest-end octa-core Core i7-10875H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, and 4K UHD touchscreen configuration.

For more information on the new chassis and physical features of the 2020 XPS 15, please see our existing review on the XPS 15 9500 Core i5. This review will focus on the performance of the Core i7 configuration and how it differs from the base Core i5 option and the older XPS 15 7590 series.

More Dell reviews:

Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD (XPS 15 9500 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10875H 8 x 2.3 - 5.1 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1350 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 446.16, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-3200, 21-21-21-47, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:10, 3840 x 2400 pixel 290 PPI, 10-point capacitive, Sharp LQ156R1, IPS, SHP14D0, Dell P/N: 90T02, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel WM490 (Comet Lake PCH-H)
Storage
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-H - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 3 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, 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
86 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 Type-C to HDMI and USB Type-A adapter, Dell Update, Power Manager, Cinema GUide, Digital Delivery, Customer Connect, Mobile Connect, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.974 kg ( = 69.63 oz / 4.35 pounds), Power Supply: 481 g ( = 16.97 oz / 1.06 pounds)
Price
2400 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
90.1 %
06/2020
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
i7-10875H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile
2 kg18 mm15.60"3840x2400
86 %
12/2019
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
2 kg19.7 mm15.60"1920x1080
85.2 %
03/2020
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
1.6 kg18.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
85.2 %
11/2019
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
1.7 kg16 mm15.60"3840x2160
86.8 %
05/2020
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630
1.8 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1200
89.7 %
12/2019
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M
2 kg16.2 mm16.00"3072x1920

Case

366 mm / 14.4 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.7 kg3.64 lbs355.2 mm / 14 inch 238.4 mm / 9.39 inch 19.7 mm / 0.776 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs354 mm / 13.9 inch 220.4 mm / 8.68 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.6 kg3.42 lbs354 mm / 13.9 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs344.72 mm / 13.6 inch 230.14 mm / 9.06 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2 kg4.35 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

SD Card Reader

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
198.5 MB/s
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
172.4 MB/s -13%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
149 MB/s -25%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
144 MB/s -27%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
207.8 MB/s +5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197.9 MB/s
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
192.5 MB/s -3%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192.1 MB/s -3%

Communication

All SKUs integrate the Killer 1650s for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. We experienced no issues when connected to our Netgear RAX200 router.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1374 (720min - 1484max) MBit/s +31%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1049 (253min - 1334max) MBit/s 0%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1049 (862min - 1225max) MBit/s
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Broadcom 802.11ac
581 (533min - 616max) MBit/s -45%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1446 (653min - 1555max) MBit/s
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1291 (1212min - 1379max) MBit/s -11%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1281 (1079min - 1478max) MBit/s -11%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Broadcom 802.11ac
817 (806min - 821max) MBit/s -43%

Webcam

ColorChecker
8.1 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
3.7 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
6 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
8.9 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
14.9 ∆E
10 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
11 ∆E
ColorChecker Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD: 6.87 ∆E min: 3.18 - max: 14.93 ∆E

Maintenance

XPS 15 9500 Core i7 GTX 1650 Ti
XPS 15 9500 Core i7 GTX 1650 Ti

Input Devices

Display

Whereas the matte FHD XPS 15 9500 uses the Sharp LQ156N1 IPS panel, our glossy 4K SKU uses the Sharp LQ156R1. The higher resolution and deeper colors are immediately noticeable, but this comes at the cost of slightly slower response times and a slightly dimmer backlight than the FHD version as shown by our comparison table below. The small disadvantages do little to detract from the fact that this is still both a unique and high quality 16:10 panel found on no other consumer Ultrabook at the moment. The additional height becomes invaluable for almost all applications similar to the displays on Apple MacBook Pro models.

Another less obvious upgrade from the 2019 XPS 15 is the complete absence of pulse-width modulation on both the FHD and 4K UHD XPS 15 9500 SKUs. Users who have been holding out on the XPS 15 series due to sensitivity to flickering screens will no longer have to worry on the 2020 model.

Edge-to-edge glass with touchscreen support. The new 16:10 aspect ratio is one of the most important changes to the XPS 15 9500
Edge-to-edge glass with touchscreen support. The new 16:10 aspect ratio is one of the most important changes to the XPS 15 9500
Both FHD and 4K UHD are available, but OLED is no longer an option
Both FHD and 4K UHD are available, but OLED is no longer an option
Crisp RGB subpixels with visible touch-sensitive matrix
Crisp RGB subpixels with visible touch-sensitive matrix
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along the edges and corners
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along the edges and corners
530
cd/m²
559.2
cd/m²
555.7
cd/m²
537.4
cd/m²
557.9
cd/m²
559.7
cd/m²
511.3
cd/m²
526.8
cd/m²
530.9
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Sharp LQ156R1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 559.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 541 cd/m² Minimum: 34.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 557.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 1431:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.54 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.82
ΔE Greyscale 3.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
89.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
89.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.99
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Sharp LQ156R1, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2400
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Sharp LQ156N1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1200
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
LG Philips LP156WFC-SPU1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N63, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Sharp LQ156D1JW42, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
APPA044, IPS, 16.00, 3072x1920
Display
-10%
-25%
-26%
-5%
Display P3 Coverage
89.7
81.5
-9%
61.5
-31%
65
-28%
82
-9%
sRGB Coverage
100
100
0%
92.7
-7%
86.2
-14%
98.3
-2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.8
79.6
-20%
63.6
-36%
62.9
-37%
96.2
-4%
Response Times
18%
0%
11%
-18%
-1%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
54 ?(26.4, 27.6)
42 ?(20, 22)
22%
48.4 ?(24.4, 24)
10%
45 ?(24, 21)
17%
60 ?(29.2, 30.8)
-11%
52.4 ?(23.9, 28.5)
3%
Response Time Black / White *
33.2 ?(19.2, 14)
28.8 ?(15.2, 13.6)
13%
36.4 ?(21.2, 15.2)
-10%
32 ?(18, 14)
4%
41.2 ?(22.8, 18.4)
-24%
34.9 ?(17.8, 17.1)
-5%
PWM Frequency
26040 ?(24)
131700
Screen
4%
-2%
-13%
0%
17%
Brightness middle
557.9
592
6%
484.8
-13%
299
-46%
464.5
-17%
519
-7%
Brightness
541
565
4%
463
-14%
280
-48%
451
-17%
477
-12%
Brightness Distribution
91
85
-7%
82
-10%
89
-2%
92
1%
86
-5%
Black Level *
0.39
0.46
-18%
0.26
33%
0.21
46%
0.5
-28%
0.39
-0%
Contrast
1431
1287
-10%
1865
30%
1424
0%
929
-35%
1331
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.54
3.19
30%
4.5
1%
4.76
-5%
3.36
26%
2.28
50%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.92
5.45
31%
7.55
5%
9
-14%
7.06
11%
6.54
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.82
2.03
47%
1.19
69%
3.42
10%
0.86
77%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.2
3.9
-22%
5.7
-78%
3.53
-10%
1.3
59%
0.9
72%
Gamma
1.99 111%
2.25 98%
2.45 90%
2.3 96%
2.14 103%
2145 0%
CCT
6451 101%
6522 100%
6101 107%
7228 90%
6596 99%
6572 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
89.5
71.6
-20%
58.7
-34%
56
-37%
84.8
-5%
78
-13%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
100
0%
92.8
-7%
86
-14%
98.3
-2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 3%
-9% / -6%
-9% / -13%
-8% / -3%
8% / 14%

* ... smaller is better

Whereas the base FHD version covers all of sRGB, our 4K UHD version covers all of sRGB and nearly all of AdobeRGB for deeper and potentially more accurate colors.

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

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter show a decently calibrated display out of the box. Calibrating the panel ourselves would improve both grayscale and color deltaE values, albeit only marginally.

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
33.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 88 % 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
54 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26.4 ms rise
↘ 27.6 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. » 89 % 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.

If there's any reason to prefer the matte FHD version over the glossy 4K version, then it would be for outdoor visibility. Glare is heavier here and the backlight isn't as bright as the FHD version as mentioned above. Nonetheless, the XPS is still better than most other Ultrabooks when outdoors since the backlight is brighter than average. Keep in mind that additional settings via the Intel Graphics Command Center app must be toggled or else maximum brightness will drop from 559 nits to 474 nits when running on battery power. This phenomenon would occur on the XPS 13 9300 series as well.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles. Minor contrast and color changes from extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Minor contrast and color changes from extreme angles

Performance

The highest-end CPU option for the XPS 15 9500 at the moment is the Comet Lake-H Core i7-10875H we have here. Thus, there are no Core i9 options to speak of unlike on the XPS 15 7590 — at least for now. This is probably for the best considering that the Core i9-9980HK would perform so closely to the Core i7-9750H that it was difficult to recommend the Core i9 SKU over the Core i7 SKU.

As for the GPU, the XPS 15 9500 is one of the first to carry the GeForce GTX 1650 Ti to replace last year's GTX 1650. We suspect that Dell couldn't offer the even faster GTX 1660 Ti due to thermal limitations. Users will have to consider alternatives like the Gigabyte Aero 15, Razer Blade 15, or Eluktronics RP-15 where higher-end GPUs are available. 

All performance benchmark tests below were performed on Dell's Ultra Performance mode unless otherwise stated. Optimus comes standard.

Processor

Though it's a Core i7 by name, the 10th gen Core i7-10875H can be seen more as a successor to the 9th gen Core i9-9880H or Core i9-9980HK than to the Core i7-9750H since it is an octa-core CPU. In fact, performance is already very close to the Core i9-9980HK in last year's XPS 15 7590 according to CineBench benchmarks. Users upgrading from the base quad-core Core i5-10300H or mid-range Core i7-10750H will see multi-thread performance gains of roughly 50 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

Running CineBench R15 in a loop shows better performance sustainability than previous generation models. The initial score of 1390 points would drop and stabilize to about 1290 points to represent a performance dip of only 7 percent.

It's too bad that there are still no AMD Ryzen options for the Dell XPS series. The Ryzen 7 4800H, for example, is able to handily outperform any mobile Intel 10th gen Core i7 model and even many Core i9 models as well. 

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
08517025534042551059568076585093510201105119012751360144515301615Tooltip
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1292 (1148.9-1390.72)
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650 GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1314 (1090.6-1600.38)
MSI GE65 Raider 9SF-049US GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1496 (1486.55-1622.78)
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1541 (1518.31-1635.12)
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 +43%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
3713 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1986 - 4176, n=32)
3455 Points +6%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
3293 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
3250 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2019 i9 Vega 16
Intel Core i9-9880H
3012 Points -7%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2924 Points -10%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
2600 Points -20%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
2562 Points -21%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
2272 Points -30%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
2107 Points -35%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1633 Points -50%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
498 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
493 Points
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
489 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (430 - 524, n=32)
486 Points -1%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
477 Points -3%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
470 Points -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2019 i9 Vega 16
Intel Core i9-9880H
465 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
458 Points -7%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
457 Points -7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
446 Points -10%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
409 Points -17%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
352 Points -29%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1995 (1946.66min - 1995.21max) Points +43%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1635 (1518.31min - 1635.12max) Points +18%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1600 (1090.6min, 1367.66P1 - 1369.3max) Points +15%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1003 - 1833, n=38)
1554 Points +12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
1391 (1148.9min - 1390.72max) Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2019 i9 Vega 16
Intel Core i9-9880H
1317 Points -5%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1217 Points -13%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
1166 (1047.18min - 1166.18max) Points -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
1138 Points -18%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
971 (541.45min - 977.59max) Points -30%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
889 (827.87min - 893.75max) Points -36%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
734 Points -47%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
204 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (190 - 220, n=37)
204 Points 0%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
203 Points 0%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Intel Core i9-9980HK
201 Points -1%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
201 Points -1%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
193 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
Intel Core i7-9750H
189 Points -7%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
189 Points -7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
186 Points -9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2019 i9 Vega 16
Intel Core i9-9880H
181 Points -11%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points -15%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
143 Points -30%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
508 Seconds * -44%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
473 Seconds * -34%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
473 Seconds * -34%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
423 Seconds * -20%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2019 i9 Vega 16
Intel Core i9-9880H
384 Seconds * -9%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
353 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (259 - 535, n=30)
327 Seconds * +7%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
295 Seconds * +16%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
248 Seconds * +30%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (5071 - 5780, n=31)
5360 MIPS 0%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
5335 MIPS
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5227 MIPS -2%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
5051 MIPS -5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4889 MIPS -8%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4711 MIPS -12%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
4629 MIPS -13%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
4629 MIPS -13%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
53883 MIPS +48%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
43786 MIPS +20%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (29844 - 49562, n=31)
43117 MIPS +19%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
36383 MIPS
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
29009 MIPS -20%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
28826 MIPS -21%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
28826 MIPS -21%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
24388 MIPS -33%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
1318 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1233 - 1371, n=29)
1304 Points -1%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1283 Points -3%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1207 Points -8%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
1183 Points -10%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
1114 Points -15%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
874 Points -34%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
8672 Points +11%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
7799 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (5715 - 8620, n=29)
7734 Points -1%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
7634 Points -2%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
5242 Points -33%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4399 Points -44%
MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK-034
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
3537 Points -55%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
14.1 fps +38%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
12.2 fps +20%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (7.27 - 14.1, n=27)
11.7 fps +15%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
10.2 fps
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
8.074 fps -21%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
7.8 fps -24%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
7.76 fps -24%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
7.28 fps -29%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
63.6 s * -21%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
60.7 s * -15%
Razer Blade 15 RZ09-0328
Intel Core i7-10750H
53.2 s * -1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
52.6 s *
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
52.4 s * -0%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (30.2 - 84.3, n=30)
50.3 s * +4%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
0.646 sec * -11%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.592 sec * -1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.584 sec *
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (0.546 - 0.662, n=29)
0.582 sec * -0%
Eluktronics RP-15
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
0.574 sec * +2%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6827
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6829 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
87.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1391 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
152 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
204 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are consistently ahead of the base Core i5 XPS 15 9500 configuration while being behind last year's XPS 15 7590 in the Digital Creation benchmark. This particular sub-test has never been very reliable and so it can be disregarded in most cases.

We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit. Additionally, we were unable to reproduce the strange USB behavior that we saw on our XPS 15 9500 Core i5 unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
5469 Points +7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
5125 Points
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5009 Points -2%
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 -5%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4490 Points -12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
4329 Points -16%
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 +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
9808 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
9701 Points -1%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9048 Points -8%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8911 Points -9%
Productivity
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
7994 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
7494 Points -6%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7284 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)
7193 Points -10%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
6996 Points -12%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6832 Points -15%
Digital Content Creation
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
6110 Points +31%
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5520 Points +18%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
4662 Points
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 -10%
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 -32%
PCMark 8
Home 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)
4069 Points +9%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3842 Points +3%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3799 Points +2%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3761 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
3731 Points
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3546 Points -5%
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 +18%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
5271 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5265 Points +16%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
4762 Points +5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
4540 Points
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4483 Points -1%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3731 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4540 points
PCMark 10 Score
5125 points
Help

DPC Latency

LatencyMon shows steeper DPC latency issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage when compared to the base XPS 15 9500 Core i5 option. Thankfully, 4K UHD video playback remains smooth.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
9856 μs *
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
1916 μs * +81%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
1521 μs * +85%
Eluktronics RP-15
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H, Phison PM81000GPMQCN28BTF-E12S4 M.2 NVM SSD
515 μs * +95%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Our test unit comes with a 512 GB SK Hynix PC611 NVMe SSD with options to configure up to 2x 2 TB M.2 PCIe SSDs. Though it's not a Samsung or Toshiba drive, performance is still roughly on par with their respective high-end models. Historically, XPS systems have carried SSDs from SK Hynix, Toshiba, Samsung, and Lite-On and so it's not always easy to know which one of the four you may be getting.

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

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
SK Hynix PC611 512GB
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
AS SSD
32%
-25%
27%
30%
-69%
Seq Read
2072
1723
-17%
769
-63%
2643
28%
1274
-39%
1423
-31%
Seq Write
1486
1386
-7%
351.1
-76%
1533
3%
1395
-6%
766
-48%
4K Read
47.41
43.25
-9%
69.1
46%
49.12
4%
50.3
6%
42.21
-11%
4K Write
117.6
98.3
-16%
100.9
-14%
134.7
15%
119.8
2%
74.8
-36%
4K-64 Read
967
1078
11%
472
-51%
1028
6%
1599
65%
973
1%
4K-64 Write
715
1456
104%
948
33%
1353
89%
1455
103%
218.8
-69%
Access Time Read *
0.057
0.05
12%
0.071
-25%
0.033
42%
0.044
23%
0.125
-119%
Access Time Write *
0.096
0.039
59%
0.137
-43%
0.028
71%
0.092
4%
0.552
-475%
Score Read
1222
1294
6%
618
-49%
1342
10%
1777
45%
1157
-5%
Score Write
981
1693
73%
1084
10%
1641
67%
1714
75%
370
-62%
Score Total
2809
3638
30%
2024
-28%
3622
29%
4411
57%
2094
-25%
Copy ISO MB/s
1999
3182
59%
839
-58%
2226
11%
2830
42%
1151
-42%
Copy Program MB/s
627
984
57%
455.8
-27%
506
-19%
609
-3%
499.4
-20%
Copy Game MB/s
1001
1824
82%
969
-3%
1230
23%
1424
42%
733
-27%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
1%
2%
8%
-13%
-23%
Write 4K
123.3
104.3
-15%
102.2
-17%
138.1
12%
150.8
22%
93.3
-24%
Read 4K
41.85
45.23
8%
114.3
173%
45.89
10%
47.3
13%
45.9
10%
Write Seq
2054
1729
-16%
468.3
-77%
2147
5%
981
-52%
1211
-41%
Read Seq
1617
1861
15%
1236
-24%
2188
35%
976
-40%
1633
1%
Write 4K Q32T1
413
509
23%
556
35%
427.8
4%
442.7
7%
273.1
-34%
Read 4K Q32T1
377.5
388.5
3%
421.6
12%
404
7%
499.7
32%
356
-6%
Write Seq Q32T1
2705
2813
4%
1264
-53%
2396
-11%
1706
-37%
1198
-56%
Read Seq Q32T1
3442
2906
-16%
2239
-35%
3454
0%
1758
-49%
2269
-34%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
17% / 20%
-12% / -15%
18% / 20%
9% / 14%
-46% / -52%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix PC611 512GB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3442 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2705 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 377.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 413 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1617 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2054 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 41.85 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 123.3 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

The jump in performance from last year's GTX 1650 to the GTX 1650 Ti is relatively minor at just 7 to 16 percent, but it's measurable nonetheless. The difference is not large enough to be noticeable when running graphically demanding applications or games.

See our dedicated page on the GTX 1650 Ti for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. Overall, users can expect performance to be neck-to-neck with the older GTX 1060 mobile.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Time Spy
Time Spy
 
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
16808 Points +69%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
14718 Points +48%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
14463 Points +46%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
11332 Points +14%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
9930 Points
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
9195 Points -7%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8532 Points -14%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
8391 Points -15%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
7428 Points -25%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1189 Points -88%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6280 Points +74%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5534 Points +54%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
4734 Points +31%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3626 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
3601 Points
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
3492 Points -3%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3353 Points -7%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
3132 Points -13%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
2278 Points -37%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
382 Points -89%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6600 Points +75%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5697 Points +51%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
4763 Points +26%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
3839 Points +2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3795 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
3774 Points
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3676 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
3373 Points -11%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
2513 Points -33%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
441 Points -88%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
22629 Points +76%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
19670 Points +53%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
18234 Points +42%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13759 Points +7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
12865 Points
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
12620 Points -2%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
12388 Points -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
11991 Points -7%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
9079 Points -29%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1744 Points -86%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
13824 Points +6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
13027 Points
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12192 Points -6%
Gainward GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11707 Points -10%
Lenovo IdeaPad S740-15IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H
10846 Points -17%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H
8877 Points -32%
MSI P65 8RF-451 - Creator
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
8855 Points -32%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8801 Points -32%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
6839 Points -48%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H
1783 Points -86%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
39720 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
43517 points
3DMark 11 Performance
13331 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
20269 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
9222 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
3774 points
Help

Frame rates when idling on Witcher 3 at 1080p High settings are not consistent as shown by the graph below. There are recurring small bumps to ~70 FPS from ~62 FPS for no apparent reason even when on the Ultra Performance profiile. Ideally, frame rates should be steady throughout the hour-long test with no sudden bumps or dips. The XPS 15 isn't a gaming machine so this isn't a huge problem, but it's still less than ideal for a PC with GeForce GTX graphics.

0510152025303540455055606570Tooltip
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB: Ø63.2 (55-72)
low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 209.9 100.8 65.6 38.1
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 150 139 130 120 51.8
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 109 78.2 63.3 45.8
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 139 62 57 48
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 86 60 42 25
Apex Legends (2019) 144 91 84 74
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 73 57 58 51
Metro Exodus (2019) 91.6 48.7 35.9 27.9
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 247.3 92.7 74.6 44.8
The Division 2 (2019) 115 56 47 35
Anno 1800 (2019) 68.4 64.5 49.1 27.6
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 190.2 59.1 40.8 27.2
F1 2019 (2019) 206 105 89 76
Borderlands 3 (2019) 128.3 59.9 38.5 29.3
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 72 53 47 31
GRID 2019 (2019) 103.8 70.7 64.1 27.3
Need for Speed Heat (2019) 60.4 43.3 39 37.3
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 44.1 41.5 40.7
Escape from Tarkov (2020) 120.5 89.7 60.4 73
Hunt Showdown (2020) 150 58.5 47.5
Doom Eternal (2020) 149.5 90.7 66.6

Emissions

System Noise

In our Core i5 review, we mentioned that the system would remain silent even through the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06. For the Core i7 GeForce configuration, however, fan noise would slowly build up until hitting 46 dB(A) at the end of the same benchmark scene. It should surprise no one that the faster configuration runs louder sooner than the base Core i5 option.

When gaming, users can expect a fan noise between 42 dB(A) and 46 dB(A) depending on the processing load. We're able to record a maximum of 47.1 dB(A) compared to "only" 41.9 dB(A) on the Core i5 option.

Thankfully, the Core i7 system can be as quiet as the Core i5 system when running very low loads like browsing, word processing, or video streaming when set to Dell Optimized mode or Quiet mode. In this case, fan noise tends to top out at only 31.4 dB(A) to be just barely audible in most environments.

Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H, SK Hynix PC611 512GB
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel Optane Memory H10 with Solid State Storage 32GB + 512GB HBRPEKNX0202A(L/H)
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-10710U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
Noise
-2%
-0%
4%
3%
9%
off / environment *
28.4
28.2
1%
28.7
-1%
30.3
-7%
29.3
-3%
28
1%
Idle Minimum *
28.4
28.2
1%
28.7
-1%
30.3
-7%
30.1
-6%
28
1%
Idle Average *
28.4
28.2
1%
28.8
-1%
30.3
-7%
30.2
-6%
28
1%
Idle Maximum *
28.4
30.4
-7%
28.8
-1%
30.9
-9%
30.2
-6%
28
1%
Load Average *
46
43.8
5%
45
2%
31.3
32%
31.5
32%
28
39%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42
47.2
-12%
44.7
-6%
38.1
9%
37
12%
Load Maximum *
47.1
47.2
-0%
44.7
5%
38.2
19%
47
-0%
41.9
11%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.4 / 28.4 / 28.4 dB(A)
Load
46 / 47.1 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: 28.4 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are noticeably warmer across the board than on the base Core i5 configuration. Even when idling on desktop, for example, the surface hot spots can be as warm as 33 C compared to just 26 C on the Core i5 SKU. When gaming, the keyboard center can reach almost 50 C whereas the Core i5 SKU tops out at about 43 C.

The good news are that the palm rests, clickpad, and WASD keys never become uncomfortably warm and that the AC adapter isn't any warmer than the adapter for the Core i5 option. Dell ships the same 130 W AC adapter no matter the XPS 15 9500 configuration.

Note that the spot nearest the bottom left corner of the keyboard can become very warm at over 40 C since the primary NVMe SSD is installed directly underneath. Of course, this would only occur if the SSD is being accessed continuously.

Dual rear exhaust
Dual rear exhaust
Very warm AC adapter
Very warm AC adapter
Max. Load
 34.6 °C
94 F
44 °C
111 F
37.2 °C
99 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
40.2 °C
104 F
37 °C
99 F
 
 31.6 °C
89 F
34 °C
93 F
34.4 °C
94 F
 
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 36.2 °C = 97 F
40 °C
104 F
48.8 °C
120 F
33.2 °C
92 F
47 °C
117 F
45 °C
113 F
34 °C
93 F
33.6 °C
92 F
29 °C
84 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 48.8 °C = 120 F
Average: 37.7 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  57 °C = 135 F | Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.2 °C / 97 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 44 °C / 111 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 48.8 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.5 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 38.9 °C / 102 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.4 °C / 93.9 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-5.6 °C / -10.1 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates would boost up to 4.2 GHz for about 15 seconds until hitting a core temperature of 99 C. Thereafter, clock rates would fall to the 3.4 to 3.5 GHz range in order to maintain a slightly cooler core temperature of 90 C. After a minute, however, clock rates and temperature would fall even further to 2.9 GHz and 73 C, respectively, as shown by our screenshots below. This would occur even when running on Dell's Ultra Performance mode. Keep in mind that the Core i7-10875H is rated for a maximum Turbo Boost clock rate of 4.3 GHz for all eight cores meaning that the steady-state 2.9 GHz Turbo Boost on the XPS 15 is likely thermally limited.

When running Witcher 3, both the CPU and GPU would each stabilize in the low 70 C range to be nearly identical to what we recorded on last year's XPS 15 7590 with the Core i9 CPU and GTX 1650 GPU. From what we can tell, it looks like Dell was aiming to keep temperatures relatively consistent gen-to-gen meaning that users shouldn't expect the XPS 15 9500 to run all that much cooler or warmer than previous generation models despite the significant chassis redesign.

Interestingly, GPU clock rates would alternative between ~1470 MHz and ~1650 MHz every few minutes when idling on Witcher 3 instead of remaining constant like on most other laptops. The cycling clock rates are likely responsible for the undesirable frame rate behavior mentioned in our Witcher 3 graph above.

Running on battery power will limit performance. A Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 17354 and 7956 points, respectively, compared to 21030 and 9930 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- ~40 ~40
Prime95 Stress 2.8 - 3.0 -- 73 64
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 800 - 1100 1.0 - 1.3 65 67
Witcher 3 Stress ~4.4 ~1470 - 1650 ~70 ~72

Speakers

Pink noise at maximum volume. The XPS 15 speakers are surprisingly balanced when compared to other Ultrabooks
Pink noise at maximum volume. The XPS 15 speakers are surprisingly balanced when compared to other Ultrabooks
Two speakers near the front corners with two more facing upwards along the sides of the keyboard
Two speakers near the front corners with two more facing upwards along the sides of the keyboard

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Our Core i7 configuration draws significantly more power than the base Core i5 configuration by over 2x when gaming or under other high loads. Performance-per-watt, however, is still very much in favor of the Core i7 SKU especially in terms of graphics power. Average rates are very close to what we recorded on the 2019 XPS 15 7590 Core i9 SKU which aligns with our temperature observations above.

When running Prime95, consumption would spike to 135 W for about 15 seconds before falling to ~120 W for about a minute thereafter. Consumption eventually stabilizes at 84.4 W for a behavior similar to what we observed during our Stress Test clock rate observations.

We're able to record a maximum consumption of 135.2 W when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. This would eventually drop and fluctuate before finally stabilizing at about 89 W.

Consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Witcher 3 stress. Consumption cycles between 86 W and 106 W instead of remaining constant likely because of the fluctuating GPU clock rates. This is unlike most other laptops
Witcher 3 stress. Consumption cycles between 86 W and 106 W instead of remaining constant likely because of the fluctuating GPU clock rates. This is unlike most other laptops
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 135 W before falling to ~120 W and then finally to 84.4 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 135 W before falling to ~120 W and then finally to 84.4 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 135 W before falling and fluctuating
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 135 W before falling and fluctuating
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.13 / 1.09 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.7 / 13.5 / 19.6 Watt
Load midlight 114.1 / 135.2 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 i7 4K UHD
i7-10875H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, SK Hynix PC611 512GB, IPS, 3840x2400, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02, OLED, 3840x2160, 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
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1200, 15.60
Power Consumption
4%
6%
41%
14%
49%
Idle Minimum *
5.7
6.2
-9%
5.2
9%
2.8
51%
6.1
-7%
2.9
49%
Idle Average *
13.5
9.6
29%
10.7
21%
7.7
43%
13.2
2%
7.6
44%
Idle Maximum *
19.6
21.2
-8%
24.3
-24%
9.4
52%
19.2
2%
8
59%
Load Average *
114.1
104.3
9%
84.4
26%
57
50%
75
34%
41.7
63%
Witcher 3 ultra *
93
91.7
1%
83.9
10%
62
33%
74
20%
Load Maximum *
135.2
135.3
-0%
142.8
-6%
116
14%
89.7
34%
94.8
30%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Higher-end XPS 15 9500 configurations come with an 86 Wh battery compared to the smaller 56 Wh battery on SKUs without the GeForce GPU. The larger capacity balances out the more demanding hardware quite well as runtimes between our Core i5 and Core i7 SKUs are very close to one another. When both systems are set to the same WLAN conditions, we're able to reach just over 9 hours of constant use before automatic shutdown on each unit.

Charging, on the other hand, will take noticeably longer on the 86 Wh battery. Whereas the 56 Wh module would charge in just 1.5 hours, the 86 Wh battery would take a little over two hours from empty to full capacity.

The 86 Wh battery occupies the same volume as the lesser 56 Wh battery. It's technically possible to swap out one battery for another regardless of SKU.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
23h 02min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 06min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 01min
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
i7-10875H, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, 86 Wh
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
i9-9980HK, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 97 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 69 Wh
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC-A8190T
i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 71 Wh
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
i7-10710U, GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, 82 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
i5-8305G, Vega M GL / 870, 75 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, 56 Wh
Battery Runtime
5%
-22%
24%
-10%
-28%
-2%
Reader / Idle
1382
910
-34%
1092
-21%
1629
18%
1147
-17%
663
-52%
1581
14%
WiFi v1.3
546
467
-14%
583
7%
743
36%
456
-16%
564
3%
556
2%
Load
121
199
64%
59
-51%
142
17%
125
3%
78
-36%
93
-23%

Pros

+ great audio quality for an Ultrabook
+ bright, high quality 16:10 display
+ respectable CPU performance
+ 2x M.2 2280 PCIe slots
+ quiet under low loads
+ fast SD card reader
+ very large clickpad
+ long battery life
+ no PWM

Cons

- no major gen-to-gen improvements to temperature or noise
- average display response times; ghosting when gaming
- GPU performance and frame rates could be steadier
- integrated clickpad keys are on the spongy side
- display is slightly dimmer than FHD version
- no integrated USB-A or HDMI
- WLAN not user-upgradeable
- high DPC latency

Verdict

In review: Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD. Test unit provided by Dell
In review: Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD. Test unit provided by Dell

The XPS 15 9500 with Core i7-10875H and GTX 1650 Ti graphics serves to directly replace last year's XPS 15 with Core i9-9980HK and GTX 1650 graphics. Performance-wise, the newer model is marginally faster without needing to run any warmer or louder. Users who were hoping for a quieter or cooler experience will have to mend their original expectations as power consumption and noise have remained steady gen-over-gen.

The best reason for choosing the XPS 15 9500 over the older XPS 15 7590 is still for its 16:10 display because this change will be immediately noticeable and beneficial to the end-user in relation to the minor CPU or GPU performance upgrades. Other physical changes like the smaller dimensions, larger clickpad, improved audio, and better keyboard feedback help to make the newer model that much better to use than the 2019 model. Our main gripes with the system relate mostly to the over-reliance of USB Type-C and the average performance sustainability of the GPU when gaming. Fortunately, the former can be addressed with adapters while anyone bothered by the latter can choose from plenty of other options ranging from Alienware to MSI where GPU performance is both steadier and oftentimes faster.

The 2016 XPS 15 was a catalyst for narrow-bezel Ultrabook designs and the 2020 XPS 15 will likely do the same for 16:10 displays. This alone separates the XPS 15 9500 from other Core-H-powered Ultrabooks much more so than any processor differences you can find.

Download your licensed rating image as SVG / PNG

Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD - 06/09/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
92 / 98 → 94%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
67 / 80 → 83%
Weight
63 / 20-72 → 83%
Battery
86 / 95 → 90%
Display
87%
Games Performance
89 / 90 → 98%
Application Performance
90 / 90 → 100%
Temperature
85%
Noise
85 / 95 → 89%
Audio
95%
Camera
43 / 85 → 50%
Average
82%
90%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Laptop Review: No Core i9 Nonsense
Allen Ngo, 2020-06- 9 (Update: 2020-06-24)