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Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 Laptop Review: Pretty Much A MacBook Pro 17

Ginormous display. Can Dell dominate the 17-inch market the same way it captured the 15-inch market? The XPS 17 is surprisingly compact with specifications that read like something twice the size, but a few small details miss the mark.

The XPS 17 9700 is Dell's newest (and biggest) family member in its venerable XPS series. It inherits most of the physical attributes of the smaller XPS 13 9300 and XPS 15 9500 including the 16:10 aspect ratio, super-sized clickpad, chassis design and materials, and the narrow bezels on all four sides of the display.

Internally, the larger form factor has allowed Dell to incorporate both vapor chamber cooling and a faster GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU while keeping the same CPU options as found on the XPS 15. SKUs start with the quad-core Core i5-10300H CPU, 8 GB of DDR4-2933 RAM, 256 GB SSD, and 1200p 500-nit non-touch display for $1400 USD while higher-end SKUs double the native resolution and add touchscreen support, octa-core Core i7-10875H options, and GeForce GTX 1650 Ti or RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics for up to $3000 USD. A Core i9-10980HK option is planned for the near future.

Our test unit is the higher-end configuration equipped to the brim, but expect another review on a lower-end Core i5 SKU in the near future to get a bigger picture of the XPS 17 series. Competitors to the XPS 17 include other high-performance 17-inch multimedia or professional laptops like the HP Envy 17, Gigabyte Aero 17, MSI Creator 17, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro 16

More Dell reviews:

Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q (XPS 17 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10875H 8 x 2.3 - 5.1 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 975 MHz, Memory: 1375 MHz, GDDR6, 442.92, Optimus
Memory
32 GB 
, SK Hynix DDR4 PC4-25600, 21-21-21-47, Dual-Channel
Display
17.00 inch 16:10, 3840 x 2400 pixel 266 PPI, 10-point capacitive, Sharp LQ170R1, IPS, SHP14D6, Dell P/N: 7JXK8, glossy: yes, HDR, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel WM490 (Comet Lake PCH-H)
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 4 USB 3.1 Gen2, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 4 Thunderbolt, 4 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): 19.5 x 374.45 x 248.05 ( = 0.77 x 14.74 x 9.77 in)
Battery
97 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 2.5 W x2 + 1.5 W x2, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, USB-C to HDMI and USB-A adapter, Dell Power Manager, Update, Mobile Connect, CinemaColor, Digital Delivery, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.49 kg ( = 87.83 oz / 5.49 pounds), Power Supply: 426 g ( = 15.03 oz / 0.94 pounds)
Price
3000 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
87.9 %
07/2020
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
2.5 kg19.5 mm17.00"3840x2400
82.5 %
07/2020
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
2.4 kg20 mm17.30"3840x2160
80.9 %
06/2020
HP Envy 17t-cg000
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX330
2.7 kg19.3 mm17.30"3840x2160
87 %
04/2020
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
2.7 kg21 mm17.30"3840x2160
87.4 %
06/2020
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.7 kg19.9 mm17.30"1920x1080

Case — An Enlarged XPS 15

It's easy to become enamored by the design and visual style of the XPS 17. This is one of the best-looking 17-inch laptops available as Dell has translated the look and feel of the already excellent XPS 15 to a 17-inch size almost perfectly.

We have to say "almost perfectly" because some aspects of the chassis feel weaker than they do on the XPS 15. The display and base, for example, flex and creak slightly more when twisting its corners while the hinges could be stiffer as well to give a better sense of longevity. Thicker and larger 17-inch laptops like the Razer Blade Pro 17 have the advantage in this regard.

Much like how the XPS 15 has some of the smallest footprints of any 15.6-inch laptop, the XPS 17 is probably the most portable 17-inch laptop we've seen. This is partly due to its slightly smaller 17-inch screen size when compared to the more common 17.3-inch, but the taller 16:10 aspect ratio makes up for this difference.

The system is still hefty at 2.5 kg despite its smaller dimensions as vapor chambers are traditionally heavier than standard copper heat pipes. If you plan to travel frequently with a 17-inch laptop, then this or the LG Gram 17 would be your two best options.

Familiar carbon fiber palm rests as on the XPS 15 and XPS 13. The white fiberglass option, however, is not available
Familiar carbon fiber palm rests as on the XPS 15 and XPS 13. The white fiberglass option, however, is not available
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~150 degrees
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~150 degrees
Expect fingerprints to accumulate quickly yet again on the rubberized black surfaces
Expect fingerprints to accumulate quickly yet again on the rubberized black surfaces
Fingerprint-enabled Power button. Speakers grilles are now larger along the sides, but the actual speakers are identical to the XPS 15
Fingerprint-enabled Power button. Speakers grilles are now larger along the sides, but the actual speakers are identical to the XPS 15
The visual XPS design translates very well to a 17-inch form factor
The visual XPS design translates very well to a 17-inch form factor
The bottom magnesium panel rises around the sides much like on the XPS 15 9500
The bottom magnesium panel rises around the sides much like on the XPS 15 9500
The front edge has no grip which makes opening the lid slippery and difficult
The front edge has no grip which makes opening the lid slippery and difficult
Small hinges for such a large screen size. The display creaks slightly when adjusting its angle
Small hinges for such a large screen size. The display creaks slightly when adjusting its angle
399 mm / 15.7 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 2.7 kg6.02 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.7 kg5.86 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2.4 kg5.27 lbs395 mm / 15.6 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.7 kg5.99 lbs374.45 mm / 14.7 inch 248.05 mm / 9.77 inch 19.5 mm / 0.768 inch 2.5 kg5.49 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 16.2 mm / 0.638 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity — Copying the MacBook Pro to a Tee

During a conference call with HP a few months ago, a company rep had this to say about the MacBook Pro 15:

"What are you going to do with four Thunderbolt 3 ports?"

We're not really sure, either, but one thing's for certain: be prepared to carry a bunch of adapters with you. It's a bit unfortunate that Dell couldn't squeeze in any other ports despite the larger 17-inch form factor. The HP Envy 17t, for example, integrates both HDMI and USB Type-A in addition to USB Type-C.

Annoyingly, the ports are packed tightly together along the edges so thicker adapters and docking stations may block access to adjacent ports.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, SD card reader, 3.5 mm combo audio
Right: 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3, SD card reader, 3.5 mm combo audio
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Wedge lock, 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3
Left: Wedge lock, 2x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3

SD Card Reader

The integrated SD card reader returns very fast transfer rates much like on the XPS 15. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes just 5 to 6 seconds. Note that the card reader is not spring-loaded.

Fully inserted SD card still protrudes by a few millimeters
Fully inserted SD card still protrudes by a few millimeters
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
208.5 MB/s +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
207 MB/s +6%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
195.4 MB/s
HP Envy 17t-cg000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
75 MB/s -62%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
245 MB/s +24%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
208.3 MB/s +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197.9 MB/s
HP Envy 17t-cg000
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
82.6 MB/s -58%

Communication

The Wi-Fi 6-enabled Killer 1650 comes standard on all SKUs. We would have preferred the Intel AX200/201 instead because Killer Wi-Fi typically targets gamers and the XPS 17 is not marketed as a gaming machine. Nonetheless, we didn't experience any issues when connected to our Netgear RAX200 test router.

The WLAN module is soldered at not user-removable
The WLAN module is soldered at not user-removable
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1410 MBit/s +64%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1297 (574min - 1585max) MBit/s +50%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1283 (1089min - 1413max) MBit/s +49%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1270 MBit/s +47%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
862 (667min - 971max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1390 MBit/s +5%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1382 (726min - 1504max) MBit/s +5%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1340 MBit/s +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1321 (1216min - 1419max) MBit/s
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1182 (1085min - 1338max) MBit/s -11%
050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900950100010501100115012001250130013501400Tooltip
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1321 (1216-1419)
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø862 (667-971)

Webcam

ColorChecker
8.5 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
11.2 ∆E
17.5 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
18.9 ∆E
15.3 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
4.4 ∆E
9 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
4.8 ∆E
11.9 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
9.7 ∆E
5 ∆E
14.1 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
11.5 ∆E
10.9 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
ColorChecker Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q: 10.3 ∆E min: 3.57 - max: 18.89 ∆E

Maintenance

The bottom panel is secured by eight T5 Torx screws and it's generally more difficult to open up than the XPS 15 7590 since the edges and corners are tighter and sharper. A plastic edge like an old credit card is recommended to avoid any finger cuts.

Two DDR4 SODIMM RAM slots are available alongside two M.2 2280 slots for storage.

Accessories and Warranty

The retail box includes a handy adapter for both USB-A and HDMI 2.0 connectivity which is more than what we can say for the MacBook Pro 15. Other USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 docking stations and monitors will be a natural fit for the system.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with plenty of extension options if ordered directly from Dell.

Input Devices — Like Typing on an XPS 15

Keyboard

Dell uses the same keyboard keys and layout between the XPS 15 9500 and XPS 17 9700 for a similar typing experience between them. Thus, if you're comfortable typing on the XPS 15, then you'll feel right at home on the XPS 17 as key sizes are identical. Key travel is shallower than an HP Spectre or Dell Latitude but feedback remains crisp with moderate clatter.

Touchpad

The clickpad is the same size as the one on the latest XPS 15 (~15.1 x 9 cm) with similar traction for easy scrolling and cursor control.

No matter how big and roomy the clickpad may be, however, it can't replace the more tactile and accurate feeling of dedicated mouse buttons. The integrated buttons here are soft in feedback for an unsatisfying click when pressed. Multi-touch actions like dragging and dropping are much easier to perform with two hands due to the sheer size of the clickpad.

Exact same keyboard and clickpad as on the XPS 15 9500 with essentially no differences in size or feel
Exact same keyboard and clickpad as on the XPS 15 9500 with essentially no differences in size or feel
Expect unsightly fingerprints to build up quickly on the Precision clickpad and palm rests surfaces
Expect unsightly fingerprints to build up quickly on the Precision clickpad and palm rests surfaces
Key travel is shallower than we would like at 1.3 mm, but it's not as shallow as the MagLev keys on the XPS 15 9575
Key travel is shallower than we would like at 1.3 mm, but it's not as shallow as the MagLev keys on the XPS 15 9575
Up and Down arrow keys are still cramped to use
Up and Down arrow keys are still cramped to use

Display — Highest Screen-to-Body Ratio On Any 17-inch Laptop

Sharp is once again responsible for the XPS display and it is easily one of the best aspects of the XPS 17. Open up the display for the first time and most everyone will be taken aback by how huge the screen is relative to the rest of the chassis. Perhaps not by coincidence, measured brightness, response times, and contrast ratio are very close to what we observed on the MacBook Pro 16 which uses a high quality panel as well. Nonetheless, Dell still edges out the MacBook Pro display due to its higher PPI and wider gamut for deeper colors.

One of the highest screen-to-body ratios we've seen on any 17-inch laptop
One of the highest screen-to-body ratios we've seen on any 17-inch laptop
The bezels are so narrow that it's easy to accidentally touch the corners of the touchscreen when trying to close the lid or adjust the angle
The bezels are so narrow that it's easy to accidentally touch the corners of the touchscreen when trying to close the lid or adjust the angle
Crisp RGB subpixels from the glossy screen. Onscreen content is almost grain-free
Crisp RGB subpixels from the glossy screen. Onscreen content is almost grain-free
Minor-moderate uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom edge. The center screen appears "pinched" on our test unit as well
Minor-moderate uneven backlight bleeding along the bottom edge. The center screen appears "pinched" on our test unit as well
473.6
cd/m²
479.8
cd/m²
497.9
cd/m²
464.5
cd/m²
539.4
cd/m²
499.2
cd/m²
455.3
cd/m²
529.1
cd/m²
506.3
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Sharp LQ170R1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 539.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 493.9 cd/m² Minimum: 33.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 539.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1686:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.91
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
90.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.15
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Sharp LQ170R1, IPS, 17.00, 3840x2400
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Sharp LQ173M1JW02, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
B173ZAN05.0 (AUO278E), Mini-LED IPS-Level, 17.30, 3840x2160
HP Envy 17t-cg000
AU Optronics AUO168E, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
APPA044, IPS, 16.00, 3072x1920
Display
-16%
-9%
-2%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
90.5
72.2
-20%
82
-9%
86.2
-5%
86.5
-4%
sRGB Coverage
100
98.5
-1%
97.5
-2%
100
0%
100
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.8
73
-27%
84
-16%
99.8
0%
100
0%
Response Times
80%
72%
10%
6%
-6%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
51.2 ?(27.2, 24)
5.6 ?(2.6, 3)
89%
45.2 ?(24, 21)
12%
55.2 ?(26.8, 28.4)
-8%
52.4 ?(23.9, 28.5)
-2%
Response Time Black / White *
32 ?(18, 14)
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
70%
8.8 ?(1.2, 7.6)
72%
29.6 ?(16.4, 13.2)
7%
26 ?(9.2, 16.8)
19%
34.9 ?(17.8, 17.1)
-9%
PWM Frequency
26600 ?(83)
131700
Screen
-46%
-6%
-46%
17%
12%
Brightness middle
539.4
328
-39%
996
85%
383.4
-29%
487
-10%
519
-4%
Brightness
494
329
-33%
952
93%
382
-23%
475
-4%
477
-3%
Brightness Distribution
84
78
-7%
93
11%
86
2%
95
13%
86
2%
Black Level *
0.32
0.35
-9%
0.68
-113%
0.34
-6%
0.38
-19%
0.39
-22%
Contrast
1686
937
-44%
1465
-13%
1128
-33%
1282
-24%
1331
-21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.12
4.74
-15%
4.21
-2%
6.24
-51%
1.19
71%
2.28
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.65
8.99
-18%
6.79
11%
10.18
-33%
2.43
68%
6.54
15%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.91
2.12
46%
2.03
48%
3.7
5%
0.5
87%
0.86
78%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.5
6.8
-353%
4.1
-173%
6.6
-340%
1.45
3%
0.9
40%
Gamma
2.15 102%
2.2 100%
2.207 100%
2.272 97%
2.21 100%
2145 0%
CCT
6438 101%
6446 101%
7491 87%
5973 109%
6557 99%
6572 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
90.4
64.8
-28%
84
-7%
88
-3%
88
-3%
78
-14%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
98.6
-1%
97
-3%
100
0%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / -24%
19% / -1%
-13% / -31%
7% / 12%
3% / 9%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers all of sRGB and over 90 percent of AdobeRGB to be similar to most professional laptops like the MSI Creator 17 or Gigabyte Aero 17. The typical consumer Ultrabook covers about 60 percent of AdobeRGB in comparison.

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

The display is well calibrated out of the box with average grayscale DeltaE and ColorChecker values of just 1.5 and 4.12, respectively. Attempting to calibrate the panel even further ourselves would result in insignificant changes and so an end-user calibration is not necessary.

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
32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 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. » 84 % 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
51.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 27.2 ms rise
↘ 24 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. » 86 % 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 visibility is tolerable when under shade even though there will be some glare from the glossy screen. We recommend setting the brightness to maximum and increasing the font scale to avoid squinting. Direct sunlight will wash out colors and should be avoided.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles. Colors degrades only slightly even from extreme angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Colors degrades only slightly even from extreme angles

Performance — Now with GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q Options

Much like the XPS 15, Dell is targeting both multimedia users and high-performance users with the XPS 17. Users who just want to use the system for schoolwork, browsing, or video can go with a Core i5 UHD graphics SKU while more demanding users can configure with the Core i7 and discrete GeForce GTX 1650 Ti or RTX 2060 Max-Q. Dell says Core i9 options will be coming in the near future, but it's kind of a bummer that there are no Ryzen options planned.

Nvidia Optimus comes standard with our GeForce configuration while RAM is expandable up to 64 GB-2933. All benchmarks below were performed on Dell's Ultra Performance mode for the highest possible scores.

Processor

CPU performance is essentially identical to the Razer Blade Pro 17 while being slightly faster than the XPS 15 9500 all equipped with the same Core i7-10875H CPU. Upgrading from the lower-end Core i5-10300H option or last year's Core i7-9750H will net roughly 60 percent and 40 percent faster multi-thread performance, respectively. Thicker systems like the Alienware m17 R2 or MSI GE75 with the older Core i9-9880H will still outperform our Dell system by virtue of having larger cooling solutions for higher sustained clock rates.

Jumping from the i7-10875H to the i9-10980HK will likely just bring just minimal benefits again much like what we observed on the XPS 15. 

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-10875H here for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
095190285380475570665760855950104511401235133014251520161517101805Tooltip
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1366 (1339.18-1451.59)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1362 (1352.68-1494.38)
Alienware m17 R2 P41E GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK, 2x SK Hynix PC601 NVMe 512 GB (RAID 0); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1640 (1625.22-1699.96)
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1773 (1724.58-1815.79)
MSI GE75 9SG GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1619 (1602.44-1728.31)
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)
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4339 Points +30%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
4288 Points +29%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
4136 Points +24%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
3883 Points +17%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
3712 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1986 - 4176, n=32)
3455 Points +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
3329 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
3224 Points -3%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
3178 Points -5%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
2707 Points -19%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
2357 Points -29%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
2107 Points -37%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
495 Points +2%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
489 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (430 - 524, n=32)
486 Points +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
483 Points
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
481 Points 0%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
478 Points -1%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
460 Points -5%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
446 Points -8%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
441 Points -9%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
428 Points -11%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
422 Points -13%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
403 Points -17%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1892 (1814.88min - 1892.51max) Points +30%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
1863 Points +28%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1754 Points +21%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1737 (1552.73min - 1737.47max) Points +20%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +19%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1003 - 1833, n=38)
1554 Points +7%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
1452 (1339.18min - 1451.59max) Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1398 (1313.46min - 1397.77max) Points -4%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
1347 (1253.05min - 1347.16max) Points -7%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
1191 Points -18%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
1097 Points -24%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
889 (827.87min - 893.75max) Points -39%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (190 - 220, n=37)
204 Points +1%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
203 Points 0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
202 Points
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
195 Points -3%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
193 Points -4%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points -6%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
189 Points -6%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
189 Points -6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
186 Points -8%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
178 Points -12%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
173 Points -14%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
165 Points -18%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
508 Seconds * -54%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
347 Seconds * -5%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
345 Seconds * -5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
330 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (259 - 535, n=30)
327 Seconds * +1%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
297 Seconds * +10%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
293 Seconds * +11%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
286 Seconds * +13%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
262 Seconds * +21%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (5071 - 5780, n=31)
5360 MIPS +1%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5336 MIPS 0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
5316 MIPS
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
5026 MIPS -5%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
4924 MIPS -7%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4889 MIPS -8%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
4699 MIPS -12%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
4634 MIPS -13%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
4471 MIPS -16%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
51468 MIPS +24%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
48577 MIPS +17%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
46591 MIPS +12%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
45938 MIPS +11%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (29844 - 49562, n=31)
43117 MIPS +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
41529 MIPS
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
36693 MIPS -12%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
36370 MIPS -12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
24388 MIPS -41%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
1305 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (1233 - 1371, n=29)
1304 Points 0%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1302 Points 0%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
1219 Points -7%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
1218 Points -7%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
1197 Points -8%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
1183 Points -9%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1108 Points -15%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8666 Points +11%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
8068 Points +3%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
7825 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (5715 - 8620, n=29)
7734 Points -1%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
7675 Points -2%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
6298 Points -20%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
5260 Points -33%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4399 Points -44%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
13.1 fps +18%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
12.5 fps +13%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
12.19 fps +10%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
11.86 fps +7%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (7.27 - 14.1, n=27)
11.7 fps +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
11.1 fps
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
10.5 fps -5%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
9.27 fps -16%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
7.28 fps -34%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
95.8 s * -103%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
64.1 s * -36%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
63.6 s * -35%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
55.3 s * -17%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
51.9 s * -10%
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (30.2 - 84.3, n=30)
50.3 s * -7%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
47.1 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
0.646 sec * -9%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-44-R5FT
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
0.626 sec * -6%
MSI GE75 Raider 10SE-008US
Intel Core i7-10750H
0.617 sec * -5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.59 sec *
Average Intel Core i7-10875H
  (0.546 - 0.662, n=29)
0.582 sec * +1%
Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.581 sec * +2%
MSI Bravo 17 A4DDR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
0.568 sec * +4%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1452 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
144 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
202 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are within single-digit percentage points of the XPS 15 9500 with the exception of our much higher Digital Creation score due to the faster GPU. We recommend that users become familiar with the pre-installed Dell Power Manager application as its settings more closely influence system performance, battery life, and fan behavior than the standard Windows power profiles.

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
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6483 Points +14%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
6290 Points +11%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
5758 Points +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
5672 Points
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4102 Points -28%
Essentials
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
10024 Points +5%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
9831 Points +3%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
9507 Points
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
9303 Points -2%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7822 Points -18%
Productivity
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
8176 Points +6%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
8028 Points +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
7683 Points
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
7633 Points -1%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6847 Points -11%
Digital Content Creation
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
9022 Points +33%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
8560 Points +26%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
7296 Points +8%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
6781 Points
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3499 Points -48%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
5217 Points +43%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3762 Points +3%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
3649 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
6317 Points +44%
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5267 Points +20%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
4385 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3649 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4385 points
PCMark 10 Score
5672 points
Help

DPC Latency

LatencyMon shows high execution times caused by ACPI.sys even though interrupt times are short. 4K video playback is otherwise smooth and with no dropped frames recorded.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3071 μs * -371%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
1933 μs * -196%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
1030 μs * -58%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
973 μs * -49%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
652 μs *
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
453 μs * +31%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The two internal M.2 2280 storage slots support PCIe SSDs with one supporting SATA as well. Dell sources SSDs from a handful of OEMs so it's a gamble between Micron, SK Hynix, Toshiba, and Intel based on our experience with previous XPS systems. The 1 TB Micron 2200S in our unit is still fast even if it doesn't quite seem to reach the speeds of a 1 TB Samsung PM981.

Two M.2 2280 PCIx x4 slots with copper head spreaders just like on the XPS 15
Two M.2 2280 PCIx x4 slots with copper head spreaders just like on the XPS 15
Unlike on the XPS 15, however, the battery must be removed first before the M.2 slots become accessible
Unlike on the XPS 15, however, the battery must be removed first before the M.2 slots become accessible
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Lite-On CA5-8D512
HP Envy 17t-cg000
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
Apple SSD AP1024 7171
Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro 17 W700G3T
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
AS SSD
19%
20%
79%
39%
104%
Seq Read
1141
2019
77%
1161
2%
1762
54%
2531
122%
2958
159%
Seq Write
994
1314
32%
809
-19%
2309
132%
2289
130%
2350
136%
4K Read
31.98
46.61
46%
40.63
27%
49.45
55%
15.85
-50%
56.6
77%
4K Write
61
90.2
48%
138.6
127%
117.1
92%
39.88
-35%
106.1
74%
4K-64 Read
790
665
-16%
857
8%
1237
57%
1267
60%
1836
132%
4K-64 Write
845
813
-4%
1041
23%
1986
135%
1749
107%
1789
112%
Access Time Read *
0.063
0.058
8%
0.067
-6%
0.076
-21%
0.122
-94%
0.061
3%
Access Time Write *
0.679
0.167
75%
0.026
96%
0.032
95%
0.095
86%
0.036
95%
Score Read
966
913
-5%
1013
5%
1463
51%
1536
59%
2189
127%
Score Write
1005
1034
3%
1260
25%
2334
132%
2018
101%
2130
112%
Score Total
2448
2392
-2%
2783
14%
4581
87%
4317
76%
5411
121%
Copy ISO MB/s
1732
1715
-1%
1350
-22%
1995
15%
Copy Program MB/s
717
622
-13%
766
7%
584
-19%
Copy Game MB/s
1343
1506
12%
1190
-11%
1135
-15%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
48%
11%
53%
22%
53%
Write 4K
64.1
119
86%
124.2
94%
123.4
93%
55.5
-13%
147.6
130%
Read 4K
39.93
51.9
30%
46.11
15%
45.59
14%
16.21
-59%
47.57
19%
Write Seq
1191
2258
90%
2320
95%
1959
64%
2222
87%
Read Seq
1418
2283
61%
2013
42%
1763
24%
2543
79%
Write 4K Q32T1
450.3
491
9%
447
-1%
489.3
9%
398.5
-12%
459.2
2%
Read 4K Q32T1
365
540
48%
350.1
-4%
559
53%
648
78%
515
41%
Write Seq Q32T1
1563
2253
44%
1463
-6%
2979
91%
2727
74%
2167
39%
Read Seq Q32T1
2683
3172
18%
1751
-35%
3432
28%
3242
21%
3430
28%
Write 4K Q8T8
445.5
Read 4K Q8T8
926
Total Average (Program / Settings)
34% / 29%
16% / 17%
66% / 68%
31% / 33%
79% / 83%

* ... smaller is better

Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2683 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1563 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 365 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 450.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1418 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1191 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 39.93 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 64.1 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance — Gaming Capable, But Not Gaming Optimal

The XPS 17 is the second laptop ever to ship with the uncommon GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q (the first being the Asus Zephyrus G14). Though it's about 10 to 15 percent slower here than the standard mobile RTX 2060, it's still significantly faster than the GTX 1650 options as found on the XPS 15 series or less expensive XPS 17 SKUs by about 50 percent each.

It's too bad that Dell isn't offering a GTX 1660 Ti option as raw gaming performance is nearly identical to the pricier RTX 2060 Max-Q sans ray-tracing acceleration.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q for more technical information and benchmark details.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Port Royal
Port Royal
Tiime Spy
Tiime Spy
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
19655 Points +38%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
19338 Points +36%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17792 Points +25%
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
16808 Points +18%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
15334 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (14129 - 15650, n=4)
14900 Points +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H
14241 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
9930 Points -30%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8532 Points -40%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7732 Points +44%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7372 Points +38%
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6280 Points +17%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
5744 Points +7%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5689 Points +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (5357 - 5914, n=4)
5637 Points +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H
5357 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
3601 Points -33%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3353 Points -37%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7878 Points +40%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7482 Points +33%
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
6600 Points +17%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
6045 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (5390 - 6171, n=4)
5813 Points +3%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
5640 Points 0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H
5637 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
3774 Points -33%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
3676 Points -35%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
26413 Points +40%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
26292 Points +39%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
23414 Points +24%
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
22629 Points +20%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
20793 Points +10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (18863 - 21105, n=4)
19881 Points +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H
18863 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
12865 Points -32%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
12388 Points -34%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
15591 Points +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H
15054 Points
Eluktronics RP-15
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, R7 4800H
13824 Points -8%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13742 Points -9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (12071 - 15054, n=4)
13423 Points -11%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, R7 4800H
13311 Points -12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i7 4K UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile, i7-10875H
13027 Points -13%
Alienware 17 R5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11288 Points -25%
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i9-9980HK
8801 Points -42%
3DMark 11 Performance
18021 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
31845 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
13173 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5637 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Dell doesn't market its XPS series to gamers, but the XPS 17 is wholly capable of playing the latest games nonetheless. However, a couple of roadblocks prevent it from being a "proper" gaming machine. Response times on the 4K panel are somewhat slow so gamers can expect a lot of ghosting when playing fast-paced games. There are certainly better alternatives out there if you're going to spend this much on a laptop for gaming.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
75.3 (63min) fps +34%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
72.7 (61min - 82max) fps +30%
Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, AMD Radeon RX 5600M
66.1 (62min - 70max) fps +18%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (51.2 - 62.9, n=4)
57.2 fps +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
56.1 (51min - 61max) fps
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
55.6 (53min - 60max) fps -1%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, AMD Radeon RX 5300M
38.3 (31min) fps -32%
MSI GF75 Thin 10SCXR
Intel Core i5-10300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
37.7 fps -33%
Asus TUF FX705GM
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
36.5 fps -35%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
99 (78min) fps +52%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
90 fps +38%
Asus TUF A17 FA706IU-AS76
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
73 fps +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (65 - 74, n=2)
69.5 fps +7%
Dell G5 15 SE 5505 P89F
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, AMD Radeon RX 5600M
68 fps +5%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
65 fps
Asus TUF FX705GM
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
47 fps -28%
MSI GF75 Thin 10SCXR
Intel Core i5-10300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
44 (35min - 73max) fps -32%
MSI Bravo 15 A4DCR
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, AMD Radeon RX 5300M
36 (24min) fps -45%

(September 9, 2020 update: We reran our Witcher 3 test on a newer second unit with better results. The dips recorded below did not appear during a re-test on the second unit.)

Idling on Witcher 3 should result in stable frame rates throughout, but that is not the case on the XPS 17 as frame rates would begin to periodically dip to to the 10 to 20 FPS range after the first 30 minutes into the stress test. We re-tested this twice on Dell's Ultra Performance profile and results would remain the same. We're not sure what is responsible as we can notice no dip in GPU clock rates while running the game, but this is extremely unusual and not something we've recorded before on any other laptop.

05101520253035404550Tooltip
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK: Ø45 (6-55)
low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 284.8 182.1 109 56.1 24.9
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 152 140 131 123 75.5
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 111 97.8 79.8 63.7
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 118 84 75 65 20
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 105 75 70 63
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 276.7 125.3 105.3 60.5 24.4
Control (2019) 183.7 67.1 50.4
GRID 2019 (2019) 157.4 109.4 103.4 73.5 33.1
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 92.9 88 77.8
Gears Tactics (2020) 257.9 120.4 76.4 56.9 18.9

Emissions

System Noise — Very Quiet when Low, Very Loud when High

Dell has taken a page out of the Razer playbook by equipping its XPS 17 with a vapor chamber cooler in contrast to the traditional copper heat pipe solution as found on the XPS 15. The twin fans are also larger this time around at 65 to 70 mm in diameter compared to the 45 mm fans of its smaller sibling.

Even with these significant cooling changes, we can't say that fan noise isn't any quieter when under high loads. Running the first 90-second benchmark scene of 3DMark 06 results in a fan noise of 43 dB(A) while gaming on Ultra Performance mode will induce 49 dB(A). Such numbers are more comparable to ultra-thin gaming laptops rather than other multimedia laptops which is probably unsurprising given that the XPS 17 comes equipped with a GeForce RTX GPU.

However, the Dell system is able to remain silent for very long periods with little to no fan pulsing behavior when simply browsing the web or streaming video. At worst, we're able to record 30.5 dB(A) during these low loads against a silent background of 28 dB(A). We like that the fans are mostly idle during undemanding loads whereas the fans on many other high-performance laptops tend to kick into gear sooner and more abruptly.

Accessible RAM and storage bays sit adjacent to the fans
Accessible RAM and storage bays sit adjacent to the fans
Twin ~65 mm fans are very large even for a 17-inch chassis
Twin ~65 mm fans are very large even for a 17-inch chassis
Vapor chamber cooler for the first time on an XPS laptop. We can notice no electronic noise on our test unit
Vapor chamber cooler for the first time on an XPS laptop. We can notice no electronic noise on our test unit
Plenty of ventilation grilles along the rear edge
Plenty of ventilation grilles along the rear edge
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Lite-On CA5-8D512
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
HP Envy 17t-cg000
GeForce MX330, i7-1065G7, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
Noise
-4%
-11%
2%
-16%
-8%
off / environment *
28
28.2
-1%
30
-7%
28.2
-1%
30
-7%
25
11%
Idle Minimum *
28
28.2
-1%
32
-14%
28.2
-1%
35
-25%
32
-14%
Idle Average *
28
28.2
-1%
33
-18%
28.2
-1%
36
-29%
35
-25%
Idle Maximum *
28
30.5
-9%
40
-43%
29.5
-5%
38
-36%
43
-54%
Load Average *
43.2
42.2
2%
47
-9%
43.9
-2%
47
-9%
44
-2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
49
53
-8%
46
6%
43.9
10%
49
-0%
41
16%
Load Maximum *
50.5
55.5
-10%
48
5%
43.9
13%
54
-7%
45
11%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28 / 28 / 28 dB(A)
Load
43.2 / 50.5 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 temperature gradient is largely symmetrical meaning that any hot spots are nearest the keyboard center. When gaming or running extreme loads, this area can be as warm as 54 C while the bottom can reach 44 C as shown by our temperature maps below. Results are about the same as on the XPS 15 if not slightly warmer despite the larger form factor and vapor chamber cooling.

It's worth noting that surface temperatures will be warmer than usual during low loads since the fans will likely be idling. It's a small trade off for having the fans be as quiet as possible when typing, browsing, or watching videos. Surface temperatures will also be quite warm when on Standby mode and plugged into an outlet.

Rear exhaust
Rear exhaust
AC adapter after running high loads for an over hour
AC adapter after running high loads for an over hour
Max. Load
 39 °C
102 F
53 °C
127 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
44.8 °C
113 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
 29.4 °C
85 F
33.8 °C
93 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 53 °C = 127 F
Average: 36.2 °C = 97 F
34.2 °C
94 F
39.2 °C
103 F
34.8 °C
95 F
28.6 °C
83 F
33 °C
91 F
30 °C
86 F
29 °C
84 F
31 °C
88 F
30.6 °C
87 F
Maximum: 39.2 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.3 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 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 53 °C / 127 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 39.2 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.2 °C / 93.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-5.4 °C / -9.8 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 — High Core Temperatures Under Full Load

For better or worse, Dell likes to run its processors at extremely warm temperatures as exemplified by the Alienware series, the XPS 13/15, and the recent G5 15 SE. This is good in that users are getting as much CPU performance as the cooling solution can allow, but also unfavorable in terms of processor lifespan. Running Prime95 results in stable CPU clock rates and temperature of 2.9 to 3.1 GHz and 99 C, respectively, compared to 3.2 to 3.3 GHz and just 66 C on the larger Razer Blade Pro 17 equipped with the same processor.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world loads. The CPU and GPU would stabilize at much cooler and respectable temperatures of 73 C and 62 C, respectively.

Running on battery power will limit performance. A Fire Strike run on batteries would returns Physics and Graphics scores of 15946 and 4425 points, respectively, compared to 18558 and 14241 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress stress
Prime95+FurMark stress stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 42 40
Prime95 Stress 2.9 - 3.1 -- 99 58
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.0 - 3.1 ~1020 99 68
Witcher 3 Stress ~4.6 1440 73 62

Speakers

Even though the XPS 17 is larger than the XPS 15 and has larger speaker grilles along the sides of its keyboard, audio quality remains the same. The system still comes with two 2.5 W speakers and two 1.5 W tweeters for the same 8 W audio output. Bass reproduction is excellent for an ultra-thin laptop and comparable to the HP Spectre x360 15. The palm rests will vibrate to the touch when audio is set to 50 percent or higher.

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
Two speakers near front corners with two more facing upwards
Two speakers near front corners with two more facing upwards
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203834.2382531.429.131.43134.333.934.34030.62730.65031.12531.16332.230.532.28034.222.534.210044.821.844.812550.819.150.816052.717.852.720053.917.953.925058.11658.131558.717.858.740060.915.560.950059.614.759.663059.813.859.880062.512.662.5100062.912.762.91250621262160064.912.264.9200068.712.568.7250061.512.861.5315059.81359.8400062.413.662.450006213.76263006314.263800065.614.565.61000067.614.267.61250064.21464.21600054.513.254.5SPL75.825.775.8N38.60.738.6median 61.5median 14median 61.5Delta32.2335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-QApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 9% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% 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 — Can USB-C Really Power a 17-inch GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q Laptop?

(September 9, 2020 update: We've re-tested power consumption on a second unit. Details can be found here.)

Idling on desktop consumes just 5 W to 6 W when on the lowest brightness setting and power profile which likely explains the long battery life we recorded in the next section below. Simply switching to High Performance mode with the discrete GPU enabled and at maximum screen brightness would consume 21 W meaning it's well worth setting the system to Power Saver mode if battery life is of importance. Even so, the system is very power efficient when compared to other performance 17-inch laptops with the same CPU and GPU class.

Power consumption becomes strange when running higher loads like gaming. Although the XPS 17 uses the same 130 W AC adapter as the XPS 15, it is unable to pull more than ~100 W no matter the onscreen load. The system must then pull power from the battery to make up for this difference which results in faster-than-expected battery drain over time even when connected to an outlet. When running Witcher 3, for example, battery percentage would drop by about 13 percent per hour.

Dell says it's currently investigating this issue with our full details here. Should anything change, we'll update this section as well. But for now, the system appears "capped" at ~100 W despite shipping with a 130 W AC adapter.

Also of note is that the system will pull 6.8 W from the outlet when in Sleep mode whereas most other laptops typically pull just 1 W to 2 W when under similar conditions.

Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06. The rate is unusually flat
Constant consumption when running 3DMark 06. The rate is unusually flat
Power consumption while running Witcher 3. At 99 W, the rate is unusually low considering that every other GTX 1660 Ti laptop we've seen thus far would consume at least 130 W under the same circumstances
Power consumption while running Witcher 3. At 99 W, the rate is unusually low considering that every other GTX 1660 Ti laptop we've seen thus far would consume at least 130 W under the same circumstances
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption rate never rises above 107.5 W even though the AC adapter is rated for 130 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption rate never rises above 107.5 W even though the AC adapter is rated for 130 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 109 W before falling and stabilizing at 97.3 W. The XPS 15 9500 is able to reach 135 W under the same circumstances
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption would spike to 109 W before falling and stabilizing at 97.3 W. The XPS 15 9500 is able to reach 135 W under the same circumstances
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.29 / 6.8 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.8 / 20.6 / 21 Watt
Load midlight 104.7 / 107.6 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 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK, IPS, 3840x2400, 17.00
Acer Aspire Nitro 5 AN517-51-7887
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB, Mini-LED IPS-Level, 3840x2160, 17.30
HP Envy 17t-cg000
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX330, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, Apple SSD AP1024 7171, IPS, 3072x1920, 16.00
Power Consumption
11%
-78%
24%
-69%
18%
Idle Minimum *
5.8
3.9
33%
15
-159%
6.1
-5%
16
-176%
3.7
36%
Idle Average *
20.6
8.9
57%
20
3%
13
37%
19
8%
12.1
41%
Idle Maximum *
21
12.2
42%
42
-100%
13.5
36%
30
-43%
17
19%
Load Average *
104.7
83
21%
150
-43%
72.7
31%
109
-4%
91.5
13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
99.2
130
-31%
170
-71%
62.2
37%
167
-68%
103
-4%
Load Maximum *
107.6
168
-56%
210
-95%
97.1
10%
246
-129%
102.3
5%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life — 97 Wh For Travelers

Runtimes are almost identical to what we recorded on the XPS 15 despite the larger form factor and faster GPU. We got around 9.5 hours of real-world WLAN use which is very long for a 17-inch laptop with a Core H series processor and GeForce RTX GPU. Our WLAN test involves looping web pages every 40 seconds on the Balanced power profile with the integrated GPU enabled and at a display brightness of 150 nits.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 2 hours. Remember that charging will slow to a halt or even discharge when running very high processing loads for long periods.

Small-medium (~14.3 x 6.5 x 2.2 cm) 130 W AC adapter
Small-medium (~14.3 x 6.5 x 2.2 cm) 130 W AC adapter
The XPS 17 shares the same AC adapter as the Core i7 XPS 15 9500
The XPS 17 shares the same AC adapter as the Core i7 XPS 15 9500
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
23h 45min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 40min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 00min
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, 97 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 70 Wh
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, 82 Wh
HP Envy 17t-cg000
i7-1065G7, GeForce MX330, 55 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 94 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2019 i9 5500M
i9-9880H, Radeon Pro 5500M, 99.8 Wh
Battery Runtime
-49%
-56%
-39%
-26%
-14%
Reader / Idle
1425
434
-70%
924
-35%
592
-58%
WiFi v1.3
580
296
-49%
266
-54%
275
-53%
372
-36%
718
24%
Load
120
67
-44%
85
-29%
140
17%
58
-52%
Witcher 3 ultra
54

Pros

+ high quality IPS display; high contrast ratio, >90 percent AdobeRGB
+ accessible 2x SODIMM and 2x M.2 2280 slots
+ high performance for the size and weight
+ sleek, attractive, and compact design
+ well-calibrated display out of the box
+ USB-A and HDMI adapter included
+ GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q option
+ very high screen-to-body ratio
+ 4x USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports
+ very large clickpad
+ long battery life

Cons

- slow battery discharge when plugged in and running high loads
- extremely warm CPU temperatures when at high utilization
- average black-white and gray-gray response times
- carbon fiber surfaces are a fingerprint magnet
- chassis flexes more than the XPS 15
- no integrated USB-A or HDMI ports
- soft integrated clickpad keys
- hinges could be stiffer
- no webcam shutter

Verdict — One of a Kind

In review: Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7. Test unit provided by Dell
In review: Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7. Test unit provided by Dell

We commend the XPS 17 for pushing limits further than most other manufacturers out there. Nobody else has an ultra-thin 17.0-inch 16:10 laptop with an 8-core Core i7 CPU (soon to be Core i9) running at 99 C on full load alongside a GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU all powered by a USB-C adapter. It even manages to integrate a vapor chamber cooler — a feature mostly found on select gaming laptops. The risks and hardware involved are pretty insane relative to alternatives that usually play it safer.

From our time with the system, we think it could benefit from taking a step back and focusing on some of the basics again. Strengthen the hinges, make the clickpad keys firmer, integrate a webcam shutter, and improve the charging rate —  all aspects that many laptops costing half the price have already nailed down.

Users intending to run the XPS 17 at high loads for extended periods should be aware of a few drawbacks. Firstly, the battery may not recharge since the USB-C adapter is limited to 130 W. There's a reason why most other GeForce RTX-powered laptops don't run on USB-C adapters and that's because proprietary barrel chargers are able to push much more power to the demanding system. Secondly, sustained gaming performance may not be steady as we are able to record recurring frame rate drops. When coupled with the noticeable ghosting, users shouldn't look at this as a gaming machine despite the Killer wireless and GeForce RTX graphics. 

The XPS 17 is at its best for "bursty" operations like browsing or video editing where the system isn't at high utilization for hours at a time. The display, design, and performance-per-volume are what make the system more attractive than most other 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch solutions.

A one-of-a-kind 17-inch powerhouse laptop with no direct equal. The impressive hardware and appealing visual design will draw eyes, but some basic aspects need some more attention.

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Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q - 07/15/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
89 / 98 → 90%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
66 / 80 → 82%
Weight
60 / 20-72 → 77%
Battery
88 / 95 → 93%
Display
86%
Games Performance
86 / 90 → 95%
Application Performance
88 / 90 → 97%
Temperature
86%
Noise
84 / 95 → 88%
Audio
80%
Camera
39 / 85 → 46%
Average
79%
88%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 Laptop Review: Pretty Much A MacBook Pro 17
Allen Ngo, 2020-07-15 (Update: 2020-09- 9)