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Dell XPS 17 9700 Review - Multimedia laptop with bright matte FHD panel and long battery runtime

Also a recommendation without Nvidia GPU? Dell is one of the few manufacturers that offer large multimedia laptops without dedicated graphics cards. If you are not interested in gaming, you can still get a high-end multimedia laptop for a lower price. However, even the base model XPS 17 9700 with the small Core i5 is anything but cheap.
Comet Lake Laptop Thunderbolt Ultrabook Windows XPS

Multimedia laptops are often jack of all trades in the mobile segment, and devices with screens bigger than 15 inches are usually equipped with dedicated GPUs to provide decent gaming performance. However, if you are looking for a big multimedia laptop and do not plan on gaming, you do not really need an expensive dGPU.

Dell is one of the exceptions, because both the XPS 15 as well as the new XPS 17 are also offered without dedicated GPUs. While the base spec of the XPS 15 starts at around 1400 Euros, Dell still charges almost 2000 Euros (starting from $1349 in the US). In return, you get a Core i5 including iGPU, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe- storage as well as a matte FHD panel. The specs are not really overwhelming, so we want to find out whether the high retail price of the XPS 17 is still justified.

Topics like the case, the ports, the input devices, and the speakers are identical to the previously tested unit, so please see our comprehensive review of the XPS 17 9700 with the i7 CPU, RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU, and 4K touchscreen for more information:

Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H (XPS 17 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-10300H 4 x 2.5 - 4.5 GHz, 90 W PL2 / Short Burst, 45 W PL1 / Sustained, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Core: 1050 MHz
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2933, Dual-Channel, 2 Slots, up to 64 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel 131 PPI, SHP14D7, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel WM490 (Comet Lake PCH-H)
Storage
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, 512 GB 
, 512GB SSD, 416 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Comet Lake PCH-H - cAVS
Connections
4 USB 3.1 Gen2, 4 Thunderbolt, 4 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.5 x 375 x 248 ( = 0.77 x 14.76 x 9.76 in)
Battery
97 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 130W PSU, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.28 kg ( = 80.42 oz / 5.03 pounds), Power Supply: 447 g ( = 15.77 oz / 0.99 pounds)
Price
2000 Euro
Links
Dell homepage
Dell notebook section
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
Price
85.8 %
11/2020
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630		2.3 kg19.5 mm17.30"1920x1200
85.2 %
08/2020
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)		1.4 kg17.4 mm17.00"2560x1600
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
84.5 %
11/2020
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
R5 4600H, Vega 6		1.7 kg16.9 mm16.10"1920x1080
86.8 %
05/2020
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630		1.8 kg18 mm15.60"1920x1200

Case - XPS with high-quality but heavy chassis

There is obviously no visual difference between XPS 17 9700 systems with or without dedicated GPUs. You get a case with a very high build quality and the XPS 17 just looks good, even though the dark surfaces of the palm rests are very prone to fingerprints.

A quick comparison of the weight reveals that the lack of the Nvidia GPU, 4K panel, and the vapor chamber cooling reduces the total weight by around 170 grams. However, the XPS 17 is still comparatively heavy; the LG Gram 17 is almost 1 kg lighter.

Size Comparison

❌
380.6 mm / 15 in 262.6 mm / 10.3 in 17.4 mm / 0.685 in 1.4 kg2.98 lbs375 mm / 14.8 in 248 mm / 9.76 in 19.5 mm / 0.768 in 2.3 kg5.03 lbs374.45 mm / 14.7 in 248.05 mm / 9.77 in 19.5 mm / 0.768 in 2.5 kg5.49 lbs369 mm / 14.5 in 234 mm / 9.21 in 16.9 mm / 0.665 in 1.7 kg3.75 lbs344.72 mm / 13.6 in 230.14 mm / 9.06 in 18 mm / 0.709 in 1.8 kg4.03 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
204.4 MB/s +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197 MB/s
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
195.4 MB/s -1%
Average of class Multimedia
  (18.4 - 201, n=57, last 2 years)
97.2 MB/s -51%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
80.5 MB/s -59%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
204.3 MB/s
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
199.2 MB/s -2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
197.9 MB/s -3%
Average of class Multimedia
  (25.8 - 266, n=56, last 2 years)
135.1 MB/s -34%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
88.9 MB/s -56%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1380 (1314min - 1414max) MBit/s +64%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1049 (253min - 1334max) MBit/s +24%
Average Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
  (554 - 1659, n=25)
1020 MBit/s +21%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
862 (667min - 971max) MBit/s +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
844 (423min - 919max) MBit/s
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
646 (548min - 695max) MBit/s -23%
iperf3 receive AX12
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1414 (1275min - 1470max) MBit/s +13%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1321 (1216min - 1419max) MBit/s +6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1281 (1079min - 1478max) MBit/s +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1252 (1156min - 1322max) MBit/s
Average Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
  (630 - 1885, n=25)
1037 MBit/s -17%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
671 (639min - 690max) MBit/s -46%
423523623723823923102311231223Tooltip
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1252 (1156-1322)
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø830 (423-919)

Webcam

ColorChecker
17.8 ∆E
31.4 ∆E
25.3 ∆E
22.3 ∆E
24 ∆E
17.4 ∆E
17.7 ∆E
25.7 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
18.7 ∆E
19.4 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
20.2 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
19.5 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
22.2 ∆E
15.9 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
14 ∆E
ColorChecker Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H: 17.63 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 31.38 ∆E

Display - XPS 17 with matte FHD screen

Dell offers two different 16:10 screens for the XPS 17. In addition to the glossy 4K touchscreen, you can also get a matte FHD+ panel that we have in our test unit. The resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels is much lower compared to the optional 4K SKU, but contents are still sufficiently sharp. The subjective picture impression is very good and bright surfaces do not look too grainy, which is often an issue of matte panels.

Our measurements show that the panel can easily meet the advertised 500 nits with an average luminance of 580 nits. Considering the high brightness, the black value is still decent at 0.34 cd/m² and the result is an excellent contrast ratio of more than 1800:1.

We can still detect two minor issues, because we can measure PWM flickering at a brightness of 30% or lower. However, the frequency of 2500 Hz is very high and should not cause any trouble. A much more noticeable problem is the slow response time of the panel, and you can see ghosting when you move the cursor, for example. Even though this is a known issue on many panels with very slim bezels, there are also faster units.

Subpixel layout
Subpixel layout
No visible backlight bleeding
No visible backlight bleeding
580
cd/m²		550
cd/m²		577
cd/m²
572
cd/m²		636
cd/m²		571
cd/m²
557
cd/m²		611
cd/m²		565
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
SHP14D7 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 636 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 579.9 cd/m² Minimum: 39.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 638 cd/m²
Contrast: 1871:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.94, calibrated: 1.5
ΔE Greyscale 2 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
76.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
77.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.08
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
SHP14D7, IPS, 1920x1200, 17.3"		LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
LG Display LP170WQ1-SPA1, IPS, 2560x1600, 17"		Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Sharp LQ170R1, IPS, 3840x2400, 17"		Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
N161HCA-EA3, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.1"		Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Sharp LQ156N1, IPS, 1920x1200, 15.6"
Display
-14%
16%
-17%
3%
Display P3 Coverage
77.4
62.9
-19%
90.5
17%
67.5
-13%
81.5
5%
sRGB Coverage
100
92.7
-7%
100
0%
69.7
-30%
100
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
76.6
63.6
-17%
99.8
30%
69.7
-9%
79.6
4%
Response Times
32%
15%
327%
27%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
60.4 ?(30.8, 29.6)
43 ?(20, 23)
29%
51.2 ?(27.2, 24)
15%
37.6 ?(18.8, 18.8)
38%
42 ?(20, 22)
30%
Response Time Black / White *
37.6 ?(20, 17.6)
25 ?(14, 11)
34%
32 ?(18, 14)
15%
25.6 ?(14, 11.6)
32%
28.8 ?(15.2, 13.6)
23%
PWM Frequency
2500 ?(30)
25250 ?(30)
910%
Screen
-66%
-30%
16%
-26%
Brightness middle
636
393
-38%
539.4
-15%
337
-47%
592
-7%
Brightness
580
354
-39%
494
-15%
312
-46%
565
-3%
Brightness Distribution
86
84
-2%
84
-2%
89
3%
85
-1%
Black Level *
0.34
0.365
-7%
0.32
6%
0.2
41%
0.46
-35%
Contrast
1871
1077
-42%
1686
-10%
1685
-10%
1287
-31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.4
4.83
-101%
4.12
-72%
0.8
67%
3.19
-33%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.5
11.6
-231%
7.65
-119%
1.1
69%
5.45
-56%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.5
1.22
19%
3.91
-161%
0.7
53%
2.03
-35%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2
7.37
-269%
1.5
25%
1
50%
3.9
-95%
Gamma
2.08 106%
2.36 93%
2.15 102%
2.2 100%
2.25 98%
CCT
6704 97%
6668 97%
6438 101%
6538 99%
6522 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.5
59
-13%
90.4
34%
63.8
-5%
71.6
6%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
93
-7%
100
0%
99.5
0%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-16% / -44%
0% / -16%
109% / 65%
1% / -14%

* ... smaller is better

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Grayscale calibrated
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated
CalMAN ColorChecker calibrated

We use the professional CalMAN software in combination with the X-Rite i1 Pro 2 spectrophotometer for our tests. Most values are already very good out of the box and only a few colors exceed a deviation of 3 (compared to the sRGB reference color gamut). There is no visible color cast, so calibration is only really necessary when you want to edit pictures or videos in the sRGB gamut, which is covered completely by the panel. Our calibration (free to download in the box above) improves the panel performance even further.

vs. sRGB: 100%
vs. sRGB: 100%
vs. AdobeRGB: 67.5%
vs. AdobeRGB: 67.5%

Display Response Times

ℹ
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
37.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 17.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.1 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
60.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 30.8 ms rise
↘ 29.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 96 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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 detected 2500 Hz ≤ 30 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 2500 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 2500 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17204 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Thanks to the high brightness and the matte panel surface, the FHD screen performs very well outdoors. Direct sunlight is obviously still a challenge, but you should be able to find a suitable position for a comfortable viewing experience in most situations. The viewing-angle stability of the IPS panel is also very good.

In the sun
In the sun
In the sun
In the sun
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Quad-core with NVMe-SSD

Processor - Intel Comet Lake Quad-core

The base model of the XPS 17 is equipped with a quad-core processor from Intel. The Core i5-10300H (Comet Lake, 10th Gen.) has a specified TDP of 45 W and the 4 cores (8 threads) can run at up to 4.5 GHz (4.2 when all cores are stressed at the same time). The performance is obviously more than sufficient for common everyday tasks, but we have to say that we would have liked to see at least a modern 6-core CPU for the high price.

The comparison with AMD's 45 W CPUs is another problem for the XPS 17, which is evident when you compare the results with the Honor MagicBook Pro. Its Ryzen 5 4600H (6 cores) is a tad slower in the single-core tests but is clearly superior in all multi-core benchmarks.

The performance utilization of the XPS 17 is generally good and levels off at 45 W, but we think Dell could have increased the limits since there is no dedicated GPU that requires cooling. The consumption of the CPU is immediately limited to 45 W in battery, but this does not really affect the performance.

0200400600800100012001400Tooltip
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel Core i5-10300H: Ø822 (807.51-895.96)
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Core i7-1065G7: Ø408 (399.87-538.22)
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q Intel Core i7-10875H, Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1366 (1339.18-1451.59)
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD) AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, AMD Ryzen 5 4600H: Ø1361 (1342.69-1420)
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5 Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel Core i5-10300H: Ø870 (827.87-893.75)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 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 (Single Core)
Average of class Multimedia
  (341 - 853, n=87, last 2 years)
652 Points +42%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
483 Points +5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
461 Points 0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
460 Points
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
452 Points -2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
446 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (312 - 470, n=15)
443 Points -4%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
411 Points -11%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Multimedia
  (2681 - 11768, n=87, last 2 years)
5706 Points +170%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
3329 Points +58%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
3261 Points +55%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
3234 Points +53%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
2110 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
2107 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (1397 - 2240, n=15)
2046 Points -3%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1082 Points -49%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (99.6 - 323, n=88, last 2 years)
257 Points +36%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
202 Points +7%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
191 Points +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
189 Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
186 Points -2%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
176 Points -7%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (108 - 194, n=17)
174 Points -8%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
160.9 Points -15%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (1252 - 4774, n=91, last 2 years)
2433 Points +172%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
1452 (1339.18min - 1451.59max) Points +62%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1420 (1342.69min - 1420max) Points +58%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
1347 (1319.7min - 1347.21max) Points +50%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
896 (807.51min - 895.96max) Points
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
889 (827.87min - 893.75max) Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (536 - 921, n=17)
825 Points -8%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
538 Points -40%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1082 Seconds * -99%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
545 Seconds *
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (479 - 555, n=14)
515 Seconds * +6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
508 Seconds * +7%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
356 Seconds * +35%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
333 Seconds * +39%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
330 Seconds * +39%
Average of class Multimedia
  (107 - 502, n=85, last 2 years)
251 Seconds * +54%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Multimedia
  (3398 - 7545, n=80, last 2 years)
5721 MIPS +16%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
5316 MIPS +8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
5031 MIPS +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
4938 MIPS
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4889 MIPS -1%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (2945 - 4956, n=14)
4704 MIPS -5%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
4334 MIPS -12%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4200 MIPS -15%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Multimedia
  (30592 - 121228, n=80, last 2 years)
60657 MIPS +150%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
41529 MIPS +71%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
38185 MIPS +57%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
36792 MIPS +52%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
24388 MIPS +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
24259 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (15146 - 24841, n=14)
23295 MIPS -4%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
13247 MIPS -45%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Multimedia
  (891 - 2342, n=87, last 2 years)
1817 Points +48%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1327 Points +8%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
1305 Points +7%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
1225 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
1225 Points 0%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
1183 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (703 - 1241, n=16)
1166 Points -5%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
1117 Points -9%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Multimedia
  (4990 - 23059, n=87, last 2 years)
12033 Points +175%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
7825 Points +79%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
6308 Points +44%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
6080 Points +39%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
4399 Points 0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
4378 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (2783 - 4728, n=16)
4351 Points -1%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
3848 Points -12%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Multimedia
  (5.26 - 30.5, n=79, last 2 years)
16.5 fps +159%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
11.1 fps +74%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
10.8 fps +70%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
9.79 fps +54%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
7.28 fps +14%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (6.13 - 7.78, n=14)
7.1 fps +11%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
6.37 fps
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
3.46 fps -46%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
63.6 s * -19%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
62.5 s * -17%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
59 s * -11%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (23.9 - 94, n=14)
58.9 s * -11%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
53.3 s *
Average of class Multimedia
  (6.7 - 146.7, n=81, last 2 years)
49 s * +8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
48 s * +10%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
47.1 s * +12%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Core i7-1065G7
0.748 sec * -10%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H
  (0.625 - 1.088, n=14)
0.68 sec * -0%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel Core i5-10300H
0.679 sec *
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel Core i5-10300H
0.646 sec * +5%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
0.627 sec * +8%
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15 GU502LU-BI7N4
Intel Core i7-10750H
0.616 sec * +9%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.59 sec * +13%
Average of class Multimedia
  (0.3604 - 0.947, n=80, last 2 years)
0.4838 sec * +29%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
896 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
51.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
189 Points
Help

System Performance

The XPS 17 9700 is also a very responsive system in the base configuration and we did not experience any issues during our review period.

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4542 - 8670, n=72, last 2 years)
6804 Points +63%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
5672 Points +36%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5001 Points +20%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
4329 Points +4%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4293 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (4162 - 4329, n=2)
4246 Points +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4162 Points
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=72, last 2 years)
10545 Points +13%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
9874 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (9368 - 9874, n=2)
9621 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 +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
9368 Points
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
9155 Points -2%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
8888 Points -5%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (6089 - 10742, n=72, last 2 years)
8933 Points +25%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
7683 Points +8%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
7209 Points +1%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
7177 Points +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
7138 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (6996 - 7138, n=2)
7067 Points -1%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
6996 Points -2%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3651 - 13548, n=72, last 2 years)
9215 Points +215%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
6781 Points +132%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5299 Points +81%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3268 Points +12%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3187 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (2928 - 3187, n=2)
3058 Points +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
2928 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5583, n=10, last 2 years)
5126 Points +29%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4485 Points +13%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3976 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (3842 - 3976, n=2)
3909 Points -2%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
3842 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 -8%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
3305 Points -17%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
5271 Points +5%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5270 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-10300H, Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (5037 - 5271, n=2)
5154 Points +2%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=10, last 2 years)
5081 Points +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5037 Points
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4654 Points -8%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
4385 Points -13%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3976 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4522 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5037 points
PCMark 10 Score
4162 points
Help

DPC Latencies

We noticed issues during our latency test on the XPS 17. The main problem is a driver from Dell (File Vault).

LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Main
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
9205 μs *
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
1521 μs * +83%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
1297 μs * +86%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK
652 μs * +93%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
511 μs * +94%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices - 2x PCIe-SSD

The XPS 17 9700 offers two M.2-2280 slots and our test model is equipped with a single 512 GB drive (416 GB available for the user). The SN730 from Western Digital is a fast NVMe-SSD and performs well in our benchmarks.

Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK		Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe		Average WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
44%
-3%
21%
-6%
44%
Write 4K
106.9
162.8
52%
64.1
-40%
156.9
47%
93.3
-13%
164.3 ?(106.9 - 242, n=21)
54%
Read 4K
41.49
51
23%
39.93
-4%
48.81
18%
45.9
11%
48.2 ?(36.8 - 57.9, n=21)
16%
Write Seq
1025
2078
103%
1191
16%
1050
2%
1211
18%
2096 ?(1025 - 2707, n=21)
104%
Read Seq
1429
1991
39%
1418
-1%
2517
76%
1633
14%
2123 ?(1356 - 2553, n=21)
49%
Write 4K Q32T1
342.8
440.1
28%
450.3
31%
408.7
19%
273.1
-20%
451 ?(237 - 671, n=21)
32%
Read 4K Q32T1
364.2
450.1
24%
365
0%
504
38%
356
-2%
509 ?(333 - 838, n=21)
40%
Write Seq Q32T1
1714
2998
75%
1563
-9%
1087
-37%
1198
-30%
2551 ?(1087 - 2721, n=21)
49%
Read Seq Q32T1
3205
3562
11%
2683
-16%
3407
6%
2269
-29%
3330 ?(2869 - 3426, n=21)
4%
AS SSD
30%
-130%
62%
-124%
29%
Seq Read
2424
2722
12%
1141
-53%
2749
13%
1423
-41%
2605 ?(1786 - 3021, n=21)
7%
Seq Write
1159
2649
129%
994
-14%
2348
103%
766
-34%
1905 ?(993 - 2486, n=21)
64%
4K Read
34.68
52.2
51%
31.98
-8%
44.22
28%
42.21
22%
45.8 ?(34.7 - 53.4, n=21)
32%
4K Write
101.7
132.4
30%
61
-40%
140.5
38%
74.8
-26%
155.6 ?(96.9 - 217, n=21)
53%
4K-64 Read
985
886
-10%
790
-20%
1450
47%
973
-1%
1181 ?(615 - 1483, n=21)
20%
4K-64 Write
956
1074
12%
845
-12%
2346
145%
218.8
-77%
1372 ?(677 - 2346, n=21)
44%
Access Time Read *
0.116
0.041
65%
0.063
46%
0.079
32%
0.125
-8%
0.0801 ?(0.05 - 0.138, n=21)
31%
Access Time Write *
0.036
0.03
17%
0.679
-1786%
0.027
25%
0.552
-1433%
0.04195 ?(0.018 - 0.091, n=21)
-17%
Score Read
1262
1211
-4%
966
-23%
1769
40%
1157
-8%
1488 ?(895 - 1838, n=21)
18%
Score Write
1173
1471
25%
1005
-14%
2721
132%
370
-68%
1718 ?(948 - 2721, n=21)
46%
Score Total
3020
3309
10%
2448
-19%
5376
78%
2094
-31%
3938 ?(2834 - 5376, n=21)
30%
Copy ISO MB/s
1128
2096
86%
1732
54%
1151
2%
1718 ?(433 - 3092, n=13)
52%
Copy Program MB/s
585
395.6
-32%
717
23%
499.4
-15%
536 ?(257 - 790, n=13)
-8%
Copy Game MB/s
902
1096
22%
1343
49%
733
-19%
1193 ?(620 - 1879, n=13)
32%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
37% / 35%
-67% / -84%
42% / 45%
-65% / -81%
37% / 34%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3205 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1714 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 364.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 342.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1429 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1025 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 41.49 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 106.9 MB/s

Continuous read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance - XPS 17 only with old UHD Graphics 630

GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 630
GPU-Z Intel UHD Graphics 630

We already mentioned that there is no dedicated GPU, so all the graphics calculations are handled by the integrated UHD Graphics 630. The iGPU is obviously powerful enough for simple tasks and the video decoder has no problems with high-resolution videos, but this is basically a very old iGPU that we have seen for a couple of years now. The performance of the UHD Graphics 630 just does not stand a chance against newer iGPUs from AMD or even Intel.

The LG Gram 17 with the newer Iris GPU is more than twice as fast, and the Vega 6 of the Honor MagicBook Pro is even faster. This means the XPS 17 9700 is hardly suited for gaming; only very old or simple titles run at smooth frame rates.

The performance of the iGPU is stable even during longer load periods, but this is not really a surprise for a 45 W processor.

3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3505 - 60250, n=77, last 2 years)
20222 Points +1078%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10875H
18863 Points +999%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
4589 Points +167%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
3704 Points +116%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
1744 Points +2%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (642 - 2025, n=12)
1742 Points +1%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
1717 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 130614, n=38, last 2 years)
57565 Points +506%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10875H
53724 Points +465%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
9873 Points +4%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
9507 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (3863 - 11199, n=9)
9333 Points -2%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
9199 Points -3%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=81, last 2 years)
14679 Points +1168%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10875H
14241 Points +1130%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
3051 Points +163%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
2360 Points +104%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (722 - 1472, n=11)
1228 Points +6%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
1189 Points +3%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
1158 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (622 - 17620, n=82, last 2 years)
5533 Points +1383%
Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-10875H
5357 Points +1336%
Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
903 Points +142%
LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
664 Points +78%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
  (367 - 459, n=10)
410 Points +10%
Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
382 Points +2%
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i5-10300H
373 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
1952 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
68575 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9393 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1068 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
431 points
Help
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 16
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 83.1 50.1 20 17.5
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 11.6 10.7 10.3
Far Cry 5 (2018) 13
F1 2020 (2020) 23 12

Emissions - Too loud for the performance

System Noise

The complex (and expensive) vapor chamber cooling solution of the high-end XPS 17 is not used here, but Dell still uses two fans for the iGPU SKU. They are usually deactivated during light workloads. We measured 34-37.4 dB(A) during gaming and also 37.4 dB(A) under maximum load. This means the test unit is much quieter compared to the XPS 17 with the RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU, but it is still a bit loud with two fans considering the low performance.

Noise Level

Idle
29.7 / 29.7 / 29.7 dB(A)
Load
33.1 / 37.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM-1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.7 dB(A)
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, i7-10875H, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK		Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
Vega 6, R5 4600H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G		Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
UHD Graphics 630, i5-10300H, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe
Noise
10%
-7%
1%
5%
off / environment *
29.7
26
12%
28
6%
29.7
-0%
28
6%
Idle Minimum *
29.7
26
12%
28
6%
29.7
-0%
28
6%
Idle Average *
29.7
26.8
10%
28
6%
29.7
-0%
28
6%
Idle Maximum *
29.7
27.5
7%
28
6%
30.5
-3%
28
6%
Load Average *
33.1
32.2
3%
43.2
-31%
31
6%
28
15%
Load Maximum *
37.4
32.7
13%
50.5
-35%
36.7
2%
41.9
-12%
Witcher 3 ultra *
49
31.3

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2029.631.428.630.630.32527.531.326.62926.93129.528.128.829.129.2402828.227.926.629.35028.627.227.927.327.66328.325.325.323.327.18025.72525.524.225.310026.824.825.423.825.712525.125.324.322.324.916023.825.224.222.723.920024.125.225.224.124.725024.3242422.624.731523.622.522.920.823.440024.323.622.520.523.85002722.822.42027.46302528.426.319.92680026.52522.718.628.1100026.123.221.418.525.5125027.924.322.317.826.616002824.522.717.227.6200028.424.622.116.829.3250026.722.820.616.426.6315024.220.919.116.524.5400021.418.517.616.521.5500019.717.817.216.419.8630017.917.216.916.617.9800017.2171716.517.11000016.816.816.816.416.91250016.616.616.616.216.61600016.516.416.416.116.5SPL37.334.933.129.737.4N2.52.11.81.32.6median 24.3median 23.2median 22.3median 17.8median 24.7Delta3.73.23.32.53.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseDell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

There are no temperature issues on the base SKU of the XPS 17. There are only a few spots where we can detect more than 40 °C under maximum load. The power consumption of the CPU quickly levels off at 45 W during our stress test (up to ~90 W in the first couple of seconds), which is still sufficient for a CPU clock of 4x 2.6 GHz, so it does not drop below the base frequency of 2.5 GHz. The GPU clock on the other hand stays at the maximum 1047 MHz.

Max. Load
 41.8 °C
107 F		42.9 °C
109 F		37.2 °C
99 F		 
 37.4 °C
99 F		40 °C
104 F		35 °C
95 F		 
 27.8 °C
82 F		27.5 °C
82 F		27.6 °C
82 F		 
Maximum: 42.9 °C = 109 F
Average: 35.2 °C = 95 F
37.7 °C
100 F		40.1 °C
104 F		36.1 °C
97 F
32.6 °C
91 F		37.3 °C
99 F		33.4 °C
92 F
29.4 °C
85 F		31.2 °C
88 F		29.8 °C
86 F
Maximum: 40.1 °C = 104 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.4 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 21.2 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 31.3 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.9 °C / 109 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 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.9 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.8 °C / 82 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+1 °C / 1.8 F).
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (top)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)
Surface temperatures stress test (bottom)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2029.330.629.3252929293130.829.130.84031.226.631.25030.327.330.36331.523.331.58033.424.233.410044.423.844.412552.822.352.816054.422.754.420052.724.152.725053.222.653.231554.920.854.940055.620.555.650058.22058.263064.219.964.280066.118.666.110006518.565125063.417.863.4160073.317.273.3200074.116.874.1250071.616.471.6315067.316.567.3400063.916.563.9500071.516.471.5630072.516.672.5800073.216.573.2100006616.4661250063.416.263.41600059.516.159.5SPL82.229.782.2N51.31.351.3median 63.9median 17.8median 63.9Delta8.52.58.530.828.830.840.539.440.537.938.537.926.426.126.431.133.431.127.127.627.12724.12719.325.219.322.436.722.42041.72018.340.218.315.14915.114.256.814.213.264.513.213.865.713.813.67213.613.774.513.714.272.314.214.570.414.514.667.214.614.568.414.514.564.114.514.466.214.414.562.214.514.964.514.91567.81514.771.714.714.773.814.714.869.714.814.166.614.126.781.426.70.851.70.8median 14.5median 66.2median 14.50.88.40.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300HLG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 36% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 27% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 34% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Dell uses efficient FHD panel

Power Consumption

A look at the power consumption figures quickly shows the big difference in the idle measurements, because the optional 4K screen just draws much more power. The FHD panel of the XPS 17 on the other hand is very efficient despite the large size and the high brightness figures. We record a maximum value of 109 W under load, but this value drops to around 70 W after a couple of seconds. The included 130 W power adapter is therefore completely sufficient.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.6 / 0.76 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.7 / 8.3 / 11.3 Watt
Load midlight 44 / 109 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 i5-10300H
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 17.3"		LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS, 2560x1600, 17"		Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, Micron 2200S 1TB MTFDHBA1T0TCK, IPS, 3840x2400, 17"		Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
R5 4600H, Vega 6, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.1"		Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1200, 15.6"		Average Intel UHD Graphics 630
 		Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
18%
-86%
9%
15%
8%
-43%
Idle Minimum *
3.7
3.2
14%
5.8
-57%
4.2
-14%
2.9
22%
3.95 ?(2.9 - 6.6, n=6)
-7%
6.93 ?(2.2 - 21.1, n=84, last 2 years)
-87%
Idle Average *
8.3
8.4
-1%
20.6
-148%
8.4
-1%
7.6
8%
7.23 ?(5.9 - 8.3, n=6)
13%
11.2 ?(4.6 - 30, n=84, last 2 years)
-35%
Idle Maximum *
11.3
11.7
-4%
21
-86%
9.7
14%
8
29%
8.87 ?(7.1 - 11.3, n=6)
22%
13.4 ?(5.6 - 30.4, n=84, last 2 years)
-19%
Load Average *
44
39.6
10%
104.7
-138%
39.5
10%
41.7
5%
45.9 ?(39 - 62, n=6)
-4%
72 ?(14.3 - 147, n=82, last 2 years)
-64%
Load Maximum *
109
34
69%
107.6
1%
67.1
38%
94.8
13%
93.8 ?(69.7 - 109, n=6)
14%
117.9 ?(47.7 - 247, n=83, last 2 years)
-8%
Witcher 3 ultra *
99.2
39.1

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime - XPS keeps on running

Massive 97 Wh battery
Massive 97 Wh battery

The combination of the comparatively low consumption figures and the massive 97 Wh battery results in excellent battery runtimes. At an adjusted brightness of 150 cd/m² (34% of the maximum brightness on our test unit), we can record a video runtime of more than 18 hours and still more than 15 hours in our Wi-Fi test. The Wi-Fi runtime is still more than 10 hours when we use the maximum display brightness. The minimum battery runtime under load is about 2 hours.

The competition does not stand a chance here, and even the LG Gram 17 with the ULV processor is clearly beaten.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 86.0.622.38)
15h 12min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 86.0.622.38)
10h 02min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
18h 27min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 01min
Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, 97 Wh		LG Gram 17 17Z90N-V.AA77G
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 80 Wh		Dell XPS 17 9700 Core i7 RTX 2060 Max-Q
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q, 97 Wh		Honor MagicBook Pro (AMD)
R5 4600H, Vega 6, 56 Wh		Dell XPS 15 9500 Core i5
i5-10300H, UHD Graphics 630, 56 Wh		Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
8%
-19%
-38%
-31%
-27%
H.264
1107
742
-33%
633
-43%
785 ?(319 - 1481, n=51, last 2 years)
-29%
WiFi v1.3
912
683
-25%
580
-36%
619
-32%
556
-39%
611 ?(279 - 1204, n=83, last 2 years)
-33%
Load
121
219
81%
120
-1%
74
-39%
93
-23%
97.5 ?(39 - 212, n=65, last 2 years)
-19%
Reader / Idle
1437
1425
1581
1051 ?(612 - 1568, n=17, last 2 years)

Pros

+ good FHD panel with matte surface
+ great chassis design with very narrow bezels
+ very long battery runtime
+ 4x Thunderbolt 3 w/ adapter for USB-A & HDMI
+ two slots each for RAM and M.2-SSD
+ very fast SD card reader
+ very good speakers

Cons

- low CPU and especially GPU performance
- palm rests prone to fingerprints
- comparatively heavy
- comparatively loud speakers
- only USB-C ports
- chassis stability worse compared to the XPS 15
- high price for base spec

Verdict - Too slow for the price

In review: Dell XPS 17 9700. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.
In review: Dell XPS 17 9700. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.

It is basically a good idea to offer a large multimedia laptop without a dedicated graphics card. Not every customer wants to play games, so they can save the money for an expensive GPU. However, the current Dell XPS 17 9700 has two major problems. The manufacturer does not use AMD's Ryzen CPUs, so Dell is currently limited to Intel's Comet Lake CPUs with the old integrated GPUs. The performance is therefore not competitive.

The other big problem is the price. You obviously still get the good chassis, but the performance is just too low for almost 2000 Euros (~$2341). The situation might change with the upcoming Intel processors, but as of right now, we cannot recommend the base model of the XPS 17 9700.

Because of the limitation to Intel CPUs, the performance (especially iGPU) is just not competitive right now. Considering the high price, we cannot recommend the base model of the new XPS 17 9700.

The matte FHD panel is definitely a positive aspect. The subjective picture impression is good and the panel can be very bright. Thanks to the full sRGB gamut and the excellent color accuracy, you can also use it for picture/video-editing. It is also much more efficient compared to the 4K touchscreen, so the battery runtime is significantly better. However, it is unfortunate that Dell does not offer the matte FHD screen in combination with the fastest CPU/GPU options in all regions.

Dell XPS 17 9700 i5-10300H - 10/31/2020 v7 (old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
89 / 98 → 91%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
68 / 80 → 85%
Weight
61 / 20-72 → 79%
Battery
91 / 95 → 95%
Display
91%
Games Performance
49 / 90 → 55%
Application Performance
88 / 90 → 98%
Temperature
93%
Noise
94 / 95 → 99%
Audio
82%
Camera
39 / 85 → 46%
Average
79%
86%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell XPS 17 9700 Review - Multimedia laptop with bright matte FHD panel and long battery runtime
Andreas Osthoff, 2020-11- 1 (Update: 2020-11- 3)