Dell XPS 13 2 in 1

The Dell XPS 13 9315 has solid specs at a reduced price from its predecessor. Here are the specs of the laptop we tested:

Specifications
Processor:	Intel Core i5-1230U
Graphics:	Intel Iris Xe
RAM:	16GB LPDDR5
Storage:	512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Display:	13.4-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD
Wireless connectivity:	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Wired connectivity:	2x Thunderbolt 4 with USB-4, Display Port Alternate Mode, and Power Delivery
Webcam:	720p front-facing
Battery:	51 watt-hours
Weight:	2.59 pounds
Size:	11.63 x 7.68 x 0.55 inches

 

The new entry-level Dell XPS 13 gets a price cut from the prior model’s. Despite this, the base configuration is well equipped with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state storage.

The keyboard of Dell XPS 13 9315

The spacious keyboard provides a good tactile experience. Laptop manufacturers often go to great lengths to hide a simple reality: a laptop is, at its core, a solved problem. It's no secret that users want a good keyboard, a large touchpad, light weight and a robust feel. Still, there are only so many ways to turn these features into attractive, exciting new models.

The latest Dell XPS 13, unlike the XPS 13 Plus, doesn't go overboard trying to reinvent the wheel. It is a simple laptop that provides features that every great laptop should have. The keyboard has excellent key feel and a spacious layout, the responsive touchpad (which measures 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches) is as large as the chassis allows, and the sturdy chassis weighs just 2.59 pounds.

The Dell XPS 13 also avoids the faults found in the more expensive XPS 13 Plus, as well as some competitors like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 and the Razer Book; it's not too loud, too hot, too thick, or lacking in storage capacity and power.

I have one complaint: it's boring. The XPS 13 ditches the soft interior found on previous models and the XPS 13 Plus in favor of a basic silver aluminum finish inside and out. It lacks the approachable yet unique flair of most XPS notebooks. I also don't like the silver keycaps, which inevitably don't exactly match the surrounding metal and cheapen the look of the laptop.

But those are nitpicks. Overall, this version of the Dell XPS 13 is a treat for everyday use, and actually much nicer than the more expensive Dell XPS 13 Plus.

I also prefer it to the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon, the Razer Book, and the Apple MacBook Pro 13, all of which are excellent in their own ways. Only the new Apple MacBook Air M2 is nicer; it wins thanks to Apple's amazing touchpad.

The display of Dell XPS 13 9315

Images and text are crisp and clear on this bright, high-pixel-density display. The Dell XPS 13's display doesn't stand out at first glance; the configuration I reviewed had a 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen display with a glossy display (a matte non-touch display is also available). Maximum brightness is listed at 500 nits, and it hit 506 nits in my tests. The 1200p resolution may seem bland in today's world of 2K, 3K and 4K displays, but don't let that fool you. It's looking great. The pixel density of 168 pixels per inch corresponds to a 27-inch 4K monitor. The tiny fonts are easy to read and the video looks sharp. It's also a bright and vivid display that holds up well to everyday use. Glare was visible on the glossy display of my review configuration, but the backlight was able to compensate in most situations. Colorful content like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners looks great thanks to the display's clear and sharp presentation.
The display lacks dark content because it lacks contrast and suffers from increased black levels. However, the display's maximum contrast ratio of 1740:1 is better than most LCD laptops. An OLED panel like the one available on the Dell XPS 13 Plus remains a better choice if you often watch movies or stream TV on the laptop. Still, the Dell XPS 13 display is pleasant for everyday use.

The battery of Dell XPS 13 9315

It lasts 16 hours on a single charge. Intel's 12th generation processors showed excellent performance, but the Core i7 and Core i9 mobile processors proved to be wattage-hungry. That's bad news for battery life, which often falls short of expectations, but that's not a problem for this XPS 13 with a Core i5.

The Dell XPS 13's Intel Core i5-1230U processor is more modest with just two Performance cores and eight Effective cores (ten cores in total). The processor has a basic power of only nine watts and a maximum turbo power of 29 watts. For comparison, the Intel Core i7-1280P claims a base power of 28 watts and a maximum turbo power of 69 watts. This makes a big difference and has a big impact on battery life.

The Dell XPS 13 lasted 16 hours and 13 minutes in our web browsing battery test. At first glance, this is a surprising result, but it corresponds well with Intel's official guidelines for power consumption.

The Dell XPS 13 easily beats the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED, which lasted 6 hours and 50 minutes, and is surprisingly close to the Apple MacBook Air M2's 17 hours and 10 minutes.

It helps that the Dell XPS 13 avoids anything that could hurt battery life. The 1200p display's power consumption isn't listed, but it's likely to use less than the high-resolution panels available on the Dell XPS 13 Plus. The standard XPS 13 also packs a 51 watt-hour battery, which is respectable considering the hardware on offer.

Performance of Dell XPS 13 9315

While this laptop is capable, it falls behind many other mid-range to premium laptops in terms of performance. The powerful Intel Core i5-1230U processor is great for battery life, but an examination of our tests shows that portability comes at the expense of performance.

Geekbench 5 scored a single-threaded score of 1240 and a multi-threaded score of 4636 in the XPS 13's normal performance profile. This puts the XPS 13 behind a wide range of mid-to-premium notebooks, including the Dell XPS 13 Plus, which achieved a single-threaded score of 1508 and a multi-threaded score of 8212. Apple's MacBook Pro 13 with the M2 processor also beat the XPS 13, scoring 1895 and 8983.

It's a similar story in Cinebench R23, where the Dell XPS 13 scored a modest 4083. The Lenovo Yoga 6 scored 5682 in the same benchmark, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus scored 7015. I saw the same trend in browser benchmarks like Basemark and Speedometer, and in Blender. The XPS 13 always lags behind.

The XPS 13 also struggles with graphics due to its less powerful version of Intel Iris Xe graphics, which features only 80 execution units and a maximum frequency of 850 MHz. In the Night Raid 3DMark test, it only scored 4470 at 1080p. The Lenovo Yoga 6 scored 12655 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus scored 14069.

Performance is boosted in Ultra Performance mode on the XPS 13. This boosted Geekbench 5's single-threaded score to 1499 and multi-threaded score to 7016. It also boosted Cinebench R23's to 5629. However, these scores remain average and come at the cost of added heat and fan noise. The XPS 13 isn't a loud laptop in its standard profile, but it borders on annoying in Ultra Performance (although it's still not bad for a modern laptop).

Does this mean the Dell XPS 13 is slow? Inaccurately. The notebook is capable of daily use and moderately demanding workloads. I used the laptop to edit DSLR photos and load a 10-minute 1080p video project into Wondershare Filmora. It did the trick in both scenarios. Still, you’ll find better performance elsewhere.

Ports of Dell XPS 13 9315

The Dell XPS 13 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB-4 support. These ports handle Display Port Alternate Mode, so both can be used to output video (either via Thunderbolt/USB-C or with an adapter). Both can also charge a laptop.

Two ports isn't a lot, and Dell's decision to take full advantage of modern connectivity (at the expense of USB-A) is sure to put some customers off. A Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C hub or a USB-C compatible monitor with a built-in hub is practically mandatory. There's also no headphone jack, so you'll need an adapter or wireless headphones.

On the plus side, Dell offers modern wireless connectivity including Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Wi-Fi 6E can achieve speeds faster than Gigabit Ethernet at best, though you'll need a Wi-Fi 6E router for that. However, the wireless connection was still strong when connected to my Wi-Fi 6 router. 

The webcam of Dell XPS 13 9315

The Dell XPS 13 has 720p webcam. It includes an infrared camera to support login with Windows Hello facial recognition. (There's also a fingerprint reader.) Image quality isn't good, though. The image is grainy, lacks color saturation, and has trouble deciding on an appropriate exposure for use in mixed lighting.

The microphone quality is so-so. It's passable, but lacks the clarity and volume you'll find in a notebook like the MacBook Pro 14 or Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The presentation is empty and the audience may have difficulty understanding you if you are not facing your laptop.

Should you buy the Dell XPS 13 9315?

Yes, it’s a great portable laptop

The notebook remains a constant, especially at its price level. I’m not sure what to expect from the Dell XPS 13. For 2022, Dell has split the XPS 13 into two distinctly different models: the more affordable XPS 13 and the more expensive XPS 13 Plus. I was worried that the entry-level XPS 13 would become a shadow of its former self, but the opposite is true.

The basic XPS 13 better represents the notebook's original mission; it's a premium ultraportable with excellent battery life, a durable design, and a great user experience. Performance is modest, but remains good for everyday use and light creative work. The result is a laptop that is great for traveling, but at the same time you can comfortably work with it for hours.

There are a few flaws to note. The lack of physical connectivity including the missing headphone jack will turn off those who prefer wired peripherals. The laptop's webcam, microphone and display are stunning; some competitors in this space offer a 1080p webcam, an OLED display, or both.

However, these problems are excused by Dell's modest prices. This undercuts most premium Windows alternatives, and often by several hundred dollars. The XPS 13 provides a premium Windows laptop at a mid-range price.