Dell XPS 16 Review: 8.8/10 - A Gorgeous Screen Meets Real-World Performance
Overview
The Dell XPS 16 is the laptop you buy when you refuse to compromise on screen quality. Its gorgeous 16.3-inch OLED panel is among the best I’ve ever seen on a Windows machine, and the new Intel Core Ultra 9 paired with an RTX 5070 makes it a legitimate creative workstation. Starting at $1,499, it’s priced to compete directly with the MacBook Pro 16, and in some areas it genuinely does.
Design & Build
Dell’s design language continues to polarize. The zero-lattice keyboard with invisible capacitive function row looks futuristic but is a pain to use in low light - there’s no haptic feedback on the touch strip, so you’re guessing half the time. The trackpad is glass and huge, but it’s hidden beneath the palm rest surface so there’s no physical edge to find by touch. Build quality is excellent: the aluminum chassis is rigid, the hinge is smooth, and at 4.2 pounds it’s competitive for a 16-inch laptop. You get Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, and a headphone jack - but no USB-A, so bring a dongle.
Performance
The Core Ultra 9 285H handles compile tasks and heavy multitasking with ease. Cinebench 2024 multi-core scores around 1,450, which edges out the MacBook Air M4 but falls short of the M4 Pro. The RTX 5070 is the real story here - it delivers solid 1440p gaming at 60+ fps in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 (with DLSS 4 frame gen) and accelerates Premiere Pro timeline scrubbing noticeably. The fans are audible under load but not bothersome, and the chassis stays cool enough to use on your lap.
Features
The OLED display is stunning - 3840x2400 resolution, true blacks, and 100% DCI-P3 coverage make photo editing and HDR content look incredible. It hits 500 nits sustained and peaks at 650 nits for HDR highlights. The speakers are a letdown: they’re forward-firing but lack bass compared to the MacBook Pro’s six-driver array. The 1080p webcam is fine for Teams calls, and Windows Hello IR works reliably.
Pros
- Best OLED display on any Windows laptop right now
- RTX 5070 delivers genuine GPU horsepower
- Solid all-metal build
- Good port selection for a thin-and-light 16-incher
Cons
- Soldered RAM kills future upgradability
- Hidden capacitive function row is frustrating to use
- Speakers are mediocre for this price bracket
- No USB-A ports
Verdict
The Dell XPS 16 is a fantastic creative laptop if you prioritize screen quality above all else. The OLED panel is jaw-dropping, and the GPU muscle is real. But the soldered RAM, gimmicky touch function row, and middling speakers keep it from unseating the MacBook Pro 16 as the default recommendation.
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Technical Specifications
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