Dell XPS 16 review: Huge, stunning, and a source of frustration

A PREVIEW OF THE DELL XPS 16: THE UPS

The Dell XPS 16 is a stunning laptop that has the sense of a high-end piece of technology. Even though it is an entry-level model, it provides sufficient performance to continue to feel productive even while doing several tasks on the expansive 16-inch display.

The design is stunning

In overall, it is a positive thing that the Dell XPS 16 seems to be a larger version of the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023), considering that it is a very similar device. There are certain features of the XPS 13 Plus that I do not like, and I am not a fan of them here either (looking at you, capacitive touch keys), but the whole package clearly looks and feels like a pricey rival to the MacBook.

The machined aluminum chassis of the XPS 16 looks fantastic in the white (sorry, Platinum) color scheme that Dell has chosen for their laptops. Although you will feel the weight of this almost five-pound laptop if you carry it for an extended period of time, it seems rather sleek when placed on a desk. This is owing in part to the strikingly tiny bezels that give the appearance that the 16.3-inch display is floating in the air, but it is also due to the small chassis, which measures 0.74 inches and is less than half an inch thicker than a 13-inch MacBook Air M3.
One of my favorite aspects of the Dell XPS 16 is that, despite its unassuming nice looks, this ultraportable can be a fine gaming laptop if you pay to outfit it with a discrete laptop GPU and some more RAM. This is one of the reasons why I really like this laptop. I am aware of this because Dell provided us with a unit that has those enhancements, and after a week of using it, I am delighted to report that it is a lot of fun for simple gaming.

These demanding games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, are nevertheless extremely enjoyable despite the fact that they do not run very well unless you turn down the settings quite a bit and depend on the DLSS 3 upscaling technology that Nvidia offers. On the other hand, I find that playing older, slower, but still stunning strategic games like Endless Legend on the wonderful 4K OLED touchscreen brings me a great deal more delight than any other game or experience.

benchmarks for gaming in frames per second (fps) at 1080p resolution

In spite of this, our gaming benchmarks demonstrate that our Dell XPS 16 review unit is capable of running a greater number of games than other 16-inch devices that are priced similarly, such as the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra and even Apple’s MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2023). The latter had to run each test at a slightly more demanding resolution of 1200p because we were unable to get it to run them in 1080p. In spite of this, the XPS 16 outperformed it in every game with the exception of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which is designed to run flawlessly on Apple hardware.

The graphics processing unit (GPU) included in our review unit of the Dell XPS 16 most certainly also contributes to the device’s ability to complete our Handbrake video editing test more quickly than the Galaxy Book4 Ultra. This test measures how long it takes the laptop to convert a 4K film down to 1080p using Handbrake. On the other hand, the solid-state drive (SSD) of the XPS 16 did not transfer data as quickly as the other machines in the market. The sheer speed of Apple silicon enables the M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro to surpass Dell’s most recent 16-inch model and maintain its position as the performance leader in this size and price range.

Stunning OLED display with a resolution of 4K

The 4K OLED touchscreen that is available as an optional upgrade for the new Dell XPS 16, which can be purchased for an extra $300, is one of my favorite features of this new laptop. However, despite the fact that the OLED display option is described as having a lower peak brightness than the 1920 x 1200 LCD display that is included as standard (400 nits as opposed to 500 nits), I believe that the trade-off for a 4K OLED touchscreen is worth it.

Since organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays have a tendency to produce crisp contrasts, dazzling colors, and deep, compelling blacks, I am generally fascinated by them. Our review model of the Dell XPS 16 had a screen that is identical to the one on the other, and it made everything I performed on the laptop seem more impressive.

When we brought the XPS 16 into our testing lab and directed our Klein K10-A colorimeter at the display, we found that it really achieves a brightness that is higher than the 400 nits that Dell claims it has. The display achieves an average of 406 nits, with a peak of about 412 nits in the lower-right area of the screen. The brightness continues to increase until it reaches a maximum of 635 nits when HDR material is seen on the whole screen.

It is quite encouraging to note that the OLED display is capable of displaying 114.7% of the sRGB color gamut as well as 81.2% of the more demanding DCI-P3 color gamut. A complete coverage of 100% is considered to be full coverage, and more coverage tends to cause colors to seem more vibrant and oversaturated overall. The table of test results that is shown above demonstrates that the 4K OLED touchscreen of the XPS 16 is superior than the 3K AMOLED touchscreen of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra. However, the XPS 16 is unable to meet the levels of brightness that are provided by the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Review of the Dell XPS 16: the drawbacks

However, despite all of the positive aspects that the XPS 16 has, there are certain drawbacks that prevent it from being really remarkable. These drawbacks revolve mostly on its adaptability and its emphasis on aesthetics rather than practicality.

To put it more poetically, getting acclimated to the keyboard takes some time.

After taking the Dell XPS 16 out of its packaging and beginning to use it, the first thing I said to my coworkers was, “Wow, I can’t believe they made a 16-inch laptop with a keyboard that is this uncomfortable.”

After using the XPS 16 for a week, I have become more used to typing on it; nonetheless, I am still not a fan of it, and I cannot wait to put in my own personal keyboard. My dislike for the keyboard deck on the XPS 16 begins with the keys themselves, and it continues with a number of other aspects of the keyboard deck.

To begin, the row of capacitive touch keys that have taken the place of the function row are perhaps the least enjoyable of all the switches. Without a doubt, they have a really attractive appearance, since they emit a spectral white light whenever the keyboard illumination is activated (which is normally when you press a key), and then gradually disappear into oblivion when they are not being used. This is because they are capacitive, which means that when you push them, there is no give or feedback; it feels exactly the same as pressing on cold, difficult metal. If you mistakenly push too hard, this will not only cause you to suffer some discomfort, but it will also need you to glance down at the keys each time you wish to use them. In my experience, this is inconvenient.

My neck and shoulders have been making a lot of discomfort as a result of this continual need to look down, which is something I do not enjoy. The annoying touchpad, which is not defined in any way on the keyboard deck, makes the situation much worse since you have no idea where it starts and where it stops.

After a week or so, you will eventually get the hang of it, but when I say “get the hang of it,” what I really mean is “stop caring that half the time when you reach down to use the touchpad, your finger either starts or ends in the wrong place because you can’t feel where it is.” This is not a pleasant experience when you are paying upwards of $2,000 for a laptop.

I don’t understand what the benefit is either, considering that the ghostly capacitive keys and the invisible touchpad are not any quicker or simpler to use than the plain old boring visible ones that are found on rival laptops. Although it is possible to argue that they are more likely to live longer due to the fact that there are less moving components to break, I have a feeling that something else in this laptop will fail long before the keys start going out.

To conclude, the keyboard itself is, in some way, less pleasant to use than any other laptop keyboard that I have examined up to this point. As a result of the fact that I have been writing reviews for Tom’s Guide for a number of years, I have probably written evaluations on close to one hundred different laptops that range in size and price. There has been no other device that has been more difficult to operate than the XPS 16, with its peculiar keyboard that is crammed together.

When you take a closer look at the pictures of this laptop, you will see that there is almost no gap between the keys on the keyboard. This is something that Dell is glad to say is a positive and desirable feature. Despite the fact that the manufacturer claims that this “comfortable keyboard” has “larger, deeper, touch-friendly keycaps and less space between keys make typing more efficient,” in my experience, it actually makes typing much slower, more uncomfortable, and more prone to errors.

As for me and my sausage fingers, the issue is that the keys on the XPS 16 are all squished together with little room between them, which causes my hands to feel cramped even on this enormous 16-inch laptop. People who have tiny hands will likely have a more pleasant experience than those who have larger hands.

This is a significant disappointment for me personally since I have a tendency to choose bigger computers with keyboards that are at least 16 inches due of their spaciousness. In general, the bigger the laptop, the more space there is for the keyboard. This often means that larger laptops have either keyboards that are more full than their smaller counterparts or keyboards that have more space between the keys. There is sufficient space on a large laptop, such as the LG Gram 17 Pro, which is 17 inches in size, for a complete keyboard that includes a separate number pad and a set of arrow keys that are located in a different location from the keyboard. Even though it is slimmer and lighter than the XPS 16, it still manages to provide me with a larger keyboard that is much more comfortable for me to use for extended periods of time.

After using the keyboard of the XPS 16 for a week, I have been used to it, and while it has not become more comfortable for me, I do believe that it is a fascinating design that may appeal to certain people. However, you should be prepared for a time of adjustment, and if you place a high value on large, roomy keyboards or physical function keys, you may want to look into purchasing a different laptop.

Too few ports available

The XPS 16 comes with connectors that are not quite as impressive as they might be. A Thunderbolt 4 port, a MicroSDXC card reader, and a 3.5mm audio connector are located on the right-hand side of the device, while another pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports are located on the left edge of the device. One of the Thunderbolt 4/USB-C connections is degraded to a normal USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connector for versions that are equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics processing unit (GPU).

All of those Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports may be used to charge the laptop (using the charger that is provided) or connect it to an external display. This is a convenient feature since the laptop can be charged from either side of the device. In addition, Dell provides a free USB-C adaptor that comes with both a USB-A connector and an HDMI connection in the same packaging. This allows you to connect older devices or monitors with more ease.

On the other hand, despite this, it has the sense of a laptop that is constrained by its very thin form. I am not certain if this is the reason why Dell chose not to include a more ambitious port array on this laptop; nonetheless, given that the XPS 16 is presumably one of the larger and more powerful laptops in the company’s flagship XPS series, it is peculiar that it is not set for usage that is more demanding and diverse.

When you take into consideration that the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 weighs the same as the XPS 16 and is actually slimmer, but provides a more diverse and useful port array, the absence of this feature seems to be particularly peculiar.

Battery life that is average

The battery life of our Dell XPS 16 review unit was around 11 hours when it was put through our battery test. This test requires a fully charged laptop to continuously browse the web (over Wi-Fi) with its screen set to a low brightness until it breaks down.

This is better than many of the best Windows laptops, but it also damns the XPS 16 with faint praise since it still can’t stand a candle to Apple’s MacBooks. These laptops have a tendency to last at least 14 hours or more in our tests, and as a result, they dominate our list of the best laptops for battery life.

The results of the battery life test

When it comes to It is clear from the table of battery test results that we have shown above that 11 hours is really pretty satisfactory for a contemporary Dell laptop. Additionally, if you were to purchase an XPS 16 with the basic 1200p LCD screen rather than the more power-hungry 4K OLED touchscreen, you would most likely have an even longer battery life.

The reality of the matter is, however, that the performance of the XPS 16 OLED in our test is many hours behind not just all MacBooks but also a good number of Windows laptops overall. Although I am happy to report that the XPS 16 should have no issue surviving through a full day of work or school without the need for a charger, I must say that this is a performance that is considered to be average for an ultraportable device in this day and age. If you place a high importance on battery life, there is little doubt that you can find other products that are superior than yours.

DELL XPS 16: Is It Worth It?

In spite of its shortcomings, I consider our Dell XPS 16 review unit to be rather satisfactory. A significant portion of this is attributable to its attractive one-two punch, which consists of a stunning 4K OLED display that is powered by strong internals that give decent to exceptional performance—so long as you are not engaging in activities that are very demanding.

The battery life of this gaming laptop is superior to that of any other gaming laptop now available on the market. Although it is not a wonderful gaming laptop for playing the most recent high-budget games, it does get quite close to becoming one if you update it with all of the available upgrades. In addition, the XPS 16 is capable of running more games better and has an OLED touchscreen, which is something that no MacBook can equal. This is despite the fact that it cannot match the battery life, video editing capabilities, or processing speed of the most recent MacBook Pros.

However, I was unable to find many positive things to say about the keyboard deck. The capacitive touch row, the keys that are crammed together, and the touchpad that is not visible are all things that irritate me. Even after using this laptop for a week or more, I continue to feel annoyed by how unpleasant and unattractive it is to use. The XPS 16 is a great jack-of-all-trades laptop that truly shines when you invest in the OLED update. However, those with smaller hands will likely feel more comfortable typing on these keys than I do. If you are able to make peace with the design, I believe the XPS 16 is a good option.