DELL XPS 15 9500 (2020)

DELL XPS 15 9500 (2020)

Leading the trend with clean design lines, a modern display aspect ratio, and unprecedented processing power, the DELL XPS 15 9500 brings together everything needed to claim the title of 2020's Ultrabook of the year. In fact, no Windows Ultrabook rivals Dell's flagship in both aesthetic refinement and everyday convenience.

Who is the Dell XPS 15 9500 for?

As a high-performance Ultrabook with a distinctive aspect ratio, this machine is well suited for creative professionals who demand serious hardware while staying constantly on the move. It is also an ideal fit for software developers today.

Design - Understated yet Distinctive

Like its predecessor, the XPS 9500 features a precision CNC-machined aluminum exterior that feels exceptionally solid. The chassis remains fully reinforced with a sturdy magnesium alloy, complemented by a smooth, premium carbon fiber palm rest on the top deck. Look closely at the bottom panel, however, and you will notice it is no longer a single flat sheet of aluminum: two raised ridges now help secure the display assembly, preventing the cracking issues seen on earlier models. The overall footprint is also slightly larger to accommodate the 16:10 display aspect ratio.

The InfinityEdge display borders remain the defining highlight of this machine. Unlike last year's XPS 7590, all four bezels on the XPS 9500 are slimmed down evenly. The hinge retains a single-piece unibody build, but it is slimmer and better optimized for the cooling system.

The Golden Standard of High-Performance Ultrabooks

Built as a multimedia Ultrabook, this laptop packs high-performance Intel Comet Lake processors across four configurations: Core i5 10300H, Core i7 10750H, Core i7 10875H, and Core i9 10885H. With such a diverse CPU lineup, you can easily pick the exact chip for your workload. By offering the 8-core, 16-thread Core i7 10875H and Core i9 10885H, the machine promises a cooling system that performs considerably better than the previous generation.

Dell also offers two graphics options: integrated UHD 630 graphics and a discrete Nvidia GTX 1650Ti card. The discrete graphics option gives you the headroom to render high-resolution video and run demanding graphic design software comfortably.

A Display Refined Down to the Last Detail

The machine comes equipped with a Full HD IPS display featuring a fresh 16:10 aspect ratio, providing a spacious and comprehensive view of your work. This display panel delivers 500 nits of brightness along with 100% sRGB and 70% AdobeRGB color coverage, making it a great match for photo editing and creative work.

In addition, the DELL XPS 15 9500 offers a 4K touchscreen option with 100% AdobeRGB coverage, tailored for graphic work requiring pinpoint color accuracy and maximum sharpness.

Immersive Audio Experience

The DELL XPS 15 9500 is equipped with two 4W speakers on either side, with speaker grilles placed along the bottom edges. To optimize the surround sound experience, Dell also placed two speaker grilles alongside the keyboard, delivering a faithful, balanced soundstage paired with Waves MaxxAudio technology for crisp, clear audio playback.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Along with an entirely redesigned chassis, Dell outfitted its flagship with a redesigned keyboard that feels better balanced and more cohesive. It offers ample key travel paired with smooth, flat keycaps. The power button is integrated directly into the keyboard deck, but it has a firmer actuation that requires deliberate force, making accidental presses very unlikely. The power button also doubles as an ultra-responsive one-touch fingerprint sensor.

The touchpad is massive, topped with a smooth, premium glass surface. Touchpad tracking is responsive with accurate gesture recognition. The integrated mouse buttons provide a soft, solid click feel, though the clicking sound is somewhat loud.
Models from the same line are collected in the Dell XPS 15 category; for a wider comparison, see Dell laptops. Two other models worth a look: the DELL XPS 15 9560 and the DELL XPS 15 7590.

Connectivity and Ports

To keep up with the prevailing minimalist trend, the entire DELL XPS lineup in general and the DELL XPS 15 9500 in particular have phased out most legacy ports in favor of USB Type-C. The machine includes three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports; however, only the two ports on the left support Thunderbolt 3, while the single port on the right is limited to Power Delivery and display output. Dell kept the 3.5mm combo headphone jack alongside a full-size SD card slot.