Dell’s XPS 15 has discovered its place on plenty of our best-of lists, together with finest laptops and finest 15-inch laptops. There are a variety of causes for these accolades, together with a strong, but comparatively skinny and lightweight design, in addition to sturdy efficiency and beautiful shows.
However that doesn’t imply it faces no competitors. HP’s Envy 16 2023 is a 16-inch laptop computer that provides the XPS 15 a run for its cash. It’s across the similar value and presents comparable or higher efficiency. Is that sufficient to interchange the XPS 15 on our lists?
Specs and configurations
| HP Envy 16 2023 | Dell XPS 15 9530 | |
| Dimensions | 14.07 inches by 9.91 inches by 0.78 inches | 13.57 inches x 9.06 inches x 0.71 inches |
| Weight | 5.12 kilos | 4.23 kilos |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-13500H Intel Core i7-13700H Intel Core i9-13900H |
Intel Core i5-13500H Intel Core i7-13700H Intel Core i9-13900H |
| Graphics | Intel Arc A370M Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 |
Intel Iris Xe Intel Arc A370M Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 (40W) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (40W) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (40W) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5 32GB DDR5 |
8GB DDR5-4800MHz 16GB DDR5-4800MHz 32GB DDR5-4800MHz 64GB DDR5-4800MHz |
| Show | 16-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS, 120Hz 16-inch 16:10 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED contact, 120Hz |
15.6-inch 16:10 Full HD+ (1,920 x 1,200) IPS 15.6-inch 16:10 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160) OLED |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD 2TB PCIe Gen4 SSD |
512GB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD 2TB PCIe SSD 4TB PCIe SSD 8TB PCIe SSD (2 x 4TB SSDs) |
| Contact | Optionally available | Optionally available |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x microSD card reader |
2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x SD Card reader |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Webcam | 5MP with infrared digicam for Home windows 11 Howdy | 720p with infrared digicam for Home windows 11 Howdy |
| Working system | Home windows 11 | Home windows 11 |
| Battery | 83 watt-hour | 86 watt-hours |
| Value |
$1,499+ |
|
| Score | 3.5 out of 5 stars | 3.5 out of 5 stars |
Proper now, HP solely lists one configuration of the Envy 16 2023 on its web site. However once I reviewed the laptop computer, there have been a number of configurations accessible. The fundamental mannequin price $1,350 with a Core i5-13500H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an Intel Arc A370M GPU, and a 16-inch WQXGA IPS show working at 120Hz. On the excessive finish, you’ll spend $2,685 for a Core i9-13900H, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, and a 2.8K OLED panel additionally working at 120Hz. We reviewed a midrange configuration, priced at $1,750 for the Core i9, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060, and the IPS show.
The XPS 15 additionally has a variety of configurations. As of when this comparability is being written, the low-end mannequin is $1,299 for a Core i7-13700H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an Intel Arc A370M GPU, and a 15.6-inch FHD+ IPS panel. Absolutely configured, it’s $4,349 for a Core i9-13900H, 64GB of RAM, an 8TB SSD, an RTX 4070, and a 3.5K OLED show. We reviewed the laptop computer with a Core i7-13700H, 16GGB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4070, and the OLED panel, and it prices $2,399.
You possibly can spend extra on the XPS 15 attributable to larger RAM and storage choices, however the Envy 16 you’ll need to purchase is costlier than the equal XPS 15. That’s a little bit of a shock because the Envy 16 falls in HP’s midrange lineup whereas the XPS 15 is a premium laptop computer via and thru.
Design
The XPS 15’s design hasn’t modified in a number of generations. That’s not a nasty factor, actually, as a result of it’s a sexy laptop computer with its aluminum lid and backside chassis, in addition to a carbon fiber keyboard deck. It’s additionally constructed extremely nicely, with no flexing, bending, or twisting, plus a hinge that’s dual-clutched and clean as butter when opening the lid. Its hinge additionally opens easily, though not fairly as properly because the XPS 15’s, and there’s a bit extra wobble within the show whenever you’re working laborious.
The Envy 16 can also be stable, though it doesn’t give off fairly the identical really feel of high quality because the XPS 15. It’s a easy design that’s engaging and doesn’t stand out, which is the development amongst mainstream laptops right now.
The XPS 15 has top-of-the-line keyboards on a Home windows laptop computer, with giant keycaps and loads of key spacing to go along with switches which are snappy and exact. The Envy 16’s keyboard is nearly nearly as good, however simply doesn’t present fairly the identical assured really feel when typing very quick. The XPS 15 additionally has a bigger touchpad that takes up all accessible house on the palm relaxation, whereas the Envy 16’s is smaller than it might be. Each work nicely, with fairly, assured clicks, so most customers possible wouldn’t be capable to inform the distinction between them.
Connectivity favors the Envy 16, which has a number of legacy ports to go along with its Thunderbolt 4 ports. The XPS 15 has simply USB-C and Thunderbolt 4, so that you’ll respect the dongle that Dell contains within the field. The XPS 15 does have a full-size SD card reader versus the Envy 16’s microSD card reader, in order that’s a plus. The Envy 16 additionally has the most recent wi-fi connectivity whereas the XPS 15 is a era behind.
One other win for the Envy 16 is its 5MP webcam, which offers a a lot better picture for videoconferencing than the XPS 15’s 72op model. Each laptops have infrared cameras for Home windows 11 Howdy password-less login, and the XPS 15 additionally has a fingerprint reader embedded within the energy button.
Efficiency
Each laptops equip variants of Intel’s Thirteenth-gen 45-watt CPUs. The Core i7-13700H and Core i9-13900H are each 14-core (six Efficiency and eight Environment friendly), 20-thread processors, whereas the Core i7 maxes out at 5.0GHz and the Core i9 at 5.4GHz. On the similar time, the Envy 16 used the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 whereas the XPS 15 used an underpowered model of the RTX 4070 working at simply 40 watts.
The upper velocity of the Core i9 within the Envy 16 gave it a leg up in our CPU-intensive benchmarks, though the distinction in efficiency wasn’t drastic. Within the PugetBench Premiere Professional benchmark that runs in a stay model of Adobe’s Premiere Professional and makes use of the GPU to hurry up quite a lot of processes, the laptops had been evenly matched of their efficiency modes. The XPS 15 would have been sooner if its GPU wasn’t underclocked so severely.
Because it stands, each can deal with essentially the most demanding productiveness duties whereas additionally assembly the wants of creators. Neither stands out.
| Geekbench (single/multi) |
Handbrake (seconds) |
Cinebench R23 (single/multi) |
Pugetbench Premiere Professional |
|
| HP Envy 16 2023 (Core i9-13900H / RTX 4060) |
Bal: 1,997 / 12,742 Perf: 1,992 / 12,645 |
Bal: 73 Perf: 75 |
Bal: 1944 / 15,596 Perf: 1,954 / 15,422 |
Bal: 1,106 Perf: 1,121 |
| Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-13700H / RTX 4070) |
Bal: 1787 / 11978 Perf: 1830 / 11769 |
Bal: 79 Perf: 76 |
Bal: 1865 / 13386 Perf: 1868 / 13927 |
Bal: 866 Perf: 1023 |
Show and audio
Dell despatched us a evaluate unit sporting its 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160) OLED show, which offers phenomenal colours and deep, inky-black distinction. It’s a lot better than the IPS panel that HP despatched us on our Envy 16 2023 evaluate unit. You will get a 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED show with the Envy that gained’t be as sharp, however will present comparable efficiency in colours and distinction.
It’s price the additional cash to get the Envy 16 2023 with the OLED panel, and in the event you do, then its near evenly matched with the XPS 15. Stick to the IPS panel, although, and also you’ll be proud of the way it performs together with your productiveness duties, however dissatisfied with artistic work and media streaming.
| HP Envy 16 2023 (IPS) |
Dell XPS 15 (OLED) |
|
| Brightness (nits) |
396 | 358 |
| AdobeRGB gamut | 73% | 96% |
| sRGB gamut | 97% | 100% |
| Accuracy (DeltaE, decrease is best) |
1.01 | 1.31 |
| Distinction ratio | 1,010:1 | 24,850:1 |
Each laptops have quad-speaker setups, with two downward-firing and two upward-firing audio system. However Dell’s implementation is a lot better, providing the perfect audio you’ll discover in a Home windows laptop computer. Mids and highs are crystal clear, and there’s sufficient bass to make a distinction in sure musical genres and motion TV reveals and flicks. Solely Apple’s newest MacBook Execs have higher audio than the XPS 15.
Portability
The XPS 15 is thinner and lighter than the Envy 16 2023, making it barely simpler to hold round. However each are giant laptops that you just’ll discover in your backpack.
By way of battery life, the XPS 15 managed a lot better longevity, even with a extra power-hungry OLED show. Each laptops have equally sized batteries, and so Dell simply did a greater job of optimizing effectivity. Sure, the Envy 16’s CPU is clocked larger, however that’s not sufficient to account for the hours of distinction in battery life.
| HP Envy 16 2023 (Core i9-13900H) |
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-13700H) |
|
| Internet searching | 4 hours, 59 minutes | 9 hours, 43 minutes |
| Video | 7 hours, 47 minutes | 11 hours, 46 minutes |
| PCMark 10 Purposes | 7 hours, 24 minutes | 10 hours, 49 minutes |
The Envy 16 places up a great struggle, however the XPS 15 wins out
The Envy 16 is simply as quick because the XPS 15, even whereas utilizing a lower-end GPU, however that’s it’s solely actual win on this shootout. The XPS 15 is extra solidly constructed, it’s extra engaging, and it has a greater keyboard and touchpad. It additionally will get higher battery life and has a sharper OLED show.
If the Envy 16 had been inexpensive than the XPS 15 with the identical configuration, then it might be a extra compelling choice. As it’s, the XPS 15 is just a extra refined laptop computer that’s higher price its funding.
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