No other computer manufacturers have been able to match the innovation and quality of Microsoft’s Surface Book. The Dell XPS 15 is a more budget-friendly alternative, but it lacks in features that some users may find important. Which one would you recommend?
The “dell xps 15 vs surface book 3” is a comparison between the Microsoft Surface Book 2 and the Dell XPS 15 (2020). It includes information about their specs, price, and release date.
We put the Microsoft Surface Book 2 to the test and compared it against the Dell XPS 15 in terms of display quality, performance, battery life, and more. The test results are shown below in our Ranking. Below the rankings, you’ll find detailed reviews of each laptop (also if they are suitable for video editing).
Result of the Test
April 2020 Result of the Test 9.7/10 Excellent
April 2020 Result of the Test 9.3/10 Very Good
Computer Computer Graphics Card
4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Pros
- The Test’s Best Performance
- Awe-inspiring 4K Display
- Longer battery life
- Excellent Work
- Touchscreen
- Worker in the Shadows
Cons
- A table stand is required.
- There is no LTE modem available.
Winner
Test Result
April 2020 Test Result 9.7/10 Excellent
Graphics Card
4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Pros
- The Test’s Best Performance
- Awe-inspiring 4K Display
- Longer battery life
Best Deal
Test Result
April 2020 Test Result 9.3/10 Very Good
Pros
- Excellent Work
- Touchscreen
- Worker in the Shadows
Cons
- A table stand is required.
- There is no LTE modem available.
The Dell XPS 15 comes in first place.
- The Test’s Best Performance
- Awe-inspiring 4K Display
- Longer battery life
Whether it’s the display, the battery, the shell, or the general performance of the trendy new laptop, there’s always something that turns out to be a flaw. However, the newer Dell XPS 15 (7590) makes finding flaws tough. It’s one of the greatest 15-inch gadgets Techtestreport has had the opportunity to test so far this year.
At least, that’s what we can say about our test sample, which has a 4K OLED display, Core i7-9750H, 16 GByte RAM, and a Geforce GTX 1650. As we can see from the results of the test, it’s a worthy investment in our perspective. But it’s not only the spectacle that’s worth seeing.
Design
In the new XPS 15, Dell uses a chassis that is as small as possible, similar to the XPS 13 (9380). This is also successful: the casing isn’t overly thick and there aren’t many display edges. Some Golem.de editors comment, “This doesn’t appear like a 15 incher at all.” Its dimensions are about 357 x 17 x 235 mm. Although not the greatest value, a weight of 4.32 lbs is also a nice weight for a gadget in this category. The silver-colored aluminum lid and the bottom shell in carbon fiber mimic the XPS series’ design. That is a person who knows how to please.
Dell has even copied the connectivity from the smaller model: two USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 3 port, and HDMI 2.0a are all included. There’s also an SD card reader, which comes in handy when utilizing camera equipment on the road. Overall, these are sufficient connectors for most purposes, although another USB-A or USB-C port or an RJ45 socket might simply be added.
Trackpad and Keyboard
Connoisseurs of the XPS series will soon recognize themselves in the touchpad and keyboard, save from the somewhat bigger keys. The pressure point on the chiclet keys is quite flat yet nice. The key arrangement is likewise consistent with the conventional – in our test sample, American – practice. Even the XPS 13’s LED backlighting may be indistinguishable. Dell does not experiment in this area, which we like.
The touchpad is likewise firm and somewhat bigger than the one on the 13-inch model. As a result, it performs somewhat better overall. The only flaw is that there is still a little too much play between the keycaps and the case shell, which the manufacturer does not seem to want to address.
The superior OLED display is a compelling incentive to pay a few hundred dollars extra.
Display
We had to amaze at first after turning on the 15.6-inch OLED display — a Samsung 156WR04 – The contrast on the Windows 10 desktop is very high. Furthermore, the resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels at 60 frames per second is pretty amazing. Another benefit of OLED is that against a dark backdrop, mouse cursor and icons seem crisper. Because black OLED pixels are simply shut off rather than glowing, there is no backlight leaking.
The measurements we took at maximum brightness were no less impressive: A maximum of 507 cd/m2 is a fantastic price. In truth, we don’t operate the display at maximum brightness inside since the sun rises when we do, symbolically speaking. The benefit of the excellent lighting is that we can read the information well even in direct sunshine – despite the fact that the screen is not anti-reflective. We didn’t see any obtrusive reflections here.
We don’t mind that the OLED screen only shows colors in 8 bits rather than 10-bit HDR. In any case, Windows 10 isn’t suited for high color depths, according to experience.
Performance
Aside from the most demanding games, the XPS 15 (7590) has adequate processing power to do practically any productive work in the configuration at hand. The performance of the Core i7-9750H is quite excellent. Dell has boosted the performance budget from 45 to 55 watts, resulting in excellent test results.
In the multi-core benchmark Cinebench R20, the six-core Cinebench R20 scores about 2,558 points with twelve threads. Even the Razer Blade 15 Advanced, which has a same CPU and is geared for gaming, has to concede defeat to this bargain. It barely scores 2,073 points on average. In the Blender benchmark BMW27, we found comparable results. In XPS 15, the CPU renders in 5:04 minutes, which is a respectable speed.
The Geforce GTX 1650, a Turing GPU, isn’t nearly as amazing. When rendering footage in the video editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro CC, it may, for example, support the processor. This, however, is highly dependent on the material shown. As a result, we may save some time in situations with a lot of effects. The 87-second test video on the Fairphone 3 takes 4:29 minutes to generate in 1080p. The GPU can only take a second off of an already impressive time. In the correct circumstances, something might take on a new appearance.
Gaming Capabilities
Some games can be played on the dedicated GPU as well, although not in high detail or at native 4K resolution. Passable frame rates are also available in native resolution in the tactical shooter CS:GO. We did, however, adjust the visual details to medium settings for this. In Full-HD, we get a playable 83 frames per second. At least in this game, the measurement is not substantially lower at 4K resolution, with 79 fps.
It appears considerably differently in the medieval game Mordhau. In this case, we also pre-set the graphic details to medium. We can still play at 60 frames per second in Full-HD quality. In 4K, the frame rate drops to an unplayable 24 frames per second, with significant jerking that degrades our gaming precision.
But how far can a Geforce GTX 1650 take us? We begin The Division 2, a visually challenging third-person shooter, and discover that we haven’t gone too far. We only get approximately 18 fps in native resolution and medium details, which is unusable, as predicted. In Full-HD, it’s just 30 frames per second in middling quality, although this may be presented quite regularly. There isn’t much jerkiness.
The XPS 15’s endurance isn’t an issue.
Battery
Despite a 45-watt CPU and specialized graphics chip, the XPS 15 lasts a long time. In the less rigorous runtime test, Powermark in Productivity Preset, we recorded 8:49 hours with 200 cd/m2 light. With the same brightness, we can also do a Netflix continuous run away from the power source. Stranger Things is a mystery series that goes till the third episode of the second season, which is nearly 8:48 hours. If you want even greater battery life, you may choose the Dell XPS 13 (9380) or a Lenovo Thinkpad. In terms of built-in hardware, you’ll have to make some sacrifices as well. The XPS 15, on the other hand, is unquestionably a benchmark in its class.
Hardware
A glance inside the notebook explains why this is the case. The massive 97 watt hour battery, which, like many other components, can be changed, takes up a significant amount of space. There are two SO-DIMM RAM slots, as well as an NVMe SSD slot and an M.2 WLAN module socket. Dell has already taken up all of the available slots, with a Toshiba XG6 SSD, two SK Hynix 8 GByte DDR4-2666 modules, and a Killer Wireless 1650x that supports the not-yet-common Wi-Fi 6 standard.
In addition, the SSD is fast enough for all realistic tasks, which is characteristic of an NVMe module. Even a Samsung PM981 competes with Toshiba’s XG6. We measured consecutive writing speeds of 3,022 MByte/s and sequential reading rates of 2,740 MByte/s. These are excellent prices.
Noise
The massive heatpipes and two fans that cool the CPU, GPU, and other components are noticeable. Even while running at full speed – such as in games or during the Cinebench R20 marathon – the laptop is remarkably quiet. A hissing sound may be heard, but it’s nothing compared to the Razer Blade 15’s high-frequency shrieking, which is significantly louder even in the updated version. To be fair, the XPS 15 has to deal with a less powerful graphics processor.
The XPS is completely silent whether watching Netflix shows, perusing the web, or writing. While we move our ear near to the keyboard, we can hear a mild coil whirling, which we discussed before when looking for defects. However, with a genuine posture and other sounds in the workplace, this isn’t visible.
Verdict
“Wow!” is the only word that comes to mind while describing the XPS 15 (7590). Dell has created one of the year’s most impressive 15.6-inch laptops.
The OLED panel, we believe, is a standout feature. It has a maximum brightness of 507 cd/m2 and the display technology’s excellent contrasts make even the Windows desktop seem intriguing. Because of the 4K resolution, icons and text seem to be exceedingly crisp. Even the shiny display cannot detract from the overall effect.
Dell does not experiment with the chassis in any way. In essence, the predecessor’s casing is reused. As a result, the XPS 15 seems to be a bigger version of the excellent XPS 13. (9380). This is also true of connections, which are enough for practically all job operations. However, adding one or two additional ports would have made the gadget more useful.
The Intel Core i7-9750H in the XPS 15 is quicker in benchmarks than the same CPU in the gaming laptop Razer Blade 15 Advanced, which is already fast on the road. As a result, the chip may be used for rendering and image processing.
However, the Geforce GTX 1650 is less powerful. We can play less demanding games like CS:GO or Mordhau on it, but Division 2 does not support many frames per second.
Aside from the display, the battery is another compelling factor. On the Netflix gadget, we may watch for about nine hours. Even light office work that is used on a regular basis has a comparable duration.
You won’t find a better 15.6-inch laptop that functions as a daily work tool (e.g. video editing) right now if you can afford it.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 is ranked second.
- Excellent Work
- Touchscreen
- Worker in the Shadows
- A table stand is required.
- There is no LTE modem available.
Microsoft announced a unique Detachable laptop with a detachable display in February 2016. When Redmond marketed the Surface Book, we stated in our review that it was virtually the ultimate laptop. The Surface Book 2 is now available, however just the 13.5-inch version is accessible in Germany. We tried the premium model, and apart from a few minor things, we believe the Surface Book 2 outperforms its predecessor.
The new Convertible, like so many of its descendants, is almost similar to the original in many ways: the distinctive Fulcrum hinge is still there, and the proportions are practically equal at 312 x 232 x 23 mm for 1,647 grams. Microsoft hasn’t modified or added any ports to the tablet device, so it looks exactly like the original Surface Book.
We believe it’s a shame since a USB-C port would have been a great addition. The screen only opens to a 130-degree angle, and a headset wire dangles from the top right corner, where the 3.5 mm headphone socket is positioned. The tablet does not come with a stand.
The keyboard dock’s base unit has two USB 3.0 A ports, a fast SD card reader with half depth, and the surface connection. The tiny display port has been replaced with a USB C port by Microsoft. However, instead of 10 GBit/s, it only sends data at 5 GBit/s (USB 3.0 instead of USB 3.1 Gen2).
After all, we can use this to charge the Surface Book 2 instead of the tablet’s power connector, and we can even attach a display to it. We couldn’t manage 3,840 x 2,160 pixels on our 4K screen since we couldn’t go to the Intel and Nvidia driver panel. Thunderbolt 3 would have been ideal, but there seem to be technical issues.
Display
The Surface Book 2’s touch display has once again wowed us: the IPS screen with a resolution of 3.000 x 2.000 pixels glows brilliantly with 404 cd/m2 and achieves a rich contrast ratio of 1.823:1. The display has been tuned to perfection.
While the 3:2 aspect ratio is ideal for working, the glare coating’s reflections might be distracting in strong light. The well-known 5 megapixel camera with focusing on the back of the display produces good photographs, while the front-facing 5 megapixel camera is appropriate for voice conversations and is backed by an infrared sensor for Windows Hello.
Keyboard
Because the keys have a nice stroke and release securely, the chiclet keyboard is one of the finest ones on the market. Due to the silver caps, the multi-level white illumination is only useful in somewhat dark conditions.
The Fn key is still to the right of the Ctrl key, which is correct. The arrangement has remained mostly unchanged. On the other hand, there has been a major improvement in speed and runtime under the keyboard, on the hardware side.
Hardware
The Surface Book boasts the latest Core i7-8650U (Kaby Lake Refresh) processor, which means it has four cores and eight threads instead of half as many. Furthermore, the quad core can handle up to 35 watts of power for a brief period of time and up to 25 watts of power constantly, which is great for speed.
For short tasks, the CPU is twice as fast as the Surface Book’s, but it’s still 50% quicker under extended loads. The greatest part is that instead of utilizing a fan, Microsoft passively cools the Core i7-8650U. This is adequate for an average of 2.4 GHz and changing temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Celsius in the one-hour video encoding test (4K30 with 10 bit).
In the graphics unit, Microsoft uses a modern Geforce GTX 1050 (without the Ti suffix) with 2 GByte GDDR5. In scientific applications and games with richer texture and shadow details, having double video memory might be beneficial. The new Nvidia graphics is frequently twice as quick as the Geforce 940M/GDDR5, whether in current games or during calculating, such as route tracing.
Before the tablet can be removed, all programs that are running on it must be closed. It is impossible to achieve a smooth transition. Because the power status ‘Recommended’ is selected, the CPU and dGPU values are valid for both power supply and battery operation.
Performance
You may also utilize ‘Better Performance’ or ‘Best Performance’ to get more performance out of your Surface Book 2. Caution: The processor’s clock speed rises dramatically, and the Geforce climbs from 1.3 to 1.5 GHz. This depletes the battery far quicker than ‘Recommended,’ and the 95 watt surface power source isn’t even enough at the maximum setting.
Instead, the Detachable’s battery is gradually depleted and refilled, which is not good for battery life. We can’t tell if the issue can be solved this way since there isn’t a USB-C power source with more than 95 watts.
The Surface Book 2 not only has more power, but it also lasts longer than the original, thanks to the 75 (57+18) watt hours instead of 69 (51+18) watt hours. In Powermark Productivity, we get a respectable 12:29 hours instead of 10:35 hours at 150 candelda per square meter of brightness (corresponds to 60%). After the big firmware upgrade (see testing), the figure for the old Surface Book was determined; earlier, it was only 9:45 hours. For four hours, the tablet streams movies at 150 cd/m2.
In office mode and while surfing the web, the new Detachable is quiet, and in ‘recommended’ mode, it is much quieter. However, in the two higher levels, the fan in the keyboard unit becomes quite noisy. A brief word about the remainder of the equipment: The Surface Book 2 has Bluetooth 4.1 and 802.11ac WiFi, but no LTE. As the NVMe-SSD, Samsung’s PM961 comes into action.
Verdict
The Surface Book 2 is Detachable, just like its predecessor: no other 2-in-1 with a 13.5-inch display offers as much versatility and capability. The portable tablet now calculates very quickly thanks to four instead of two CPU cores, and it is also quietly cooled. In regular usage, the Geforce-GTX-1050 graphics unit in the keyboard dock delivers twice the performance of the original Surface Book, and the battery life improves by 20%.
The excellent 3:2 touch screen remains impressive, and the addition of a USB-C port is a pleasant addition. Unfortunately, Microsoft was inconsistent, since neither full USB 3.1 Gen2 speed nor Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for an eGPU are available. The absence of an LTE modem is a point of criticism that was also evident in the predecessor.
If you can accept this, you’ll receive a reasonably priced and great Detachable Laptop with a lovely design, putting the Microsoft Surface Book 2 in second place after the Dell XPS 15. If you’re on a budget, though, we suggest the Microsoft Surface Book 2, which is much less expensive than the XPS 15 while still providing excellent performance.
The “surface book 3 vs macbook pro” is a comparison between the Microsoft Surface Book 2 and the Dell XPS 15 (2020). The two devices are similar in many ways, but there are some key differences.
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