Performance Summary: The Dell XPS 15 (9570) passed all our benchmark tests with flying colors, and it fulfills its purpose as both a power-users' workhorse and an attractive high-end laptop. The two extra cores in the Intel Core i7-8750H Coffee Lake CPU and the updated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics really made a difference in the results. While we didn't get to test the top-end Core i9 processor, the six cores in the i7-8750H helped garner top scores on tests like Geekbench, Cinebench, and the DCC portion of the PCMark 10 test suite anyway. Gameplay was buttery smooth thanks to the GTX 1050 Ti graphics, as seen in the top results for the GRID Autosport, Middle Earth: Shadow of War, and closely held Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark tests. You'll enjoy the graphics power of the Dell XPS, whether you need to output 4K videos and print-ready photos, or need to take a break and destroy some orcs and trolls.
Speaking of trolls, some folks might complain that the design of this machine hasn't changed much since 2015. We'd say it doesn't have to (with one exception). The aluminum and carbon fiber look still works, and exudes a premium image. At 11-17mm thick and well under 5 pounds, it's truly an ultraportable as well. It's rare that you'd find such a machine with such a large screen and powerful hardware with those stats. We still have a nit to pick with the oddly placed camera, but at least it's not as bad as the pop-up camera in the Huawei MateBook X. If you have a lot of teleconferencing to do and dislike the upward angle, either pick up an external webcam or look elsewhere.
Dell XPS 15 - That Carbon Fiber Look
While not inexpensive, the Dell XPS 15 excels as an all-arounder. It quickly dispatches digital content creation tasks, handles everyday tasks like Office and browsing, it looks great, and it plays games at reasonable quality levels. The keyboard is comfortable to type on, the trackpad area is nicely sized and it's responsive, and the traditional laptop form factor is stable on your desk or on your lap.
Dell's gorgeous 4K, 400 nits InfinityEdge display is another highlight. We were able to use it in a sunlight-filled room after turning the brightness up, and its anti-glare treatment helped quell reflections when the ambient light levels weren't so dazzling. Visual artists with means or seniority will likely be happy with this media workhorse. We'd still like to see the 1080p HD version first hand, if only to compare screen quality for those who don't need 4K levels of detail, however.
Sure, the latest XPS 15 starts at $999, but the one you probably want will fall in the $2,000 range. Our opinion is that the hexa-core processor, speedy memory, 4K touchscreen, capacious and speedy SSD, and gaming-ready GeForce graphics are all worth it to match the capabilities that the premium chassis exudes. Dell keeps the quality and the performance going in the XPS 15 line with the new 9570 model, making it easy to recommend and worthy of our Editor's Choice award once again as well. The new Dell XPS 15 is simply one of, if not the best, premium 15-inch laptops on the market.
