46 PCWorld JULY 2020REVIEWS THE BEST DELL XPS 13
$1,700 on Dell.com (go.pcworld.com/
by90).
The Dell XPS 13 9300 with Core
i7-1065G7 and FHD+ display is $1,600 on
Dell.com (go.pcworld.com/by00).
The best value is this: the XPS 13 7390
with Core i7-10710U and FHD non-touch
screen for $1,250 on Dell.com (go.pcworld.
com/90by).
Winner: XPS 13 7390WHICH BUDGET XPS 13 IS
THE BEST
While most of our performance analysis looks
at the higher-end configurations, we do have
advice for those shopping on a budget. We
compared the three cheapest configurations
of the XPS 13 and found the best deal to be
the XPS 13 7390. For $900 on Dell.com (go.
pcworld.com/900d), you get a quad-core
Core i5-10210U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB
SSD.
The runner-up in budget configuration is
the XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 for $1,000 on Dell.
com (go.pcworld.com/1thd). Just understand
the compromises, starting with a step back in
performance to a dual-core Core i3-1005G1
and anemic G1 graphics. The 4GB of RAM is
tight today, too.
The most expensive “budget” model is
the XPS 13 9300. For $1,200 on Dell.com
(go.pcworld.com/12td) you get a quad-core
Core i5-1035G1 with 8GB of RAM and a
256GB SSD. The G1 graphics is nothingspecial, but if all you’re doing is browsing the
web, using Microsoft Office, and using Zoom
video, most of these will work just fine. Note
that Zoom video conferencing requires a
quad-core CPU with Hyper-Threading to do
its nifty virtual background (go.pcworld.com/
vtbk) trick.WHICH XPS 13 SHOULD
YOU BUY?
A laptop is a very individual purchase, which
means we can only go so far in declaring a
“best” XPS 13. After going through all the
major criteria, however, we can see certain
trends that can help steer your decision.
The Dell XPS 13 7390 offers the best
overall value, perhaps obviously given that it’s
a slightly older model. You’re not giving up
much except in performance and screen
quality.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 comes out
strong in multiple categories. It’s the most
versatile because it’s convertible, and it also
has a gorgeous display and solid
performance.
The Dell XPS 13 9300, the latest model, is
the most expensive. However it also offers a
spectacular display and strong performance.
In all cases, we would suggest you think
carefully before choosing the 4K display
option. The extra pixels will tax your
performance and battery life heavily. If you
actually travel with this laptop, sticking with the
1080p display will save you much angst.