Here’s how two of the best Windows laptops compare to each other

Dell’s XPS 16 is a brand-new machine, replacing the larger XPS 17 in size and configuration. What it gives up in potential performance, it tries to make up for with a sleek (and controversial) design. Meanwhile, HP updated its largest convertible 2-in-1, the Spectre x360 16, with a smoothed-out appearance and updated components.

The XPS and Spectre lines have reputations for solid builds and attractive aesthetics, but they’re different machines. One can be flipped around into tablet mode; one can be configured with a faster GPU. As we look ahead to testing these products ourselves, here’s how the two compare.

Specs and configurations

The Spectre x360 16 has a lower starting price of $1,600 (on sale for $1,250), which includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, Intel Arc graphics, and a 16.0-inch WQXGA+ (2560 x 1600) IPS displays. Fully configured, the Spectre costs $2,330 ($1,979 on sale) with  32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, and a 2.8K OLED panel.

The XPS 16 is more expensive, starting at $1,699 for a Core Ultra 7, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, Intel Arc graphics, and a 16.3-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS display. With a Core Ultra 9, 64GB of RAM, a 4TB SSD, an RTX 4070, and a 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED display, the XPS 16 costs $4,249.

The XPS 16 can be configured with a faster chipset, more memory and storage, a faster GPU, and a higher-res OLED display for a lot more money.

Design

The XPS 16 adopts the space-age design of the XPS 13 Plus, which is now defunct as new 13-inch and 14-inch variants share the new design. The laptop looks a lot like its predecessor, the XPS 17, on the outside, with the same all-aluminum lid and chassis in silver and graphic color schemes and anodized chrome accents along the edge.

Open it up, though, and you’ll find a keyboard with closely spaced keys, a row of LED function keys along the top, and a haptic touchpad that’s hidden on the all-glass palm rest. The keyboard and touchpad have received a lot of heat from onlookers since the announcement, disappointed that Dell has opted for the more divisive decision on its more “Pro”-level laptop. Still, the ultra-modern appearance is augmented by the thinnest display bezels around — a hallmark of the XPS brand.

The Spectre x360 16 shares its predecessor’s sleek design but has edges that have been sanded off into a smoother finish. It retains the notches in the display and rear chassis, the latter housing a Thunderbolt 4 port and audio jack for added convenience. Inside, it’s a more traditional design with a standard island keyboard and a large haptic touchpad. The all-aluminum build comes in Nightfall black, and while its side bezels are thin, its top and bottom bezels are larger — the latter to accommodate the 2-in-1 hinge that supports clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes.

Both laptops are very well-built, with all-aluminum chassis that feel solid in hand. The two devices are also similar in width and depth, with the XPS 16 being slightly thinner and the Spectre x360 16 being half a pound lighter.

As mentioned, the XPS 16 has a keyboard with large keycaps that offer no key spacing, and you’ll enjoy shallow but snappy and precise switches even as you take some time to grow accustomed to the zero-lattice layout. The Spectre x360 16’s keyboard also offers large keycaps with bold lettering and more key spacing and has light switches with a precise response that’s comfortable for long typing sessions. Given its more standard layout, the Spectre’s keyboard is likely to please more people.

The Spectre’s large haptic touchpad is excellent in its responsiveness and natural feel, while the XPS 16’s hidden touchpad also works well (with the haptics turned all the way up), and it’s large enough that the hidden design works well. Overall, the Spectre’s haptics are quicker and more realistic, making for a better overall feel. Many users will appreciate the Spectre’s physical function key and visible touchpad, and the Spectre also supports an active pen on its standard touch keyboard. The XPS 16’s 4K+ display is touch-enabled.

Connectivity is mixed, with the XPS 16 having an additional Thunderbolt 4 port and the Spectre offering HDMI and legacy USB-A ports. The XPS 16 has a microSD card reader, which is changed from the XPS 17’s full-size SD card reader, while the Spectre x360 16 drops an SD card reader altogether. Both laptops offer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, placing them on the cutting edge of wireless connectivity.

The Spectre x360 16 offers a 9-megapixel webcam supporting up to 2160p video and hardware-assisted low-light capabilities, compared to the XPS 16’s 1080p webcam. Both have infrared cameras supporting Windows 11 Hello facial recognition, and both have fingerprint readers embedded in their power buttons. In addition, both support user presence-sensing technologies that can lock and put them to sleep when a user leaves, wake them up, and log back in when a user returns.

To varying degrees, both laptops also use the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the Intel Meteor Lake chipset for various AI functionalities, such as videoconferencing enhancements, power management, and more.

Performance

The Specture x360 16 uses the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a 28-watt CPU with 16 cores (six Performance, eight Efficient, and two Low Power Efficient) and 22 threads, running at up to 4.8GHz. The XPS 16 matches the Spectre while offering the Core Ultra 7 165H, which runs up to 5.0GHz, and the 45-watt Core Ultra 9 185H, which runs up to 5.1GHz.

Both laptops offer similar CPU performance, although the Spectre is awaiting a BIOS update that will improve its performance. More important are the GPUs available with each machine. Both offer integrated Intel Arc graphics and the entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 discrete GPU, but the XPS 16 has the RTX 4060 and RTX 4070 as options. That means it will provide significantly better performance in creative apps that can utilize the GPU and in gaming. The XPS 16 can also be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, compared to the Spectre x360 16’s 32GB maximum.

The faster GPU shows up most in the Cinebench R24 GPU test and the Pugetbench Premier Pro benchmark that runs in a live version of Adobe’s Premiere Pro video editing application. The GPU can be used to speed up various tasks, and its impact is shown in significantly higher scores for the XPS 16.

Thus, the XPS 16 will be a better machine for demanding creators and gamers, while both laptops will serve productivity users and media consumers equally well.

Display

The Spectre x360 16 has two display options, WQXGA+ (2560 x 1600) IPS and 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED. Both run at up to 120Hz. The XPS 16 has optional FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS and 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED, running at 60Hz and 90Hz, respectively.

The Spectre’s low-end display has a higher resolution, while its higher-end display has a lower resolution, providing mixed sharpness compared to the XPS 16. We tested both OLED displays, and they both have the usual bright and accurate colors and deep contrast. We can’t predict the performance of the IPS panels.

As a 2-in-1, both Spectres’ display options are pen- and touch-enabled, while the XPS 16’s 4K+ OLED display is touch-enabled.

Portability

Both laptops are large machines, with the Spectre x360 16 being considerably lighter. They’ll both occupy plenty of space in your backpack, but the Spectre will be easier to cart around.

The XPS 16 has a larger battery than the Spectre x360 16 while offering a more efficient IPS panel and a more power-hungry OLED display. The Dell also utilizes more powerful CPUs at the high end. Battery life will, therefore, vary greatly based on each laptop’s configuration. Neither is likely to get all-day battery life.

The Dell XPS 16 looks like the more popular laptop

The XPS 16 is a faster laptop with a higher-resolution OLED display option, promising the best experience for creators and gamers. It’s a more futuristic design, with some elements such as the LED function keys and hidden touchpad being less attractive to many users. The Spectre x360 16 offers a convertible 2-in-1’s flexibility and isn’t as fast, particularly given the XPS 16’s faster GPU options.

While the XPS 16 is more expensive, it’s a more mainstream device that will appeal to more users. Productivity users and media consumers will appreciate the Spectre’s more flexible design.