Dell XPS 15 review: Still the best Windows laptop you can buy

Look familiar? This year’s model is identical on the outside, but offers beefed up performance for 2022

A laptop that offers desktop-beating performance in a form you can easily slip into a backpack (iStock/The Independent)

Last year, we named the Dell XPS 15 the best laptop you can buy. Updated for 2022 with some slightly improved specifications, this year’s model keeps a firm grip on that crown.

A productivity-focused machine capable of handling every task you can throw at it, from photo editing to 4K video rendering, the top-of-the-line Dell XPS 15 is to Windows laptops what the 16in MacBook pro (£2,399, Apple.com) is to MacBooks.

Of course, all this performance comes at a price. The cheapest configuration of Dell XPS 15 costs about £1,600, rising to more than £3,000 if you go for the version with all of the bells and whistles. The test unit Dell sent us for this review sits in the middle of the scale: a £2,400 configuration with a 12th-generation Core i7, a 3050 Ti, 32GB of RAM and the OLED display.

For your money, you get a laptop that offers desktop-beating performance in a form you can easily slip into a backpack. But are the marginal tweaks to the internal hardware enough to recommend this year’s Dell XPS 15 over the 2021 version? Last year’s Dell XPS 15 can now be had at a small discount, and it still offers outstanding performance. This year, the previous-generation XPS might be Dell’s biggest competition.

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How we tested

We used the Dell XPS 15 as our regular work laptop for weeks. Our daily routine usually includes writing in Google Docs, juggling dozens of open Chrome tabs, and picture editing in Photoshop.

We also threw the Dell XPS 15 a few more processor-intensive jobs, such as audio editing and video rendering. Games played include Cities Skylines and Marvel’s Spider-Man, which the 3050 Ti (an optional upgrade) had no issues running.

We use PCMark 10 for technical benchmarking and comparison against similarly priced laptops.

Dell XPS 15 9520: £2,399.39, Dell.com

(Dell)

• CPU: 12th-gen Intel Core i7-12700H
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
• RAM: 32GB DDR5
• Screen: 15.6in OLED 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160px) touchscreen
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Pros: Outstanding performance, stylish design
• Cons: Low-res webcam

The straightforward, elegant chassis is built from sturdy, high-quality machined aluminium. The outer case is plain and minimalist, with just the recessed silver Dell logo interrupting the austere metal. The faint hatching effect on the carbon-fibre palm rests are the closest the laptop comes to stepping out of line and showing off a bit of character – a bit like colourful socks on a FTSE 100 CEO.

From the optional OLED touchscreen and beefy stereo speakers, to the comfortable backlit keyboard and responsive, roomy, glass touchpad, the Dell XPS 15 ticks box after box. It’s such an outstanding Windows laptop, with so few faults to crow about that it’s almost boring.

So it comes as no surprise that Dell is sticking with the ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach when it comes to the 2022 version of the Dell XPS 15. From the outside, you won’t be able to spot any differences. This is the same business-like exterior, using the same premium materials, keyboard, speakers and display.

(Dell)

To see any real changes, you have to dig deeper – underneath the bonnet is where all the upgrades have taken place. The Dell XPS 15 now runs on the latest 12th-generation Intel CPUs (available in either i5, i7 or i9) and uses faster DDR5 RAM. Battery life is improved, thanks to a combination of more power-efficient processors and, well, a bigger battery.

By all accounts, this year’s Dell XPS 15 doesn’t rock the boat. But extra features that would have been nice-to-haves in 2021 now feel notably absent in 2022. In particular, this year’s version of the Dell XPS 15 sticks with a perfectly adequate 60Hz refresh rate, whereas competitors are busy cranking things up to smoother 90Hz and even 120Hz variable refresh rates.

The laptop is also still using the same RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti graphics cards as last year, though as the Dell XPS 15 isn’t pitched as a gaming laptop, the decision to leave the GPU as it is makes a lot of sense. The 3050 Ti still offers great performance, running next-generation games on high settings and at smooth frame rates. The fans can kick out a bit of noise when the laptop is putting a shift in, but the Dell XPS 15 is generally one of the quieter machines we’ve tested.

(Dell)

Verdict: Dell XPS 15 9520 (with OLED screen)

If you’re searching for a high-performance and productivity-focused Windows machine with a spectacular OLED display and a better battery life than ever, the new Dell XPS 15 is the best laptop you’ll find. However, if you see last year’s Dell XPS 9510 still on sale, we recommend you take advantage of the discount and go for last year’s model. The 2022 upgrade is just too marginal to warrant the extra few hundred pounds.

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Unsure whether this is for you? Read our round-up of the best laptops you can buy in 2022