Dell XPS 13 vs HP Spectre x360 (2020)

What laptop should you buy? That’s a question that has plagued anyone who needs to travel with their work device. The answer is simple: the HP Spectre x360 (2020).

In a recent poll, HP was named the #1 most trusted brand in PC gaming. Dell is still a strong contender for this title and their XPS 13 laptop has been heralded as one of the best laptops on the market. Here we will compare these two machines to see which one comes out on top!

The “dell xps 15 vs hp spectre x360 (2020)” is a comparison of two laptops that are both high-end. The Dell XPS 13 and the HP Spectre x360 (2020) are both high-end laptops with sleek designs and powerful hardware.

We put the HP Spectre x360 to the test and compared it against the Dell XPS 13 in terms of performance, display quality, price, portability, battery life, and more.

The Ranking with the test results can be found above, and the in-depth reports on the two office laptops can be seen below.

HP Spectre x360 comes in first.

Best Multitasking and Heavy Program Performance
Lightweight
Longer battery life

XPS 13 is more costly.

Display big in a little package. The HP Spectre X360 13 is a 13-inch convertible that is extremely light and small. The test device’s UHD OLED display is a genuine eye-catcher. Additional features, such as housing quality, emissions, and interface equipment, round out the incredibly appealing overall package.

The HP Spectre X360 13 manages to fit a slew of intriguing functions and features into a 2.64-pound 13-inch chassis. A high-resolution 4k UHD OLED display or an LTE modem may be included depending on the setup.

Processors from Intel’s Ice Lake series are already standard, and they should boost not just processing power but also graphics performance over the previous generation.

The HP Spectre X360 13-aw0030ng test laptop comes with an Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor with Intel Iris Plus Graphics, 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB solid-state drive, and a 4K UHD OLED display. At the time of testing, the price was about $1600.

Design & Interfaces / Ports

The metal casing of the Convertible performs very well in the test, not just cosmetically but also in terms of processing. Filigree and neatly linked edges, high-quality working parts, and a highly sturdy home structure captivate the flat dwelling.

Almost everything may be twisted, dented, or otherwise distorted with the right amount of power. The screen is held in place extremely effectively by the 360-degree display hinges, regardless of the angle.

In the 8 mm flat base unit, you must, of course, do without separate maintenance flaps. The majority of the components are soldered, including the RAM and WiFi module. According to the Hardware & Maintenance Guide, only the WWAN module (if present) and the M.2 PCIe SSD are plugged in.

You should familiarize yourself with the current warranty terms before replacing, repairing, or upgrading the drive.

HP supplies a well-fitting imitation leather sleeve with the Spectre X360 13 for proper clothes while traveling. This weights about 150 g, is timeless black, and should give some protection against environmental impacts when traveling. For the active stylus, there is also a storage/transport loop.

Despite the thin side line, HP manages to pack a lot of useful features into the convertible casing. A MicroSD memory card reader and a 3.5 mm audio connector are included in addition to two feature-rich Thunderbolt 3 ports.

HP even gets a full-fledged USB 3.1 Gen.1 Type A inserted, thanks to a clever folding mechanism similar to the one you’ll see on LAN connections from time to time. One of the two Thunderbolt 3 ports, which may also be used to connect external screens, powers the laptop.

As a practical addition, a tiny docking station is included in the test setup, which offers HDMI and two more USB type-A connections. The power supply unit may also be connected here, allowing the second Thunderbolt 3 to be utilized for other purposes without any issues.

Wireless connection is provided via Intel’s Wi-Fi 6 AX201 and Bluetooth 5.2 on the test device.

The Intel XMM 7560 LTE-Advanced Pro (Cat16) LTE modem with four antennas may also be used, however it is not included in the test setup. The slot needed for the WWAN module is likewise only accessible in setups with a WWAN module, according to the Hardware & Maintenance Guide. As a result, the antennas needed for this should only be found in such models.

A fingerprint reader and an infrared camera for facial recognition are still available on the HP Spectre X360 13. Instead of a mechanical sliding cover, HP has included a camera on/off button on the right side of the chassis. The small display frame would have made it impossible for a mechanical cover option to fit.

Sound

Despite the fact that the speakers of the HP Spectre X360 13 are affiliated with Bang & Olufsen, they only generate decent sound quality. The midrange and bass are there, but the height-heavy tuning pushes them into the background. The maximum loudness creates a sound pressure level of 66.0 dB, which is rather low (A). The tiniest shaking may be detected at high volume levels.

The test gadget is clearly not up to the challenge of doing real-time audio operations. The program displays a latency mons of 3,760 s after just 90 seconds of testing.

Quality issues such as synchronization difficulties, dropouts, and sound cracking might occur as a result of this. Improved drivers or a BIOS update may be able to aid in this situation.

Gestures / Touchpad & Keyboard

Because the keyboard occupies almost the whole width of the input device enclosure, most keys may be found in the standard 19 mm grid. It should also be able to swiftly persuade demanding frequent writers thanks to its short stroke, well-defined pressure point, and mild stroke noise. During typical writing, the key mat rests securely on the keyboard and does not budge.

The vertical arrow keys are impractically crammed into one line, the keyboard labeling is poor in contrast owing to the silver-colored keys, and the keyboard lighting even inhibits its recognizability in brighter working situations.

The on/off button for the convertible is almost fantastically positioned in the rear left corner, and it proves to be incredibly useful. The button is readily accessible from all convertible modes because to the flattened edges. Similarly, the functionalities located in the F-key bar and the on/off button for the camera on the side become second nature soon.

The gliding qualities of the 110 x 55 mm click pad are excellent, and it receives input dependably. Using the Windows settings, you may customize the features and gestures to meet your specific requirements.

The OLED display with capacitive touch surface and integrated digitizer is used in the test setup. The test gadget comes with an active stylus with built-in battery. It is powered by a USB type C port.

Setting the scale to 200 percent or even 225 percent is advised for finger input as well as the overall picture display. Symbols, icons, and text lines may then be reliably struck. The stylus, with its substantially smaller tip, is obviously suited for more filigree, artistic, or conventional pen operations. Both approaches are very accurate along the edges and in the corners.

The stylus may be stored in the accompanying case in mobile mode by owners of the test configuration. Aside from that, the Convertible lacks an inbuilt storage box for always-at-hand convenience.

Display

Apart from multiple casing colors and WWAN technology, HP sells the Spectre X360 13 with 5 distinct display versions.

Unfortunately, in light of the specific setup, HP’s data sheets and product information seem to be lacking in key areas. According to the data sheet, the test device HP Spectre X360 13-aw0030ng has a FullHD-IPS display. A UHD OLED panel, on the other hand, is built-in. As a result, you should double-check the display type you may anticipate before making a purchase.

Samsung’s UHD OLED panel is used in the test gadget. This has a smooth surface and, according to the user, an anti-reflection coating. The degree of reflection is in the range of highly reflective screens when compared to previously tested laptop displays.

By the editing deadline, it was unclear whether or not this is the model with anti-reflective coating, as defined by HP. 20.05.2020 Update: The screen on the test device is an anti-reflective display, according to HP.

In the standard test process with complete white screen content, the maximum brightness reaches 384 cd/m2. The OLED panel produces 478 cd/m2 when the white component is decreased to 10% (the rest is black). At 97 percent, the light is quite even. In the incredibly rich black photograph, no cloud structures or light halos can be seen.

The brightness may be changed in Windows display settings using the specified brightness levels or % accurately, as normal. Brightness level 7 provides 205 cd/m2, whereas brightness level 6 provides 159 cd/m2. PWM with a frequency of 250 Hz is utilized at brightness levels 0 to 6.

OLED displays, in principle, attain a black level of 0, resulting in indefinitely high contrast. This is also corroborated by the measurement in the AdobeRGB color space. The spectrophotometer certifies a black value of 0.276 cd/m2 in the sRGB color space, which is likely owing to the profile maintained by HP. The computed contrast is 1.391:1 in this case.

With the HP Display Manage tool, HP attempts to control the color representation of the color-strong display. In addition to the native display, this utility enables you to pick preset color spaces. In addition to the native display capabilities, DCI-P3, AdobeRGB, sRGB, and Standard are available for choosing. HP has equivalent profiles on hand, but the test device’s white point isn’t quite right.

The bottom line is that the displayable colors are all reduced to the appropriate color space, but color fidelity lags behind the possibilities.

The average DeltaE 2000 in the AdobeRGB color space is 3 (difference from ideal, limit at 3, the lower the better) and the highest DeltaE 2000 is 5.6. (deviation from ideal, limit at 5, the less the better). The average DeltaE 2000 in the sRGB color space is 3.3, while the highest DeltaE 2000 is 4.9. In both situations, the color fidelity boundaries are razor-thin.

The test gadget did not allow you to create your own profiles. It seems that optimizing the profiles recorded by HP is not feasible.

Updated on May 19, 2020: According to HP, each display is calibrated and measured separately in the manufacturing. The objective is to keep the DeltaE below 2. Note from the editor: This clearly did not work in this test sample.

Performance

The Intel Core i7-1065G7 or Intel Core i5-1035G4 Ice Lake CPUs are available for the HP Spectre X360 13. There are no dedicated graphics solutions available. As a result, the graphics output is handled by either the Intel Iris Plus 940 Graphics with 64 execution units (Intel Core i7) or 48 execution units (Intel Core i5).

Depending on the model, soldered-on RAM ranges from 8 GB DDR4-3200 to 16 GB DDR4-3200. The mass memory is always installed as an M.2 PCIe module, and depending on the configuration, it may give a gross capacity of up to 2 TB.

The test device has an Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor, 16 GB of RAM in dual channel mode, and 1,032 GB of Intel’s Optane Memory H10.

The Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor features four computational cores, can handle up to eight threads at once, and runs at up to 3.9 GHz.

The CPU’s synchronization with high performance during brief load periods is satisfying in the test. The setup receives 182 points in the Cinebench R15 single thread test and 793 points in the Cinebench R15 multi-thread test. The multi-thread performance, in particular, may shine here, even surpassing the Dell XPS 13 9300’s already excellent score.

In constant load periods, the cooling system only draws notice after roughly 3:20 minutes. The fan continues to spin after that, and HWinfo reports a CPU package usage of 14 to 17 watts. The results of the Geekbench CPU stress test vary between 11,000 and 12,000 points depending on the usage. This fundamental quality will not alter in the future. In the 49th run, the tester scores 11,374 points, and in the 50th run, he earns 12,116 points.

The Intel Iris Plus Graphics 940 (G7, 64 EUs) is one of the most powerful graphics processors on the market today. It can, for example, drive 5k screens (5,120 x 3,200 pixels) at 60 frames per second, expedite video conversions using Intel Quick Sync Video, and seamlessly play high-resolution films.

Dedicated graphics solutions should still be utilized for demanding 3D games or sophisticated 3D CAD activities, even if the 3D performance here is substantially greater than, for example, Intel UHD Graphics of the Comet Lake generation.

The HP Spectre, for example, scored 7.137 points in 3DMark Night Raid and 42 frames per second in Unigine Heaven Basic. As a result, this solution behind the Dell XPS 13 9300 (G7, 64 EUs) and trails the Acer Swift SF313-52-52AS by a hair (G4, 48 EUs).

In the test device, HP used Intel’s Optane Memory H10. This drive has a 32 GB Optane 3D XPoint cache and 1 TB of 3D NAND solid state memory. The latter is almost identical to the Intel SSD 660p.

The concept is as follows: frequently used data is stored in a 3D XPoint cache, which may be accessed quicker due to reduced latency, resulting in improved system performance. In QD1 and QD32 transfer tests, there are no clear benefits in the still relatively new test gadget.

This also explains why transfer rates are so low. The test device falls significantly short of Intel’s projected transfer speeds of 2,400 MB/s in reading and 1,800 MB/s in writing.

At the very least, the highest attainable speeds of 1,590 MB/s in reading and 1,508 MB/s in writing offer a subjectively quick impression of speed that does not limit practice.

Edit 25.05.2020: The Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management may be used to turn on the Optane module. Following that, far quicker read rates may be recorded. The test gadget can handle up to 2,712 megabits per second. However, the write speed is lowered to about 1,400 MB/s in exchange.

Levels of noise and temperature / Power consumption

Overall, HP’s Convertible X360 13 is incredibly quiet, and it does this without needing to create excessively high case temperatures.

The test gadget can execute several operations quietly, including word processing, internet browsing, video playing, and even brief conversions. The fan stays stationary for up to 3:20 minutes during load-intensive computation periods. Only then does it produce sound pressure levels ranging from 33.1 dB(A) to 39.7 dB. (A).

There was no high-frequency or other distracting background noise produced by the test instrument.

The area between the keyboard and the display unit warms up to only 41.8 °C after a full hour of use. It may go up to 46.6 °C on the underbelly in certain locations. Both rates are still far from a potentially critical range, thus they shouldn’t limit practical usage.

The power consumption of the HP Spectre X360 13-aw0030ng varies from 2.7 watts (idle, display off) to 48.1 watts (on) (Geekbench stress test, maximum display brightness, high performance profile).

The UHD OLED display seems to be a very high power user, claiming 3.3 watts in idle mode with the lowest brightness. At maximum brightness, an additional 3.5 watts is added, resulting in a total usage of 6.8 watts. The battery life suffers as a result, particularly in less load-intensive conditions.

The power source is stated with a nominal power of 65 watts, which means there are still enough reserves.

Life of the battery

For this kind of equipment, the 60-Wh rechargeable battery employed in the housing has a decent capacity. As a result, the battery takes up a significant portion of the inner space of the base unit. Despite the high consumption of the display, the test device nevertheless manages to obtain respectable battery runtimes.

With modified settings (205 cd/m2, balanced profile), video playback lasts 8:11 hours, the PCMark 10 Battery Test 5:25 hours, and WiFi TV streaming 5:20 hours. That isn’t enough for whole workdays, but it is sufficient for network independence.

Recharging the 60 Wh battery with the 65 watt adaptor takes 2:15 hours (5 percent – 100%). 74 percent is already accessible again after a little more than an hour.

Verdict

The HP Spectre X360 13-aw0030ngPremium Convertible in top shape performs well in the test. Simply because of the average battery life and the shiny display surface, a potential customer must be ready to make certain compromises.

Aside than that, there’s practically nothing wrong with the test setup. The superb casing is jam-packed with HP’s many capabilities, resulting in a very versatile multipurpose tool. Thunderbolt 3, a quick MicroSD memory card reader, the small dock, and the multi-touch screen with integrated digitizer and pen are just a few of the highlights.

The performance is in line with the product’s focus and can readily handle a wide range of application situations. The fact that HP doesn’t overlook heat and noise development here demonstrates the overall concept’s effectiveness.

The excellent UHD OLED display on the test gadget is a standout feature. On the one hand, the shiny surface and its relatively high power consumption restrict it. On the other side, it stands out for its flawless black, large color gamut, and especially high dot density.

HP’s Display Control tames the OLED panel’s unrestrained color range and trims it down to specified color regions. Most consumers should be able to accept the fact that the white point or one of the color values does not exactly meet the intended standards, given the other benefits.

The bottom conclusion is that with the Spectre X360 13-aw0030ng, HP has put together a really appealing entire package.

The HP Spectre x360 is ranked top against Dell XPS 13 because to its substantial equipment and two-year manufacturer’s guarantee, which makes the cost refreshingly reasonable when compared to many competitors.

The Dell XPS 13 is ranked second.

In ordinary life, it is incredibly quiet and swift.
Exceptional presentation
The design is simple and contemporary.

Throttles when under a lot of pressure

Dell updated the XPS 13 in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, giving it an entirely new casing as well as a hardware upgrade to the new Ice Lake CPUs. As a result, the display edges are even slimmer, and the panel is now in the 16:10 format.

The series maintains its usual design aesthetic. This Hardwareluxx article examines how the flagship model, which has a Core i7-1065G7 processor, 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM, a fast PCI Express SSD, and a UHD+ touchscreen display, works in reality.

The Dell XPS 13 is one of the most popular ultrabook computers in recent years, and the company is continually updating it with new hardware components.

Unlike last year’s new edition, which was officially introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at the beginning of the year, this year’s new edition has undergone considerable revisions and so is more than simply a model update.

Design

As a result, the 2020 edition has a 16:10 display format, with somewhat thinner borders than the previous model, particularly at the bottom. There’s also a nearly borderless keyboard with bigger keycaps, as well as one or two connection modifications that we’ll go over in more depth later in our review.

The new Dell XPS 13 9300, on the other hand, sticks to the conventional design structure, with a small silver-gray or white metal chassis that tapers to the front and therefore loses height consistently.

The latest Ice Lake U models of the tenth core generation are housed within, together with fast and, above all, cost-effective LPDDR4X RAM and a high-performance NVMe SSD. The display has a size of 13.4 inches and a resolution of at least 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, although for an extra price, a high-quality UHD+ screen with touch functionality is available.

In any case, expect a brilliant display with 500 nits and HDR400 certification, as well as GorillaGlass 6 protection. This, along with a 52 Wh battery, guarantees up to 18 hours of use.

The entry-level model, which comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G1, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and an FHD+ display, costs about $1100 with Windows 10 Home.

In terms of design, the 2020 Dell XPS 13 stays loyal to its roots, focusing on a timeless, contemporary, and above all basic aesthetic. The 13-inch monitor is available in two color options. Once in a silver-black form, like in our test model, and once in an entirely white version, with a white fiberglass display cover rather than anodized metal.

In our variation, the top casing is preserved in a matte black finish with a pattern that is somewhat evocative of the carbon effects of a sports vehicle and has been slightly rubberized on top of that.

In comparison to the predecessor, not only have the screen borders narrowed, notably in terms of the space between the real display and the base unit, but the keys have also grown bigger, so that the keyboard now nearly entirely occupies the top casing with no margins.

Overall, the Dell XPS 13 9300 is 296 x 199 x 14.8 mm in dimension and weighs 2.80 pounds. As a result, it is undoubtedly one of the lightest and smallest ultrabook devices available. Because the casing is wedge-shaped and hence grows flatter towards the front, the total height seems even shorter in practice.

There are just two air inlets: on the sides and at the bottom. There is no maintenance flap, so you’ll have to remove the complete bottom side to change the 13-inch’s mass memory. At the very least, the RAM is soldered and hence not replaceable.

In terms of manufacturing quality, the Dell XPS 13 9300 is right up there with the best of them. Despite its small size, the casing is exceptionally sturdy because to the high-quality materials used.

We found no creaking sounds on the display hinges, as well as a torsional rigidity that is too mild, causing the display to waver annoyingly in the event of vibrations, such as on a train or aircraft.

Despite this, the 13-inch can be opened with with one hand without difficulty. No bothersome fingerprints are left behind thanks to the rubberized surface, which can only be found in the touchpad region and, of course, on the touchscreen itself.

Ports

Dell’s XPS 13 depends only on USB type C connectors, like it did in previous model variations. In contrast to last year’s model version, however, one of the three ports has succumbed to the red pen.

Only two of these connections are available in the new 2020 version, both of which support the fast and versatile Thunderbolt 3 protocol, allowing for high data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps as well as visual output through adapters.

However, since the Dell XPS 13 is also loaded through type C, there is only one free interface in network operation; Dell does supply a type A adapter. There’s just a 3.5 mm jack port for headphones and a microSD card reader remaining.

Unfortunately, the Dell XPS 13 9300 takes a step backward in terms of connectivity options. Fast WiFi 6 provides wireless connectivity, and a Bluetooth module is also included.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Dell’s XPS 13 9300 has a basic chiclet keyboard with a quick stroke and sharp feedback, much like its predecessor. Overall, it allows for extremely rapid and precise typing, which is attributable not only to the conventional layout, but also to the fact that the keys have grown in size over time, so the keyboard now spans over the whole base unit and hardly leaves any borders to the sides. Due to the shortage of space, a separate number pad is currently unavailable.

The power button, on the other hand, is a bit of a change, as it is now immediately incorporated into the layout on the top line next to the DEL key. For this, it has a fingerprint sensor.

For very bright or gloomy conditions, the keyboard also incorporates an LED backlight. It has two brightness settings and is powered entirely by white LEDs. The critical labeling is simple to see, and the lighting is consistent.

For the touchpad on the new Dell XPS 13, Dell uses a 111 x 65 mm glass surface that has been slightly roughened. It executes multi-touch gestures swiftly and correctly, but only in the centre of the screen; towards the edges and corners, the mouse replacement’s precision suffers, and it even grinds to a standstill for a little period of time now and again.

The left and right mouse clicks do not have their own buttons. Dell employs a click pad that requires a significant amount of force to disengage, but is rewarded with a loud clicking noise.