Dell XPS 13 lineup gets speed boost with Intel 11th Gen, Thunderbolt 4

The Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 are now speedier than ever with Intel's latest CPUs and Thunderbolt 4.

What you need to know

• Dell announced the latest refresh to its XPS 13 lineup today.
• The updated XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 now feature Intel's 11th Gen Core CPUs, Thunderbolt 4, and faster RAM.
• Both models are set to go on sale starting September 30 starting at $999 for the XPS 13 and $1,250 for the XPS 13 2-in-1.

As promised earlier this month, Dell today took the wraps off of the latest update to its XPS 13 range. The biggest update is the move to Intel's latest 11th Gen Tiger Lake CPUs that launched at the beginning of September. That includes Intel's new integrated Iris Xe graphics, which are much more capable than previous generations.

Beyond the basic spec bump that comes from a move to a new generation of CPUs, there are also some big ways in which the new XPS 13 range improves over last year's models. Number one is that you now get Thunderbolt 4 connectivity on two ports, an upgrade from the previous model's Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 4 isn't any faster than Thunderbolt 3, but the Thunderbolt 4 certification adds some extra security and allows you to push up to two 4K displays at once or one 8K display.

This year's XPS 13 models also bring faster RAM speeds. The new RAM runs at a speed of 4267MHz compared to the 3733MHz speeds on the previous generation.

Category	Dell XPS 13 9310	Dell XPS 9310 2-in-1
Operating System	Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro	Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Display	13.3 inches Up to 4K HDR 400 500-nit 100% sRGB + 90% DCI-P3 Dolby Vision	13.4 inches Up to 4K HDR 400 500-nit 100% sRGB + 90% DCI-P3 Dolby Vision
Processor	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 (4.8GHz)	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4.7GHz)
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics Intel Iris Xe Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory	Up to 32GB LPDDR4x 4267MHz	Up to 32GB LPDDR4x 4267MHz
Storage	Up to 2TB PCIe 3 x4 SSD	Up to 1TB PCIe 3 x4 SSD
Expandable Storage	1x microSD card reader	1x microSD card reader
Camera	720p 2.25mm webcam	720p 2.25mm webcam
Security	Windows Hello fingerprint reader Windows Hello camera	Windows Hello fingerprint reader Windows Hello camera
Connectivity	Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2), Bluetooth 5.1	Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2x2), Bluetooth 5.1
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort & Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x USB Type-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter	2x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort & Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x USB Type-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter
Audio	2x 2.5W stereo speakers w/ Waves MaxxAudio Pro 360-degree Waves NX 3D virtual surround with headtracking via headphones	2x 2W stereo speakers w/ Waves MaxxAudio Pro
Battery	52WHr	51WHr
Dimensions	14.8mm (0.58") x 295.7mm (11.64") x 198.7mm (7.82")	14.35 mm (0.56") x 297mm (11.69") x 207mm (8.15")
Weight	Starting: 1.2kg (2.64 lbs) for non-touch; 1.27 kg (2.8 lbs) for touch	Starting: 1.32 kg (2.9 lbs)
Colors	Platinum silver with black carbon carbon fiber palm rest	Platinum silver with black carbon fiber palm rest Frost with Arctic White woven glass fiber palm rest

Beyond those updates, Dell has a slightly updated design for the XPS 13 2-in-1. It's now made of machined aluminum with carbon fiber palm rests. It's available in either platinum with black palm rests or "Frost" with an arctic white woven glass fiber palm rest.

As you'd expect from one of Dell's flagship laptops, the XPS 13 continues to be a high-end little powerhouse. Further, Dell continues what it started with its previous generation with the taller 16:10 displays and a four-sided InfinityEdge display with thin bezels.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 are expected to go on sale starting September 30. The XPS 13 starts at $999 while the XPS 13 2-in-1 starts at $1,250.

Slim and awesome

Dell XPS 13 9300

From $980 at Dell

From $1,600 at Amazon

$1,799 at Walmart

Ultrabook perfection

You can't get the XPS 13 9310 quite yet, but the XPS 13 9300 is still up for grabs. The XPS 13 9300 has everything we love about an Ultrabook. It looks great, it performs well, and it's a joy to use.