Dell continuously improves their products by integrating the latest hardware and technologies into all its products. But since Dell is primarily a computer manufacturer, the focus is more towards improving its laptops and computers. It makes us very happy, both as users and reviewers, that Dell works hard to make our life easier.
Dell has a lot of laptop series that target different types of customers having different types of computing needs. Shopping from Dell, you can buy gaming laptops, heavy-duty performers, mid-range laptops, as well as some basic level budget laptops. Today we are going to compare two premium Dell laptops. The Dell XPS 9550 Vs. 9560.
You might have guessed already, and yes, they are part of the same XPS series, and the 9560 is the next model after 9550. Since we are comparing a new model to an old one, there are going to be some differences. Most notably, the 9560 has more powerful hardware, including the CPU and the GPU. But the 9550 costs less than the 9560.
Both these laptops have some compelling features, which is why we are going to compare them and review them, so you can make the final decision. We will tell you about our final verdict as well at the end of this article. But we suggest that instead of just reading our verdict, you read the full reviews and make the final decision by considering your needs.
Let’s start by comparing the technical details of the XPS 9550 Vs. the XPS 9560, and then we will move into the detailed reviews.
Table of Contents
Dell XPS 9550 Vs 9560 Comparison
and Buying Guide
[amazon table=”839″]One look at this table, and you can tell these laptops are relatively similar. Both offer three different CPU configurations; however, the 9560 has more power. The 9560 also offers a bigger RAM option of 32GB, whereas the 9550 caps at 16GB. The graphics card are similar range as well, but the 9560 edges this department too.
Other than these hardware specs, both these laptops are pretty much the same in size, design, and other aspects. One very important pro of the XPS 9550 is the lower price. So, if you are on a budget, read the following reviews carefully to see which of the Dell laptop is worth your money.
Dell XPS 15 9550 Review
It no surprise that Dell is such a huge name in the modern computing industry. When you can pull off laptops like the Dell XPS 15 9550, you are bound to get attention and recognition from customers. The XPS 15 9550 is a powerhouse that has everything you can ask for from your laptop.
From a powerful CPU to an above-average GPU, large storage capacity, and to top it all off, an HD touch screen display. The best thing is the three different hardware configurations that the Dell 9550 is available in. You can get the cheaper i3 model for basic computing, go for the i5 model for a smooth and powerful daily driver, or opt for the i7 model if you need power, performance, and productivity of the highest level.
Do keep in mind that the different variants do lack certain features, and the more powerful version you opt for, the more you will have to pay. For instance, at the lower end of the spectrum, the i3 model doesn’t have a touch screen, neither does it have the NVIDIA GPU. But still, the performance is better than other brands in the price bracket.
[amazon box=”B01B9TQR7K”]For this review, however, we are going to use the most powerful version, i.e., the i7 model.
Design
The one thing that’s common in all the models is the design and size. The Dell XPS 9550 has a 15.6 inches HD screen that also has touch support in the i7 model. The screen feels much bigger than it really is, thanks to the stunning Infinity Edge Technology. The bezels, or edges, are so thin that it almost feels like a bezel-less display.
The laptop has a premium feel to it, right out of the box. There are no unique edges, no RGB light strips, it’s just a plain and simple laptop, but the aluminum lid and the silver/black color combo make it look elegant and sophisticated. Even before opening the lid, the laptop tells you that it is a premium quality product.
Once you open the lid, you see a bezel-less screen, a simple and comfortable keyboard, a super-wide trackpad, and the speakers on either side of the keyboard. There is no extraordinary thing about the design and build of the XPS 15 9550. It’s just a simple and elegant look, very well done by Dell.
The laptop is compact enough to carry around easily. It weighs a little over 4 lbs, and the dimensions are 13.6 x 9.1 x 0.7 inches. The overall footprint is similar to the competition, but it is actually smaller than its predecessor, the XPS 13.
Performance
One thing that you can have no complaints about from the XPS 15 9550 is the performance. The Quad-Core Intel i7-6700HQ processor with a 3.5GHz processing frequency handles everything you through at it with ease. Whether you are watching some Twitch live streams, surfing the internet, watching Netflix, or putting it under an immense workload of programming, coding, or editing, the XPS 15 won’t let you down.
Even if you tried all these things at the same time, you won’t feel as if the laptop is slowing down. The 16GB RAM helps the XPS 15 handle all your multitasking like a breeze. The performance of the less powerful versions like the i3 and i5 was more than satisfactory as well. So, if you don’t need too much power, you might consider the smaller variants.
Let’s talk about the GPU performance as well. The XPS 15 has an integrated Intel UHD Graphics card as well as a dedicated NVIDIA GTX card. We won’t say that you will get to enjoy the most high-definition gaming experience, but it’s pretty solid. Games like Overwatch, Call Od Duty, NBA 2k20 will run smoothly.
As for entertainment and work-related graphics, the thin bezels, along with the 1080p screen (available in 4K too), provide stunning visuals whether you are streaming Netflix, editing some videos, or enjoying your favorite video games. The pixels are clear and sharp, the colors are vivid and saturated, and the contrast is impressive too. Overall the display is bright, stunning, and one of the best on a laptop of this range.
When it comes to the performance of the laptop’s battery, it is sub-par. The non-touch models do offer better battery backup at a little over 10 hours, but the i7 model lasts for up to 8 hours. The stronger processor and the touch screen with a 4K display do require more power, so it is understandable.
Other Aspects
Considering the powerful hardware specs, it should be no surprise that the XPS 15 does get a bit hot. Running some heavy programs like Photoamazon, Illustrator, and Xaamp will lead to the bottom heating up. It is still fairly comfortable to use the laptop, keeping it on a table or even in your lap. The keyboard doesn’t get hot at all, so that’s a plus too.
To match the 1080p (or 4K) display and make it a great entertainment unit, Dell loaded the XPs 15 with four Waves NX 3D audio speakers. The speakers are on the side of the keyboard and produce loud and clear sounds with decent bass. Most laptops have the speakers on the bottom, which makes the sound muffled, but thankfully Dell XPS 15 isn’t one of those.
The backlit keyboard is comfortable to use with large keycaps and sufficient spaces in between the keys. They are fairly silent, quick to bounce back, and extremely comfortable for fast typing. Even the power button is the part of the keyboard and not a separate button on the side, which makes for a cleaner look.
The trackpad is one of the biggest we have seen on any laptop. It works smoothly, the palm rejection works accurately, and the Windows 10 Gestures work like a charm.
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Dell XPS 15 9560 Review
As evident from the comparison table, the XPS 15 9560 gets a lot of hardware upgrades. Some are significant, others not so much. For instance, the i7-7700HQ CPU is an upgrade, but it’s not as significant of an upgrade as of the GPU from NVIDIA GTX 960 to NVIDIA GTX 1050. Apart from this, the majority of the features are similar to the XPS 15 9550.
The XPS 15 9560 is also available in three different CPU configurations, but the 9560 also comes in the 32GB RAM option. It’s like Dell further improved the good things of the PS 9550, fixed the underwhelming aspects, and launched the XPS 15 9560. It does drive the price up, which is the only advantage the XPS 15 9550 has over the XPS 15 9560.
Here is a more in-depth review for you to see and decide for yourself that where would you like to invest your money between the Dell XPS 9550 Vs. Dell XPS 9560.
[amazon box=”B06ZY4FRPT”]Design
The overall design and build quality of the XPS 9560 remains similar to its predecessors. The aluminum chassis, lid, and carbon fiber deck with a similarly elegant and minimalistic look continue to impress, but this time with a black and deck color and a silver finish on the aluminum lid. If you liked the silver finish of the 9550, you will love the glossy and darker finish of the 9560.
The screen size, the dimensions, the footprint, and the Corning Gorilla Glass on the touch screen is the same as the XPS 15 9550. The display has the same thin-bezel design that brings the infinite display look. At first glance, you won’t be able to differentiate between the 9550 and 9560 because the only difference is the carbon fiber deck of the XPS 15 9560.
It’s not a bad thing, though. The 9550 is an elegant and beautiful laptop, and it seems like Dell knows that. That’s why they didn’t make any major changes to the design but did reinforce the hinges and aluminum chassis to increase the durability and sturdiness of the laptop.
The one weird thing about this design is the webcam position. The 9550’s webcam was alongside the logo, but on the 9560, it is under the logo. Due to the thin bezels, Dell had to find an alternative position, but this isn’t the ideal position. You do need to make some adjustments to find the best angle.
Performance
The hardware of the entire XPS series is powerful and provides excellent performance. The XPS 15 9550 was a great heavy-duty workhorse, and now the 9560 takes all that one step further. With the i7-7700HQ processor and the 32GB RAM configuration, it not only beats the performance of the 9550 but also matches the performance of some ultrabooks like Macbook, HP Spectre, and the Surface Book.
Going through some rigorous tests like the Excel Productivity and Hard Drive Data test, the 9560 provides excellent results setting some high standards. Aside from the boring tests, this laptop performs extremely well in real-time too. Running over 20 Chrome Tabs, using Slack, streaming on Twitch, and watching other streams at the same time, the 3.8 GHz i7 keeps everything up and running smoothly.
You will be happy to know that the laptop is great for gaming as well. The elegant and simple-looking laptop packs quite the punch when it comes to graphics. The NVIDIA GTX 1050 generates enough power to run almost any game at medium or low settings. The real-time results easily beat some of the best entry-level gaming laptops.
When you stop gaming, the laptop switches back to Intel UHD Graphics automatically. The Intel graphics are still powerful enough to provide a high-definition picture when working or watching movies. The 9560 also has the same Wave speakers as the 9550 to produce loud and clear audio for movies, music, or video calls.
As we said earlier, the 9560 did fix the underwhelming aspects of the 9550; so it has a much better battery life now. The 9550 lasted a little over 8 hours, but the 9560 goes on for up to 11 hours with a single charge.
Other Aspects
The only thing left to discuss is the heat, the keyboard, and the trackpad. The keyboard and the trackpad are the exact same as on the 9550. The only addition is the carbon fiber finish on the deck, which makes the palm rest a bit more stylish but prone to fingerprints and smudges too.
The XPS 15 9560 handles the heat better than the 9550. Even though it has more powerful hardware, its heat doesn’t reach the level of 9550. It stays cooler and is more comfortable to use while keeping it in your lap.
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Conclusion
All things considered, choosing one of these devices is quite difficult. However, if we had to go with one, we would probably choose the Dell XPS 15 9560 because it offers better performance and higher hardware configuration options at a slightly extra price. However, don’t let that undermine the XPS 15 9550. The 9550 is an excellent laptop in its own right.
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