Dell XPS 16 (9640) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
42.4Performance35.5
38.4Display27.3
99.3Battery69.5
51.3Portability82.8
8 spec wins — Dell XPS 16 (9640)2 spec wins — Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
InnoReviews verdict
Dell XPS 16 (9640) wins this laptop face-off, 55.5 to 49.5, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+30) and display (+11). Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Dell XPS 16 (9640)
- Stronger performance score: 42 vs 36
- Stronger display score: 38 vs 27
- Stronger battery score: 99 vs 70
- 189% higher charging: 130 W vs 45 W
- 100% higher Refresh rate: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
Reasons to pick the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition)
- Stronger portability score: 83 vs 51
- 43% lower weight: 1.22 kg vs 2.13 kg
- 17% lower thickness: 15.6 mm vs 18.7 mm
- Lower launch price: $900 vs $1,899
Display
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 16.3 ″+25% | 13 ″ |
| Panel type | IPS (4K OLED touch optional) | PixelSense IPS LCD (touchscreen) |
| Resolution | 1920x1200 | 1920x1280 |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 500 nits+18% | 425 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) |
| Graphics | Intel Arc (RTX 4050/4060/4070 optional) | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| RAM type | LPDDR5X-6400 (soldered) | LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 512 GB+100% | 256 GB |
| Storage type | PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | UFS 4.0 (removable) |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,418+6%Bottom 22% | 2,287Bottom 7% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,656+23%Top 47% | 11,125Bottom 18% |
Battery
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 100 Wh+99% | 50 Wh |
| Web browsing endurance | — | 16 h |
| Charging | 130 W+189% | 45 W |
Design
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.13 kg | 1.22 kg+43% |
| Thickness | 18.7 mm | 15.6 mm+17% |
| Material | CNC aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 3x Thunderbolt 4, microSD, 3.5mm | 2x USB-C (USB 3.2, DisplayPort 1.4a), USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Webcam | 1080p + IR | 1080p Full HD |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint reader (power button), IR face (Windows Hello) | Fingerprint (Windows Hello, in power button) |
Software
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home (Arm) |
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