With Intel’s launch of their latest 11th generation Core products, code-named Tiger Lake, it is time for the fall refresh from Intel’s customers, and one of the first out of the gate is Dell who is refreshing the XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 to utilize the newest processor. Last year, the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 was one of the first on the market with Intel’s first properly launched 10 nm laptop parts, with the XPS 13 9300 showing up a bit later on. For Tiger Lake, both models are getting refreshed with availability on September 30th for both of the new models, which are now both branded the same 9310 series from Dell.

XPS 13 9310

The big changes for the XPS lineup happened with the previous generation, with Dell moving to a 16:10 display, and including the latest iteration of their Infinity Edge display. Both the clamshell XPS 13 and convertible XPS 13 2-in-1 with the new refreshed design move Dell at or near the top of the pack for the 13-inch range, and if you have not checked out the reviews for the clamshell XPS 13 and 2-in-1 yet, please do, as the majority of the design is moving forward to this new model year with the exception of some processor updates.

Dell XPS 9310 Lineup
  XPS 13 XPS 13 2-in-1
CPU Intel Core i3-1115G4
2C / 4T 1.7 GHz - 4.1 GHz
Intel UHD Graphics 48 EUs 1250 MHz

Intel Core i5-1135G7
4C / 8T 900 MHz - 4.2 GHz
Intel Iris Xe 80 EUs 1300 MHz

Intel Core i7-1165G7
4C / 8T 1.2 GHz - 4.7 GHz
Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs 1300 MHz

Intel Core i7-1185G7
4C / 8T 1.2 GHz - 4.8 GHz
Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs 1350 MHz
Intel Core i3-1115G4
2C / 4T 1.7 GHz - 4.1 GHz
Intel UHD Graphics 48 EUs 1250 MHz

Intel Core i5-1135G7
4C / 8T 900 MHz - 4.2 GHz
Intel Iris Xe 80 EUs 1300 MHz

Intel Core i7-1165G7
4C / 8T 1.2 GHz - 4.7 GHz
Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs 1300 MHz
Memory 8 / 16 / 32 GB LPDDR4x-4267
i3 limits memory to 3733
Display 13.4-inch Display
Base:
1920x1200 InfinityEdge
100% sRGB
With or without Touch
Optional:
3840x2400 Infinity Edge HDR 400
90% P3
Touch
13.4-inch Display
Base:
1920x1200 InfinityEdge
100% sRGB
Touch
Optional:
3840x2400 Infinity Edge HDR 400
90% P3
Touch
Storage 256 GB to 2 TB PCIe 3 x4 NVMe 256 to 1 TB PCIe 3 x4 NVMe
Wireless Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6
2x2:2
Bluetooth 5.1
I/O Thunderbolt 4 x 2
Micro SD
Headset 3.5mm
Webcam 720p with IR 720p
Battery 52 Wh
45-Watt Type-C Adapter
51 Wh
45-Watt Type-C Adapter
Dimensions 296 x 199 x 14.8 mm
11.64 x 7.82 x 0.58 inches
297 x 207 x 14.35mm
11.69 x 5.15 x 0.56 inches
Weight 1.2 kg / 2.64 lbs Non-Touch
1.27 kg / 2.8 lbs Touch
1.32 kg / 2.9 lbs
Starting Price (USD) $999 $1,249
Availability September 30, 2020

For the Tiger Lake refresh, Dell is offering the Core i3-1115G4 as the base, the Core i5-1135G7 as the mid-tier, and the Core i7-1165G7 as the top model on the 2-in-1, and the XPS 13 clamshell keeps the same lineup, but adds the Core i7-1185G7 at the high-end. Along with the new processor options comes the introduction of faster memory as well, with 8-32 GB of LPDDR4x-4267, up from LPDDR4x-3733 last gen.

With Tiger Lake also comes Thunderbolt 4, and Dell offers this on both models, still utilizing the USB Type-C connector, but offering additional features and performance. Thunderbolt 4 is the only true one-stop-shop for connectivity, with every Thunderbolt 4 port supporting the entire array of connectivity, video, and power requirements, whereas USB 4 over Type-C is a bit of a mess, as any one port could support an array of options. Thunderbolt 3 had fairly wide support, so hopefully Thunderbolt 4 continues building on those design wins.

For those looking for native Linux support, Dell is continuing with its XPS 13 Developer Edition and comes with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS pre-installed. New for this year though is that any XPS 13 owner can download the Ubuntu install which Dell uses, and run it side-by-side with Windows, or as a clean-install.

Also new to the XPS 13 clamshell model this year is that Dell has managed to squeeze an IR camera in the top bezel, and the laptop will therefore support Windows Hello facial recognition login, in addition to the fingerprint-based biometrics it previously supported.

XPS 13 2-in-1 9310

With the XPS 13 and 2-in-1 being two of the best notebooks around, if you are after a Tiger Lake launch devices, these would be a great place to start looking. The XPS 13 will be available September 30 starting at $999 USD, and the 2-in-1 will be available on the same day, starting at $1249 USD.

Source: Dell

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  • MrSpadge - Monday, September 28, 2020 - link

    Haha, this is what I also think every year when the new generations arrive.
  • Hulk - Monday, September 28, 2020 - link

    16:10 is a step in the right direction but I'm hoping they eventually go 4:3.
  • drothgery - Monday, September 28, 2020 - link

    Hoping for 3:2 is one thing. But 4:3 ain't happening.
  • trivik12 - Monday, September 28, 2020 - link

    This is a premium laptop almost I would say Mac of windows world. Anyway you would mostly see these sold with i7 like for icelake ones at major retailers. Plus you see good discounts at costco during holidays(we had it at $300 off last year). XPS build quality is fantastic and materials/screen used are great as well.
  • Spunjji - Tuesday, September 29, 2020 - link

    I'm amused by how many of the Thunderbolt 4 vs. USB 4 tick-list items amount to "is Thunderbolt" (4) or "uses an Intel CPU" (1). I'm especially amused by the apparent minimum 40Gb/s requirement for Thunderbolt 3 - were we all just imagining all those 2-lane implementations, or is that perhaps a creative fiction..?

    NB: None of this is intended to excuse the absolute dropped bollock that is USB 4. If you're going to clone a standard, at least make that same standard the minimum requirement for your "new" one.

    On topic for reals, the XPS 13 has always been a solid design. Even though I won't touch them since the total conversion to Type-C due to my allergy to dongles, this should be a good platform for Tiger Lake to stretch its legs.
  • Agent Smith - Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - link

    I'd like an XPS with dual NVME storage like the Yoga Slim 7.
    If that means 14" then so be it.
  • wmgrigor - Wednesday, October 7, 2020 - link

    if you check their websit for the Inspiron 13 2-in-1, a 4 core tigerlake with xe graphic(80 core) is @ 899 MSRP, i am lookforward dell to renew the 15 inch 2-in-1 for 6 or 8 core tigerlake +Nvidia Ampere
  • alcoholbob - Tuesday, October 13, 2020 - link

    these are wannabe macbooks. While the build quality is nice, but you quickly notice the leaf blower noise compared to fanless apple builds.

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