Upgrading your Windows laptop? This Dell checks all the right boxes for me

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Dell 16 Premium starts astatine $1,800.
• This is simply a premium laptop susceptible of handling dense workloads, particularly graphic design, acknowledgment to its top-notch hardware.
• However, it does stock immoderate of the aforesaid issues arsenic its predecessor, similar its inclination to tally lukewarm and power-hungry battery.

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I've been dying to get my hands connected the latest Dell 16 Premium, chiefly due to the fact that it is simply a follow-up to the Dell XPS 16, a laptop that I reviewed backmost successful aboriginal 2024 and 1 of my favourite devices I've tested for ZDNET truthful far. Although the sanction whitethorn beryllium different, it is simply a akin machine with cardinal upgrades successful each of the close places. However, it shares galore of the aforesaid issues. 

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At a glance, the Dell 16 Premium looks astir identical to the XPS. The zero-lattice keyboard triumphantly returns, stretching astir extremity to end. Each cardinal has a bully springiness to it, providing a accelerated yet comfy typing experience. Above that is an LED capacitive interaction sheet wherever you'll find the Function and Media keys, a hallmark of the XPS series' design.

Some acquainted designs

Because it's a solid panel, the Function keys don't supply immoderate benignant of carnal feedback, which, to me, is wholly fine. Most radical don't interact with the Function keys frequently, similar they would with the QWERTY keyboard, truthful the haptic feedback isn't missed here. 

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Contrary to what you whitethorn see, the Dell 16 Premium does person a trackpad astatine the bottom. It is simply a solid trackpad that blends seamlessly with the remainder of the computer. You can't spot it, but you tin consciousness the haptic feedback. In the representation below, I person highlighted wherever the trackpad is located. You'll announcement that it takes up a important information of the wrist rest.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

The lone discernible quality that I've been capable to announcement betwixt this exemplary and the XPS 16 is the weight. My Dell 16 Premium reappraisal portion weighs 4.65 pounds, whereas the older instrumentality clocked successful astatine person to 5 pounds. It's a tiny change, but it makes a difference. Carrying astir the Dell Premium 16 crossed aggregate locations is easier.

Jumping retired successful 4K

The Dell 16 Premium has a wonderfully vibrant 4K OLED touchscreen, delivering ultra-sharp representation clarity. Since the show covers the full DCI-P3 colour gamut, visuals practically leap retired astatine you. On-screen animations are velvety smooth, acknowledgment to the 120Hz refresh rate. 

It's not conscionable gamers who admit the accelerated refresh rate; it's besides important for video editing, arsenic it allows the machine to accurately represent video footage arsenic it is intended. For animations, it's conscionable arsenic crucial. What truly impressed maine astir its carnal form, however, is the InfinityEdge design. Basically, this means the bezels astir the solid are thin, providing ample country for the show to amusement disconnected its awesome specs.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Peak performance

My reappraisal portion contained an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, and 32GB of representation -- a configuration that allows it to excel arsenic a graphic plan machine. During my little clip with the 16 Premium, I edited photos, created a mobile website layout connected Figma, and created 3D models connected the rendering app 3D Render.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Dell's instrumentality performed rather good crossed each 3 tasks. Touching up images was creaseless arsenic tin be, and I was capable to make AI stickers successful conscionable a fewer seconds. With 3D Render, the laptop took everything successful stride by rendering each sorts of particle effects, from flames to showers, without skipping a beat. The lone downside that I experienced was its vigor generation. The bottommost of the Dell Premium 16 rapidly warms up, the heavier the workload.

Something akin happened with my 50-tab browser test. It easy handled aggregate YouTube unrecorded streams successful 4K, looping GIFs, and galore antithetic Amazon listings (among different things), but it got lukewarm fast.

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If you're a numbers person, beneath is simply a array comparing benchmarking results from the Dell Premium 16 to 2 different contemporaries: the Alienware 18 Area 51m and the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i. Although the Alienware laptop is chiefly a gaming machine, it besides doubles arsenic an effectual graphic plan system. 

You'll announcement that Dell's exemplary sits successful the mediate of the two. I similar the 16 Premium supra the others due to the fact that A) its show is rather solid, and B) it's cheaper. 

I should constituent retired that the Dell 16 Premium tin relation arsenic a coagulated gaming laptop. However, I wouldn't urge utilizing it for that purpose, chiefly because, arsenic mentioned earlier, it gets hot. The cooling strategy connected committee this instrumentality isn't arsenic robust arsenic 1 you'll find connected a gaming laptop, and operating nether precocious temperatures for an extended play of clip tin pb to semipermanent damage. 

That said, the games I tested each ran good connected Dell's machine, though I noticed graphical glitches and dropped framework rates portion playing "Monster Hunter Wilds" and "Cyberpunk 2077".

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Unfortunately, the artillery beingness is not great. It lone lasted astir 5 hours connected a azygous complaint earlier tapping retired -- and that's with Energy Saver active. There is simply a redeeming grace; recharge times are beauteous fast. Plugging successful the powerfulness ceramic for 30 minutes recharges the artillery to astir 50%.

ZDNET's buying advice

Prices for the Dell 16 Premium commencement astatine $1,700 for the basal exemplary connected the company's authoritative storefront. The configuration of my reappraisal portion is not disposable arsenic 1 of the modular builds. You'll person to physique it yourself. There's a "Customize Now" fastener astatine the bottom. It costs $3,000.

If you privation a graphic plan laptop with other oomph down it, I urge the Alienware 18 Area-51. Its Stealth Mode diagnostic disables each RGB lighting, allowing the gaming laptop to acceptable close successful an bureau setting. Be mindful of its artillery beingness due to the fact that it's not large either. Personally, I would spell with Dell's laptop. Its show is stone solid, and it is simply a much affordable enactment than the basal Alienware 18, which costs $3,200.

Specifications

Update log

• This reappraisal was archetypal published connected August 5, 2025, and was updated connected December 11, 2025, with a thorough information cheque and updates to buying links and prices.