Dell XPS 15 9510 15.6" Laptop (2021)

88% External
Keywords: dellintellaptopoledpcie-4thunderbolt-4tiger-lakexps

Product Gallery

Photo 0of Dell XPS 15 9510 15.6" Laptop (2021)Photo 1of Dell XPS 15 9510 15.6" Laptop (2021)Photo 2of Dell XPS 15 9510 15.6" Laptop (2021)Photo 3of Dell XPS 15 9510 15.6" Laptop (2021)

Product Overview

Dell XPS 15 9510 is the 2021-iteration of Dell's popular 15.6-inch laptop. Sharing the exact same design with the 9500 from 2020, the XPS 15 9510 offers upgrades primarily on three fronts: CPU, GPU, and display.
The 9510 is now available with 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake H-series processors. This allows the new XPS 15 to offer Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe 4 SSD support.
In terms of GPU, the XPS 15 9510 now features RTX 30-series graphics, a generational leap from the GTX 1650 Ti from last year. While the RTX 3050 / 3050 Ti configurable are the entry options, they still offer significant bump in performance over the RTX 20-series.
Lastly, a new 3.5K OLED touch panel joins the lineup. It marks the return of OLED panel to XPS 15 after a year of hiatus. It is among the first 16:10 laptops to offer OLED. The two other display options remain unchanged. All feature 4-sided InfinityEdge display.
Still, the criticisms launched at the XPS line from 2020 can again be thrown at the new model: The laptop is USB-C / Thunderbolt only, even though USB-A peripherals are significantly more numerous. The same HD webcam from last year is still here, and in the age of web meetings it is not much.
Per usual, the XPS 15 9510 is introduced alongside the 17-inch XPS 17 9710.

Ratings

What we found**

Pros
  • 16:10 display
  • OLED option
  • Excellent battery life
  • Good touchpad
  • Good graphics performance
Cons
  • Gets pricey easily

What external reviewers found***

External score 88% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
  • Excellent build quality
  • Great keyboard
  • Good color accuracy
  • Gorgeous OLED screen
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • Lackluster performance
  • No webcam privacy option
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port
  • Low CPU performance
  • No dedicated graphics card
Read More

Price Comparison

Specifications

FHD+4K3.5K

Connectivity

Ports2x Thunderbolt 4 + 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 + 1x SD + 1x 3.5mm Audio combo
Wireless ConnectivityWiFi 6 (Killer AX1650 2x2) + Bluetooth 5.1

Construction

Battery | Capacity56 or 86 Wh
Camera | FrontHD RGB IR camera
MaterialCNC machined aluminum chassis, carbon fiber composite palm rest, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on touch panels
MicrophoneDual array microphones
Speakers2x 1.5W tweeters + 2x 2.5W woofers

Dimensions

Size | Depth230.14 mm / 9.06"
Size | Height18 mm / 0.71"
Size | Width344.72 mm / 13.57"
WeightFrom 1.81 kg / 3.99 lbs

Display

Aspect Ratio16:10
Brightness500 nits500 nits400 nits
Contrast Ratio1650:11600:1100000:1
Display Diagonal15.6"
Display TypeIPSIPSOLED
Gamut100% sRGB100% Adobe RGB / 99% DCI-P3100% DCI-P3
ResolutionWUXGA / FHD+ (1920x1200), 3.5K (3456x2160), or 4K WQUXGA / UHD+ (3840x2400)
Viewing Angle178 degrees178 degrees176 degrees

Function

AudioWaves MaxxAudio Pro, Waves Nx 3D audio
GraphicsIntegrated Intel UHD or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 or RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
HDRDisplayHDR 400, Dolby VisionDisplayHDR 500, Dolby Vision
Keyboard BacklightYes
Operating SystemWindows 10
Processor11th-gen Intel Core i5-11400H, i7-11800H, or i9-11900H Tiger Lake
Touch ScreenOLED models
TouchpadGlass surface Precision touchpad

Performance

Memory | CapacityUp to 64GB (2x SO-DIMMs)
Memory | TypeDDR4 3200MHz
Power Supply90 or 130 W USB-C
StorageUp to 512GB PCIe 3 x4 or up to 4TB PCIe 4 SSD

Production

Debut2021-05

Related Products

Dell XPS 17 9710 17" Laptop (2021)

Dell XPS 17 9710 17" Laptop (2021)

87% External
Dell XPS 17 9710 is the 2021-iteration of Dell's popular 17-inch laptop. Similar to the 15.6-inch 9510 unveiled at the same time, the 9710 improves its identically-designed predecessor with two main upgrades: CPU and GPU. The 9710 is now available with...
Dell Precision 7760 17.3" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 7760 17.3" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 7760 is the 2021 iteration of the company's flagship 17.3-inch mobile workstation. This year, Dell has given the laptop only incremental updates over the 7750, leaving the chassis and port selection largely unchanged. The main difference...
Dell Precision 5560 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 5560 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

84% External
Dell Precision 5560 is a premium 15.6-inch mobile workstation based on the XPS 15 9510. A smaller sibling of the Precision 5760, the 5560 is an incremental update of the Precision 5550 from last year and retains all its positives and most of its compro...
Dell Precision 3561 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 3561 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 3561 is a 15.6-inch mobile workstation. A more affordable alternative to the full-featured Precision 7560, the 3561 comes with some compromises but is comparable in many aspects. Like the 7560, the Precision 3561 uses 11th-gen Intel Core...
ASUS ProArt StudioBook Pro 16 (OLED) W7600 16" Mobile Workstation (2021)

ASUS ProArt StudioBook Pro 16 (OLED) W7600 16" Mobile Workstation (2021)

72% External
ASUS ProArt StudioBook Pro 16 W7600 is a flagship 16-inch mobile workstation powered by 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake or Xeon processors paired with discrete NVIDIA RTX graphics up to A5000 with 16GB of graphics memory. Sharing its design and much of the f...
ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 (OLED) H7600 16" Laptop (2021)

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 (OLED) H7600 16" Laptop (2021)

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 H7600 is the Intel-powered variant of the StudioBook 16 H5600. A 16-inch premium laptop, it boasts a gorgeous 16:10 display in either IPS or OLED guise, large RAM and SSD capacities, and rich I/O options. Compared to the ProAr...
Dell Precision 7560 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 7560 15.6" Mobile Workstation (2021)

77% External
Dell Precision 7560 is a high-end 15.6-inch mobile workstation. The 2021 iteration of Dell's powerhouse in the 15.6-inch class, the Precision 7560, much like its larger sibling, is an incremental update over the 7550 from last year, leaving the chassis...
Dell Precision 5760 17.3" Mobile Workstation (2021)

Dell Precision 5760 17.3" Mobile Workstation (2021)

88% External
Dell Precision 5760 is a high-end, ultra-light 17-inch mobile workstation based on the XPS 17 9710. An incremental update to the 5750 from last year, the Precision 5760 retains the widely-acclaimed chassis, while giving it the Tiger Lake treatment. The...
Gigabyte U4 UD 14" Laptop (2021)

Gigabyte U4 UD 14" Laptop (2021)

Gigabyte U4 is an ultra-portable 14-inch laptop designed for business users. The first such laptop by the established gaming laptop manufacturer, the U4 follows the success of the AERO series designed for content creators and is an overall conservative...
Dell Latitude 9520 15" (2-in-1) Laptop (2021)

Dell Latitude 9520 15" (2-in-1) Laptop (2021)

64% External
Dell Latitude 9520 is the most powerful model in Dell's 2021 Latitude lineup. Designed for business professionals, the Latitude 9520 is similarly built as the XPS 15 9510 but is smaller and lighter and comes with more I/O options. The successor to ...
Dell Latitude 9420 (2-in-1) 14" Laptop (2021)

Dell Latitude 9420 (2-in-1) 14" Laptop (2021)

82% External
Dell Latitude 9420 is a premium 14-inch business laptop in Dell's 2021 Latitude lineup. Unlike its 15-inch sister, it is redesigned in a 16:10 aspect ratio that allows the device to be more compact than its predecessor from 2020. On the CPU and I/O fro...
Dell Inspiron 14 5410 Laptop (2021)

Dell Inspiron 14 5410 Laptop (2021)

Dell Inspiron 14 5410 is the 2021 upgrade of the Inspiron 5402 from last year. While it still features 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake processors, mid-powered H-series units are available. The Inspiron 5410 still uses the 14-inch FHD IPS display paired to in...
Launch Comparison
Clear List

External Reviews

arstechnica[1]

Reviewer score 88%
Reviewers from arstechnica have found the following***:
The XPS 15 is a big step up in performance from typical 13-inch laptops. The battery life is still solid for a laptop of its size and performance. It's not the easiest computer to open up, but in a pro-centric laptop like this one, it's at least nice to be able to access the replaceable components.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek, stylish design
  • High-quality 4K display
  • Solid battery life
  • USB Type-C port
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • No Thunderbolt 3 ports

digitaltrends[2]

Reviewer score 96%
Reviewers from digitaltrends have found the following***:
The Dell XPS 15 is the best 15-inch laptop you can buy. It's beautiful, evokes an immediate sense of quality the minute you touch it. You could complain about the price if you want, but that would be silly. The HP Spectre x360 15 offers good performance and its own gorgeous OLED display.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous 3.5K OLED display
  • Excellent build quality
  • Great keyboard
Cons
  • No webcam privacy option

laptopmag[3]

Reviewer score 86%
Reviewers from laptopmag have found the following***:
The XPS 15 OLED is the best Windows laptop for power users who need to take their work (or play) on the road. Its attractive design screams luxe, the OLED display is stunning, and the oversized touchpad would impress even a MacBook user. This is an adequate webcam, but I'll continue to advocate for 1080p resolution.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous 3.5K OLED display
  • Excellent performance from Intel and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti
  • Excellent battery life
Cons
  • Lackluster performance
  • No Thunderbolt 3

notebookcheck[4]

Reviewer score 68%
Reviewers from notebookcheck have found the following***:
The XPS 15 is hardly suited for gaming, and many games don't run smoothly. Despite having two CPU cores less, the CPU performance in everyday operation is not noticeably worse. The efficient FHD panel also becomes noticeable in terms of the battery life. The matte Full-HD display continues to be extremely bright and is therefore very well suited for using it outdoors.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Very bright Full-HD display
  • Very good battery life
  • Very bright FHD panel
Cons
  • Low CPU performance
  • No dedicated graphics card

notebookcheck[5]

Reviewer score 85%
Reviewers from notebookcheck have found the following***:
The new XPS 15 9510 with the OLED screen is once again a very good multimedia laptop. The sound system is also very good, but the modules clink noticeably when you play very high tones. The new Intel processor offers good performance, but also requires a lot of power. The switch from the GTX 1650 Ti to the new RTX 3050 Ti is an improvement in general.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Bright OLED screen
  • Good color accuracy
  • Long battery runtime
  • Good speakers
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3

pcmag[6]

Reviewer score 93%
Reviewers from pcmag have found the following***:
With the exception of high-frame-rate, high-res gaming, the latest XPS 15 is a joy. The laptop performed flawlessly in every situation, and was almost silent as well. It's nice to have the options of Core i9 horsepower and colossal memory and storage as well, if you know you can take advantage of them.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous OLED display
  • Svelte, head-turning chassis
  • Excellent battery life
  • Comfortable keyboard
Cons
  • Display could be brighter
  • No Thunderbolt 3

t3[7]

Reviewer score 87%
Reviewers from t3 have found the following***:
Dell XPS 15 9510 offers cutting-edge processor performance and a bright, clear 15-inch OLED screen. The laptop is much bigger and heavier than the XPS 13, and it is much more expensive – but that's a reasonable price for such a feature-filled package. It scored a little higher than the Gigabyte Aero 15 15 in most tests, thanks to the inclusion of an NVidia 2070 GPU. If you are looking for something that offers similar gaming performance, but is also more portable, consider the Asus X13 Flow.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Bright, clear 15-inch OLED screen
  • Sleek design
  • Comfortable wrist rest
Cons
  • Battery life could be better

tomsguide[8]

Reviewer score 91%
Reviewers from tomsguide have found the following***:
The Dell XPS 15 OLED straddles the line between sleek ultraportable and beefy gaming laptop. The keyboard is nice and big, with plenty of room for my unwieldy mitts to spread out across the keys. The touchscreen is equally easy to use, though you'll inevitably smudge up the 3.5K OLED display if you use it often.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Beautiful 3.5K OLED display
  • Slim, lightweight chassis
  • Good battery life
Cons
  • No Thunderbolt 3 port
  • Display could be brighter

tomshardware[9]

Reviewer score 88%
Reviewers from tomshardware have found the following***:
Dell has a miniscule webcam built into its miniature bezels. It gives you a normal, head-on angle for your Zoom calls, rather than an unfortunate nose cam. The 720p lens is good enough for a video call, albeit with a few issues. Dell sells the XPS 15 with a 1-year warranty.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Sleek design
  • Bright, colorful OLED screen
  • Long battery life
Cons
  • No discrete GPU
  • No Thunderbolt 3

wired[10]

Reviewer score 96%
Reviewers from wired have found the following***:
The Dell XPS 15 is one of the best 15-inch laptops on the market. It has plenty of power, thanks to the latest Intel processors and a great trackpad and keyboard. The only downside is the battery life. In our test, it only managed a scant 7.5 hours of power.
Find the original article here.
Pros
  • Gorgeous OLED screen
  • Excellent trackpad and touchpad
  • Excellent battery life
Cons
  • Lackluster performance
  • No Thunderbolt 4

User Reviews

Comments

Please login before adding comments.

References

  1. ^ Dell XPS 15 9510 review: Come for the screen, stay for everything else. [arstechnica]. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/dell-xps-15-9510-review-a-gorgeous-well-balanced-workstation-laptop/. 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  2. ^ Dell XPS 15 OLED review: The best keeps getting better. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/dell-xps-15-9510-oled-review/. 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  3. ^ Dell XPS 15 OLED (2021) review: The ultimate laptop for pros. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/dell-xps-15-oled-2021. 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  4. ^ Dell XPS 15 9510 Core i5 laptop review: Basic model with the brakes engaged. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-9510-Core-i5-laptop-review-Basic-model-with-the-brakes-engaged.574450.0.html. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  5. ^ Dell XPS 15 9510 Review: Multimedia Laptop convinces with new OLED Panel. [notebookcheck]. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-9510-Review-Multimedia-Laptop-convinces-with-new-OLED-Panel.554277.0.html. 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  6. ^ Dell XPS 15 OLED (9510) Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-xps-15-oled-9510. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  7. ^ Dell XPS 15 9510 OLED review: big and powerful computing. [t3]. https://www.t3.com/reviews/dell-xps-15-9510-review. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  8. ^ Dell XPS 15 OLED (2021) review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/dell-xps-15-oled-2021-review. 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  9. ^ Dell XPS 15 (9510) Review: Now With OLED. [tomshardware]. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dell-xps-15-9510. 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  10. ^ Review: Dell XPS 15. [wired]. https://www.wired.com/review/dell-xps-15-2021/. 2021-10-18. Retrieved 2021-10-18.

This page contains affiliate links to third-party merchants such as Amazon, eBay, and Rakuten. When you make a purchase using the supplied links, we will receive a commission.

These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.

<

>

x