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Dell Inspiron 16 (5640) vs Dell XPS 16 (9640)

Both laptops share a 16-inch 1920×1200 display and 16GB RAM base configuration, but diverge significantly in performance tier and price. Dell Inspiron 5640 pairs Intel Core 7 150U (10-core) with a 54Wh battery supporting 9 hours of use, making it suitable for light productivity and browsing. Dell XPS 16 9640 steps up substantially with Intel Core Ultra 155H (16-core with P+E+LPE cores), double the battery capacity (99.5Wh), and 13-hour endurance—critical advantages for demanding workloads. XPS 16's premium build (CNC aluminum, carbon fiber), higher display brightness (500 vs 250 nits), and three Thunderbolt ports elevate creative professionals' capabilities. Inspiron 5640 offers practical value with acceptable performance and faster USB-C, SD card slot, and dual USB-A ports for broader compatibility. XPS 16's $1100 premium justifies itself through superior processors, battery longevity, and build quality for content creators and power users. Choose Inspiron for budget-conscious general computing; select XPS for professional-grade performance.

VS
Dell XPS 16 (9640)
Dell
Dell XPS 16 (9640)
$1,899
8.7/10
Winner

Full Specifications

SpecDell Inspiron 16 (5640)Dell XPS 16 (9640)
SoftwareWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home
Body
Weight1.90 kg2.13 kg
MaterialAluminum lid with plastic baseCNC aluminum and carbon fiber
Dimensions357.9 x 252.0 x 19.0 mm358.1 x 240.1 x 18.7 mm
Ports
HDMI1
USB-A ports2
USB-C ports1
SD card
Thunderbolt ports13
Battery
Battery lifeUp to 9 hours mixed useUp to 13 hours mixed use
Capacity54 Wh99.5 Wh
Display
Size16.0 inches16.3 inches
TypeWVA anti-glare LEDInfinityEdge IPS non-touch
Resolution1920 x 12001920 x 1200
Refresh rate60Hz60Hz
Brightness (nits)250500
Storage
SSD512 GB NVMe512 GB NVMe
Expandable storage
Keyboard
Backlit
Processor
RAM16 GB DDR516 GB LPDDR5x
Cores10-core (2P+8E)16-core (6P+8E+2LPE)
ChipsetIntel Core 7 150UIntel Core Ultra 7 155H

Category Scores

Dell Inspiron 16 (5640)
Dell XPS 16 (9640)
Value
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Battery
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Display
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Performance
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portability
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Pros & Cons

Dell Inspiron 16 (5640)

Pros

  • Affordable 16-inch productivity laptop
  • Generous port selection including HDMI and USB-A
  • Comfortable keyboard with numpad
  • 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD in base config
  • Upgradeable storage and memory

Cons

  • Dim 250-nit display unsuitable for bright rooms
  • Plastic base feels less premium
  • Mediocre battery life around 9 hours
  • Low-power Core 7 150U trails H-class chips
  • No discrete GPU option

Dell XPS 16 (9640)

Pros

  • Premium CNC aluminum chassis with edge-to-edge keyboard
  • Optional 4K OLED touch display available
  • Powerful Core Ultra and RTX 4050-4070 GPU options
  • Large 99.5 Wh battery
  • Three Thunderbolt 4 ports

Cons

  • No USB-A, HDMI, or SD card slot
  • Capacitive touch function row is divisive
  • Invisible haptic trackpad takes adjustment
  • Heavy and runs hot under load
  • Mediocre battery life with discrete GPU

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