Dell XPS 16 (9640) vs MSI Raider GE78 HX
The Verdict
Dell's XPS 16 prioritizes productivity and portability with its lightweight 2.13kg chassis, excellent 13-hour battery life, and sharp 500-nit InfinityEdge display—ideal for professionals working away from outlets. MSI's Raider GE78 HX dominates raw performance with a Core i9-14900HX, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and a stunning 4K 120Hz Mini-LED display, but its 3.1kg weight and 5-hour battery make it a workstation requiring constant power access. The $1,100 price difference reflects their different purposes: the XPS excels for content creators and business users needing mobility, while the Raider suits high-performance gaming and intensive rendering. Choose the XPS 16 for balanced daily use and travel; select the Raider only if you need desktop-class performance and can tolerate shorter battery endurance.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Dell XPS 16 (9640) if…
- →Premium CNC aluminum chassis with edge-to-edge keyboard
- →Optional 4K OLED touch display available
- →Powerful Core Ultra and RTX 4050-4070 GPU options
Buy the MSI Raider GE78 HX if…
- →RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with full 175W TDP for maximum gaming performance
- →4K Mini-LED display with 1000-nit HDR is stunning for content creation
- →64 GB DDR5 RAM handles any workload out of the box
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
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
MSI Raider GE78 HX
Pros
- RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with full 175W TDP for maximum gaming performance
- 4K Mini-LED display with 1000-nit HDR is stunning for content creation
- 64 GB DDR5 RAM handles any workload out of the box
- 2 TB storage with room for additional NVMe drives
- Comprehensive port selection including Thunderbolt 4
Cons
- Nearly 7 lbs — this is a desktop replacement, not a portable
- 5-hour battery life — always tethered to power
- Very expensive at $2,999
- Fan noise is substantial under gaming loads
Full Specifications
| Spec | Dell XPS 16 (9640) | MSI Raider GE78 HX |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 2.13 kg | 6.83 lbs (3.1 kg) |
| Material | CNC aluminum and carbon fiber | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 358.1 x 240.1 x 18.7 mm | 15.63 x 11.73 x 1.0 inches |
| Ports | ||
| SD card | ||
| Thunderbolt ports | 3 | 1 |
| HDMI | — | |
| USB-A ports | — | 2 |
| USB-C ports | — | 2 |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 13 hours mixed use | Up to 5 hours |
| Capacity | 99.5 Wh | 99.99 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 16.3 inches | 17.3 inches |
| Type | InfinityEdge IPS non-touch | Mini-LED IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 1000 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 512 GB NVMe | 2 TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5x | 64 GB DDR5 |
| Cores | 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) | 24 cores (8P + 16E) |
| Chipset | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel Core i9-14900HX |
Related Comparisons
This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in laptops, see all Dell products or all MSI products. View full details for the Dell XPS 16 (9640) or the MSI Raider GE78 HX.