Introduction
If you've been shopping for a premium Windows laptop this year, chances are the Dell XPS 16 9640 has landed on your shortlist. As Dell's first-ever 16-inch entry in the XPS lineup effectively replacing the long-running XPS 15 this machine tries to do something ambitious: pair the brand's signature minimalist design with genuine creative and gaming muscle.
But is it actually worth the investment, especially with strong alternatives like the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9 on the market? In this article, we'll break down the Dell XPS 16 9640's design, performance, display quality, battery life, and value, plus how it compares to competitors — so you can decide whether it belongs on your desk.
By the end, you'll know exactly who this laptop is for, who should skip it, and what to expect if you buy one.
What Is the Dell XPS 16 9640?
The Dell XPS 16 9640 is a 16.3-inch premium laptop built around Intel's Core Ultra ("Meteor Lake") processors and Nvidia's RTX 4000-series mobile graphics. It sits at the top of Dell's consumer lineup, positioned as a machine for creators, professionals, and power users who want desktop-like performance without sacrificing portability or style.
Dell offers the XPS 16 9640 in two chassis colors Platinum and Graphite and it starts at roughly $1,499 for a base configuration, climbing toward $4,000+ for the most powerful builds with a 4K OLED touch display and top-tier GPU.
Key Specifications at a Glance
Display: 16.3-inch options ranging from FHD+ IPS up to 4K+ OLED touch, with up to a 90Hz refresh rate
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 9 185H (Meteor Lake, with integrated NPU for AI tasks)
Graphics: Intel Arc integrated graphics, or discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, RTX 4060, or RTX 4070
Memory: Up to 64GB of RAM (soldered on higher-end configurations)
Storage: Up to 2TB of Gen 4 SSD storage
Weight: Roughly 4.7 pounds
Thickness: About 0.71 inches
Ports: Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack, with USB-A and HDMI adapters included
Audio: Quad-speaker setup tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 support
Webcam: 1080p front-facing camera
Design and Build Quality
Dell didn't reinvent the wheel here and that's mostly a good thing. The XPS 16 9640 continues the brand's signature CNC-machined aluminum chassis, a design language that has drawn comparisons to Apple's MacBook Pro for years. The result is a laptop that feels genuinely premium: rigid, cool to the touch, and free of noticeable flex.
Where the XPS 16 gets more polarizing is in its minimalist interface choices. Dell equipped this model with:
A capacitive, invisible touchpad with haptic feedback instead of a traditional clickpad
Capacitive function row buttons that replace physical keys
A backlit keyboard with large keycaps that most reviewers find comfortable once you adjust to the layout
These design choices genuinely divide opinion. Some users love the futuristic, seamless look; others find the lack of tactile feedback on the touchpad and function row frustrating for everyday use. If you're the kind of person who prefers physical buttons and a traditional trackpad, it's worth testing this laptop in person before buying.
Display: The Real Star of the Show
The standout feature of the Dell XPS 16 9640 is unquestionably its display. The top-tier configuration includes a 16.3-inch 4K OLED touchscreen with a 90Hz refresh rate a combination that's still relatively rare in the Windows laptop space.
In color accuracy testing, reviewers measured the panel hitting 100% of the sRGB gamut, 100% of DCI-P3, and roughly 89% of Adobe RGB, making it a genuinely strong option for photo editing, video work, and general content creation. Deep blacks, vibrant colors, and wide viewing angles round out an excellent viewing experience, whether you're color-grading a video project or just streaming a movie.
Lower-tier configurations swap the OLED panel for an IPS display, which sacrifices some contrast and color depth but keeps costs down and can improve battery life slightly.
