Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980: Form or function?

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

Buying a new Windows laptop these days is an exciting prospect, thanks to the broad selection of quality devices that continues to hitting the market. If you're interested in a 15-inch device ― who doesn't beloved a big screen? ― two products might stand out. Dell's refreshed XPS 15 (9570) is expected to be bachelor for preorder on April 16, and LG's gram 15Z980 is already widely available.

Permit'due south compare these two Ultrabooks to assist you lot decide which makes the almost sense for y'all.

Dell XPS xv vs. LG gram 15Z980 tech specs

Category	Dell XPS xv	LG gram 15Z980
Processor	8th Gen Intel Cadre i5-8300H 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 8th Gen Intel Core i9	8th Gen Intel Cadre i5-8250U Intel Cadre i7-8550U
RAM	8GB/16GB/32GB DDR4-2666MHz	8GB/16GB DDR4-2400MHz
Storage	128GB SATA SSD + 1TB HDD 1TB SSHD 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD	256GB/512GB/1TB SATA SSD
Display size	15.six-inches (touch and not-bear upon)	15.half dozen-inches (touch and not-touch)
Display resolution	3,840 x three,160 (4K UHD) 1,920 10 i,080 (FHD)	ane,920 ten one,080 (FHD)
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630 NVIDIA GTX 1050 (4GB GDDR5) NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti (4GB GDDR5)	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Ports	Thunderbolt 3 Ii USB-A 3.1 HDMI 2.0 SD bill of fare reader 3.5mm audio	Thunderbolt 3 Three USB-A 3.0 HDMI 1.four microSD card reader 3.5mm audio
Wireless	Killer 1535 802.11ac (two x ii) Bluetooth iv.1	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 802.11ac (2 10 2) Bluetooth iv.1
Camera	Front-facing 720p	Forepart-facing 720p
Biometrics	Fingerprint reader (optional)	Fingerprint reader
Battery	56Wh or 97Wh	72Wh
Dimensions	xiv.06 in 10 9.27 in x 0.45-0.66 in (357 mm x 235 mm x 11-17 mm)	fourteen.1 in 10 9 in x 0.7 in (358.xiv mm x 228.6 mm 10 17.78 mm)
Weight	iv pounds (1.viii kg) with 56Wh bombardment, SSD, not-impact four.5 pounds (two kg) with 97Wh battery, SSD, bear on	2.41 pounds (1,095 chiliad)

Dell XPS fifteen vs. LG gram 15Z980 design and features

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

The refreshed XPS 15 hasn't seen quite as drastic of an overhaul every bit the XPS 13 9370, keeping the silver shell and inner carbon-cobweb palm rest. Dimensions are staying the same besides, only there's certainly a lot more hardware inside. You lot're even so getting a professional-looking laptop that'south just around a half-inch thick, though at 4.5 pounds for the touchscreen model, it's certainly heavier than the gram 15Z980's 2.41 pounds.

The gram is slightly thicker at 0.vii inches (it also has a wedge shape to it), just it in no manner feels like a big laptop. The chapeau opens with one hand, the silver finish holds up to abuse and doesn't show many smudges or fingerprints, and it's fifty-fifty been put through MIL-STD 810G strength tests to ensure its durability.

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

Both laptops have fingerprint readers (though you pay extra with the XPS xv), backlit keyboards, and big Precision touchpads. If you often find yourself typing for long periods of time, either of these will suffice. Do note that the gram 15Z980 has that full-sized deck with number pad, something I'grand certain many of you will capeesh.

Neither laptop is really skimping on ports, and both take Thunderbolt 3, USB-A, and HDMI. The gram has a microSD carte reader, while the XPS fifteen has a total-sized SD card reader. The XPS 15's Thunderbolt 3 port has been upgraded to have iv lanes of PCIe support, the lack of which was a sore signal with the XPS 15 9560. Don't count out the gram, though, as its Thunderbolt 3 port likewise has iv lanes of PCIe, giving y'all the option to turn it into a gaming auto with an external graphics card (eGPU).

Bottom line

Both of these fifteen-inch laptops are nearly as modest every bit possible, though the XPS 15 has more of a square footprint whereas the gram has more of a rectangular footprint. The XPS xv is thinner, but the gram 15Z980 weighs much less, making it overall the more mobile device.

Dell XPS 15 vs. LG gram 15Z980 display

These two laptops take the aforementioned size display (15.6 inches), and both are available in touch on and not-touch configurations. However, if y'all'd like something more than 1080p, you'll have to go with the XPS 15's 4K IGZO display. It really is quite stunning, and the near-complete lack of bezel makes it popular out at you lot.

The gram 15Z980's brandish, though, can't be ignored. It besides has very thin bezels, not much of a "chin" ― which contributes to the rectangular shape ― and information technology striking 100 percentage sRGB and 76 percent AdobeRGB in our testis. If you hate the below-display webcam placement on the XPS 15, know that it'due south situated higher up the screen on the gram.

Bottom line

Both laptops are hard to dislike in the brandish surface area, though the XPS 15'due south 4K option will no dubiousness exist enticing to anyone who works with media. Notation than neither laptop has pen back up, nevertheless.

Dell XPS 15 vs. LG gram 15Z980 functioning

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

One of the all-time features of the gram 15Z980 is the 72Wh battery, which offers between 12 hours and 13 hours of life from a unmarried charge. That'south partly thanks to the 8th Gen Cadre i7 processor (CPU) inside, which delivers standard quad-core operation. You can become up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM for easy multitasking, though the SATA solid-state drive (SSD) options don't offer the same speeds every bit PCIe options institute in the XPS 15.

Dell decided that U-series CPUs weren't going to cut it here, and instead, y'all have the selection of Intel H-class fries. The Cadre i5-8300H has four cores with a 45W thermal design point (TDP), but the Core i7-8750H is rocking six cores. If that isn't plenty, there's also an pick for a Core i9 CPU that volition no doubt tear through merely about anything yous feed information technology.

The XPS 15 is likewise the articulate winner when it comes to graphics. Whereas the gram 15Z980 uses integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, the XPS 15 is available with up to an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics cards (GPU) with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. You won't be able to compete with the upper-end cards, merely this is certainly enough ability for a great gaming or multimedia editing feel.

Bottom line

There's not much contest here: the XPS xv is the top performer for anyone interested in specialized tasks.

Dell XPS 15 vs. LG gram 15Z980 cost

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

XPS 15 prices offset at the $1,000 mark. Equally with about Dell laptops, that introductory model has basic hardware inside, and you lot won't exist getting a defended GPU, PCIe SSD, or touch display.

The gram 15Z980 doesn't come cheap, either, starting at almost $ane,250 for a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SATA SSD. This is likely almost the same configuration every bit the basic XPS 15, so you should exist able to salvage some money past going with Dell's laptop, as long equally yous don't need the extra performance.

Bottom line

Dell's baseline XPS 15 model costs less than the gram 15Z980, and because of the wide difference in hardware as yous scale up, prices will no incertitude abound apart quite drastically. We nevertheless don't know how much a fully-equipped XPS 15 will cost, but the LG gram tops out at about the $ii,000 marking.

Dell XPS 15 vs. LG gram 15Z980 conclusion

Dell XPS 15 (9570) vs. LG gram 15Z980

If you're attempting to make up one's mind between these two stellar Ultrabooks, the decision really comes downward to what you'll be using information technology for. The LG gram 15Z980 is certainly mobile thanks to its lightweight design, though it isn't actually suited for whatever specialized tasks due to the hardware inside. It is still a great laptop for most standard productivity purposes, and the total-sized keyboard is an added bonus. It is well-designed, and it's one of my favorite laptops to apply right now.

However, if y'all're thinking most a laptop for gaming or multimedia editing, the XPS 15 is the ameliorate choice. The six-cadre CPU options and dedicated GTX 1050 Ti GPU are in a split class entirely, and the added bonus of a 4K display will make this the go-to option for many.

Run across XPS 15 at Dell
Run into LG gram at Amazon

Related resources

LG gram 15Z980 review: Living upward to the name
Dell XPS 15 (9560) review: An impressive laptop with cardinal upgrades and few flaws
All-time accessories for Dell XPS fifteen
Essential LG gram accessories for everyday use

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