Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 Review … over a year old and still aesthetically performing

#: This article is based on the 2023 Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 Model – For the latest XPS models please visit https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-laptops/sr/laptops/xps-laptops

If you’re looking for a compact and lightweight laptop with power, it’s hard to look past the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320, especially if you’re on the go or want your workspace to be minimalistic. Whether you’re a professional or need a new laptop for home or school. As a fun fact, XPS stands for “eXtreme Performance System,” and the “93” of the 9320 indicates the screen size, which is 13”.

Dell also provides consumers with a wide gamut of customization options for their laptops to ensure the device meets all your needs. This includes a choice of CPUs, RAM sizes, operating systems, storage, and display options.

For our article, we tested the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P 2.20 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, 2 Thunderbolt ports (USB & audio port adapter included – no HDMI, unfortunately), plus a 3-Cell 55Wh integrated battery and 60W USB-C AC adapter. Needless to say, it has more than enough PC power for your everyday tasks, including heavy app usage. It’s ideal for streaming, photo editing, and streaming from next-gen consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X) via their remote access features.

Aesthetically, the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 is a visually striking laptop with its metallic design (CNC-machined aluminum), straight edges, and compact slim design. The size of the XPS 9320 is 14.8mm x 295.3mm x 199.1mm, and it is ultra-lightweight at just 1.19kg, making it very portable. The 13.4” FHD+ (1920 x 1200) screen boasts exceptionally sharp images and text with vibrant colors and a nit rating of 500, including EyeSafe technology to protect your eyes. It’s definitely a premium design in appearance.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 Specifications

Setup is very easy, courtesy of Windows 11 Home, and once you complete the wizard, you’re ready to start your new Dell XPS journey. The 9320 is quite a fast and responsive laptop, with apps loading quickly, including general processing times due to the processor, RAM, and storage combination. If you have a router that supports Wi-Fi 6, you can also experience high-speed downloads as well.

Gallery

As mentioned earlier, the screen is great and very clear, and the backlit zero-lattice keyboard feels nice to touch type. Interestingly, the ESC button, function keys, media keys, and delete button are all touch “buttons,” which did feel a little strange at times as you don’t get that press notification when pushed since you can’t physically push them. I found out the hard way when I touched the delete “button” a few times, but this is just a learning experience. The touchpad on the XPS 9320 is large, and since there is no visual border, sometimes you accidentally move the mouse when you rest your wrists on it while typing. Again, just another learning curve.

Complementing the screen are the quad-speakers (tweeter + woofer), which use the Realtek ALC1318 chipset that delivers a total of 8W (2W x 4) with smooth and crisp audio. Streaming shows such as Disney+’s Shogun or The Witcher on Netflix had a good range of audio, which was also mirrored on YouTube and while listening to music on the XPS 9320.

As this model came with Windows 11, it includes Copilot, Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that enhances your productivity and creativity. When enabled, it also integrates with other functions of the operating system such as File Explorer, the Start Menu, and even apps such as Clipchamp (video editing) and Paint. It can even proof read articles for you!

Battery

The Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 has a decent battery; however, mileage will vary depending on what you are using the laptop for. On a balanced power mode, the system reports up to 6 hours. Further tweaking can considerably increase that, but for day-to-day use on balanced mode, I easily got around the 5-hour mark.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is subjective and your mileage will vary; however, it is useful to see where a laptop sits to ensure it meets your needs. We tested the XPS 9320 with 3DMark, GeekBench, PCMark 10, and CrystalDiskMark. Overall, it scored as a good midrange laptop. Remember, these models are not designed for gaming (light casual gaming is fine); however, it worked well with cloud gaming and streaming games directly from both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

In fairness and as mentioned, the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 is not designed for gaming per se as it has an integrated graphics card—it’s an everyday laptop. However, it’s still nice to know where 3DMark ranks the system as a lightweight PC.

CrystalDiskMark scored the SSD NVMe m.2 quite high for its sequential reads at 7054MB/s and sequential writes at 5036MB/s. As a result, all apps loaded quickly on this laptop from Dell with no noticeable waiting times.

Geekbench 6 mirrored the specifications of the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P 2.2Ghz CPU. As an everyday laptop, it has more than enough grunt, particularly with its L2 Cache and fast RAM and SSD to deliver the power.

Lastly, PCMark10 nicely scored the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 in the range of office laptops – again, no surprises there as this incarnation of the XPS will easily perform all office tasks without missing a beat.

Final Thoughts?

Undeniably, the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 laptop is a very stylish device that also targets the minimalist with its inputs but packs a punch with its overall performance. When disconnected from the mains and with “light” work, you should be able to get around 9 hours; however, this is dependent on the tasks you want to get out of the XPS 9320. Other elements that play a role include Wi-Fi connectivity and screen brightness, but nonetheless, it’s perfect for those shorter flights. All in all, the Dell XPS 9320 is an excellent hybrid of work and entertainment that looks fantastic and while it looks stylish, it delivers the power as well.

Recommended.