Pros & Cons
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- Very compact frame.
- Carbon fiber and aluminum construction.
- QHD+ (3,200-by-1,800) display is breathtaking.
- USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 interface.
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- Core i7 processor increases cost without a significant jump in performance over i5.
- Middling battery life.
- Requires adapters for external displays.
Dell XPS 13 Touch (2016 Gold Edition) Specs
| Graphics Memory | 8192 |
| Graphics Processor | Intel Iris 540 |
| Native Display Resolution | 3200 x 1800 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Optical Drive | external |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6560U |
| Processor Speed | 2.2 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 8 |
| Screen Size | 13.3 |
| Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 7:07 |
| Touch Screen | |
| Weight | 2.82 |
| Wireless Networking | 802.11ac (2.4+5.0 GHz Dual-band) |
The Dell XPS 13 Touch (2016 Gold Edition) ($1,749.99 as tested) is a repackaging of the excellent 2016 Dell XPS 13 Touch, with some faster guts to go along with the spiffy gold exterior. This laptop includes a Core i7 processor rather than an i5, and Intel Iris graphics replace the Intel HD graphics present in the other unit. These upgrades cost $300 extra, but the gains in performance weren't huge, making the system best suited for those who do a lot of processing work and need the extra juice. The more demanding CPU also reduced battery life by about 2 hours on our test. The XPS 13 Gold Edition maintains the build quality and useful feature set of the i5 model, but the increased price relative to the change in performance and decreased battery life means the 2016 XPS 13 Touch remains our Editors' Choice high-end ultraportable laptop.
Design and Features
Other than its gold color, this version of the XPS 13 Touch shares all the physical features and connectivity options of the silver 2016 model. The gold is understated, and actually looks silver in some lighting. You can really see the difference when you put the two laptops side by side, though. The keyboard deck is made of a nice carbon fiber, which is becoming fairly uniform on some of Dell's laptops, such as the Dell Precision 15 5000 Series (5510). That material, along with the machined aluminum exterior, gives the system a premium look and feel.
Final Thoughts
Dell XPS 13 Touch (2016 Gold Edition)
The Gold Edition of the XPS 13 Touch adds faster processing to the excellent build quality, feature set, and gorgeous display of the original. But the higher price and decreased battery life means this high-end ultraportable laptop may not be for everyone.