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Refreshed Dell XPS Desktop Brings New Intel Silicon, More Compact Design

The new desktop tower goes on sale today starting at $649, and Dell redesigned the product to shrink the volume from 24 liters down to 19.

Michael Kan
 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Dell has redesigned its XPS desktop PC into a slightly smaller package with the latest Intel processors, starting at $649.

To create a more compact machine, Dell trimmed the PC's height by 0.8 inches, shrunk its volume from 24 liters down to 19, and reduced the weight by as much as 8 pounds.

The new system supports Intel’s 10th generation Core processors; pick from an i3 chip all the way up to an i9, which has 10 cores. (There’s no support for AMD chips, though.)

The new model, right, versus the old. The redesigned model, right, versus the old. (Credit: Dell)

At $649, you’re getting a desktop with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB HDD, without a dedicated graphics card. However, you can customize the unit to add an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 card up to RTX 2060 Super GPU. 

The memory specs can also be bumped up to a whopping 128GB of RAM, and the HDD drive can be swapped out for SSD storage. But of course, you’ll have to pay more. The highest pre-configured XPS tower goes for $2,659. 

desktop deconstructed with internals viewable (Image: Dell)

The product has been designed for easy upgrades. The unit comes with a 360-watt or 500-watt power supply, four storage bays, and three PCIe expansion slots. For cooling, the PC uses fans, which can be controlled to run at different speeds. In addition, the system features 10 USB ports, including a USB 3.1 Type-C slot in the front. 

The new XPS desktop goes on sale today on Dell’s website. The company’s product page says the system will also support AMD’s Radeon RX 5600, and Nvidia’s RTX 2070 Super graphics cards, in the future.

For more, check out PCMag's review of the Dell XPS 17 (9700) and the video below. This 2020 resurrection of the XPS 17 is a bold, sleek laptop with a gorgeous 17-inch display, long battery life, and serious computing power.

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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