The new Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is a notebook with a 15.6 inch display, a 360-degree hinge for using the computer in tablet mode, and support for pen or finger input.

But what really makes the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 unusual is that it’s one of the first computers to ship with an Intel Kaby Lake-G processor. That’s Intel’s new chip that combines an 8th-gen Intel quad-core CPU with AMD Radeon Vega graphics.

First unveiled in January, the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is now available form Dell.com for $1500 and up. Dell will also offer a $1300 model in about a month.

The XPS 15 2-in-1 measures about 0.6 inches thick, weighs about 4.4 pounds, and has a 6-cell, 75 Wh battery.

It has a CNC machined aluminum case and a carbon fiber composite palm rest. The display is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

Other features include two Thunderbolt 3/USB Type-C ports, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, a headset jack, a backlit keyboard, a glass touchpad, a 720p webcam with support for Windows Hello face recognition, and a 4-mic array for voice.

With integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 870 graphics featuring 4GB of HMB2 graphics memory, Dell and Intel says you should expect discrete-level graphics from these computers while using less power than a similar processor + separate GPU.

Early benchmarks look pretty good, with a top-of-the-line Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 outperforming machines with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics in video editing, productivity, and general performance tests. When it comes to gaming, the laptop apparently comes somewhere between a system with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 graphics.

Here are some of the first configurations Dell is offering:

  • Core i5-8405G/8GB/256GB/FHD display for $1500
  • Core i7-8705G/8GB/256GB/FHD display for $1700
  • Core i7-870G/16GB/256GB/FHD display for $1800
  • Core i7-8705G/16GB/256G/4K display for $2200

All of those models have the same 65W AMD Radeon RX Vega 870 GPU. And all of them have a few quirks that may take some getting used to:

  • There are no full-sized USB Type-A ports, so you may need an adapter if you haven’t yet gone all-in on USB Type-C.
  • As with the Dell XPS 13, the XPS 15 2-in-1 has the webcam awkwardly placed below the screen, which leads to some awful views when video conferencing or recording in notebook mode. But since this is a convertible, you could move the camera to the top by putting the laptop in tent mode.

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14 replies on “Dell XPS 15 convertible with Kaby Lake-G now available (Intel CPU with AMD graphics)”

  1. Shame about lack of standard USB, need a dongle or usb type c dock to get normal USB or sd card function. The soldered on ram is also a deal breaker, same for the price at lest in canada, 1999 start, start adding in features and it’s well over 2400 CAD and that is still with 256 storage, 512 is another 200 bucks. Best to wait for proper reviews and some deals from Dell before jumping onto this.

  2. Absolutely gorgeous machine. Surface line have really helped the OEMs push things to higher level in their own premium hardware.

  3. I was going to wait to upgrade my original Surface Book (i7, 16GB, 512GB, 940), but ended up getting $1400 for it right after listing it for sale. So I picked up the Surface Book 2 15″ (i7, 16GB, 256GB, 1600). I really thought the Dell would be a bit cheaper than this, which is why I wanted to wait. Good thing I didn’t. I am really loving the SB2. It does have a bit slower SSD than many others though.

      1. I do wish they did a little more with the extra space on the keyboard deck though. They could have added numeric keys, like the Acer Nitro Spin 5. The Dell has the same issue.

        1. Not sure how I feel about a full numeric pad, because I like the alphabetic keyboard to be generally centered on the screen, but a set of full-size arrow keys and some navigational keys (Home, end, page up, page down) would have been really nice.

  4. The XPS 15 was already a fantastic notebook, glad to hear it only gets better – I do have to wonder what the rationale is for placing the webcam below the display, tho.

    1. I keep asking about this, and the general idea seems to be that having one of the slimmest top bezels around really makes their laptop stand out (they do look really cool in person), and that most people don’t actually use the webcam that often anyway.

      But it still seems like a pretty inelegant solution every time you *do* end up using the webcam.

  5. Does this charge via USB-C?

    Otherwise, this looks pretty fantastic for video editing, that is, if you can live without an SD card slot or all those USB peripherals. I wonder how it runs on Adobe Premier

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