Dell XPS 13 9365: Lightweight Transformer for Every Day
Dell XPS 13 is one of the best laptops in our product portfolio. Many users choose XPS devices for their compactness, lightness, high-quality screen with high resolution and thin frames, good autonomy and other significant advantages. We decided to make a successful model even better: this is how the Dell XPS 13 9365 appeared, offering the same advantages, but now in an even thinner case and with a screen tilting back 360 degrees. About this transformer we are today and want to tell in detail. Interesting? Welcome under the cut!
If you have ever seen a classic Dell XPS 13, then you can easily confuse the transformer 9365 with it: the gadgets look very similar. In both cases, both the lid and the bottom of the laptops are made of metal with a matte surface, and the surface of the keyboard unit is made of carbon fiber with a soft-touch coating. Due to the nice square texture, handprints remain almost invisible.
At the same time, both computers are very compact and light, this is one of the best-in-class travel solutions or to carry them with you to the office and to meetings every day. The hero of our review weighs only 1.24 kilograms with a thickness of 13.7 in the thickest and 8 mm in the thinnest place. The classic XPS 13 is 60 grams lighter, but slightly thicker: 15 and 9 mm, respectively.
Compared to standard 13-inch laptops, the XPS 13 9365 is much smaller. If you look at the computer from the top, the dimensions are as follows: 304 mm on the wide and 199 mm on the narrow side. Such a machine fits into any backpack and a burdensome burden, given its modest weight, will not be at all.
The main difference between the XPS 13 9365 transformer and the XPS 13 9360 “classic” is in the way the screen is attached to the main body. If earlier there was one loop, now there are two. Both, of course, metal and tough enough to confidently hold the screen in all user-friendly positions.
On hard and smooth surfaces, the letop does not slip. For its task, two long and narrow rubber inserts on the bottom cope perfectly. And there is no fear that over time they will fall off, like small "legs" on some laptops.
With the Dell XPS 13 9365 disassembly, everything is very simple. Turn the notebook upside down and carefully unscrew the 8 Torx T5 screws and one small screw with a cross-shaped slot.
Most of the internal space, as usual, takes the battery. If necessary, you can quickly and easily replace the SSD format M.2, but with the memory so it will not work - RAM is soldered. Therefore, we advise you not to save on “RAM” and immediately take the maximum of possible (that is, not 4, but 8 GB), if this is relevant to you for work.
The ports on the sides of the Dell XPS 13 9365 are few, but the car does not claim to be a powerful home station and peripheral aggregator, this solution is portable.
On the left side is the audio connector and USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support.
On the right is another USB Type-C, a microSD card reader plus a small gadget power button and a Noble lock.
For comparison, the non-transformable XPS 13 9360 uses a card reader for “large” SD cards (and has a higher data transfer speed), and also has a “big” USB 3.0. But such is the price of compactness and flexibility.
We tried to at least partially compensate for the lack of USB Type-A. The XPS 9365 comes with a USB Type-C adapter. It is small and light. If you carry a computer in a case, it makes sense to put an adapter there too, and then it will always be at hand.
There is also an optional adapter called DA200. When connected via USB Type-C, it adds four more interfaces: HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and USB 3.0.
Writing code, typing long texts, answering letters and performing other tasks demanding on the quality of the keyboard on the Dell XPS 9365 is very convenient. The laptop is small, but the size of the keys is 15x15 mm. The stroke is quite short, the trigger point is clearly felt.
As a result, there are no problems with printing, you get used to the keyboard quickly, a free blind typing is possible already during the very first acquaintance with a laptop. And since the XPS 13 9365 was created as a solution for those who travel a lot and often and do not always know in advance what conditions they will have to work with today, there was no way to do without the backlight. It is very soft and in the dark does not distract at all.
Compared with the keyboard XPS 13 9360 there are some changes. For example, the PageUp and Page Down keys are moved down to the "right" and "left" arrows. Due to this and a couple of other permutations, it was possible to increase the physical size of the main letter keys.
The touchpad is sleek and quite large: 10.5 centimeters wide and 6 centimeters high. Something special about him is difficult to say. He just is and copes well with his task. Random clicks do not occur, the cursor is smooth, imitation of the buttons when you press the bottom of the touch panel works correctly, the click is felt clearly.
Additional advantages: the ability to quickly unlock a computer using a fingerprint scanner or authorization through Windows Hello via a webcam.
The Dell XPS 9365, which we are talking about today, has a top configuration: 8 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i7-7Y75 processor with a base clock frequency of 1.3 GHz (up to 3.6 GHz in Turbo Boost mode) and integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 .
The main advantage of this “stone” is the absence of the need for air cooling and, as a result, absolutely silent operation of the computer even under load. For the heat sink is used only a special copper diffuser.
To worry about heating is not worth it. During idle times and under minimal loads, the temperature of both parts of the case does not exceed 30 degrees Celsius. If you decide to perplex the computer as it should, then it will become warmer, but even up to 49-50 degrees it can hardly warm up even the harshest benchmarks. And then this temperature will be only in the middle of the upper part of the body, in the area of ​​the row with the F keys, which are used quite rarely.
In benchmarks, when performing single-threaded tasks, the Core i7-7Y75 easily outperforms the Core m7-6Y75, which he came to replace, and generally gives results comparable to i5-7200U. But in multi-threaded tests, the processor of the review hero is inferior to about 20% of the i5-7200U and about 30% of the Core i7-7500U. As a result, we get a quiet and cold, but not “charged” for games (although World of Tanks are at a minimum) and serious tasks like mounting a car.
For clarity, we propose to compare the results of the "top-end" XPS 13 9365 in benchmarks with Latitude 5289 (i5-7200U and 8 GB RAM), which we wrote about here just recently. Since the basic version of the non-transformable XPS 13 9360 is equipped with exactly the same processor, for many this comparison will probably be relevant.
The 13.3-inch touchscreen of the XPS 13 9365 is really non-standard: the frames on the top, left and right of the matrix are very thin. It would seem that for the first time the Infinity Edge design concept was used in the XPS 13 in 2015, and so far it is capable of surprising. And this is exactly the case when it’s better to see and try once in action than to see a dozen photos.
You can choose from two resolutions: 1920x1080 pixels in models with Core i5 or 3200x1800 in versions with Core i7. In both cases, the image quality will not disappoint you. The most important thing - the brightness and contrast is enough to work comfortably in direct sunlight. Consider only that the Gorilla Glass panel is glossy.
Which one of these two permissions to choose is the user's decision. But the logic suggests that Full HD is suitable for those who want to save money and win in autonomy. At the same time, 3200x1800 is well suited for working with large tables and programs with a bulky interface that includes many elements.
Inside the Dell XPS 13 9365 is a battery with a capacity of 46 Wh. Yes, the attentive reader correctly remarked that this is 14 W * h less than the non-transformable XPS 13, but this is again a price for “flexibility” combined with compactness.
In addition, the "victim" is not so great: we never forget about the optimization of power consumption, plus the processor is less "voracious" here than in the classic version of the laptop. Some of our colleagues in the Moscow office of Dell are now working on such transformers. On average, they get from 6 to 8 hours of battery life per day, which is very good.
If you start playing Full HD video at maximum brightness, then the full charge of the computer is enough for exactly 4 hours. And in order to re-fully fill the battery with energy, it will take 2 hours. Provided that the computer is turned off. If it is turned on and works in idle mode, then another 15-30 minutes will be added to 120 minutes.
There is no separate power connector for the laptop: the gadget is charged via either of the two available USB Type-C. Together with all the wires, the power adapter (30 W) weighs only about 300 grams. By the way, not only a laptop can be charged from it, but also smartphones with the corresponding port.
There are a couple of nice bonuses: the remaining charge indicator on the side of the computer and a small LED on the charger plug. The latter lights up when the adapter is plugged in - as a result, it can be easily found even in complete darkness.
Retail prices for Dell XPS 9365 with an Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor, 8 GB of RAM, SSD with a capacity of 256 GB and a screen with a resolution of QHD + start from 101 375 rubles. Of course, the computer is not cheap, but the funds invested in its purchase are necessarily compensated by the pleasure of using it. After all, this is one of the best-in-class solutions for traveling work that does not require high performance from iron.
Only one question remains. What to choose: classic Dell XPS 13 9360 or convertible Dell XPS 13 9365? Both cars are good, but we would determine the difference between them as follows. Transformer - is compact, work on the go and full priority for office applications. The classic is a little less compact and more “stationary” version with increased performance and the presence of USB for connecting peripherals.
Compact, beautiful, durable
If you have ever seen a classic Dell XPS 13, then you can easily confuse the transformer 9365 with it: the gadgets look very similar. In both cases, both the lid and the bottom of the laptops are made of metal with a matte surface, and the surface of the keyboard unit is made of carbon fiber with a soft-touch coating. Due to the nice square texture, handprints remain almost invisible.
At the same time, both computers are very compact and light, this is one of the best-in-class travel solutions or to carry them with you to the office and to meetings every day. The hero of our review weighs only 1.24 kilograms with a thickness of 13.7 in the thickest and 8 mm in the thinnest place. The classic XPS 13 is 60 grams lighter, but slightly thicker: 15 and 9 mm, respectively.
Compared to standard 13-inch laptops, the XPS 13 9365 is much smaller. If you look at the computer from the top, the dimensions are as follows: 304 mm on the wide and 199 mm on the narrow side. Such a machine fits into any backpack and a burdensome burden, given its modest weight, will not be at all.
The main difference between the XPS 13 9365 transformer and the XPS 13 9360 “classic” is in the way the screen is attached to the main body. If earlier there was one loop, now there are two. Both, of course, metal and tough enough to confidently hold the screen in all user-friendly positions.
On hard and smooth surfaces, the letop does not slip. For its task, two long and narrow rubber inserts on the bottom cope perfectly. And there is no fear that over time they will fall off, like small "legs" on some laptops.
Understands easily, you can replace the drive
With the Dell XPS 13 9365 disassembly, everything is very simple. Turn the notebook upside down and carefully unscrew the 8 Torx T5 screws and one small screw with a cross-shaped slot.
Most of the internal space, as usual, takes the battery. If necessary, you can quickly and easily replace the SSD format M.2, but with the memory so it will not work - RAM is soldered. Therefore, we advise you not to save on “RAM” and immediately take the maximum of possible (that is, not 4, but 8 GB), if this is relevant to you for work.
Ports - USB Type-C, adapter for Type-A included
The ports on the sides of the Dell XPS 13 9365 are few, but the car does not claim to be a powerful home station and peripheral aggregator, this solution is portable.
On the left side is the audio connector and USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support.
On the right is another USB Type-C, a microSD card reader plus a small gadget power button and a Noble lock.
For comparison, the non-transformable XPS 13 9360 uses a card reader for “large” SD cards (and has a higher data transfer speed), and also has a “big” USB 3.0. But such is the price of compactness and flexibility.
We tried to at least partially compensate for the lack of USB Type-A. The XPS 9365 comes with a USB Type-C adapter. It is small and light. If you carry a computer in a case, it makes sense to put an adapter there too, and then it will always be at hand.
There is also an optional adapter called DA200. When connected via USB Type-C, it adds four more interfaces: HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and USB 3.0.
Convenient input devices for working in any conditions
Writing code, typing long texts, answering letters and performing other tasks demanding on the quality of the keyboard on the Dell XPS 9365 is very convenient. The laptop is small, but the size of the keys is 15x15 mm. The stroke is quite short, the trigger point is clearly felt.
As a result, there are no problems with printing, you get used to the keyboard quickly, a free blind typing is possible already during the very first acquaintance with a laptop. And since the XPS 13 9365 was created as a solution for those who travel a lot and often and do not always know in advance what conditions they will have to work with today, there was no way to do without the backlight. It is very soft and in the dark does not distract at all.
Compared with the keyboard XPS 13 9360 there are some changes. For example, the PageUp and Page Down keys are moved down to the "right" and "left" arrows. Due to this and a couple of other permutations, it was possible to increase the physical size of the main letter keys.
The touchpad is sleek and quite large: 10.5 centimeters wide and 6 centimeters high. Something special about him is difficult to say. He just is and copes well with his task. Random clicks do not occur, the cursor is smooth, imitation of the buttons when you press the bottom of the touch panel works correctly, the click is felt clearly.
Additional advantages: the ability to quickly unlock a computer using a fingerprint scanner or authorization through Windows Hello via a webcam.
Silent notebook for office software
The Dell XPS 9365, which we are talking about today, has a top configuration: 8 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i7-7Y75 processor with a base clock frequency of 1.3 GHz (up to 3.6 GHz in Turbo Boost mode) and integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 .
The main advantage of this “stone” is the absence of the need for air cooling and, as a result, absolutely silent operation of the computer even under load. For the heat sink is used only a special copper diffuser.
To worry about heating is not worth it. During idle times and under minimal loads, the temperature of both parts of the case does not exceed 30 degrees Celsius. If you decide to perplex the computer as it should, then it will become warmer, but even up to 49-50 degrees it can hardly warm up even the harshest benchmarks. And then this temperature will be only in the middle of the upper part of the body, in the area of ​​the row with the F keys, which are used quite rarely.
In benchmarks, when performing single-threaded tasks, the Core i7-7Y75 easily outperforms the Core m7-6Y75, which he came to replace, and generally gives results comparable to i5-7200U. But in multi-threaded tests, the processor of the review hero is inferior to about 20% of the i5-7200U and about 30% of the Core i7-7500U. As a result, we get a quiet and cold, but not “charged” for games (although World of Tanks are at a minimum) and serious tasks like mounting a car.
For clarity, we propose to compare the results of the "top-end" XPS 13 9365 in benchmarks with Latitude 5289 (i5-7200U and 8 GB RAM), which we wrote about here just recently. Since the basic version of the non-transformable XPS 13 9360 is equipped with exactly the same processor, for many this comparison will probably be relevant.
Display with a pronounced wow effect
The 13.3-inch touchscreen of the XPS 13 9365 is really non-standard: the frames on the top, left and right of the matrix are very thin. It would seem that for the first time the Infinity Edge design concept was used in the XPS 13 in 2015, and so far it is capable of surprising. And this is exactly the case when it’s better to see and try once in action than to see a dozen photos.
You can choose from two resolutions: 1920x1080 pixels in models with Core i5 or 3200x1800 in versions with Core i7. In both cases, the image quality will not disappoint you. The most important thing - the brightness and contrast is enough to work comfortably in direct sunlight. Consider only that the Gorilla Glass panel is glossy.
Which one of these two permissions to choose is the user's decision. But the logic suggests that Full HD is suitable for those who want to save money and win in autonomy. At the same time, 3200x1800 is well suited for working with large tables and programs with a bulky interface that includes many elements.
It works for a long time, it charges quickly
Inside the Dell XPS 13 9365 is a battery with a capacity of 46 Wh. Yes, the attentive reader correctly remarked that this is 14 W * h less than the non-transformable XPS 13, but this is again a price for “flexibility” combined with compactness.
In addition, the "victim" is not so great: we never forget about the optimization of power consumption, plus the processor is less "voracious" here than in the classic version of the laptop. Some of our colleagues in the Moscow office of Dell are now working on such transformers. On average, they get from 6 to 8 hours of battery life per day, which is very good.
If you start playing Full HD video at maximum brightness, then the full charge of the computer is enough for exactly 4 hours. And in order to re-fully fill the battery with energy, it will take 2 hours. Provided that the computer is turned off. If it is turned on and works in idle mode, then another 15-30 minutes will be added to 120 minutes.
There is no separate power connector for the laptop: the gadget is charged via either of the two available USB Type-C. Together with all the wires, the power adapter (30 W) weighs only about 300 grams. By the way, not only a laptop can be charged from it, but also smartphones with the corresponding port.
There are a couple of nice bonuses: the remaining charge indicator on the side of the computer and a small LED on the charger plug. The latter lights up when the adapter is plugged in - as a result, it can be easily found even in complete darkness.
How much and where to buy?
Retail prices for Dell XPS 9365 with an Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor, 8 GB of RAM, SSD with a capacity of 256 GB and a screen with a resolution of QHD + start from 101 375 rubles. Of course, the computer is not cheap, but the funds invested in its purchase are necessarily compensated by the pleasure of using it. After all, this is one of the best-in-class solutions for traveling work that does not require high performance from iron.
Only one question remains. What to choose: classic Dell XPS 13 9360 or convertible Dell XPS 13 9365? Both cars are good, but we would determine the difference between them as follows. Transformer - is compact, work on the go and full priority for office applications. The classic is a little less compact and more “stationary” version with increased performance and the presence of USB for connecting peripherals.
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