Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 vs. HP Spectre x360 13t: Which premium laptop is best?

We compare them on features, performance and more.

- GORDON MAH UNG

Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 and HP’s 5th-gen Spectre x360 13t embody the intense rivalry of the two top American PC vendors.

Locked in a constant fight for market share, the companies seem to pour every technological advance they have into these two premium convertible laptops. With each iteration, one seems to challenge the other, “can you top this?”

Both companies recently released new models, so it’s time to pit Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 against HP’s 5th-gen Spectre x360 13t in an epic battle, which we’ll recount blow by blow as we talk specs, features, performance, and more.

SPECS

On specs, both rivals are very similar. Both are based on Intel’s new 10nm, 10th-Core i7-1065G7 chip. The RAM is similar, too, with LPDDR4X/3733 in both. The Dell does, however, offer a higher optional maximum of 32GB of LPDDR4X.

Both have 4K screen options, so there’s a tie. The technologies differ, though: IPS with the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, and AMOLED with the HP Spectre x360 13t.

The only internal spec that varies is storage. Our XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 features a Kioxia BG4 TLC SSD NVMe PCIe drive. If you’ve never heard of Kioxia, it’s just the new name for Toshiba. Our Spectre x360 13t featured an Intel Optane H10 drive, an option sold at Best Buy at the 512GB capacity. Both laptops offer larger capacities on their websites, but the Dell stops at 1TB, while HP offers up to a 2TB NVMe PCIe drive. (Buy Now)