Processor: We looked primarily at laptops with 10th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, focusing on processor models with six or eight processor cores.The X1 Extreme Gen 3 is usually a bit cheaper, but buy whichever laptop gives you your preferred specs for the best price. It uses Nvidia Quadro GPUs instead of the GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (the overall performance should be similar), but the other specs, the internal and external design, and the port layout are all the same.

We didn’t test the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3, which is essentially identical to the X1 Extreme Gen 3. The X1 Extreme Gen 3 also doesn’t last as long away from an outlet as the XPS 15 does. But in day-to-day use, we much preferred the XPS 15’s taller screen for actually getting work done. Its 4K screen is great, and Lenovo offers a more-expensive OLED option with deeper blacks and better contrast. And it includes USB Type-A and HDMI ports along with its Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports and card reader, so you won’t have to use dongles to plug in your stuff. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 uses the same excellent keyboard and trackpad as Lenovo’s other ThinkPads, it performs about as well as the XPS 15 9500, and it’s three-quarters of a pound lighter. The laptop does include a card reader, and it comes with a USB Type-A/HDMI dongle, but we would have liked to see some USB Type-A and HDMI ports built in. The downsides are that it’s heavier than some of its competitors-the 4K version weighs 4.5 pounds, a bit more than anything else we tested this time around-and that it’s limited to only Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C ports. Its keyboard and trackpad feel nice to use, and its battery lasted longer than others we tested with similar specs. Six- and eight-core Intel processors provide a good amount of speed for encoding video and other CPU-intensive tasks, while the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics hardware offers enough power for running professional 3D apps, enjoying some light gaming, and connecting to multiple high-resolution external monitors. It’s taller than most of the other screens in the laptops we tested, with a 3840×2400 resolution and a 16:10 ratio that gives your apps more room to spread out. The Dell XPS 15 9500’s screen is its best feature.

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