Dell XPS
XPS is a line of consumer-oriented high-end laptop and desktop computers manufactured by Dell since 1993, formerly part of Dimension, and since 2008 as a standalone brand.
History
In the early 1990s, Dell primarily targeted its products at businesses rather than consumers. In early 1993, Dell executives met to address how to pursue the emerging consumer market in the US, and decided to launch a new product line to compete with Gateway. At that time, Dell's annual revenue was less than $500 million, and founder Michael Dell was still directly involved in key decisions. Vernon Weiss, the product manager, led the project and managed product marketing, while Brian Zucker oversaw architecture and engineering.In September 1993, the first two products in the XPS line were announced, initially as part of the Dell Dimension series. The first generation XPS systems were available in both desktop and tower configurations. The earliest known XPS PC, the Dell Dimension XPS 466V, was released in 1994, which was a version of the preexisting Dell Dimension 466V. The new product line achieved commercial success, garnering significant media attention. For example, an XPS was featured on the cover of the October 1993 issue of PC/Computing.
From 1997 to 2001, the XPS line lost its leading position in the market as Dell steadily grew and the market continued to evolve over time. Dell then revamped the XPS line in 2005 to compete with Alienware and Falcon Northwest. Correspondingly, Dell split its home desktop system into two lines, its consumer notebooks were also split into two lines. Shortly thereafter, on March 22, 2006, Dell acquired Alienware, a move they had been considering since 2002. Alienware maintained its autonomy in terms of design and marketing, but access to Dell's supply chain management, purchasing power, and economies of scale lowered its operating costs. The new XPS line initially had the same specifications as those offered by the Alienware division.
In 2008, Dell introduced the "Studio XPS" line, which it marketed as a performance computer line, while Alienware was advertised for gaming. On June 2, 2009, the M18z gaming laptop was introduced as the first Alienware/Dell joint-branded system.
In January 2025, Dell announced its intentions to gradually phase out their existing lineup of computer brands in favor of a singular brand simply named as "Dell" as part of the company's shift towards the next generation of PCs with artificial intelligence capabilities. The XPS brand would be supplanted by the Dell laptop line designed for play, school and work, which includes the Dell, Dell Plus and Dell Premium series. However, on January 5, 2026, Dell announced that the XPS name would no longer be phased out and also unveiled the redesigned XPS 14 and 16, with Dell recommitting to the XPS brand. However, the Inspiron brand would continue to be phased out.
Desktops
XPS Tower 8000 series
XPS Tower (8960 v2)
The 2024 Dell features Intel's 14th-generation i3, i5, i7, and i9 CPUs. It has two slots for DDR5 memory, for a maximum of 64 GB. This is the first time Dell refreshed this XPS desktop using the same name, but some internal changes.XPS Tower (8960)
The 2023 Dell features Intel's 13th-generation i3, i5, i7, and i9 CPUs. It has two slots for DDR5 memory, for a maximum of 64 GB.XPS Tower (8950)
The 2022 Dell features Intel's 12th-generation i3, i5/i5K, i7/i7K/i7F/i7KF, and i9/i9K/i9KF CPUs. It has four slots for DDR5 memory, for a maximum of 128GB.XPS Tower (8940)
The 2020 features Intel's 10th and 11th-generation i3, i5, i7, and i9 CPUs. It has four slots for DDR4 memory for a maximum of 128 GB of RAM.XPS Tower (8930)
The 2017 Dell XPS 8930 features Intel's eighth and ninth-generation i3, i5, and i7 CPUs on an LGA 1151 socket.XPS Tower (8910)
Dell XPS Towers were released in July 2016. Three systems were introduced: the XPS Tower, XPS Tower VR, and the XPS Tower Special Edition. All systems are introduced with sixth-generation i5 and i7 CPUs, at least 8 GiB of DDR4 memory, and are designed with an easy-to-open chassis for simple expandability One of the main differences from the 8900 is that now the M.2 connector supports four PCI-E lanes instead of one. The VR and Special Edition meet and exceed the minimum recommended specifications for running virtual reality and the Special Edition passed testing for the Oculus Ready and HTC Vive Optimized certification programs.XPS 8900
The Dell XPS 8900 was released in October 2015. It is designed for moderate to heavy gaming and high-end workstation performance. It features Intel's sixth-generation i5 and i7 CPUs on an LGA 1151 socket. It also includes an upgrade to higher-bandwidth DDR4 memory.XPS 8700
The Dell XPS 8700 was released in 2013. It was designed for moderate to heavy gaming and high-end workstation performance. It features a Dell 0KWVT8 motherboard with an LGA-1150 socket. It comes with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660. A special edition is available with an AMD Radeon R9 270.Memory:
- Type: unbuffered, non-ECC, dual-channel DDR3
- Maximum: 32 GiB, with 2, 4 or 8 GiB in base
- Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 4600
- Additional:
- * NVIDIA GeForce GT 635
- * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
- * AMD Radeon R9 270
- Network Adapter: 10/100/1000 Mbit/s integrated network card
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0
- Dell 0KWVT8
- Intel Core i7-4770
- Intel Core i7-4790
- * Integrated Graphics — Intel HD 4600
XPS 8500
Memory:
- Type: unbuffered, non-ECC, quad-channel DDR3
- Maximum: 32 GiB, with 2/4/8 GiB in base
- Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 2500/4000
- Additional:
- * NVIDIA GeForce GT 620 – 1 GiB GDDR5
- * NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 – 1 GiB GDDR5
- * NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 – 1.5 GiB GDDR5
- * AMD Radeon HD 7570 – 1 GiB GDDR5
- ** AMD Radeon HD 7770 – 2 GiB GDDR5
- ** AMD Radeon HD 7870 – 2 GiB GDDR5
- Network Adapter: 10/100/1000 Mbit/s integrated network card
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0
XPS 8300
Motherboard:
Dell 0Y2MRG
Memory:
- Type: unbuffered, non-ECC, quad-channel DDR3
- Maximum: 32 GiB, with 2/4/8 GiB in base
XPS 8100
XPS One 27"
The Dell XPS One 27" is an all-in-one PC that, hence its name, features a 27-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 pixels wide and a height of 1440 pixels. It received CNET's 2012 Editor's Choice Award and was chosen as PCMag's best all-in-one PC of 2012.CNET editor Rich Brown, who authored the review awarding the XPS One 27" the Editor's Choice Award, noted that it "boasts the highest-display resolution among Windows 8 all-in-ones, and at an aggressive price."
PCMag's page discussing selections for the best products of the year stated that it "put almost every technology and feature we're looking for in a compact stylish chassis."
There are reports from many buyers complaining of a quality control issue on the screen. There are dust particles trapped between the screen and the touch panel. Some buyers even received several exchanges or screen replacements and the issue remains. Some people may not notice but turning the brightness up will show these spots. They look like dead pixels.