Dell Precision 5540 vs. Dell XPS 13 9300: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell Precision 5540 and Dell XPS 13 9300 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell Precision 5540 Pros

Reasons that Dell Precision 5540 is better than Dell XPS 13 9300.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-9980HK inside Dell Precision 5540 has a 74% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-1065G7 inside Dell XPS 13 9300.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i9-9980HK
6,504
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i9-9880H
6,100
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Xeon E-2276M
5,165
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i7-9850H
4,914
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i7-9750H
4,880
Dell XPS 13 9300 - Intel Core i7-1065G7
3,722
Dell Precision 5540 - Intel Core i5-9400H
3,690
Dell XPS 13 9300 - Intel Core i5-1035G1
2,878
Dell XPS 13 9300 - Intel Core i3-1005G1
2,027
Supports larger memory

Dell Precision 5540 supports a larger memory capacity than the Dell XPS 13 9300. It supports up to 64GB versus 32GB of system memory on the Dell XPS 13 9300.

Max system memory size
Dell Precision 5540
64 GB
Dell XPS 13 9300
32 GB
Upgradable memory

Dell Precision 5540 comes with two SODIMM slots that allow you to replace or upgrade when needed. On the flip side, you can't upgrade RAM on the Dell XPS 13 9300 since it has onboard memory.

MemoryDell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Slots
x2
Onboard
TypeDDR4LPDDR4X
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to Nvidia Quadro T2000 4GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

16% larger display

Dell Precision 5540 has a 15.6-inch screen size 16% larger than the 13.4-inch Dell XPS 13 9300.

Display size
Dell Precision 5540
15.6-inch
Dell XPS 13 9300
13.4-inch
Has four more ports and slots

Dell Precision 5540 has more ports and slots count than the Dell XPS 13 9300. It has eight versus four amount of ports and slots on the Dell XPS 13 9300.

PortsDell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
full-size SD card slotYesNo
HDMIYesNo
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesNo
microSD card slotNoYes
power portYesNo
Thunderbolt 3YesYes x2
USB-AYes x2No
Total84
More versatile connectivity

Dell Precision 5540 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Dell XPS 13 9300. It has six versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Dell XPS 13 9300.

PortsDell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 3YesYes
full-size SD card slotYesNo
HDMIYesNo
microSD card slotNoYes
power portYesNo
USB-AYesNo

Dell XPS 13 9300 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 13 9300 is better than Dell Precision 5540.

Newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2019

Supports faster memory

Dell XPS 13 9300 supports a faster memory speed than the Dell Precision 5540. It supports up to 3733MHz versus 3200MHz of system memory on the Dell Precision 5540.

Memory type and speed
Dell XPS 13 9300 - LPDDR4X
3,733 MHz
Dell Precision 5540 - DDR4
3,200 MHz
About 33% lighter

Dell XPS 13 9300 weighed 2.65 pounds, 33% lighter than the 3.93 pounds Dell Precision 5540.

WeightDell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Pound
3.93 lbs.
2.65 lbs.
Kilogram
1.78 kg
1.20 kg

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Dell Precision 5540 Price
DELL Precision 5540 Workstation Intel Core i7-9850H 15.6-inch Full HD IPS Display 32GB RAM 512GB SSD NVIDIA Quadro 4GB Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
DELL Precision 5540 Workstation Intel Core i7-9850H 15.6-inch Full HD IPS Display 32GB RAM 512GB SSD NVIDIA Quadro 4GB Win 11 Pro (Renewed)
By DELL
$502.29
Dell Precision 5540 Workstation Laptop PC 15.6" FHD Intel Core i7-9850H Processor, 32GB Ram, 1TB NVMe SSD Drive, Web Camera HDMI NVIDIA Quadro T1000 4GB GDDR5 Windows 10 (Renewed)
Dell Precision 5540 Workstation Laptop PC 15.6" FHD Intel Core i7-9850H Processor, 32GB Ram, 1TB NVMe SSD Drive, Web Camera HDMI NVIDIA Quadro T1000 4GB GDDR5 Windows 10 (Renewed)
By Dell
$700.00
Dell Precision M5540 15.6 UHD Touchscreen Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60Ghz 32GB 1TB SSDR Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
Dell Precision M5540 15.6 UHD Touchscreen Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60Ghz 32GB 1TB SSDR Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
By Dell
$639.00
Dell XPS 13 9300 Price
Dell XPS 13 9300 Laptop, 13.4 UHD (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen, Intel Core 10th Gen i7-1065G7, 32GB LPRAMX, 1TB Class 35 SSD, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Laptop, 13.4 UHD (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen, Intel Core 10th Gen i7-1065G7, 32GB LPRAMX, 1TB Class 35 SSD, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$1,129.00
Dell New XPS 13 9300 13.4-inch FHD InfinityEdge Touchscreen Laptop (Silver), Intel Core i7-1065G7 10th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 10 Pro (XPS 9300-7524SLV-PUS)
Dell New XPS 13 9300 13.4-inch FHD InfinityEdge Touchscreen Laptop (Silver), Intel Core i7-1065G7 10th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 10 Pro (XPS 9300-7524SLV-PUS)
By Dell
$841.00
Latest Dell XPS 13 9300 Laptop, 13.4 inches UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen, Intel Core 10th Gen i7-1065G7, 16GB LPRAMX, 512GB Class 35 SSD, Windows 10 (Renewed)
Latest Dell XPS 13 9300 Laptop, 13.4 inches UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Touchscreen, Intel Core 10th Gen i7-1065G7, 16GB LPRAMX, 512GB Class 35 SSD, Windows 10 (Renewed)
By Dell
$821.63

Availability

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Released20192020
Release Date
  • Announced at Computex 2019.
  • Available from early July 2019.
  • Announced at CES 2020)
  • Available on January 7, 2020
  • Developer Edition available on February 4, 2020
PricingStarting at $1,339-
Applicable Models-
  • Dell XPS 13
  • Dell XPS 13 (early 2020)
  • Dell XPS 13 9300
  • Dell XPS 13 with 10th Gen Intel G-Series processors
Generations

Exterior

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Dimensions14.06 x 9.26 x 0.44 in (357 x 235 x 11.2 mm)
Width: 14.06” (357 mm)
Depth: 9.26” (235 mm)
Height: 0.44” (11.2 mm)
11.64 x 7.82 x 0.27 - 0.38 in (295.65 x 198.68 x 6.75 - 9.58mm)
Width: 11.64” (295.65 mm)
Depth: 7.82” (198.68 mm)
Height: 0.27 - 0.38” (6.75 - 9.58 mm)
Weight3.93 lbs (1.78 kg)2.65 lbs - 2.8 lbs (1.2 kg - 1.27 kg)
Colors
  • Aluminum Platinum Silver LCD Cover
  • Aluminum Titan Gray LCD Cover
  • Frost with Arctic white woven glass.
  • Platinum silver with black carbon fiber interior.
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.03 x 2.45 in (102.40 mm x 62.40 mm) touchpad with 5 multi-touch gesture support.
  • Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.42 x 2.53 in (112.30 mm x 64.15 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.

Display

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Size15.6 Inches13.4 Inches
Info
  • 15.6" UltraSharp FHD IGZO4
    • 1920x1080, AG, NT, w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% sRGB.
  • 15.6" Ultrasharp UHD IGZO4
    • 3840x2160, Touch, w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% Adobe,
  • 15.6" Ultrasharp OLED UHD
    • 3840x2160, Non-Touch,w/Prem Panel Guar, 100% DCI-P3
  • 13.4-inch FHD+ touchscreen
    1920 x 1200, 169 PPI, 60 Hz, 1800:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits luminance, 2.90 W power consumption, Anti-reflective, Touch support.
  • 13.4-inch FHD+ non-touchscreen
    1920 x 1200, 169 PPI, 60 Hz, 1800:1 contrast ratio, 500 nits luminance, 2.90 W power consumption, Anti-glare, Non-touch support.
  • 13.4-inch 4K UHD+ touchscreen
    3840 x 2400, 338 PPI, 60 Hz, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 450 nits luminance, 6.6 W power consumption, Anti-reflective, Touch support.

Ports

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Dell Precision 5540 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (5)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x lock slot
Dell XPS 13 9300 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (2)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, Power Delivery, DC-in, DisplayPort, 4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3 (40 Gbps)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
Right (2)
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, Power Delivery, DC-in, DisplayPort, 4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3 (40 Gbps)
  • 1 x headphone jack

Internal Specs

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Processor
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 4.30 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.60 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  4. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  6. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1005G1
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.00 → 3.60 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  4. Intel Xeon E-2276M
    Intel® UHD Graphics P630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  5. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  6. 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
  1. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1005G1
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    32 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  3. 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G7
    Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
    64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
Memory
  • Memory Slots
    • 2 x DDR4 SoDIMM
  • Memory Configurations
    • Minimum Memory: 8GB
    • Maximum Memory: 64GB
  • 4 GB
    3733 MHz LPDDR4 Memory On-board
  • 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB
    3733 MHz LPDDR4x Memory On-board
Discrete Graphics
  • NVIDIA Quadro T1000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1395 → 1455 MHz, 768 CUDA Cores.
  • NVIDIA Quadro T2000 (Optional)
    Turning Architecture, 4GB GDDR5 128-bit, 1575 → 1785 MHz, 1,024 CUDA Cores.
-
Storage
  • Hard Drive Slots
    • 1 x M.2 PCIe SSD slot
    • 1 x 2.5 inches hard drive slot
      Available only on a 3-cell 56Wh battery model.
  • Hard Drive Configurations
    • Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
    • Up to 2TB SATA Hard Drive
  • 256 GB 512 GB
    M.2 2280 PCIe® 3x4 NVMe™ SSD, Up to 32 Gbps.

Connectivity

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Wi-Fi
  • Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2x2 802.11ax 160MHz
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9260 2x2 802.11ac
  • Qualcomm QCA6174A 2x2 802.11ac
  • Rivet Killer 1650s
    Up to 2400 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, WiFi-4 (802.11n), WiFi-5 (802.11ac), WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
  • Rivet Killer 500s DBS
    Up to 1800 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g, WiFi-4 (802.11n), WiFi-5 (802.11ac), WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Rivet Killer 1650s › Bluetooth 5.0
  • Rivet Killer 500s DBS › Bluetooth 5.1

Battery

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Size
  • 56 Wh (3-cell lithium-ion)
  • 97 Wh (6-cell lithium-ion)
  • 4-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 52 Wh
Power Supply130 W power adapter
Power rated at 19.5VDC/6.67A.
45 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
20 VDC/2.25A, 15 VDC/3A, 9 VDC/3A, 5VDC/3A

Software

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04 LTS RedHat 7.5
Upgradable to Windows 11
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Ubuntu 18.04
Upgradable to Windows 11
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee® Small Business Security 30 Day Free Trial
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription

Camera & Audio

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Front-facing camera
    Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
Audio
  • Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers
  •  dual-array microphones
  • Realtek ALC3281-CG with Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers (2.5W x 2 = 4W peak)
  • 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack with 360-degree Waves NX 3D virtual surround with head-tracking via headphones
  • Dual microphone array powered by Waves MaxxVoice Pro supporting VoIP – Cortana Farfield capable

Misc

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button (optional)
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Intel® vPro™ Technology (iAMT 12) (optional, requires Intel WiFi® Link WLAN and a vPro compatible processor), Dell Client Command Suite available (dell.com/command), Factory Installed Dell Client Command | Update, Dell Command | Power Manager
  • Intel® Platform Trust Technology
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
  • Chassis wedge-shaped security lock
  • Support for Computrace and SmartCard Reader
  • Touch Fingerprint Reader with Control Vault 3.0 (Advanced Authentication with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Certification)
  • Windows Hello Facial Recognition
  • Wedge-shaped lock
Warranty1 Year Hardware Service with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis-

Key Features

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300
At Glance
Released in
2019
16:9 4K UHD
15.6”
2160p OLED
Weight
3.93 lb
1.78 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-9980HK
8C/16T, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,114
Single Core
Geekbench 5
6,504
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
Upgradable up to
64GB
3200 MHz DDR4
Dell Precision 5540 Ports
Nvidia Quadro
T2000
4GB GDDR5
Released in Early
2020
16:10 4K UHD+
13.4”
2400p 60Hz
Weight
2.65 lb
1.20 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4C/8T, 1.30 → 3.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,088
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,722
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics
64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
3733 MHz LPDDR4X
Dell XPS 13 9300 Ports

Comparison Summary

Dell Precision 5540 vs. Dell XPS 13 9300

Dell has released the Precision 5540, a 15.6-inch machine, in 2019. It is powered by up to an octa-core Intel Core i9-9980HK with a boost clock speed up to 5.00 GHz. The laptop has a dedicated GPU option up to Nvidia Quadro T2000 with 4GB GDDR5.

On the other hand, we have the 13.4-inch XPS 13 9300 was introduced by Dell about a year later in early-2020. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 with a boost clock speed up to 3.90 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Plus Graphics (64 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell Precision 55401
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H98487.86%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H1,04493.21%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H1,08096.43%
4
Intel Xeon E-2276M1,120100.00%
5
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H1,06695.18%
6
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK1,11499.46%
Dell XPS 13 93001
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1005G199388.66%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G197987.41%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G71,08897.14%
01,120

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell Precision 55401
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-9400H3,69056.73%
2
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H4,88075.03%
3
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9850H4,91475.55%
4
Intel Xeon E-2276M5,16579.41%
5
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H6,10093.79%
6
9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK6,504100.00%
Dell XPS 13 93001
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1005G12,02731.17%
2
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1035G12,87844.25%
3
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1065G73,72257.23%
06,504

The Dell Precision 5540 has a 15.6-inch display which is considerably larger than the 13.4-inch Dell XPS 13 9300. In addition, the Dell Precision 5540 weighs 3.93 lbs. about 48% heavier than the 2.65 lbs. Dell XPS 13 9300. Moreover, measured at 14.06” x 9.26” x 0.44”, the Dell Precision 5540 is much bulkier than the Dell XPS 13 9300 at 11.64” x 7.82” x 0.38”.

Dell Precision 5540Dell XPS 13 9300

There are a toal number of 8 ports and slots available on Dell Precision 5540. That includes a power port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Thunderbolt 3 port, a headphone jack, a full-size SD card slot, and a lock slot. With that said, it has four ports and slots more than the Dell XPS 13 9300 that has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack.

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell Precision 5540 supports up to 64GB 3200 MHz DDR4 memory that you can upgrade with two memory module slots on the motherboard. It also comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future. On top of that, it also has a single SATA slot that users can use to install a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SSHD, or a hard disk drive to add even more storage.

For Dell XPS 13 9300, it supports up to 32GB 3733 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Unlike Dell Precision 5540, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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