The performance gap between desktops and laptops is getting smaller every year. Laptops have always had the advantage of portability, and with more workers splitting their time between home and the office, being able to easily pick it up and work anywhere is a plus. With more and more people working from home full-time, a desktop such as Dell’s XPS 8950 may be your best option today.
favorite
- many configuration choices
- Plenty of room for expansion and upgrades
- Power supply, water cooling option
I do not like it
- Base configuration not worth considering
- The design is not yet compatible with XPS laptops
Dell refreshed its premium XPS desktops for 2022 with a larger chassis to accommodate more components. In short, this mid-sized tower gives you room to expand and improve performance in the future. This is the biggest advantage of desktops over laptops. A large selection of front and rear ports eliminates the need for docks and hubs. Plus, with new power and liquid cooling options, his XPS 8950 can be a discreet gaming PC, productivity machine, and content creation system all in one box.
Dell XPS8950 Desktop
Price at time of review |
$1,713 |
---|---|
CPU |
3.7GHz Intel Core i5-12600K |
memory |
16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR5 4,800MHz |
graphic |
8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti |
depository |
512GB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD (boot) + 2TB 7,200rpm SATA 6Gb/s (storage) |
networking |
Killer Wi-Fi 6 1675 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2 |
connection |
USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1 (x2 rear, x3 front), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (x1 rear, x1 front), USB 2.0 Type-A (x2), 3.5mm combo jack, 7.1 audio stack, Gigabit Ethernet , SD card slot |
operating system |
windows 11 home |
of Dell XPS 8950 Desktops Starting Under $735 However, at that price, you’re paying extra for the case and future upgrade opportunities. Dell’s Inspiron line is just $588.) You pay a little more for an XPS configuration around $1,000 and get a much better PC experience. The configuration I tested, though not fully loaded, Available for around $1,700Component options vary by region, A similar configuration is AU$3,599 in Australia When £1,666 in the UKHowever, unlike the US, UK and Australian XPS 8950 configurations are not pre-configurable.
get more power
Dell offers numerous component options for the XPS 8950. Choose from 12th Gen Intel Core i5, i7, or i9 processors, including unlocked K-series versions of each. There are three Nividia GeForce GTX graphics cards, seven RTX cards up to the RTX 3090, and four AMD Radeon options including the RX 6900 XT. Supports up to 128GB memory. You can also choose between 4 single drives and 8 dual drives for storage. There are even two case color choices, Night Sky and Platinum Silver, but only the latter comes with tiny metal feet. The Yozora case has rubber feet.
Regardless of the components you use, if you plan to upgrade your processor or graphics card after purchase, strongly consider maximizing your power supply. Dell offers 460, 750, and 1,000-watt PSUs, but these aren’t standard sizes, so we recommend spending an extra $50 or $100 to get more power up front. And if you use a K-series processor, you can add liquid cooling for $50.
well connected
The XPS 8950 is bigger overall than its predecessor, with more space inside, plus a redesigned exterior. The silver version I tested has an aluminum front panel, resin grille, and aluminum legs and sides.It definitely looks better than the plastic front of the XPS8940
But it still XPS laptop lineThe front bezel and internal layout are designed to draw air from front to back across graphics, power and M.2 SSD storage. The cooling system is also quiet.
Dell markets the XPS 8950 to content creators, and the portfolio of ports proves it. The front panel is covered for quick connections to the headphone jack, SD card slot, USB-C and USB-A ports. So is the back with a 7.1 audio jack, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C for fast data transfer.
Instead of a desktop, you might be tempted to go with a gaming laptop or a laptop made for content creators. But honestly, if you don’t need portability, you’d be better off with a desktop like the XPS 8950. It can be configured to suit your performance needs. This is also a solid choice if you’re looking for something slightly more compact and attractive that you can start with a more modest configuration and build up as your needs change. It’s flexibility you don’t get with smaller Mac Mini-type computers or all-in-ones, but it’s not so bulky that you lose a lot of floor or desk space.
System configuration
System configuration |
|
---|---|
Dell XPS 8950 |
Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.8GHz Intel Core i5-12600K; 16GB DDR5 RAM 4,800MHz; 8GB Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 Ti; 2TB HDD |
Dell XPS 8940 Special Edition |
Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 3.8GHz Intel Core i7-10700K; 32GB DDR4 RAM 2,933MHz; 8GB Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070; 512GB SSD + 2TB HDD |
HP ENVY All-in-One Desktop 34 |
Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-11700; 16GB DDR4 RAM 3,200MHz; 6GB Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 1TB SSD + 512GB SSD |
gb aero 16 |
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro; 2.9GHz Intel Core i9-12900K; 32GB DDR4 RAM 4,800MHz; 16GB Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti; 1TB +2TB SSD |
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16IAH7H |
Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-12700H; 16GB DD4 RAM 3,200MHz; 8GB Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 Ti; 512GB SSD |