When configured with the same CPU and OLED display, the Lenovo system retails for only $1630 compared to $1960 for the new Dell which comes with just 16 GB of RAM in comparison.

The Arrow Lake CPU even approaches 105 C for short periods when Turbo Boost is most effective before throttling clock rates to keep temperatures in check.

The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is a decent boost over the Core Ultra 9 275HX, but be prepared for a slightly bigger electricity bill.

Be prepared to pony up an extra $600 just for the OLED display. Unlike the XPS 16, the Alienware 16 is bundling its best display with certain CPUs only.

For most, the 2026 XPS 16 makes more sense as it is the more balanced machine. For performance hunters demanding 4K discrete graphics, however, then only the Dell 16 Premium offers those features.

The fastest XPS 16 SKU can reach almost 49 dB(A) compared to just 44 dB(A) on the slower Core Ultra 5 configuration.

The latest midrange Zen 5 CPU doesn't offer significant improvements over the preceding Ryzen AI 5 330 unless if you're talking about integrated graphics performance.