Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 get speedy updates with Intel 11th Gen, Thunderbolt 4

As promised earlier this month, Dell today took the wraps off of the latest update to its XPS 13 range. The biggest update is the move to Intel's latest 11th Gen Tiger Lake CPUs that launched at the beginning of September. That includes Intel's new integrated Iris Xe graphics, which are much more capable than previous generations.

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Beyond the basic spec bump that comes from a move to a new generation of CPUs, there are also some big ways in which the new XPS 13 range improves over last year's models. Number one is that you now get Thunderbolt 4 connectivity on two ports, an upgrade from the previous model's Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 4 isn't any faster than Thunderbolt 3, but the Thunderbolt 4 certification adds some extra security and allows you to push up to two 4K displays at once or one 8K display.

This year's XPS 13 models also bring faster RAM speeds. The new RAM runs at a speed of 4267MHz compared to the 3733MHz speeds on the previous generation.

Beyond those updates, Dell has a slightly updated design for the XPS 13 2-in-1. It's now made of machined aluminum with carbon fiber palm rests. It's available in either platinum with black palm rests or "Frost" with an arctic white woven glass fiber palm rest.

As you'd expect from one of Dell's flagship laptops, the XPS 13 continues to be a high-end little powerhouse. Further, Dell continues what it started with its previous generation with the taller 16:10 displays and a four-sided InfinityEdge display with thin bezels.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 and XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 are expected to go on sale starting September 30. The XPS 13 starts at $999 while the XPS 13 2-in-1 starts at $1,250.