The latest 2021 XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 looks the same as the 2019 XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. We get the same chassis with the same dimensions and physical features between them. And what’s interesting is the display which exists in the new model is the same as it was in the model launch 2 years ago.
However, that’s where the similarities end as the XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 runs on an 11th gen Intel Core CPU whereas the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 runs on an older 10th gen Ice Lake or Comet Lake-U part. In terms of graphics that new model will be jumping from the Iris Plus G7 on the older model to Iris Xe on the newer model which brings a significant boost by well over 50 percent without impacting battery life, temperatures, or fan noise.
Unfortunately, the GPU boost comes with a couple of caveats, as performance, in the long run, is steadier on the older Core i7-1065G7 XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 as shown by our CineBench R15 CST and Witcher 3 tests.
Even the clock rates are reported to remain steady over longer periods for flatter and more predictable performance. Overall the Core i7-1165G7 XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 would have both fluctuating CineBench scores and Witcher 3 frame rates as a result of its fluctuating clock rates. Its performance would be higher on average, but its cycling numbers may be undesirable to some users.
It also reported that the CPU performance on the Core i7 XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 can sometimes fall below the Core i7 XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 due to its aforementioned clock rate cycling behavior. The older model can run up to 30 percent faster than the newer models in some scenarios. This simply means that users will be paying more to get a newer model yet not getting much out of it.
