Dell XPS 13 9310 (2-in-1) review

Dell XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 (2020): the premium convertible at used prices

The Dell XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 is a 2020 premium convertible — Core i3 1115G4, 32GB of memory, no discrete GPU — now at $650. Its sheet still carries the XPS signatures: mobility at 77 sits 20 percent above the ultrabook-class median of 64, and portability at 78.7 is high-band, the fourth-best portability reading in this batch. The trade is a 51Wh battery, 19 percent below class median, as the named weakness.

Where it holds up

The chassis metrics lead: portability at 78.7 high-band, mobility at 77 top-quartile, and 32GB of memory — the full class median, generous for a 2020 convertible. Gaming at 64 is mid-band, a surprisingly livable figure for integrated graphics of the era, and the 14.08 graphics score itself is 267 percent above the ultrabook median of 3.84. Overall performance at 45.41 is mid-band; value at 56.35 is mid-tier. The 8.93 percent annual depreciation class-rate is the gentlest curve family in this batch.

Where it falls short

Battery is the named weakness: 51Wh against an ultrabook median of 63 caps true all-day use. Office at 60.41 is mid-tier — the joint-lowest office reading of this batch — and photo design at 39 is mid-tier, modeling at 21 low-band, CAD at 39 mid-tier. The i3 processor is the entry rung of the 11th generation; performance at 45.41 reflects that honestly.

Price and depreciation

At $650, the ledger carries no dollar anchors, but the 8.93 percent annual class-level rate — tied for the gentlest in this batch — means the sheet's value erodes slowly. The honest framing: you are buying a five-year-old premium chassis with a gentle curve, not a capability chart position; value at 56.35 mid-tier agrees.

Alternatives to consider

The Inspiron 14 5406 2-in-1 (2020) at $566 is the budget sibling with the same processor family, weaker graphics, and a 40Wh battery; the XPS is the better chassis. The HP ENVY 13 (2020) at the same $650 brings an MX450 with photo at 83 — a materially stronger creative sheet — in exchange for a 16GB memory ceiling and less portability headroom (79.9 versus 78.7, a near-tie).

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. The XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 offers top-three portability of this batch, a full 32GB of memory, and the gentlest depreciation family — against a 51Wh battery, an entry i3, and mid-tier office capability. As a light, long-lived writing machine at $650 it works; as a performance buy it does not pretend to be one.