MSI Creator Z16 vs Dell XPS 15 9510 (2021)
70
out of 100
VS
61
out of 100
You can select specific configurations for the laptops to get a more accurate comparative review
Review
Performance
System and application performance
Gaming
Performance in popular 3D games
Display
Viewing angle, color accuracy, brightness
Battery Life
Potential battery life in light and average use
Connectivity
Ports, webcam and other interfaces
Case
Design, materials, durability and usability
NanoReview Score
Key Differences
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16
- Includes an old-school USB-A port
- Higher screen refresh rate: 120 versus 60 Hz
- Can run popular games at about 49-67% higher FPS
- Features a much bigger (~61%) battery – 90 against 56 watt-hours
- Around 29% better multi-core CPU performance in the Cinebench R23 test
- High-speed PCI Express Gen 4 interface
- 30% sharper screen – 189 versus 145 pixels per inch (PPI)
Advantages of the Dell XPS 15 9510 (2021)
- Significantly easier to carry: weighs 390 grams less (around 0.86 lbs)
- Higher number of cutting-edge USB Type-C ports: 3 versus 2
- Thinner bezels and 10% higher screen-to-body ratio
- Provides 25% higher max. screen brightness: 500 vs 400 nits
- Much smaller footprint: 14% more compact case (122.9 vs 142.4 square inches)
We may earn commissions from Amazon for purchases made via the links below. This does not affect our assessment methodology.
Tests and Specifications
Comparison table of test results and technical specsCase
| Weight | 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs) | 1.81 kg (3.99 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 359 x 256 x 15.9 mm 14.13 x 10.08 x 0.63 inches |
344.7 x 230 x 18 mm 13.57 x 9.06 x 0.71 inches |
| Area | 919 cm2 (142.4 inches2) | 793 cm2 (122.9 inches2) |
| Screen-to-body ratio | ~80.8% | ~89% |
| Side bezels | 7.2 mm | 4.3 mm |
| Colors | Black, Gray | Black, Silver |
| Transformer | No | No |
| Opening angle | 180° | - |
Size comparison
| Cooling system | Active | Active |
| Vapor chamber | No | No |
| Number of fans | 3 | 2 |
| Noise level | 54.8 dB | 38.2 dB |
Display
| Size | 16 inches | 15.6 inches |
| Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| PPI | 189 ppi | 145 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 16:10 |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 pixels | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| HDR support | No | Yes, Dolby Vision |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Coating | Matte | Matte |
| Contrast | - | 1650:1 |
| sRGB color space | - | 100% |
| DCI-P3 color gamut | 100% | - |
| Response time | - | 35 ms |
Max. brightness
Battery
Capacity
| Voltage | - | 11.4 V |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes | Yes |
| USB Power Delivery | Yes | Yes |
| Charging port position | Left | Left, Right |
| Charge power | 180 W | 90 / 130 W |
| Weigh of AC adapter | 770 gramm | 473 gramm |
CPU
CPU name
| Base frequency | 1.9-2.3 GHz | 2.2-2.7 GHz |
| Turbo frequency | 4.6 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| Cores | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 16 | 12 |
| L3 Cache | 24 MB | 12 MB |
| Integrated GPU | Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (32 EU) | Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (16 EU) |
| Fabrication process | 10 nm | 10 nm |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
Graphics Card
GPU name
| TGP | 65 W | 45 W |
| Nvidia Optimus | Yes | Yes |
| Type | Dedicated | Dedicated |
| Fabrication process | 8 nm | 8 nm |
| GPU base clock | 975 MHz | 1065 MHz |
| GPU boost clock | 1357 MHz | 1343 MHz |
| FLOPS | 10.4 TFLOPS | 5.5 TFLOPS |
| Memory size | 6 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 192 bit | 128 bit |
| Memory speed | 12 Gbps | 12 Gbps |
| Shading units (cores) | 3840 | 2048 |
| Texture mapping units (TMUs) | 120 | 64 |
| Raster operations pipelines (ROPs) | 48 | 40 |
GPU performance
RAM
RAM size
| Channels | 2x8 GB | 2x4 GB |
| Clock | 3200 MHz | 3200 MHz |
| Type | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Upgradable | Yes | Yes |
| Total slots | 2 | 2 |
| Max. ram size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
Storage
Storage size
| Bus | PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) | PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) |
| Storage type | SSD (M2) | SSD (M2) |
| Channels | 1x256 GB | 1x256 GB |
| Upgradable | Yes | Yes |
| Total slots | 2 | 2 |
| NVMe | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Audio chip | - | Realtek ALC3281-CG |
| Speakers | 4.0 | 2.2 |
| Power | 4x2W | 2x2W, 2x1.5W |
| Dolby Atmos | No | No |
| Loudness | - | 88.8 dB |
| Microphones | 2 | 2 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | v6 | v6 |
| Bluetooth | v5.2 | v5.1 |
| Fingerprint | Optional | Yes |
| Optical drive | No | No |
| Webcam | Above the display | Above the display |
| Webcam resolution | 1280 x 720 | 1280 x 720 |
| USB-A | 2x USB 3.2 | No |
| USB Type-C | 2x USB 3.2 | 3x USB 4.0 |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 4 | Thunderbolt 4 |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 2.1 | No |
| DisplayPort | No | No |
| VGA | No | No |
| Audio jack (3.5 mm) | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet (RJ45) | No | No |
| SD card reader | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary charging port | Yes | No |
Input
| Keyboard type | Island | Island |
| Numpad | Yes | No |
| Backlight | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 12.0 x 6.0 cm | 15.1 x 9.1 cm |
| Surface | - | Glass |
| Windows Precision | Yes | Yes |
*Disclaimer! Ports, speakers, display, and other specifications can be different depending on the laptop’s particular configuration or region.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 3