Between the TUF Gaming A16 (2024) and XPS 16 (9650), the TUF Gaming A16 (2024) comes out ahead in refresh rate, while the XPS 16 (9650) wins on ram / cpu cores. Overall, the TUF Gaming A16 (2024) scores 70.4 and the XPS 16 (9650) scores 76.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XPS 16 (9650) edges ahead on the Mars Score (70.4 vs 76.7), but the 6.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the TUF Gaming A16 (2024) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are refresh rate.
Pick the XPS 16 (9650) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are ram, cpu cores, claimed battery life, among others.
Both ship with comparable storage, backlit keyboard, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the XPS 16 (9650) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 (2024) wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 37.50% more. 165 Hz vs 120 Hz.
Why Dell - XPS 16 (9650) wins
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 32 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲CPU cores — 100.00% more. 16 vs 8.
- ▲Claimed battery life — 30.00% more. 13 h vs 10 h.
- ▲Battery — 10.56% more. 99.5 Wh vs 90 Wh.
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 3.00 more. 3 vs 0.
- ▲Screen size — 1.88% more. 16.3 " vs 16 ".
- ▲Panel type: OLED (vs IPS).
- ▲Weight — 0.07 kg less. 2.13 vs 2.2.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 (2024) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 2.2 kg | 2.13 kglead |
| Thickness | 26.9 mm | 18.7 mmlead |
| Build material | plastic | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | false | truelead |
Display
| Spec | ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 (2024) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 16 " | 16.3 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 165 Hzlead | 120 Hz |
| Panel typeⓘ | IPS | OLEDlead |
Performance
| Spec | ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 (2024) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU cores | 8 | 16lead |
| GPUⓘ | AMD Radeon RX 7700S | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 32 GBlead |
| Storageⓘ | 1024 GB | 1024 GB |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | ASUS - TUF Gaming A16 (2024) | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 90 Wh | 99.5 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 10 h | 13 hlead |
| USB-C ports | 2 | 3lead |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 0 | 3lead |
| HDMI | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, TUF Gaming A16 (2024) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) claims up to 13 hours — 10h vs 13h.
Which is lighter, TUF Gaming A16 (2024) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) is lighter at 2.13 kg vs 2.2 kg.
Which has more RAM, TUF Gaming A16 (2024) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) offers 32GB of RAM.
Which has an OLED display, TUF Gaming A16 (2024) or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) has an OLED display; TUF Gaming A16 (2024) uses IPS.
Spec-level deep dives
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