The Dell XPS 13 Plus can run warm to hot during intensive tasks—a trade-off of its ultra-thin design and powerful 28-watt P-series processor.
Thermal Behavior by Workload
| Workload | Temperature | Fan Noise | |----------|-------------|-----------| | Light (browsing, docs) | Cool | Silent | | Moderate (apps, video calls) | Warm | Audible, quiet | | Heavy (rendering, compiling) | Hot | Active, noticeable | | Ultra mode | Maximum | Aggressive |
What Users Report
- Aluminum bottom becomes noticeably warm during sustained loads
- Some units drain battery during sleep due to heat (bug, addressed in BIOS updates)
- Can be uncomfortable on bare skin during heavy use
- Fan noise controlled but ramps up under load
Cooling System
The XPS 13 Plus uses dual fans with improved airflow over previous generations. The design prioritizes:
- Quiet operation during light tasks
- Aggressive cooling when needed
- Thin profile over maximum cooling capacity
Managing Thermals
- Use Optimized/Quiet mode in Dell Power Manager
- Avoid soft surfaces that block vents
- Use a laptop stand for better airflow
- Disable Ultra mode when not needed
- Keep vents clean of dust
The Bottom Line
For typical ultrabook workloads, thermal management is comparable to similar thin laptops. Users planning sustained heavy workloads (video encoding, 3D rendering) may want thicker laptops with better cooling.
The XPS 13 Plus prioritizes portability over sustained maximum performance.
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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