Choosing between the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Dell Precision 5470 depends on your priorities. If you're looking for a more portable option with a better battery life and an OLED display that's excellent for general use, go for the ASUS, which is also at a somewhat lower price. On the other hand, if your work involves engineering tasks, 3D modeling, or machine learning where you would benefit from a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics, the Dell, while heavier and somewhat more expensive, is built to handle more intensive tasks. Both have high-quality displays suitable for professional work but differ in storage capacity and weight. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Precision 5470
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
7.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its higher RAM, OLED screen, and longer battery life, offers a superior experience for general use; it is also lighter, adding to its portability. In contrast, the Dell Precision 5470 still performs well with good RAM and a high-quality IPS screen but falls short in battery life and portability as it's heavier.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Dell Precision 5470 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you're primarily using your laptop for everyday tasks such as browsing, the ASUS Zenbook S 13's superior resolution and brightness will offer you a clearer and more vivid display. For engineering and design, the ASUS will also excel, as it covers a wider range of colors, crucial for tasks requiring color accuracy. However, if gaming or 3D applications are important, the Dell Precision 5470's higher refresh rate will deliver smoother visuals, although the overall experience on both might not be ideal due to their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
11.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell Precision 5470 has 9 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Best in Class
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the Dell Precision 5470 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,669
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
The Dell Precision 5470 and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, provides decent gaming and 3D performance for an integrated GPU, but the Dell Precision 5470's Nvidia RTX A1000 dedicated GPU offers superior performance which is crucial for intensive gaming and 3D applications. Both have similar screen refresh rates, but the Dell's dedicated GPU is the deciding factor making it better suited for high-demand visual tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook S 13 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with a high-resolution OLED screen and 32GB of RAM, provides excellent visual quality and multitasking capabilities which are very important for engineering and design tasks, whereas the Dell Precision 5470, although offering less RAM and a lower-resolution IPS screen, includes a dedicated Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU, making it suitable for graphic-intensive applications, a significant advantage for some engineering and 3D design workflows. The ASUS is lighter and thinner, enhancing portability, while the Dell has superior thermal management and includes hardware ray tracing, appealing to users with a need for maximum performance under heavy computational loads.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Dell Precision 5470 compare to other laptops
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
"The Dell Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Dell Precision 5470
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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