The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a brighter OLED screen and higher resolution for crisp visuals, higher RAM and storage for smooth multitasking, and a lighter build, making it excellent for general use and portability. However, the Dell XPS 13 is less expensive, has a more color-accurate IPS display, and its build quality and keyboard are well-regarded, making it a solid choice for everyday tasks and heavier typing workloads. Neither are designed for intensive gaming, but both handle light gaming and productivity tasks well. Choose the ASUS for performance and display quality or the Dell for its balance of features and cost. 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
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13
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
442.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 with its higher RAM, more powerful CPU, and superior OLED screen excels in handling complex engineering and design applications over the Dell XPS 13, which has lower RAM and a less robust CPU, leading to good but not top-tier performance. However, the Dell XPS 13 offers slightly better battery life and portability, with a marginal edge in speaker and build quality, but its lower screen resolution and color coverage might limit its effectiveness in high-detail visual tasks.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 XPS 13 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.2/10
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 XPS 13 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
7.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
442.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook S 13's vibrant colors, high resolution, and bright display make it superior, providing an excellent viewing experience for everyday tasks and media consumption. In engineering and design, the Zenbook's coverage of a wide range of colors, crucial for accurate visual work, gives it an edge over the Dell XPS 13. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
11.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 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.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Dell XPS 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, equipped with a vibrant OLED display and a slightly more powerful GPU, offers a more immersive and smooth gaming or 3D experience compared to the Dell XPS 13 which, while still delivering fair performance with its own capable GPU, has an IPS screen which may not provide the same depth of color and contrast as the Zenbook's OLED.
Portability
Best in Class
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
13.4in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook S 13 to have best in class portability, while the Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell XPS 13 costs $1,399.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Dell XPS 13 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."
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the Dell XPS 13
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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