The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is a powerful choice for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks due to its high-end CPU and GPU. However, it's bulkier and has less battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its stunning OLED touchscreen, is highly portable, offers excellent build quality, and is very suitable for general use and tasks that don't require a dedicated GPU. It also has a higher resolution display but less capable graphics for gaming. Both are similarly priced, so choose the ASUS if gaming and performance are priorities, or the Dell for portability and screen quality. 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 ROG Strix G18
Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
Very good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
6.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 excels in gaming and 3D applications with its high-end Nvidia RTX graphics and a screen that refreshes 240 times per second, offering smooth visuals necessary for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 Plus also supports gaming and 3D content, but it relies on a less powerful integrated GPU and its screen refreshes only 60 times per second, providing less fluid motion compared to the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design, though the ASUS ROG Strix G18 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is favored for engineering and design because of its high-performance CPU, vast RAM, and dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, along with a high-quality IPS screen for detailed work. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a premium OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, paired with significant RAM, which is key for multitasking and precision in design, but its integrated GPU is less powerful than the ASUS's, making it a less optimal choice for GPU-intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
8.7/10
8.4/10
18.0in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 Plus for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a vibrant and clear display with high resolution and brightness, making text and images sharp and easy to view. When it comes to engineering and design tasks, the Dell’s excellent color accuracy and wide color gamut support ensure that designers see consistent and true-to-life colors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which make them less suitable for the fast-paced visuals those activities typically demand.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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.
Portability
Poor
Excellent
18.0in
SIZE
13.4in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,299
$1,849
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $2,299 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and ASUS ROG Strix G18 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is solid for general use due to its high-performance CPU and abundant RAM which ensure smooth multitasking and the large, high-quality screen makes for a visually rich experience, but its larger size and weight affect portability and it has a shorter battery life. Conversely, the Dell XPS 13 Plus also excels in everyday tasks with its capable CPU and even more RAM, in addition to a superior OLED touchscreen offering vivid colors and higher portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life.
Content Creation
8.6/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for content creation.
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
8.1/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and ASUS ROG Strix G18 are both very good for software development.
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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,595
Recommendations made
22,013
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.