The ASUS Zenbook 13 is a more budget-friendly and portable option with good battery life and an OLED screen that offers excellent color representation, which makes it suitable for general use and media consumption. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 15 has a larger screen, better build quality, more RAM, and a dedicated GPU, enhancing performance for more intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering. It also boasts better speakers, a higher-quality keyboard, and features like hardware ray tracing, but with added cost and less portability due to increased size and weight. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 13
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Dell XPS 15
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
378.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The Dell XPS 15, offering more RAM and sporting a higher-battery-capacity for prolonged power alongside a display with a higher pixel density and brightness, results in a more robust performance and an enhanced visual experience over the ASUS Zenbook 13, which, while offering commendable portability and solid built-in graphics, falls behind in screen size, overall power, and quality of inputs like keyboard and speakers that the XPS 15 thrives in. Nonetheless, the Zenbook 13's lightweight design and excellent heat management make it a viable option for users prioritizing portability and comfort over sheer performance and screen real estate.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Dell XPS 15 is somewhat better.
The Dell XPS 15 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks largely due to its dedicated Intel Arc A370M graphics card, which outperforms the integrated Vega 8 GPU in the ASUS Zenbook 13. Additionally, the XPS 15's larger screen size and higher pixel density may provide a better visual experience for such tasks, despite both having the same screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and integrated Vega 8 GPU, is fair for engineering and design due to its moderate performance components and lower RAM compared to the Dell XPS 15, which has a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and dedicated Intel Arc A370M GPU, making it better suited for intensive tasks despite being less portable. The Zenbook's OLED screen offers vivid colors, but the aggregate capabilities of the XPS 15's higher resolution IPS display, combined with its superior processing power and double the RAM, make it a better fit for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 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
7.3/10
8.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 15 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 15 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13, with its high-resolution display and brightness, provides a sharp and vivid experience, making it excellent for everyday activities and productivity. For engineering and design professionals, the Zenbook's ability to display a wide range of colors through comprehensive color gamuts ensures that the visuals are accurate and detailed, which is essential for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the ASUS Zenbook 13 falls short due to its lower refresh rate, which can result in less smooth motion and responsiveness compared to laptops with higher refresh rates.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell XPS 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$890
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Dell XPS 15 costs $1,000.
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the Dell XPS 15
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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