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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 offers a solid balance for general use with adequate performance and a lower price, while the XPS 13 Plus provides considerably more power, especially for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks, due to its higher RAM and advanced processor. Additionally, the Plus model features an OLED display, which gives superior screen quality, and it includes touchscreen functionality. However, the Plus comes at a higher cost, and both laptops are similarly portable with long battery life. If budget isn't a concern and you need top performance and display quality, the XPS 13 Plus is preferable; otherwise, the XPS 13 is a cost-effective choice for everyday tasks. 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 Dell XPS 13
- The Dell XPS 13 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
- 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
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
442.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 is good for general use due to its efficient CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality IPS screen, all in a portable design with a solid battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a significantly improved experience for general use, with an even more powerful CPU, double the RAM for extensive multitasking, and a superior OLED screen with a higher resolution and touchscreen capability, though it is slightly heavier and thicker.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.2
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus generally offers better performance for engineering and design thanks to its more powerful CPU and increased RAM, enhancing its capacity to handle more complex tasks and software requirements typical in such fields. Additionally, the XPS 13 Plus has a high-resolution OLED screen, which provides superior visual clarity and color accuracy, vital for detailed design work, although both laptops share similar portability and build quality attributes.
Content Creation
7.7
8.3
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
7.5
8.3
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
7.2
8.4
13.4in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
442.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell XPS 13 offers a screen that provides clear images and vibrant colors suitable for everyday tasks, but its lower refresh rate might hinder the immersive experience in fast-paced gaming and 3D applications. The Dell XPS 13 Plus takes this a notch higher, with excellent color accuracy and wider color gamuts, which makes it ideal for professionals in engineering and design who rely on precise color representation for their work. However, similar to the XPS 13, the Plus model's screen also lacks the high refresh rate that gamers and 3D artists require for smooth visuals in dynamic scenes.
Cost
$850
$1,849
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 has a price of $850 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Dell XPS 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers superior gaming and 3D performance compared to the Dell XPS 13 due to its more powerful CPU and the higher amount of RAM, which help in handling intensive tasks more efficiently. Additionally, while both have the same screen refresh rate and GPUs, the XPS 13 Plus features an OLED screen with significantly higher resolution and screen quality, contributing to better visuals for gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 has 10 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
Excellent
Excellent
13.4in
SIZE
13.4in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 13 Plus both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 13 Plus both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell XPS 13 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 | Dell XPS 13 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$850 | $1,849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.59 lbs | 2.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 7.84" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1250U | Intel i7-1280P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 442 nits | 374 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"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."
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"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 Dell XPS 13 or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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.
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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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