A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 is more portable and offers a longer battery life, making it ideal for frequent travel and long work sessions away from power outlets. It's suitable for general use with a quality build and screen. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, despite being heavier and having shorter battery life, packs a more powerful AMD Ryzen processor coupled with an Nvidia RTX GPU, providing better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. Expect to pay more for the Lenovo, but if performance in demanding tasks is a priority, it justifies its price. 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.0
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 stands out for engineering and design use due to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a larger, high-refresh-rate screen, both of which are essential for graphics-intensive tasks and high-quality visual work. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13, while highly portable and featuring an Intel Iris Xe GPU, falls slightly behind in graphical performance, making the Lenovo the superior choice for demanding engineering applications where GPU performance is crucial.
Screen Quality
7.2
7.2
13.4in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
442.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 both have displays with high resolution and brightness, along with quality panel types, making them suitable for general use with clear and vibrant visuals. For engineering and design, these laptops may not cover the full spectrum of color gamuts, which can limit the accuracy when working with color-critical applications. However, for gaming and 3D work, their lower refresh rates can result in less fluid motion and slower screen responses, which could detract from an immersive experience and precise fast-paced action.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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
Fair
13.4in
SIZE
16.0in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Dell XPS 13 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell XPS 13 has a price of $850 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
442.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13 is praised for general use because it is lightweight and has a high-quality screen, making it highly portable with good visual performance for everyday tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, although bulkier and with shorter battery life, boasts a superior CPU and dedicated graphics, making it more suitable for performance-intensive applications while still offering a high-quality screen and sufficient memory for general use.
Content Creation
7.7
7.5
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both 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
7.5
7.4
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both 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.
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How the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 | Lenovo Legion Slim 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$850 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.59 lbs | 5.29 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 10.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1250U | AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 442 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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