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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 is less expensive, lighter, and has a longer battery life, making it suitable for portability and general use. It is a premium business laptop that still offers good performance for engineering tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is more expensive but comes with a larger screen, more storage, a high-performance graphics card suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and other engineering applications. It has a more robust build and better heat management, making it less portable due to its larger size and weight but more ideal for performance-intensive 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU which isn't built for heavy gaming, leading to a just fair performance for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i comes equipped with a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 dedicated GPU which excels in these areas. Additionally, the Legion Slim 5i also boasts a higher screen refresh rate, enhancing the gaming and 3D experience compared to the Dell XPS 13's lower refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.4
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers superior performance for engineering and design thanks to its more powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, which are essential for compute-intensive tasks, whereas the Dell XPS 13, with its less powerful integrated GPU, is more suited to less demanding tasks. While both have high-quality screens and sufficient RAM, the Legion's larger screen and higher resolution better serve detailed design work, but the XPS 13 is lighter and more portable, making it easier to carry around.
Screen Quality
7.2
8.0
13.4in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
442.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 satisfactory display for everyday tasks due to its high resolution and brightness, making it pleasant to use for browsing, productivity applications, and media consumption. However, for engineering and design work, while its resolution aids in detail clarity, it may lack the wider color gamuts needed for highly accurate color work. For gaming and 3D, the screen falls short primarily because of its lower refresh rate, which doesn't provide as smooth motion compared to displays designed for gaming purposes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 5i 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 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$1,055
$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 5i costs $1,055.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
442.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
343.0 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Dell XPS 13 are both good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13, with its lightweight design and extended battery life, is suitable for on-the-go users who favor portability and convenience in general use, helped by its quality screen and comfortable keyboard. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers a larger, higher-resolution screen and a more powerful CPU, which is ideal for users who need higher performance for demanding tasks but can compromise on weight and battery duration.
Content Creation
7.7
8.0
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be 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
7.8
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Dell XPS 13 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 5i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 | Lenovo Legion Slim 5i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$850 | $1,055 | ||
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 | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 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 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 442 nits | 343 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 5i
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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 5i
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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