The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers more power and a higher resolution OLED screen, making it suitable for intensive tasks and ensuring vibrant colors, but it comes with a higher price and less portability due to a slightly heavier build. On the other hand, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers a balance of performance with an AMD processor and a more portable design at a lower cost, along with a top-rated webcam and better speakers. Choose the Dell if performance and screen quality are your top priorities, while the HP is better for those who value portability, multimedia usage, and cost savings. 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 Plus
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is highly regarded for engineering and design because of its superior RAM capacity and high-resolution OLED screen, which are essential for demanding software and detailed visuals, whereas the HP Dragonfly Pro 14", while also suited to these tasks, has less RAM and a lower resolution IPS display.
Screen Quality
8.4/10
7.1/10
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a clear and crisp display for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers superior resolution and brightness, making it an excellent choice. For engineering and design work where precise color representation matters, this same laptop provides a wide range of colors, enhancing the accuracy of your creative projects. However, if you enjoy fast-paced gaming or work with 3D applications, neither the Dell nor the HP Dragonfly Pro meet the high refresh rate demands typically needed for those activities, meaning you may want to explore other options specifically crafted for such use cases.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.4in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,849
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a price of $1,849 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both very good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.5/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus performs better in gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its superior integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU, compared to the HP Dragonfly Pro's AMD Radeon 680M, which still provides fair gaming capabilities but doesn't match the performance of the Dell's GPU. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, yet the Dell's OLED screen provides higher resolution and screen quality which can enhance gaming and 3D experiences, while the HP has an IPS screen with a lower resolution.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to be very good for content creation, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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
8.3/10
7.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to be very good for software development, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
"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."
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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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
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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.
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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.