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What we think
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Updated February 12, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a higher-end option, ideal if you desire a laptop with a more powerful processor, more memory, and a higher resolution OLED touchscreen, which translates to sharper images and more vibrant colors. It's also lighter and has a more premium build than the HP Pavilion 15. It will perform better for demanding tasks and comes with Thunderbolt ports for faster data transfer and docking capabilities. However, it is more expensive and has a smaller screen. The HP Pavilion 15 offers more storage space and includes a number pad, which is beneficial for data entry tasks. It's also less expensive. Nonetheless, it has a lower resolution screen that lacks touch capability, a less powerful processor, and less memory, which means it's not as well suited for intensive tasks but will cope with everyday use. It's heavier, and the build quality isn't as high as the Dell. If budget and storage are key considerations for you, and you're okay with basic performance for general use, the HP Pavilion 15 could be the more suitable option. 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 general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the HP Pavilion 15
- The HP Pavilion 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.0
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the HP Pavilion 15 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus, with a high-resolution OLED screen, more powerful CPU, and higher RAM, offers a superior visual and multitasking experience for general use, while also being more portable due to its lighter weight and compact size compared to the HP Pavilion 15. On the other hand, the HP Pavilion 15 offers a larger screen and ample storage but falls short in display quality and performance capacity, making it less ideal for demanding tasks yet still suitable for basic everyday use.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is excellent for engineering and design due to its high-end CPU and GPU, substantial RAM, and superior screen quality, all critical for computing-intensive tasks and detailed visual work. In contrast, the HP Pavilion 15, while still capable, has a lower-tier CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a less impressive screen, making it a more budget-friendly option but less suited for demanding engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
8.3
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the HP Pavilion 15 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
6.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 15 is only fair.
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
8.4
5.3
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you're focused on general computing tasks, the Dell XPS 13 Plus delivers a pleasant visual experience with a clear, bright display that enhances readability and detail, but the HP Pavilion 15's display may seem dull and less sharp. For engineering and design work, the Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out with a wider color range, offering more accurate color representation which is crucial for precise visual work, while the HP Pavilion 15 falls short on color accuracy. However, if you are into gaming or 3D applications, you'll find the Dell XPS 13 Plus lacking due to a lower refresh rate, which means less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios, unlike laptops designed with higher refresh rates specifically for those purposes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The HP Pavilion 15 has 3 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
Good
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the HP Pavilion 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.2
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the HP Pavilion 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$500
$0
$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 Pavilion 15 costs $500.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.0
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 HP Pavilion 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the HP Pavilion 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | HP Pavilion 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | August 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14.1'' x 9.5'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 9.53" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 6.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13 Plus
See more
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."
HP Pavilion 15
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Alex Cox | August 2022
"The HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the HP Pavilion 15
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.
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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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