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Updated January 12, 2024·
When considering the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", bear in mind the Dell offers higher performance and portability due to its more powerful processor, higher RAM, and lighter build, making it suitable for intensive tasks and frequent travel. On the flip side, the Lenovo IdeaPad's larger screen and lower price point make it an attractive option for general use and entertainment, provided you don't require the portability and high-performance features of the Dell. The trade-off lies in choosing between the Dell's premium features and the Lenovo's affordability and larger display, balanced against their respective price points. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.3
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers stronger performance due to its higher capacity memory and powerful CPU, accompanied by a superior screen quality that boasts higher resolution and brightness, which is ideal for those who prioritize visual fidelity and multitasking, albeit with a steeper price point. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" provides a larger screen and good overall value, but compromises on portability and has modest battery life, making it a viable option for users needing a budget-friendly choice for everyday tasks without needing the top-end specifications.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is highly suited for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel CPU, substantial RAM, and high-quality OLED screen, which ensures accurate color representation and clarity. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a mid-range AMD CPU and less RAM, and its screen, while larger, offers lesser resolution and color accuracy, making it less ideal for tasks that require high computational power and detailed visual work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
8.4
6.7
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus likely offers a crystal-clear display with vibrant colors, making for an appealing visual experience due to its high resolution and brightness, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad's larger screen offers a comfortable view but may not match the Dell in resolution or brightness. In engineering and design, the Dell's superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts ensure that professionals will see precise hues for their work, an area where the Lenovo, while still good, doesn't quite keep up. Gaming and 3D tasks suffer on both due to their lower refresh rates, which leads to less fluid motion, although the higher resolution and panel quality of the Dell may partially compensate by providing sharper images.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.5
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
$784
$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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.1
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is better suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its higher-quality GPU (Intel Iris Xe) and superior screen quality (OLED with higher resolution and color coverage), which are very important for these tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a less powerful GPU (AMD Vega 7) and a standard quality screen (IPS with lower resolution and color coverage), making it fair for gaming and 3D but less ideal than the Dell.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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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