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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a premium, upper midrange-priced laptop with a high-resolution OLED screen, perfect for business and general use, and lightweight for easy portability. If you prioritize performance for intensive tasks and a portable, high-quality display, the Dell is a better option, but if you're looking for a more affordable laptop that can handle gaming and are okay with a heavier build, the Lenovo would suit your needs. 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 Gaming 3
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.4
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen with better color accuracy and a more powerful CPU, which makes it great for general use with smooth performance and vivid visuals, alongside its lightweight design enhancing portability and offering a longer battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 boasts a dedicated graphics card which could make it suitable for gaming and other GPU-intensive activities, but it has a lower screen resolution and less RAM, which may affect multitasking capabilities and overall fluidity during general use.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus shines in engineering and design thanks to its high-resolution OLED screen, powerful CPU, and substantial RAM, which enable refined visual work and multitasking, yet its integrated GPU limits intensive 3D tasks. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while still adept for engineering with a dedicated GPU, falls short in screen quality and has less RAM which may hinder complex design processes, but offers a larger screen and better suitability for gaming.
Content Creation
8.3
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 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
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a sharp, high-resolution display that's bright and has excellent color accuracy, making it well-suited for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and graphic design, but its standard refresh rate is not ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a decent display for everyday tasks and is capable for engineering and design work, though its colors might not be as accurate; however, its screen also falls short for gaming and 3D despite the "Gaming" label, due to a refresh rate that's not high enough for the smoothest experience. For gamers and those working with 3D, a laptop with a much higher refresh rate is recommended to ensure fluid motion and better overall visual performance.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
5.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$549
$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 Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.5
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is equipped with an integrated GPU that, while capable, does not match the discrete Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU found in the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which is more suitable for gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, the Lenovo has a higher screen refresh rate, improving the gaming experience, whereas the Dell's screen is better in quality but capped at a lower refresh rate..
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | 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 | 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
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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 Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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