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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is significantly more expensive and offers a high-quality screen, more storage and RAM, better performance for engineering and 3D tasks, and is much lighter making it more portable. However, it has fewer traditional ports which may require adapters. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is less costly but provides less power for demanding tasks and is heavier which makes it less ideal for carrying around. Both have touchscreens and similar battery life, but the Dell's superior display brilliance and color accuracy might be more appealing to professionals in visual fields. Choose the Dell for top-tier performance and portability if budget allows, or the Lenovo for basic tasks at a lower price point. 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
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.0
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in most areas that are very important for general use such as a higher quality screen, more memory and a powerful processor, which contributes to its robust performance and better screen quality, making it very good for general use. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while adequate in storage and battery life, falls short with a lower quality screen, less memory, and a less capable processor, leading to fair general use performance; it does, however, offer slightly better heat management.
Gaming and AI
6.4
5.9
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 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus typically has a higher-quality GPU and screen with faster refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth gaming and 3D rendering, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, although affordable, usually offers less powerful graphics performance and lower refresh screens. Despite the IdeaPad's adequate CPU and decent screen quality, it may not handle graphic-intensive tasks as well, making the XPS 13 Plus a better fit for those needs.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is equipped with a more powerful CPU, significantly more RAM, and better screen quality, all of which are crucial for demanding engineering and design applications; it also boasts a robust OLED display with higher resolution, providing vibrant and precise visuals.
Content Creation
8.3
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 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
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 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
6.4
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you need a laptop primarily for general activities like browsing and video streaming, the Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its high-resolution and bright display, will offer a more enjoyable and crisper visual experience than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. For engineering and design work where accurate color reproduction is essential, the XPS 13 Plus stands out with its superior color range, providing more precise and vibrant colors. However, for gaming or 3D modeling where smooth motion is key, the refresh rate becomes crucial, and both the Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 may not satisfy the need for fluid motion due to their standard refresh rates.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 Slim 3 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
$390
$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 Slim 3 costs $390.
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Key similarities
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 47 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | No | |
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 Slim 3
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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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