Dell XPS 13 Plus vs Lenovo Legion Pro 5i

The Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its high-resolution OLED screen, is lightweight and has an excellent battery life, which alongside its superior portability makes it very good for general use; it also offers an ample RAM for multitasking and a high-quality keyboard. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro has a larger screen and very powerful CPU suitable for demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which makes it less optimal for on-the-go use despite its good overall performance for general tasks.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i outshines the Dell XPS 13 Plus in gaming and 3D tasks primarily because it comes equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, which is superior to the Dell's Intel Iris Xe graphics, and also features a higher screen refresh rate that offers smoother visuals. Additionally, the Lenovo's larger screen and IPS panel may provide a better viewing experience compared to the Dell's OLED display, despite its higher resolution and touch capability.

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.

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.

For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus excels with its higher resolution and brightness, making for a crisp and vivid display, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i also offers a high-quality display but with lower brightness. When it comes to engineering and design, the Dell XPS has excellent color accuracy, covering a wide color gamut, which is critical for precise color work, whereas the Legion Pro 5i, while still very good, may have a slightly narrower color range. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion compared to screens designed for gaming, which prioritize higher refresh rates.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a high-resolution OLED touch screen with exceptional color accuracy and a more portable design, making it ideal for design tasks on the go, while the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro boasts superior processing power with its specialized graphics card and larger screen, better suited for demanding engineering simulations and graphical work that requires high-performance hardware. Although both are capable for engineering and design, the Dell prioritizes screen quality and portability, whereas the Lenovo leverages more powerful components and a larger display, potentially at the expense of greater weight and less portability.