The Dell XPS 13 Plus is sleeker and more portable with better battery life, ideal for general use and business tasks with its high-resolution OLED touchscreen and comfortable keyboard. However, the Lenovo Legion 7, while heavier and larger, offers significantly superior graphics performance thanks to its dedicated Nvidia GPU, making it better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning applications; it also has a high-refresh IPS screen and full-sized keyboard with a number pad, but expect shorter battery life. Choose the XPS 13 Plus for mobility and everyday tasks or the Legion 7 for performance-heavy activities and gaming. 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 software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is equipped with an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics unit which performs admirably in gaming and 3D applications, but cannot match the discrete Nvidia RTX 3070 found in the Lenovo Legion 7, which delivers a much higher gaming performance suitable for more demanding gaming and 3D tasks. Moreover, the Legion 7 comes with a screen that offers a higher refresh rate, making it a better choice for gaming that requires smooth motion, whereas the XPS 13 Plus shines with its higher resolution OLED screen that offers superior color quality, beneficial for tasks where color precision is key.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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
8.4/10
8.3/10
13.4in
SIZE
16.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 7 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus boasts a high-resolution display with bright, vibrant colors, ideal for browsing, video streaming, and document editing, which are typical general use cases. Its wide color gamut excels in engineering and design by accurately representing a broad range of colors, crucial for detailed and color-sensitive work. However, its lower refresh rate can be a disadvantage in gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion and quick screen updates are key for an immersive experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,849
$1,500
$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 Legion 7 costs $1,500.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in general use due to its high-resolution OLED screen, strong CPU and RAM configuration for multitasking, light weight for better portability, and notable battery life, while its superior screen and build quality add to its appeal for everyday tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7, though offering a larger storage and high screen refresh rate for smooth visuals, is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which might be less conducive for users who emphasize portability and all-day usage without charging.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution OLED screen providing excellent color coverage and a high contrast ratio, supported by a substantial amount of RAM for multitasking and a capable CPU; however, its integrated GPU may not handle GPU-intensive tasks as robustly as a dedicated one. The Lenovo Legion 7, on the other hand, with its powerful AMD processor, ample RAM, and particularly its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, is more adept at handling demanding graphical work and rendering tasks, all presented on a large, high-refresh-rate IPS display, albeit with a heavier build reducing portability compared to the Dell.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo Legion 7 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Lenovo Legion 7
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.
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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