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Updated January 10, 2024·
To aid your decision between the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, keep in mind the Dell XPS 13 Plus typically offers a sleek design with a focus on portability and high-resolution displays, making it ideal for professionals on the go or for those who prioritize screen quality for media consumption. However, the ThinkPad Z16 often provides more robust computing power and durability, with features geared towards business users who require advanced security and a more rugged device for different types of work environments. If your primary concern is performing intensive tasks, the ThinkPad Z16 might serve you better, although you may sacrifice some portability because it's likely heavier and larger than the XPS 13 Plus. On the other hand, if you value a lighter and thinner laptop with a premium build and you're willing to spend a little more, the Dell XPS 13 Plus could be the better fit. It's also worth considering that the ThinkPad series is known for its comfortable keyboard, which might be a significant advantage if typing is a large part of your daily activities. 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
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.4
8.5
13.4in
SIZE
16.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 have similar screen quality.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boast panels with high resolution and brightness, making them great for daily tasks that include browsing, document editing, and video playback. For engineering and design purposes, both laptops offer displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for professional photo editing, graphic design, or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D work that often relies on fast-paced visuals, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and reducing visual lag in intensive graphics scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,849
$1,120
$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 ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.4
8.6
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for general use, with the Dell XPS 13 Plus offering a higher level of portability due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions along with a better battery life, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boasts a larger screen and more storage capacity, which may be advantageous for users who prioritize screen real estate and storage over the ease of carrying their laptop around.
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.7
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both suitable for gaming and 3D because they possess sufficient graphics processing power, with the former featuring an Intel Iris Xe GPU and the latter an AMD RX 6500M, both of which are capable for these tasks. Although they share the same screen refresh rate, the ThinkPad Z16 has a slightly larger screen and battery, offering potentially better gaming and 3D experience but at the cost of increased weight and size, impacting portability.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in engineering and design use with its powerful Intel CPU and high-quality OLED screen, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out with its AMD CPU and dedicated AMD GPU, making it more suitable for GPU-intensive tasks, and it also offers a larger high-resolution OLED display. Both laptops have substantial RAM, but the ThinkPad Z16 is heavier and might be less portable, although it's also known for having a high-quality keyboard and durability, appealing to professionals who need a reliable machine for complex engineering software.
Content Creation
8.3
8.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for content creation.
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
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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