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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers superior performance for engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks with a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen and more storage and RAM. It has a sturdier build, more vibrant colors, and longer battery life, but it is typically more expensive and slightly heavier. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is more affordable, slightly lighter, and also has a touchscreen, but with a lower-resolution IPS display and less power for demanding tasks. It could serve well for general use and offers better portability due to its size and weight. Choose the Dell if you require high performance for complex tasks and prefer better screen quality. Opt for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for regular tasks, easier portability, and a more budget-friendly option. 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
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.0
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers superior performance with a high-end CPU and abundant RAM, alongside a high-resolution OLED screen, which enhances the quality of visuals, making it excellent for general use; however, it is heavier and has a slightly shorter battery life. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 provides good portability due to its lighter weight and compact size, with fairly good battery life, but its lower-tier CPU, less RAM, and average screen resolution make it adequate for less demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is better suited for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality OLED screen, while the Surface Laptop Go 2, with modest CPU and RAM, and an IPS screen, ranks lower for these intensive tasks. These factors heavily influence performance and visual detail crucial for engineering design, despite the Surface Laptop Go 2's advantage in portability and potentially quieter operation.
Content Creation
8.3
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
6.9
13.4in
SIZE
12.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a high-resolution display with bright and vibrant colors, making it superior for everyday tasks and media consumption. For engineering and design, its wider color gamut covers more of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB spectra, allowing for more accurate color work, which is an edge over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where high refresh rates are crucial to a smooth experience, the Dell doesn't perform as well because it prioritizes resolution and color accuracy over refresh rate, unlike gaming-specific laptops.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$774
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $774.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.0
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is considered good for gaming and 3D because it has a high-end GPU and a high-resolution OLED screen, which are very important for these tasks. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while still providing fair performance for gaming and 3D, has a mid-range GPU and lower screen resolution, alongside an IPS display which may affect its screen quality compared to the OLED on the Dell.
Portability
Excellent
Excellent
13.4in
SIZE
12.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and Dell XPS 13 Plus both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $774 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 9.3/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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