A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
Given your options between the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, consider the following tradeoffs: The Dell XPS 13 Plus, being at a higher price point, delivers greater performance with more storage, double the memory, and a higher resolution OLED display with better color accuracy, making it well-suited for intensive engineering tasks, creative work, and general use. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 comes at a lower price with decent capabilities for general use, including sufficient storage and memory for everyday tasks, an IPS touchscreen, and commendable build quality. The Dell XPS 13 Plus also has advantages in battery life and port selection, but the Surface Laptop Go 3 is slightly lighter, enhancing portability. If you prioritize high performance for demanding applications, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is the superior choice; if price and portability are key, and your tasks are less intensive, the Surface Laptop Go 3 would be adequate. 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 3
- The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.2
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
337.0 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 3 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a higher-end CPU, more RAM, better screen quality, and superior build, making it well-suited for demanding tasks and multitasking, but with a heavier build affecting portability and shorter battery life than the Surface Laptop Go 3.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
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 3 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a more potent combination of CPU and GPU, with a higher amount of RAM, which are crucial for engineering and design tasks, while also boasting a superior OLED screen ensuring excellent display quality, making it very good for such purposes. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with modest CPU and GPU capabilities and less RAM, combined with an IPS screen that has lesser color coverage, is only fair for engineering and design use, even though it's more portable and has quieter operation.
Content Creation
8.3
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
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 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
6.4/10
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 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
6.8
13.4in
SIZE
12.4in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
337.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a high-resolution display which makes for crisp and clear visuals crucial for general use and detailed engineering work, and its broader color gamut supports precise color work in design tasks. However, its standard refresh rate limits the smoothness required in gaming and 3D applications. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, with a lower resolution, still provides image clarity for everyday tasks and adequate color range for engineering, but like the Dell, lacks the high refresh rates that benefit gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 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 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$797
$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 3 costs $797.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.4
6.1
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 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is better suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its stronger processing unit and more robust graphical processing capabilities than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3. While both have similar screen refresh rates, the Dell has a higher-resolution OLED display which can provide better screen quality, making it a better choice for visually intensive tasks.
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 3 and Dell XPS 13 Plus both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $797 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 2.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | Intel i5-1235U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 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 | 337 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 3
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Joe Osborne | October 2023
"When it comes to affordably priced laptops, the numbers after the dollar sign are crucially important—more so than in any other price category. By increasing the starting price of its Laptop Go line by $200 and not changing much else, Microsoft irrevocably altered the calculus surrounding the decision of whether to buy the Surface Laptop Go 3. Sure, it has a newer processor and longer battery life, but don’t think for a second you’re not paying dearly for that extra RAM and SSD capacity at that new price."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 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 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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Dell XPS 13 Plus vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
VS
Compare Dell XPS 13 Plus vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15
VS
Compare Dell XPS 13 Plus vs. Acer Predator Helios 16
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 vs. Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 vs. Dell Inspiron 16 5625
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
132,195
Recommendations made
28,643
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
