The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a blend of portability and performance suitable for general use and offers a higher resolution OLED touch display that excels in color accuracy, making it ideal for creative work. However, its Intel integrated graphics limits its capability for 3D work, machine learning, or intensive gaming. If you require a laptop for engineering tasks, gaming, or machine learning, the MSI Vector GP76 is better equipped due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and larger screen, though it is significantly heavier and has a shorter battery life, affecting its portability. Both laptops have high-quality builds, but your choice should be based on whether you prioritize portability and display quality (Dell) or performance for specialized tasks (MSI). 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 software development
Very good overall display quality
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Vector GP76
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is considered good for gaming and 3D largely because it includes an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and has a refresh rate typical for general use, at 60Hz, which can handle some gaming and 3D applications fairly well. In contrast, the MSI Vector GP76 is rated as very good for these tasks due to its more powerful discrete Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate of 360Hz, which is especially beneficial for fast-paced games and smoother 3D rendering.
Software Development
8.3/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the MSI Vector GP76 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
7.9/10
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the MSI Vector GP76 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Vector GP76 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness that excels in clarity and detail for general use, while its wide color gamut makes it ideal for precision tasks in engineering and design. However, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness required for optimal 3D gaming experiences. In contrast, the MSI Vector GP76 provides adequate resolution and brightness suitable for daily tasks and enough color accuracy for most design work, but like the Dell, it falls short in providing the high refresh rate sought by gaming and 3D enthusiasts.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Vector GP76 has 4 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
Poor
13.4in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the MSI Vector GP76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Vector GP76 are both very good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a lightweight, highly portable machine with excellent screen quality, making it perfect for general use; however, while it has a strong CPU and plenty of RAM, it might not last as long away from an outlet. Conversely, the MSI Vector GP76 is less portable due to its larger size and weight, but it compensates with a powerful CPU, GPU, and double the storage, along with robust heat management and a high-quality keyboard, making it also suitable for general use, albeit with a shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Vector GP76 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its high-resolution OLED screen and powerful CPU and integrated graphics, is suited for engineering and design due to exceptional screen quality and adequate performance for such tasks, while also offering great portability and build quality. In contrast, the MSI Vector GP76, with a robust CPU and high-end dedicated GPU, excels in demanding engineering applications, and gaming, providing superior performance at the expense of portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Vector GP76 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.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Vector GP76 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$1,760
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a price of $1,849 and the MSI Vector GP76 costs $1,760.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the MSI Vector GP76 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 MSI Vector GP76 12UGS is a gaming laptop on speed. The advantages are clear: The Vector GP76 is a real gamer with its 360 Hz display and super-fast response times. In addition, the Core i7-12700H has double the power of the CPU in its predecessor and another highlight is the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti with a real power consumption of 150 watts. This places the device in the top range of our database. The Vector can also operate rather quietly, offers a full sound range, improved battery runtimes, a key-configurable RGB keyboard, a very stable chassis and good upgrade options. Moreover, the display produces a nice, rich and clear picture."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the MSI Vector GP76
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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