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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for power and can handle a heavier and more costly laptop, the Dell XPS 15 is often strong for tasks like video editing or gaming. However, if you prefer something more lightweight and budget-friendly, which is still capable for general use and some light engineering work, consider the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i. The XPS typically offers a better screen and build quality at the expense of being less portable and more expensive than the IdeaPad, which will also have a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo. Choose based on your top priorities: performance, portability, or price. 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 15
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
606.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Dell XPS 15 is considered very good for general use because of its outstanding screen quality, excellent battery life, and a strong balance between performance and portability. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, while also good for general use, offers a higher screen resolution and a better GPU which is great for some tasks but trades off with shorter battery life and slightly less portability.
Gaming and AI
6.8
7.4
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Screen Quality
7.4
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
606.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
409.0 nits
The Dell XPS 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen for general use, and gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 15 provides vibrant visuals and sharp details suitable for general tasks and design work, thanks to its high resolution and brightness, but its lower refresh rate hampers gaming and 3D experiences. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i's superior screen brightness and resolution enhance its usability for everyday activities and creative applications, although it also falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that isn't optimized for the quick response times required. Both models cover a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color reproduction essential for professional engineering and design work, but without high refresh rates, they're not ideal for the fluid motion demanded by 3D applications and fast-paced games.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 15 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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
7.6
The Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.1
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i stands out for engineering and design use due to its higher GPU capabilities and better screen quality, featuring a higher resolution and refresh rate, despite a slightly shorter battery life and higher operating noise than the Dell XPS 15. While both laptops boast the same CPU and RAM, the Lenovo's Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU is preferred over the Dell's Intel Arc A370M for intensive tasks, and its screen exhibits more vibrant colors and sharpness, although the Dell XPS 15 offers better portability, keyboard, and speaker quality.
Software Development
8.1
7.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 15 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$950
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell XPS 15 has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i costs $950.
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How the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 15 | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $950 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.21 lbs | 4.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.57" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 9.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 606 nits | 409 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | January 2024
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 15 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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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