The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good.
The Dell XPS 15 offers a higher resolution screen and longer battery life, suiting it well for general use where screen quality and mobility are crucial. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a more powerful GPU and is optimized for gaming, but its higher performance hardware leads to lower battery life and less portability, which can be less ideal for day-to-day tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
7.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 15 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 15's Intel Arc A370M GPU is competent for gaming and 3D applications, but the Lenovo Legion 5 with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU offers superior graphical performance for more demanding tasks, paired with a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals. While both have quality IPS screens and competent CPUs, the Legion 5's higher refresh rate and stronger GPU make it more suitable for intensive gaming and 3D work.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
8.1/10
7.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
7.4/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
606.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Dell XPS 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 15" for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell XPS 15 offers a high-resolution display with good color accuracy and brightness, which makes it suitable for tasks like browsing, watching videos, and productivity applications—essential for general use. For engineering and design, where color detail is critical, the XPS 15's ability to cover a wide range of color gamuts ensures that professionals can work on projects with the color fidelity they require. However, its lower refresh rate compared to gaming-specific laptops means that for fast-paced 3D applications and games, the visual experience wouldn't be as smooth, with potential for motion blur affecting the user's immersion and performance.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 15 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell XPS 15 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.6/10
The Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,599
$999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell XPS 15 has a price of $1,599 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" costs $999.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" excels in engineering and design due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which generally offers superior graphics performance compared to the Intel Arc A370M GPU in the Dell XPS 15. While both laptops provide capable CPUs and ample RAM for computational tasks, the Legion's higher-resolution display and rapid refresh rate benefit detailed graphical work, though this may come at the cost of lower battery life and reduced portability compared to the XPS 15.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 15 or the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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.
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
93,495
Recommendations made
20,258
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.