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·
The Dell XPS 15 is a more budget-friendly option with solid performance for general use and some engineering tasks, and it also offers decent battery life. It's slightly heavier than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, but still maintains a good balance between portability and functionality. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, although more costly, comes with a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen, double the storage, and more RAM, which enhances performance for tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. Additionally, the ThinkPad has a better display for color-sensitive work. Both are premium laptops, but the ThinkPad Z16 leans more towards high-end professional use. If your priority is general usage with occasional intensive tasks and you're looking for savings, the Dell might be the better choice; however, if performance in engineering and graphics-intensive tasks is a must and cost is less of a concern, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out. 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 battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.4
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
606.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Dell XPS 15 offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness suitable for everyday tasks, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 provides an even brighter screen with sharper detail that enhances user experience. When it comes to engineering and design, the ThinkPad Z16's display covers a broader range of color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation for professional work than what the XPS 15 provides. However, neither laptop is ideal for gaming and 3D applications, as they both lack the high refresh rates that are crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios, despite having decent resolution and panel types.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 15 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell XPS 15 has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
606.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for general use.
The Dell XPS 15 is equipped with a high-quality CPU, ample RAM, and an IPS screen offering vibrant colors with good brightness, making it ideal for various tasks and it's quite portable with a decent battery life. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out with an even more powerful CPU, double the RAM, a superior OLED screen with higher resolution for stunning visuals, and top-notch keyboard quality, but trades off some battery life and is slightly less portable. Both are solid choices for general use, with the Lenovo offering more high-end features at the cost of portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.8
6.7
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 15 is equipped with an Intel Arc A370M GPU and offers a standard 60Hz refresh rate display, suitable for gaming and 3D applications. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boasts an even more powerful AMD RX 6500M GPU and a high-quality OLED screen, however, it also has a 60Hz refresh rate, making both laptops capable in gaming and 3D work while having limitations for high-refresh-rate gaming.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out for engineering and design due to its higher screen resolution, OLED display which offers better color accuracy, double the RAM for smooth multitasking, and a significantly higher performing CPU and GPU for intensive tasks compared to the Dell XPS 15. However, the Dell XPS 15, while having a lower screen resolution and less powerful internals, compensates with a slightly larger battery, which may result in better battery life, and maintains a solid build quality and performance that is still suitable for engineering tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 15 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.
Software Development
8.1
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 15 are both very good for software development.
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
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell XPS 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 15 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.21 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.57" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 606 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 15
See more
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 ThinkPad Z16
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 15 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
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
132,495
Recommendations made
28,708
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
