The Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 15 are excellent, but which should you buy?
The Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 15 range of laptops are finetuned to near-perfection. Both of these notebooks pack speedy 10th Gen Intel power into slim and attractive designs, and both have redesigned InfinityEdge displays that are almost completely bezel-free for maximum immersion.
That being said, there are some notable differences between these two excellent laptops. As you’ll see in our Dell XPS 13 review, it’s the ultimate ultraportable thanks to its svelte 13-inch design, and Dell has also made the screen, keyboard, and touchpad larger for more comfort. Based on our Dell XPS 15 review, it’s the laptop to get if you’re looking for a bigger display and optional discrete graphics. But there are lots of other differences worth considering, including each laptop’s speakers, ports, and battery life.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Price and value
The Dell XPS 13 is the cheaper laptop of the two, while the bigger Dell XPS 15 can be configured with higher-end components. The XPS 13 costs ₦585,000 and gets you a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-7560U 2.4GHz, 512 PCle NVMessd, 16GB RAM, INFINITY Touchscreen, Intel QHD Graphics and a 13.4-inch 3200×1800 display. While XPS 15 costs ₦1,300,000 and comes with a 9Th Gen Intel Core i9 2.6GHz, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, Nvidia GTX 1650 4GB, 15.6” 4K Display and Backlit Keyboard.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Design
As their names suggest, one of the biggest differences between these two sleek laptops is their size. The XPS 13 measures 11.64 x 7.82 x 0.5 inches and weighs 2.64 to 2.8 pounds, while the XPS 15 measures 13.57 x 9 x 0.57 inches and weighs 4 to 4.5 pounds. Both laptops are relatively slim and lightweight given the power they pack inside, but the XPS 13 is the more ideal choice if you want something that’s easier to throw in a bag while on the go.
What’s even more significant is that these laptops differ on ports. The XPS 13 gets you two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and a microSD card reader. The XPS 15 has more room for ports, including three USB-C ports (two of which are Thunderbolt 3) and a full-sized SD card reader, the latter of which might be more ideal for those doing photography work. Both laptops sport 3.5mm headphone jacks, and both include a USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box for connecting to older peripherals.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Display and audio
The XPS 13 and XPS 15 both share the biggest upgrade from their predecessors: a truly 4-sided InfinityEdge display that cuts down the bottom bezel for a truly seamless screen. The XPS 13 has a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio while the XPS 15 has a ratio of 92.9% — both of these panels are incredibly immersive, so you’ll just have to decide how big you want yours.
Most Dell XPS 13 and 15 models get plenty bright, too. On our lab tests, our 1080p Dell XPS 13 registered 417 on our light meter, while its 4K counterpart was much dimmer at 301 nits. Our 4K Dell XPS 15 turned in a very impressive 434 nits, though we’ve yet to test out a 1080p version of Dell’s larger laptop.
The XPS 13 and XPS 15 both have solid audio, but the XPS 15’s larger, top-firing speakers deliver louder and fuller sound. While the XPS 13 got muffled at higher volumes, the XPS 15 delivered rich bass and crisp vocals loud enough to fill a living room.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Performance
Dell’s latest laptops both support Intel’s new 10th Gen processors, ranging from the Core i5-1035G1 to the Core i17-065G7 on the XPS 13 and up to a Core i7-10750H on the XPS 15. But the XPS 15 is the only notebook of the two to offer optional discrete graphics, with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Ti Max-Q GPU available in select models.
We tested the Core i7 versions of both the XPS 13 and XPS 15, and both performed admirably in benchmark tests. On the Geekbench 5 general performance test, the XPS 13 scored 4,847, beating rival notebooks such as the MacBook Air but slightly trailing the XPS 15’s 6,174. That’s likely due to our XPS 15 packing a slightly speedier Core i7-10750 compared to our XPS 13’s Core i7-1065G7.
Both Dell laptops have respectably speedy SSDs, with the 512GB drives in our review units transferring around 5GB of files between 627 MBps for the XPS 13 and 709 MBps for the XPS 15.
But the real difference comes down to graphics. The XPS 13’s integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics ran the Dirt 3 racing game at a solid 58 frames per second at 1080p, but the XPS 15’s dedicated GPU nearly doubled that result at 134 fps at 1080p (not to mention 69 fps at 4K). If you want the option of having discrete graphics for video work and light gaming, the XPS 15 is the way to go.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Battery life
The 1080p version of the Dell XPS 13 offers stellar battery life, lasting through 12 hours and 39 minutes of constant web surfing on our endurance test. The 4K version of the XPS 13 tapped out at a much shorter 8:14, as did our 4K XPS 15 at 8 hours (we’re still waiting to test a 1080p version of the XPS 15). The higher-end XPS models last decently long when you consider their 4K displays, but if you want superb battery life, the 1080p XPS 13 is the best we’ve tested.
Dell XPS 13 vs Dell XPS 15: Verdict
Choosing between the Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 15 ultimately comes down to your needs. If you want a highly portable mainstream laptop that’s great for basic work use and streaming movies and shows, the XPS 13 is an excellent pick. It crams lots of power into its slim design, and its battery life for the 1080p configuration is especially stellar.
If you’re more of a power user, the XPS 15 is probably a better fit for you. The laptop’s larger screen is more ideal for getting serious work done, and its optional discrete graphics make it a more capable machine for video editing as well as a little bit of mainstream gaming. You should also consider the Dell XPS 17, which crams many of the best features of both laptops into a machine with an even bigger display and higher-end graphics option. But no matter which model you choose, you’ll be getting one of the best Windows 10 laptops out there.