Dell XPS 13 vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5

Best overall

Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 13 9300

All-time battery

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 thirteen.5

Surface Laptop 4 Reco

The Dell XPS 13 continues to be a superb offer from Dell, as it offers excellent performance, enough of awesome displays from which to choose, a suite of top-notch ports, and up to 2TB of storage available. However, it has shorter battery life than the Surface Laptop 4 and has less maximum RAM. There are no AMD versions of the device either.

From $980 at Dell

Pros

Excellent hardware
4K brandish is available
Better overall port choice
More available storage

Cons

Lower battery life
Less available RAM
No AMD choice

The Surface Laptop 4 matches the Dell XPS xiii when it comes to performance and its quality display, and surpasses it when it comes to battery life. The base model is also slightly less expensive than the Dell XPS 13 equivalent. Even so, the device'south weaker port pick and the lack of a 4K option are disappointing. The laptop also comes with lower maximum storage options, which will disappoint many.

From $800 at Microsoft

Pros

Fantabulous hardware
Better bombardment life
Options for AMD and Intel
Less expensive base model

Cons

No 4K option
Worse port selection
Less available storage

Overall, the Dell XPS thirteen is the meliorate choice between these two devices due to the availability of 4K, better port selection, and more available storage. However, the Surface Laptop 4 is an awesome laptop, and we recommend it if you need something with the all-time possible battery life or if you need AMD'southward overall superior multi-cadre performance.

XPS thirteen vs. Surface Laptop 4: Comparison and specs

Surface Laptop 4 Family Crop Press Source: Microsoft The Surface Laptop 4.

In many means, the Dell XPS 13 and the Surface Laptop 4 thirteen.5 are surprisingly like. Both devices have excellent performance, as they both can exist outfitted with a variety of 11th Gen Intel CPUs and Intel'due south advanced new Xe graphics. Notably, the Surface Laptop 4 can also exist configured with the AMD Ryzen 4680U, which volition evangelize meliorate operation than Intel's processors in multi-core applications but worse performance in unmarried-core ones.

Both devices can likewise be configured with plenty of RAM and storage — the Dell XPS 13 can have up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, while the Surface Laptop 4 is available with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. Both devices are Windows Hello compatible, and both are also compatible with Wi-Fi 6.

	Dell XPS thirteen (9310)	Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 xiii.5
CPU	Intel i3-1115G4 Intel i5-1135G7 Intel i7-1185G7	Intel i5-1135G7 Intel i5-1145G7 (Commercial only) Intel i7-1185G7 AMD Ryzen 5 4680U
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics Intel Iris Xe	Intel Iris Xe Radeon RX Graphics
Retentiveness	8GB 16GB	8GB 16GB 32GB
Storage	256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD 2TB SSD	128GB SSD 256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD
Brandish	13.4-inch FHD+ (1920x1200) InfinityEdge not-bear on anti-glare display (500 nits) 13.iv-inch OLED 4K (3456x2160) InfinityEdge impact anti-cogitating brandish (400 nits)	xiii.v-inch PixelSense 2256x1504 (201 PPI) display (touch on)
Aspect ratio	16:10	3:2
Ports	2x USB-C Thunderbolt iv 1x microSD card slot iii.5mm audio	1x USB-C 1x USB-A Surface Connect iii.5mm audio
Biometrics	Windows How-do-you-do-enabled 720p photographic camera Fingerprint reader	Windows Howdy-enabled 720p camera
Connectivity	Wi-Fi vi Bluetooth 5.0	Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth five.0
Battery	ten-fourteen hours	17-19 hours
Weight	2.64-2.80 pounds	ii.79-ii.84 pounds
Price	Starts at $980	Starts at $800

The differences between the laptops go clearer when yous look at the specifics, however. The Dell XPS 13 tin be configured with a gorgeous 4K display and likewise comes with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. These features give it a huge edge over the Surface Laptop 4 when it comes to display quality at the high end of things besides as peripheral connectivity.

Notably, the Surface Laptop 4 does avowal a meliorate battery life, which comes in at 17-19 hours. This beats out the 10-xiv-hour battery life of the Dell XPS 13. The base model of the laptop is also $100 less expensive than the Dell XPS 13's, though the prices equalize when looking at the other bachelor configurations.

XPS 13 vs. Surface Laptop four: Which should you buy?

Dell XPS 13 9300 Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central The Dell XPS 13.

Ultimately, nosotros retrieve that the Dell XPS xiii is the better option between these two devices considering it matches the Surface Laptop four'south performance while also offering excellent advantages such equally 4K availability, better ports, and more than storage. It's a close call, but nosotros feel that these benefits give the Dell XPS 13 the edge at the end of the day.

With that said, the Surface Laptop iv is withal an awesome device, and it will serve yous well if you opt for it. The improved bombardment life and the availability of AMD Ryzen will both benefit the people who desire or need these advantages immensely. Since the Surface Laptop 4'due south hardware matches that of what's available in the Dell XPS xiii, you'll withal be getting top-notch performance. The base model being slightly less pricey is also keen for people looking for the most upkeep-friendly configurations.

If neither of these laptops appeals to you lot, make sure you check out our listing of the best Windows laptops for more options.

Best overall

Dell XPS 13 9300

New Dell XPS 13 (9310)

The king holds onto the crown

The Dell XPS xiii continues to be a superb offering from Dell, equally information technology offers excellent performance, plenty of awesome displays from which to choose, a suite of tiptop-notch ports, and up to 2TB of storage available. Notwithstanding, it has shorter battery life than the Surface Laptop 4 and has less maximum RAM. At that place are no AMD versions of the device either.

Best battery

Surface Laptop 4 Reco

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 xiii.v

A superb alternative

The Surface Laptop iv matches the Dell XPS xiii when it comes to performance and its quality brandish and surpasses it when it comes to battery life. The base of operations model is also slightly less expensive than the Dell XPS thirteen equivalent. Withal, the device'due south weaker port selection and the lack of a 4K option are disappointing. The laptop also comes with lower maximum storage options, which volition disappoint some.

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Jazz up your XPS 13 with these excellent accessories

Visitor for your laptop

Jazz upward your XPS thirteen with these excellent accessories

Want to become the most out of your XPS 13? Have a look at the best accessories available right now, from Thunderbolt hubs and docking stations to padded protection when you hit the route with your laptop.