Best overall

Dell XPS 13

From $980 at Dell

Pros

  • Excellent hardware
  • 4K display is available
  • Better overall port selection
  • More available storage

Cons

  • Lower battery life
  • Less available RAM
  • No AMD option

The Dell XPS 13 continues to be a superb offering from Dell, as it offers excellent performance, plenty 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.

Best battery

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5

From $800 at Microsoft

Pros

  • Excellent hardware
  • Better battery life
  • Options for AMD and Intel
  • Less expensive base model

Cons

  • No 4K option
  • Worse port selection
  • Less available storage

The Surface Laptop 4 matches the Dell XPS 13 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. However, the device's weaker port selection and the lack of a 4K option are disappointing. The laptop also comes with lower maximum storage options, which will disappoint many.

Overall, the Dell XPS 13 is the better option 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 best possible battery life or if you need AMD's overall superior multi-core performance.

XPS 13 vs. Surface Laptop 4: Comparison and specs

The Surface Laptop 4.

In many ways, the Dell XPS 13 and the Surface Laptop 4 13.5 are surprisingly similar. Both devices have excellent performance, as they both can be outfitted with a variety of 11th Gen Intel CPUs and Intel's advanced new Xe graphics. Notably, the Surface Laptop 4 can also be configured with the AMD Ryzen 4680U, which will deliver better performance than Intel's processors in multi-core applications but worse performance in single-core ones.

Both devices can also 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 13 (9310) Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5
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
Memory 8GB
16GB		 8GB
16GB
32GB
Storage 256GB SSD
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
2TB SSD		 128GB SSD
256GB SSD
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
Display 13.4-inch FHD+ (1920x1200) InfinityEdge non-touch anti-glare display (500 nits)
13.4-inch OLED 4K (3456x2160) InfinityEdge touch anti-reflective display (400 nits)		 13.5-inch PixelSense 2256x1504 (201 PPI) display (touch)
Aspect ratio 16:10 3:2
Ports 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4
1x microSD card slot
3.5mm audio		 1x USB-C
1x USB-A
Surface Connect
3.5mm audio
Biometrics Windows Hello-enabled 720p camera
Fingerprint reader		 Windows Hello-enabled 720p camera
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0		 Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Battery 10-14 hours 17-19 hours
Weight 2.64-2.80 pounds 2.79-2.84 pounds
Price Starts at $980 Starts at $800

The differences between the laptops become clearer when you look at the specifics, however. The Dell XPS 13 can be configured with a gorgeous 4K display and also 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 as well as peripheral connectivity.

Notably, the Surface Laptop 4 does boast a better battery life, which comes in at 17-19 hours. This beats out the 10-14-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 available configurations.

XPS 13 vs. Surface Laptop 4: Which should you buy?

The Dell XPS 13.

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

With that said, the Surface Laptop 4 is still an awesome device, and it will serve you well if you opt for it. The improved battery life and the availability of AMD Ryzen will both benefit the people who want or need these advantages immensely. Since the Surface Laptop 4's hardware matches that of what's available in the Dell XPS 13, you'll still be getting top-notch performance. The base model being slightly less pricey is also great for people looking for the most budget-friendly configurations.

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

Best overall

New Dell XPS 13 (9310)

The king holds onto the crown

From $980 at Dell $1,590 at Amazon

The Dell XPS 13 continues to be a superb offering from Dell, as it offers excellent performance, plenty 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.

Best battery

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5

A superb alternative

From $800 at Microsoft From $900 at Best Buy

The Surface Laptop 4 matches the Dell XPS 13 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. However, the device's weaker port selection and the lack of a 4K option are disappointing. The laptop also comes with lower maximum storage options, which will disappoint some.



source https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-surface-laptop-4-135-vs-dell-xps-13