Dell XPS 13 (2021) Review (2024)

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

• 8.0 School
• 5.2 Gaming
• 8.2 Multimedia
• 5.9 Workstation
• 7.5 Business

The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022) isn't a newer version of the Dell XPS 13 (2021) but rather an alternate model with a different design. The XPS 13 Plus is available with faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs; however, it can't maintain its performance as well as the 2021 model under load. Also, its speakers don't sound as good as the older model, and its port selection is worse, as it no longer has a 3.5mm headphone jack or an SD card reader.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Dell XPS 15 (2023) are very alike design-wise and provide a similar user experience overall. The main difference is that the XPS 13 is a more compact ultraportable designed for light productivity tasks, while the XPS 15 is a larger mobile workstation with a much more powerful H-series CPU and NVIDIA discrete GPU options. While neither is great regarding ports, the XPS 15 has one more USB-C than the XPS 13. The XPS 15 also has better serviceability, as unlike the XPS 13, its RAM and wireless adapter are user-replaceable.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) and the Dell XPS 13 (2021) are very similar premium ultraportable laptops. However, there are some small differences. The Surface Laptop 5 has a sturdier build and a better webcam, while the XPS 13 has a brighter display, better reflection handling, and a longer battery life. The Surface Laptop 5 is a newer device and is available with faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, although there's a more recent version of the XPS 13 with Intel 12th Gen. processors as well.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are both premium ultraportable laptops that provide a similar user experience. Although the LG is a larger 14-inch laptop, it's lighter than the Dell, weighing only 2.1 lbs. The LG has a wider port selection and is available with faster Intel 13th Gen. CPUs; however, the Dell laptop's display gets brighter to combat glare.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) are both ultraportable laptops with Intel 11th Gen CPUs. The main difference is that the Yoga 9i is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge, while the XPS 13 is a more traditional clamshell laptop. In terms of user experience, the XPS 13 comes out ahead because it has a brighter and more color-accurate display, a more responsive touchpad, and a better webcam. It also has longer battery life, and its CPU doesn't throttle as much under load. On the other hand, the Yoga 9i has better-sounding speakers, and it supports pen input.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) are both ultraportable laptops designed for general productivity like web browsing, text formatting, and video playback. The Dell is available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs and runs Windows, while the Apple laptop uses Apple's ARM-based M1 SoC and runs macOS. The Apple has a sharper display, but the Dell's is brighter, and you can also configure the XPS 13 with a 4k IPS or 3.5k OLED panel. The Dell laptop's keyboard feels better to type on; however, the Apple laptop's haptic touchpad is easier to use because you can click anywhere. If you're often on video calls, the Apple laptop's webcam is much better, even though it's the same resolution as the XPS 13's. Performance-wise, Apple's M1 SoC is faster than Intel's 11th Gen processors, even against the top-end i7-1195G7. The Apple laptop has longer battery life, lasting a little over 3 hours more than the Dell in light productivity workloads.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) is better than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021) for most uses. The XPS 13 is a more premium device that offers a better user experience overall, like better build quality, abrighter and more color-accurate display, a more responsive touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. It also has longer battery life, lasting nearly two hours more in light productivity workloads. However, the IdeaPad 5 has a wider port selection that includes two USB-A and an HDMI port, which aren't available on the XPS 13, and its CPU doesn't throttle as much under load.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the LG gram 17 (2021) are ultraportable Windows laptops with Intel 11th Gen processors. The LG's larger display gives you more screen real estate for multitasking; however, the Dell has sharper 3.5k OLED and 4k IPS panel options. Both laptops have a great keyboard that provides a comfortable typing experience and a large, responsive touchpad. The LG has a better webcam for video calls, and its wider port selection includes two USB-A and an HDMI port, which the XPS 13 lacks. The LG also has longer battery life, lasting nearly 3 hours longer in light productivity workloads and almost twice as long for video playback.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and theFramework Laptop 13 (2021)are both ultraportable Windows laptops with Intel 11th Gen processors. The Dell provides a slightly better user experience overall, as it has a more comfortable keyboard, a more responsive touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. The Dell also has sharper screen options, like a 3.5k OLED and a 4k IPS panel. However, the Framework's design makes repairing and upgrading components easier, and it has a modular I/O system that lets you swap out ports on the fly. The Framework has longer battery life, and unlike the Dell, its CPU and GPU don't throttle under load.

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the Dell XPS 13 (2021) are both 13-inch ultraportable laptops that offer a premium user experience. The main difference is that the Apple model runs macOS, and the Dell runs Windows. The Apple laptop's M2 performs better than the Dell laptop's Intel 11th Gen processors, meaning you can run more intensive applications with fewer stutters or slowdowns. The Apple laptop's is also fanless, so it doesn't cause as much noise as the Dell under load.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is better than the Dell XPS 13 (2021) in most aspects; however, they're also very different. The XPS 13 is an ultraportable laptop designed for light productivity tasks like text formatting and web browsing, while the MacBook Pro 14 is a mobile workstation designed for demanding workloads, like video editing. The MacBook Pro 14 has a sharper and more colorful screen, a better touchpad and webcam, and a much wider port selection. Apple's M1 SoC performs better than any of the XPS 13's Intel 11th Gen. processors, and it's more power-efficient, giving the MacBook Pro 14 longer battery life.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both ultraportable Windows laptops. However, the HP is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge, while the Dell is a standard clamshell laptop. The Dell laptop offers a better user experience as it has a larger and more responsive touchpad, much better-sounding speakers, and a better webcam for video calls. On the other hand, the HP has USB-A ports in addition to its USB-C port, whereas the Dell only has USB-Cs. The HP also has longer battery life, especially for video playback. The Dell is available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs only, while the HP is available with Intel 11th Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs. The display's performance depends on which panel you choose, as both laptops offer various display options.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019) are very different. The XPS 13 is a Windowsultraportable laptop designed for light productivity tasks, while the MacBook Pro is a bulkiermacOS mobile workstation for more demanding production workloads, like video editing. Both laptops have a sharp, high-quality display, though the MacBook Pro's has a wider color gamut with full DCI P3 coverage, making it more suitable for viewing and producing HDR content. The XPS 13's keyboard feels more comfortable to type on, but the MacBook Pro has a much larger haptic touchpad that lets you click anywhere, making it easier to perform actions like dragging and dropping.

The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is better than the Dell XPS 13 (2021) for most uses; however, they're also very different laptops. The XPS 13 is a Windows thin and lightweight laptop designed for light productivity tasks like text formatting and spreadsheets, while the MacBook Pro 16 is a macOS mobile workstation designed for demanding workloads, like video editing. You can configure the XPS 13 with a fairly capable Intel 11th Gen CPU, but it throttles under load, and its integrated GPU isn't powerful enough for graphically-intensive tasks.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) are both ultraportable laptops with Intel 11th Gen. CPUs. The XPS 13 is better in most aspects as it's a more premium laptop that provides a better overall user experience. It has a sharper, brighter, and more color-accurate display, a better keyboard and touchpad, and a much better webcam for video calls. However, the Swift 3 has a wider port selection because it includes USB-A and HDMI ports, which aren't available on the XPS 13. The Swift 3 also has longer battery life, lasting over 3 hours more in light productivity workloads.

The Framework Laptop 13 (2022) and the Dell XPS 13 (2021) are both premium ultraportable Windows laptops. The Dell provides a slightly better user experience overall with a brighter display, a more comfortable keyboard, a larger touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. It's also more portable and has longer battery life. However, the Framework has a better port selection, as its modular port system allows you to swap out the ports on the fly. The Framework is also easier to repair and upgrade, as its design allows for easy access, and all its components are replaceable, including the CPU, motherboard, and display.

The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the Dell Alienware m15 R3 (2020) are very different laptops. The XPS 13 is an ultraportable designed for light productivity tasks, while the Alienware is a bulky high-end gaming laptop. The XPS 13 offers a better user experience overall with a sharper and brighter display, a larger touchpad with better tracking, and better-sounding speakers. It also has longer battery life and doesn't get as loud under load. If you need processing power for demanding workloads, it's best to go with the Alienware because it has significantly more powerful CPUand GPU options.

• Dell XPS 13 laptop
• 45W USB-C power adapter and cord
• USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Documentation

The Dell XPS 13 is available with the following displays:

• 13.4" IPS 1920 x 1200 60Hz
• 13.4" IPS 3840 x 2400 60Hz
• 13.4" OLED 3456 x 2160 60Hz

All three displays have a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you slightly more vertical space than a standard 16:9 screen. 16:10 is great for productivity because you don't have to scroll as much when reading a document; however, you'll almost always have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when consuming media. On such a compact screen, the 1080p display is already very sharp. The 3.5k (3456 x 2160) OLED and 4k (3840 x 2160) panels are sharper, but the difference is hard to notice at normal viewing distances, and they drain the battery faster. That said, the OLED panel has other advantages beyond an increase in resolution, like a near-infinite contrast ratio, a faster response time, and wider coverage of the DCI P3 color space. If you want a laptop with a bigger screen, check out the Dell XPS 15 (2023).

The Dell XPS 13 is available with the following five Intel CPUs:

• Intel Core i3-1115G4 (2 cores/4 threads, up to 4.1GHz)
• Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 4.2GHz)
• Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 4.7GHz)
• Intel Core i7-1185G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 4.8GHz)
• Intel Core i7-1195G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 5.0GHz)

All five are processors designed for light tasks, like text formatting, web browsing, video playback, and spreadsheets. You can get by with a Core i3 if you have an extremely light workload and don't run any heavily multi-threaded applications; however, it's worth upgrading to a quad-core i5 or i7 for the extra headroom. None of the available CPUs are ideal for demanding workloads. If you need to run intensive applications for professional-level work, it's best to choose a laptop with a more powerful H-series processor. The Core i7s are faster than the i5-1135G7, though they likely throttle more under load. Lastly, there isn't much performance difference between the three Core i7s, so unless you need every ounce of performance that you can get and don't mind paying more, you can just stick with the i7-1165G7.

The Dell XPS with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 performs reasonably well in the Geekbench 5 synthetic benchmarks. It has outstanding single-thread performance, but its multi-thread performance is sub-par as it only has 2 cores and 4 threads. Upgrading to a Core i5 or i7 will give you significantly better performance, especially in multi-threaded workloads. That said, all of the available CPUs are a few generations old and only suitable for light productivity tasks. You can get ultraportables with significantly better performance, like the Framework Laptop 13 (2023).

As for the GPU compute score, the Core i3's integrated graphics perform poorly. The Core i5 and i7s' Iris Xe perform better, but still not enough for demanding tasks like video editing or 3D animation.

LEARN ABOUT GEEKBENCH 5 (SYNTHETICS)

LEARN ABOUT CINEBENCH R23 (CPU RENDERING)

LEARN ABOUT BLENDER (3D RENDERING)

LEARN ABOUT BASEMARK GPU (GAME SCENE)

LEARN ABOUT BATTERY

LEARN ABOUT BORDERLANDS 3

LEARN ABOUT CIVILIZATION VI

LEARN ABOUT COUNTER-STRIKE: GLOBAL OFFENSIVE

LEARN ABOUT SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER

LEARN ABOUT THERMALS AND NOISE

LEARN ABOUT PERFORMANCE OVER TIME

The Dell XPS has many pre-installed applications, including:

• Amazon Alexa: Amazon's digital assistant; only works in select regions.
• Dell CinemaColor: Lets you change the display's color profile. It's off by default.
• Dell Customer Connect: Lets you register your laptop for warranty purposes and access tech support articles while your laptop is under warranty.
• Dell Digital Delivery: Lets you purchase and download software applications from Dell.
• Dell Update: Automatically updates firmware and drivers.
• Dolby Access: Adds Dolby Atmos support and lets you tweak the speakers or headphones settings. Includes a 7-day trial, additional one-time purchase required for use after the trial period.
• Killer Intelligence Center Lets you monitor Wi-Fi traffic and access wireless connection settings.
• MaxxAudio Pro by Waves: Lets you access the speakers and microphone settings. It also adds a head-tracking feature to create 3D audio.
• MaxxAudio Pro: Same app as the MaxxAudio Pro by Waves but with a different icon.
• McAfee Personal Security: Online protection against malware. This app can also create and store passwords as well as provide identity restoration services. Requires subscription.
• McAfee LiveSafe: Antivirus and internet security software. Requires subscription.
• My Dell: Contains additional information about the laptop and lets you access power profiles to improve performance.
• SupportAssist: Scans your computer for firmware and drivers updates.