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Framework Laptop 13 (2022) vs Dell XPS 13 (2021)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Framework Laptop 13 (2022)
Dell XPS 13 (2021)

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Feb 01, 2024 07:25 PM

Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Mar 26, 2024 01:44 PM

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Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Picture

Our Verdict

Framework Laptop 13 (2022)

Dell XPS 13 (2021)

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.

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Variants

  • Laptop 13 (Base) (Silver - i5/8GB/256GB)
  • Laptop 13 (Performance) (Silver - i7-1260P/16GB/512GB)
  • Laptop 13 (Professional) (Silver - i7-1280P/32GB/1TB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7412WHT-PUS) (Frost White - OLED/i7-1185G7/16GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7439WHT-PUS) (Frost White - OLED/i7-1185G7/16GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (‎XPS9310-5024SLV-SUS) (Platinum Silver - 4K/i5/8GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7375SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - 4K/i7-1185G7/16GB/1TB)
  • XPS 13 (‎XPS9310-7795SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - 4K/i7-1185G7/32GB/2TB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7085SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - FHD/i7-1165G7/8GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7368SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - FHD/i7-1185G7/16GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7198SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - FHD/i7-1185G7/16GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7825SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - OLED/i7-1185G7/16GB/1TB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7788SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - OLED/i7-1185G7/32GB/1TB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7477SLV-PUS) (Platinum Silver - OLED/i7-1195G7/16GB/1TB)
  • XPS 13 (‎XPS9310) (‎Platinum Silver - FHD/i3/8GB/256GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7392SLV-PUS) (‎Platinum Silver - FHD/i7-1165G7/8GB/512GB)
  • XPS 13 (XPS9310-7422SLV-PUS) (‎Platinum Silver - FHD/i7-1195G7/16GB/512GB)

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

7.8
8.0

Battery 
 

5.8
7.9

Ports 
 

8.5
5.0

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Style Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Style Photo

Form Factor 
 

Traditional (Clamshell)
Traditional (Clamshell)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
8.5

Build Quality Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Build Quality Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Build Quality Photo
Show Text 

Hinge 
 

9.4
9.1

Hinge Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Hinge Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Hinge Photo

Range 
 

180°
140°

Stability 
 

Good
Good

One Finger Lift 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.8
9.1

Dimensions Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Dimensions Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Dimensions Photo

Size 
 

13.5"
13.4"

Thickness 
 

0.7" (1.7 cm)
0.6" (1.6 cm)

Width 
 

11.7" (29.8 cm)
11.7" (29.6 cm)

Depth 
 

9.0" (22.9 cm)
7.8" (19.7 cm)

Volume 
 

71.1 in³ (1,165.2 cm³)
56.9 in³ (933.0 cm³)

Weight 
 

2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)
2.7 lbs (1.2 kg)

Charger Size 
 

5.9 in³ (97.2 cm³)
4.0 in³ (65.5 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
0.5 lbs (0.2 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

8.9
5.8

Internals Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Internals Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Internals Photo

Ease Of Access 
 

9.5
7.5

RAM Slots 
 

2
0

Storage Slots 
 

1
1

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) In The Box Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Display Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Display Photo

Resolution 
 

2256 x 1504
1920 x 1200

Aspect Ratio 
 

3:2
16:10

Pixel Density 
 

200 PPI
169 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

No
Yes

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

84%
90%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

5.9
5.9

Motion Blur  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Motion Blur
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Motion Blur

Refresh Rate 
 

60 Hz
60 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

7.8
8.0

Contrast Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Contrast Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Contrast Photo

Native Contrast 
 

1,621 : 1
1,804 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness  
 

8.2
8.5

Maximum Brightness 
 

422 cd/m²
475 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

9 cd/m²
27 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

7.0
8.3

Reflections Photo Off  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Reflections Photo Off
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Reflections Photo Off

Reflections Photo Max  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Reflections Photo Max
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Reflections Photo Max

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Glossy

Total Reflections 
 

4.64%
2.86%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.44%
0.87%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

4.2%
1.99%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

7.1
6.4

Black Uniformity Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Black Uniformity Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Black Uniformity Photo

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

1.206%
1.696%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

7.2
7.3

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Horizontal Chroma Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Horizontal Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Left 
 

31°
31°

Color Washout From Right 
 

29°
34°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Horizontal Hue Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Horizontal Hue Picture

Color Shift From Left 
 

50°
51°

Color Shift From Right 
 

57°
57°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Horizontal Lightness Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Horizontal Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

32°
31°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

30°
35°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°
60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°
60°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

36°
36°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

33°
40°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

7.1
6.3

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Vertical Chroma Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Vertical Chroma Picture

Color Washout From Below 
 

25°
22°

Color Washout From Above 
 

25°
21°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Vertical Hue Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Vertical Hue Picture

Color Shift From Below 
 

45°
35°

Color Shift From Above 
 

45°
40°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Vertical Lightness Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Vertical Lightness Picture

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

30°
25°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

29°
26°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°
45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

45°
45°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

29°
20°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

28°
22°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

8.3
8.4

White Balance Screencap  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) White Balance Screencap
Dell XPS 13 (2021) White Balance Screencap

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Gamma Curve Screencap
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Gamma Curve Screencap

Color Screencap  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Color Screencap
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Color Screencap

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

2.86
2.93

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.16
2.17

Avg. Color dE 
 

2.15
1.87

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,172.9 K
6,466.5 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

8.6
8.5

Gamut SDR  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Gamut SDR
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Gamut SDR

sRGB xy 
 

99.99%
99.81%

sRGB uv 
 

99.97%
99.24%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

77.63%
77.37%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

87.46%
87.92%

Gamut HDR  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Gamut HDR
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Gamut HDR

DCI P3 xy 
 

79.23%
78.13%

DCI P3 uv 
 

84.67%
83.48%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

56.84%
56.11%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

62.7%
61.02%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Flicker Graph
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Flicker Graph

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
No

Flicker Frequency 
 

No Flicker
> 1000Hz

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
1%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

7.8
8.0

Keyboard Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Keyboard Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Keyboard Photo

Typing Quality 
 

7.5
8.0

Numpad 
 

No
No

Backlighting 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details
See details

Operating Force 
 

64 gf
70 gf

Actuation Force 
 

33 gf
37 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

1.09 mm
0.79 mm

Total Travel 
 

1.68 mm
0.91 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

8.0
8.4

Touchpad Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Touchpad Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Touchpad Photo

Tracking Quality 
 

8.0
9.0

Size 
 

13.5 in² (87.0 cm²)
11.2 in² (72.1 cm²)

Material 
 

Glass
Glass

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

7.1
8.4

Frequency Response Plot  

See details
See details

Max Volume 
 

72 dB SPL
79 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

5.4 dB
5.5 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

-3.5
1.7

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

344 Hz
298 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

7 kHz
8 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

1.2 dB
0.7 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

8.7
7.0

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

8.5
7.0

Resolution 
 

1080p
720p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

Yes
No

Face Unlock 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

8.5
5.0

Ports Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Ports Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Ports Photo

USB-A Ports 
 

1
0

USB-C Ports 
 

1
2

Thunderbolt 
 

Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 4

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
Yes

HDMI 
 

2.0
No

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

MicroSD UHS 1
MicroSD UHS 1

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Proprietary Port 
 

No
No

Security Lock 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

5.3
5.2
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Intel

Model 
 

Core i7-1260P
Core i3-1115G4

Core Count 
 

12
2

Thread Count 
 

16
4
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

Intel
Intel

Model 
 

Iris Xe Graphics G7
UHD Graphics G4

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Integrated

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

16 GB
8 GB

Modules 
 

2
8 (Soldered)

Type 
 

DDR4
LP-DDR4X

Speed 
 

3,200 MHz
4,267 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

512 GB
256 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

460 GB
180 GB

Drive 1 
 

Western Digital PC SN730
Western Digital PC SN530

Drive 1 Type  

SSD
SSD

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

9.0
6.9

Geekbench Image  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Geekbench Image
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Geekbench Image

CPU Single-Thread 
 

1,721 points
1,329 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

9,356 points
2,937 points

GPU Compute 
 

18,295 points
10,417 points
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

9.7
7.2

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Cinebench R23 Photo
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Cinebench R23 Photo

Single-Thread 
 

1,742 points
1,282 points

Multi-Thread 
 

10,448 points
2,526 points
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

8.0
0.9

Blender Image  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Blender Image
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Blender Image

CPU Render Time 
 

4.1 min
17.8 min

GPU Render Time 
 

N/A
18.1 min

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

5.2
4.2

Basemark Image  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Basemark Image
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Basemark Image

Overall Score 
 

17,353
10,928
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

9.3
9.0

Storage Performance Image  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Storage Performance Image
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Storage Performance Image

Sequential Write Speed 
 

1,460.2 MB/s
738.7 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

2,720.1 MB/s
1,836.1 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

120.2 MB/s
111.0 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

49.0 MB/s
46.6 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

5.8
7.9

Capacity 
 

55 Wh
52 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

6.8 hrs
10.2 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

5.3 hrs
5.2 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

1.6 hrs
2.9 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.9 hrs
2.0 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

2.2
0.0

Borderlands 3 Graph  

See details
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Borderlands 3 Graph

Avg. FPS 
 

14 fps
N/A

1% Low 
 

10 fps
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

6 fps
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

33 ms
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

102 ms
N/A

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

33 fps
N/A
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

4.8
2.6

Civilization VI Graph  

See details
See details

Avg. FPS 
 

24 fps
11 fps

1% Low 
 

16 fps
8 fps

0.1% Low 
 

15 fps
8 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

20 ms
32 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

26 ms
40 ms

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

94 fps
41 fps

Avg. Turn Time 
 

7.56 s
12.07 s
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

6.1
5.0

CS:GO graph  

See details
See details

Avg. FPS 
 

82 fps
41 fps

1% Low 
 

31 fps
22 fps

0.1% Low 
 

25 fps
16 fps

1% Low Delta 
 

20 ms
21 ms

0.1% Low Delta 
 

28 ms
38 ms

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

111 fps
75 fps
Show Text 

Counter-Strike 2 
 

Avg. FPS 
 

1% Low 
 

0.1% Low 
 

1% Low Delta 
 

0.1% Low Delta 
 

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

3.4
0.0

SOTTR Graph  

See details
Dell XPS 13 (2021) SOTTR Graph

Avg. FPS 
 

19 fps
N/A

1% Low 
 

14 fps
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

8 fps
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

20 ms
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

77 ms
N/A

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

34 fps
N/A
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

6.6
7.2

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Framework Laptop 13 (2022) Keyboard Temps Picture
Dell XPS 13 (2021) Keyboard Temps Picture

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

28 °C (82 °F)
34 °C (93 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

51 °C (123 °F)
50 °C (121 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

25.0 dBA
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

48.5 dBA
40.0 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

8.5
7.9

Performance Over Time Graph  

See details
See details

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

87 °C
73 °C

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

7% loss
8% loss

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

85 °C
72 °C

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

2% loss
5% loss
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Windows 11
Windows 11

Additional Software 
 

None
Yes
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

RGB Illumination 
 

No
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
No

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Biometrics 
 

Fingerprint Sensor
Face Recognition and Fingerprint Sensor
Show Text 

Framework Laptop 13 (2022)

Dell XPS 13 (2021)

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