Dell XPS 12 Vs. Lenovo Yoga 13

[soumya_ano]

I have after much research shortlisted these two models. I wanted to know what a normal user thinks. Which is the better choice and why?

 

[andrewcarr]

Well at first I was going to say the lenovo since it looks like a sturdier design and you can get it for cheaper, since you don't need an i7 for just general use. The only reason I then thought that the dell was better was because it actually has a 1920 x 1080 screen and the lenovo only has a 1600 x 900 screen.

 

[jaguarskx]

I suppose it depends on what you are looking for in a convertible laptop. There's the Sony VAIO Duo 11 that my fit your needs, but it only has a 11.6" screen.

Anyway, Dell's design is a bit better when using the laptop in tablet mode because the back of the display basically folds down onto the keyboard so that the keys are protected. The Lenovo Yoga's keyboard would be the under side of the tablet; while the keys are deactivated, they are still exposed.

The Dell is lighter primarily due to the smaller 12.5" screen vs. the Lenovo's 13.3" screen. Therefore, it should be less tiring to hold when used in tablet form. The Dell's resolution is great at 1920x1080 while the Lenovo is 1600x900. That's good and bad. 1920x1080 means the Dell's desktop is larger than the Lenovo so that you can see more on the screen at once. But the downside is that 1920x1080 resolution on a 12.5" screen might be difficult to read so it is best to check out a similar 12.5" laptop in person to determine if the Dell will be comfortable enough for you to use.

The Dell also has a slightly faster CPU, the Core i7-3517U vs. the Core i5-3317U. That's a 200MHz difference for the base clockspeed and up to a 400MHz difference with Turbo Boost. So the Dell can potentially last longer before you considered it to be too slow for your needs.

Overall, my suggestion based on just a preliminary review of the two laptops is that the Dell is the better choice. But only if your vision is good enough for 1920x1080 resolution on a 12.5" screen.

 

[jaguarskx]

If I were to choose a convertible laptop, I suppose I would wait for the 13.3" Asus Transformer Book. Basically it is similar in principle to the Asus Transformer Prime Android Tablet. Powered by either a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, the screen and keyboard are detachable so using it in tablet form is much lighter and thinner making it easier to hold. But switching back and forth between tablet and laptop mode is not as simple as flipping the keyboard around.

It will not be release until next (January ??) and the starting price is presumably $1,499 for the Core i7 version. A 11.6" and 14" version has been demoed, but Asus has not officially announced any release dates for them.

 

[soumya_ano]

Actually I don't need a convertible laptop that much as I have an Ipad.. I need a laptop with a touchscreen so that Windows 8 works flawlessly. And these are only good options with a HD screen. I also have an eye for this :-

http/www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Spectre/C2M71UA?HP-Spectre-XT-TouchSmart-Ultrabook-15-4010nr

What do you guys think?

 

[jaguarskx]

To be honest, I don't really know what the benefits of Windows 8 are as I never bothered to read up on it. The only reason why I am interested in the Asus Transformer Book is because it is a full fledged laptop than can be used as a tablet so that I can read/study on the train while commuting to work.

The HP Spectre doesn't look bad. It would be nicer if it was lighter. Battery life is a bit low, but if it's going to be plugged in most of the time, then I suppose it doesn't really matter too much.

 

[soumya_ano]

All the new laptops comes with Windows 8, so I don't much have a choice. I have no plans of downgrading to Windows 7. I really cannot wait for the Asus. So if it was your personal choice, which one would you have purchased?

 

[jaguarskx]

Well of the three you selected none truly fits my needs, but I suppose the Dell comes closest because it is the lightest of the three, it has 1920x1080 resolution and when used as a tablet the keyboard is safely tucked away underneath the screen.

Since you do not need a tablet, the HP Spectre is likely the best choice because it is simply a laptop with a touchscreen. The 15.6" screen makes 1920x1080 comfortable to use and as long as you are not put off by the weight, then it should be good. The only real downside is the battery life is under 4 hours in ideal situations. However, if battery life is not a concern, then there's no real reason not to buy the HP Spectre.

 

[ahurst]

What has swayed me to the Dell is that the XPS12 is dual band WiFi (2.4 and 5.0) whereas the Yoga 13 is single band.
I am avoiding the over-congested 2.4 band as all my neighbors use that, but that haven't found the 5.0 band yet.

 

[soumya_ano]

Well of the three you selected none truly fits my needs, but I suppose the Dell comes closest because it is the lightest of the three, it has 1920x1080 resolution and when used as a tablet the keyboard is safely tucked away underneath the screen.

Since you do not need a tablet, the HP Spectre is likely the best choice because it is simply a laptop with a touchscreen. The 15.6" screen makes 1920x1080 comfortable to use and as long as you are not put off by the weight, then it should be good. The only real downside is the battery life is under 4 hours in ideal situations. However, if battery life is not a concern, then there's no real reason not to buy the HP Spectre.

If you had 1400$, which laptop would you have bought? There is no reason not to get the HP, but it is still not available in my country.

 

[jaguarskx]

Like I said of the 3 you mentioned it would be the Dell. If you mean any other laptop, it's hard to say because none of them exactly fit my needs. I would get the 12.5" Lenovo ThinkPad X240t if it had a 1920x1080 screen, but sadly it only has a 1366x768 screen. What I like about it is that the screen twists and folds down on the keyboard so the keys are protected when used in tablet form. The stylus would allow me to write notes or draw diagrams.

 

[rmachial7]

I am also considering both the Dell XPS 12 and Lenovo Yoga 13. Initially the Yoga's more robust design won me over, my thoughts being that the Dell looked too flimsy to really last. Now I am really considering the Dell having seen benchmarks of both systems. The Yoga falls far behind the Dell in all GPU tests, even though they both pack the same Intel HD 4000 integrated chip. The Dell also edges it in CPU performance. Any ideas why the i5 and HD 4000 chip in the Dell are so much better than the same components in the Yoga?

 

[jaguarskx]

The Dell uses a faster model of the Core i5. I forget which model, but believe the Core i5 in the Dell runs @ 2.3GHz while the Yoga uses a Core i5 @ 1.8GHz or so.

Not all Intel HD 4000 runs at the same clockspeed; I think there are 5 or 6 different clock speed forthe Intel HD 4000 depending on the CPU model. The ULV (ultra low voltage) Core i3/i5/i7 will generally have the slowest versions of the Intel HD 4000. These are all designed with a "U" at the end of the model number. The Core i7 "QM" quad core CPUs will have have the fastest versions. Dual core i3/i5/i7 with the "M" designation makes up the middle ground.

I believe both the Dell and Yoga use ULV Core i5 CPUs, but since the Dell has a higher clocked CPU, the Intel HD 4000 is also likely to run at a faster clockspeed.

Generally speaking, if you are looking to play games on a laptop using the Intel HD 4000, then you should avoid ultrabooks and convertible laptops since they use ULV CPUs. Normal Core i3/i5/i7 "M" dual core CPUs will be the middle ground. Core i3 will likely have an Intel HD 4000 clocked slower than the Core i5/i7 CPUs. The Core i7 "M" dual core models are likely to have Intel HD 4000 with higher clock speeds than the Core i3/i5. As mentioned above, the Core i7 "QM" quad core CPUs will have the highest clockspeeds for the Intel HD 4000.

 

[rmachial7]

The Dell uses a faster model of the Core i5. I forget which model, but believe the Core i5 in the Dell runs @ 2.3GHz while the Yoga uses a Core i5 @ 1.8GHz or so.

Not all Intel HD 4000 runs at the same clockspeed; I think there are 5 or 6 different clock speed forthe Intel HD 4000 depending on the CPU model. The ULV (ultra low voltage) Core i3/i5/i7 will generally have the slowest versions of the Intel HD 4000. These are all designed with a "U" at the end of the model number. The Core i7 "QM" quad core CPUs will have have the fastest versions. Dual core i3/i5/i7 with the "M" designation makes up the middle ground.

I believe both the Dell and Yoga use ULV Core i5 CPUs, but since the Dell has a higher clocked CPU, the Intel HD 4000 is also likely to run at a faster clockspeed.

Generally speaking, if you are looking to play games on a laptop using the Intel HD 4000, then you should avoid ultrabooks and convertible laptops since they use ULV CPUs. Normal Core i3/i5/i7 "M" dual core CPUs will be the middle ground. Core i3 will likely have an Intel HD 4000 clocked slower than the Core i5/i7 CPUs. The Core i7 "M" dual core models are likely to have Intel HD 4000 with higher clock speeds than the Core i3/i5. As mentioned above, the Core i7 "QM" quad core CPUs will have the highest clockspeeds for the Intel HD 4000.

I hear what you're saying. After some research though, I found that both the Dell and Lenovo use the i5-3317U, 1.7Ghz. I'm really not considering either one for gaming, but I do want the best performing components seeing as both convertibles are closely priced. From what I can see both CPUs are the same.

 

[jaguarskx]

Alright if both use the same CPU then I'm not sure.

But you are sure the Dell and Lenovo which were compared to each other had the same CPU? Because the Yoga 13 has 3 CPU options: Core i3-3217U (no Turbo Boost), i5-3317U and i7-3517U. While the XPS 12 has only 2 CPU options: i5-3317U and i7-3517U.

The specs for the 3 CPUs mentioned are in the following link:

http/ark.intel.com/compare/65714,65697,65707

 

[rmachial7]

I checked the benchmarks again and the reviewer was using the same CPU in both devices. It was the i5 in the Yoga against the same i5 in the XPS 12. Not sure what to make of the vastly different GPU benchmarks because I personally prefer the sturdier looking Yoga hinge design against the mechanism on the XPS 12.

I was playing around with the XPS 12 in a local store and what was most disconcerting for me was that i could push the screen past the frame in the wrong direction to the flipping mechanism. On the other hand though, the vastly superior benchmarks and higher resolution do make it the better ultrabook, in my opinion.