MacBook Air M5 vs Dell XPS 13: $1,299 against $699.99

The Air costs $1,299 and the XPS 13 costs $699.99, both list prices checked November 1, 2026. That's a $599.01 gap, and the first thing to know is where it goes.

It goes into memory. The Air's base model has 16 GB of RAM. The Dell's has 8 GB. Everything below comes from published reviews, and the 8.2 is my opinion of them.

RAM decides this one

Tom's Hardware reviewed both an 8GB and a 16GB XPS 13 and listed "8GB model gets laggy fast when multitasking" as a con. It also noted the 8GB unit scored slightly lower in Cinebench 2026, because the benchmark pages to disk below 8.5 GB of memory. Its advice: even careful tab-closers may do better with the 16GB version. Dell's page lists a 16GB and 512GB XPS 13 at $999.99, against $699.99 for the 8GB and 256GB model, which narrows the gap to the Air to $299.01.

Notebookcheck lists the Air's RAM and SSD as soldered, so the 16GB is what you get and what you keep. I'd call that fine for the price.

Weight and screen

The Dell is lighter: 1 kg against 1.23 kg. Both are small enough to forget in a bag. The Dell has a 13.4 in touchscreen at 2560x1600 and 120 Hz refresh. The Air's 13.6 in panel is still 60 Hz, which Notebookcheck's display section heading says outright.

Score one for the cheaper laptop. A 120 Hz touchscreen at $699.99 is a better screen deal than a 60 Hz one at $1,299.

Battery tests aren't the same test

Notebookcheck's Wi-Fi test gave the Air 16 h 11 min at 150 nits and 6 h 39 min at maximum brightness. Tom's Guide measured 14 h 26 min on the Dell in its web test, and Tom's Hardware got nearly 15 hours. HotHardware's 23 hours used a different method. Different labs and brightness settings. I wouldn't call a winner from numbers like these, but both land in the all-day range.

The batteries are close in size: 53.8 Wh on the Air and 52 Wh on the Dell.

Speed

The Air runs an Apple M5, 10-core CPU. Notebookcheck's Cinebench 2024 run scored 200 single-core, and it has no fan. The catch is sustained load, where power drops to about 9 W.

The Dell has an Intel Core 5 320. Tom's Hardware's verdict says it is no performance powerhouse, with limited CPU and weak GPU performance. Tom's Guide thought it had more than enough power for everyday work. Both can be right. They're describing different jobs.

Stock and small print

Dell's page showed a sold-out notice on November 1, 2026, so the $699.99 entry price may not be easy to get. Tom's Guide also lists a poor webcam as the only con. Apple's warranty is 12 months, per Notebookcheck.

What I'd buy

If you're a student, or anyone who lives in a browser and Word, the Dell is tempting at that price. But I'd be nervous about 8GB for four years of use. Add the Air's memory and silence and the $599.01 starts to look like a fair price. For the student shopping, best laptops for college students has more options at every price. How much RAM do you need in 2026 explains where 8GB runs out. And the Dell XPS 13 review goes deeper on the cheaper machine.

I'd buy the Air if the money is there. If it isn't, buy the Dell and treat 8GB as the limit it is. Both specs are on the laptop catalog page.