Dell XPS 13 9305 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell XPS 13 9305 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell XPS 13 9305 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of Dell XPS 13 9305 over Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Pros

Reasons that Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is better than Dell XPS 13 9305.

Supports larger memory

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 supports a larger memory capacity than the Dell XPS 13 9305. It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the Dell XPS 13 9305.

Max system memory size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
32 GB
Dell XPS 13 9305
16 GB
5% larger display

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has a 14-inch screen size 5% larger than the 13.3-inch Dell XPS 13 9305.

Display size
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
14-inch
Dell XPS 13 9305
13.3-inch
About 13% lighter

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 weighed 2.49 pounds, 13% lighter than the 2.84 pounds Dell XPS 13 9305.

WeightDell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Pound
2.84 lbs.
2.49 lbs.
Kilogram
1.29 kg
1.13 kg
Has two more ports and slots

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 has more ports and slots count than the Dell XPS 13 9305. It has eight versus six amount of ports and slots on the Dell XPS 13 9305.

PortsDell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
HDMINoYes
headphone jackYesYes
lock slotYesYes
microSD card slotYesNo
nanoSIM card slotNoYes
Thunderbolt 4Yes x2Yes x2
USB-ANoYes x2
USB-CYesNo
Total68

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Dell XPS 13 9305 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9.

Similar CPU performance

Both laptops has a similar multi-core CPU performance score.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell XPS 13 9305 - Intel Core i7-1165G7
4,487
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i7-1180G7
4,474
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i7-1160G7
4,238
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - Intel Core i5-1130G7
4,079
Dell XPS 13 9305 - Intel Core i5-1135G7
3,980
Dell XPS 13 9305 - Intel Core i3-1115G4
2,445
Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 4267MHz LPDDR4X RAM.

Memory type and speed
Dell XPS 13 9305 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 - LPDDR4X
4,267 MHz

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Dell XPS 13 9305 Price
Dell XPS 13 9305 Laptop - 13.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) Display, Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB LPDDR4x RAM, 512GB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Killer Wi-Fi 6 with Service, Windows 11 Home - Silver
Dell XPS 13 9305 Laptop - 13.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) Display, Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB LPDDR4x RAM, 512GB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Killer Wi-Fi 6 with Service, Windows 11 Home - Silver
By Dell
$1,100.00
Dell XPS 9305 Laptop PC 13.3 inch FHD Touchscreen Laptop Notebook PC, Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor, 8GB Ram, 256GB NVMe SSD, Webcam, Thunderbolt, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
Dell XPS 9305 Laptop PC 13.3 inch FHD Touchscreen Laptop Notebook PC, Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor, 8GB Ram, 256GB NVMe SSD, Webcam, Thunderbolt, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)
By Dell
$577.78
Dell XPS 13 9305 (Latest Model) 13.3-inch Laptop Intel Core i5-1135G7 11th Gen 256GB SSD 8GB RAM FHD 1080P Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
Dell XPS 13 9305 (Latest Model) 13.3-inch Laptop Intel Core i5-1135G7 11th Gen 256GB SSD 8GB RAM FHD 1080P Windows 10 Home (Renewed)
By Dell
$969.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Price
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7, FHD Non-Touch Screen,16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, Backlit KYB Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon 9th Gen 9 Intel Core i7-1165G7, FHD Non-Touch Screen,16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, Backlit KYB Fingerprint Reader, Windows Pro
By LENOVO
$1,009.77
$1,059.77 5% OFF
Lenovo Gen 9 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop with Intel i7-1165G7 Processor, 14" WUXGA 100%sRGB Anti-Glare Display, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2.49lbs, Carbon Fiber, Windows11 Pro, and Three Year Premier Warranty
Lenovo Gen 9 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop with Intel i7-1165G7 Processor, 14" WUXGA 100%sRGB Anti-Glare Display, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 2.49lbs, Carbon Fiber, Windows11 Pro, and Three Year Premier Warranty
By Lenovo
$1,129.99
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 20XW004QUS 14" Ultrabook - WUXGA - 1920 x 1200 - Intel Core i5 i5-1135G7 Quad-core (4 Core) 2.40 GHz - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Black - Windows 10 Pro - Intel Iris
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 20XW004QUS 14" Ultrabook - WUXGA - 1920 x 1200 - Intel Core i5 i5-1135G7 Quad-core (4 Core) 2.40 GHz - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Black - Windows 10 Pro - Intel Iris
By Lenovo
$659.01
$699.00 6% OFF

Availability

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Released20212021
Release DateAvailable in February 2021
  • Announced on January 11, 2021 (CES 2021)
  • Available starting February 2021
Pricing-Starting at $1,429
Generations-

Exterior

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Dimensions11.88 x 7.84 x 0.31 - 0.46 in (301.76 x 199.24 x 7.80 - 11.63mm)12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59” (314.5 x 221.6 x 14.9 mm)
Weight2.84 lbs (1.29 kg)Starting at 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)
ColorsPlatinum silver with black carbon fiber interior
Black
Optional woven carbon fiber top cover
Keyboard and Trackpad
  •  Full-size backlit keyboard.
  • 4.13 x 2.36 in (105 mm x 60 mm) touchpad with multi-touch gesture support.
  • Spill-resistant, Backlit with white LED lighting keyboard.
  • New FN row F9-F11
  • Trackpad + TrackPoint® pointing device.

Display

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Size13.3 Inches14 Inches
Info
  • 13.3-inch FHD
    1920 x 1080 166 PPI 60Hz 1000:1 400 nits 100% sRGB 2.90 W Anti-glare Non-touch
  • 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen 
    1920 x 1080 166 PPI 60Hz 1000:1 400 nits 100% sRGB 2.90 W Anti-glare Anti-reflective Touch support
  • 13.3-inch 4K UHD touchscreen 
    3840 x 2160 331 PPI 60Hz 1000:1 400 nits 100% sRGB 5.41 W Anti-glare Anti-reflective Touch support
  • 14" UHD+
    16:10 3840 x 2400 IPS low-power HDR400 with Dolby Vision™ DCI P3 100% 500 nits TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare low-power 100% sRGB 400 nits Low-power TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+ with Touch support 
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare touchscreen 100% sRGB 400 nits TÜV Rheinland-certified for reduced blue light emissions
  • 14" FHD+ with Touch & PrivacyGuard support 
    16:10 1920 x 1200 IPS anti-glare touchscreen 100% sRGB PrivacyGuard 500 nits

Ports

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Dell XPS 13 9305 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (3)
  • 1 x lock slot
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
Right (3)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x USB-C
    USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Ports
Image Source: Lenovo
Left (4)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, DisplayPort, Power Delivery
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0
Right (4)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 1 x nanoSIM card slot
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Always On
  • 1 x lock slot
    Kensington Lock

Internal Specs

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Processor
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    2 cores, 4 threads, 3.00 → 4.10 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 28W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.40 → 4.20 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 28W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 28W
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.80 → 4.00 GHz, 8MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G7
    4 cores, 8 threads, 1.20 → 4.40 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 4.60 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4
    Intel® UHD Graphics
    48 Execution Units, 400 → 1250 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
  1. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    80 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
  2. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G7
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
  3. 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
Memory
8GB 16GB
4267 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR4x SDRAM
8GB 16GB 32GB
4266 MHz Dual-channel LPDDR4x Memory.
Storage
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB
M.2 2280 PCIe® 3x4 NVMe™ SSD, Up to 32 Gbps.
256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB
M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Replaceable).

Connectivity

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Wi-FiRivet Killer AX1650W
Up to 2400 Mbps Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz WiFi-6 (802.11ax)
Intel® Wi-Fi 6™ AX201 802.11AX (2 x 2)
Up to 2400 Mbps, Dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax.
BluetoothRivet Killer AX1650W › Bluetooth 5.1Bluetooth 5.1
More-Optional WWAN: 4x4 MIMO 5G (LTE CAT20) / 4G (LTE CAT12)

Battery

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Size52 Wh 
4-cell smart lithium-ion
57 Wh
Battery LifeUp to 12 hours on FHD panelUp to 15 hours
Based on MobileMark® 2018 battery-life benchmark test
Power Supply45 W USB (Type-C) power adapter 
20 VDC/2.25A, 15 VDC/3A, 9 VDC/3A, 5VDC/3A
65 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
Supports Rapid Charge.

Software

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
OS
Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro
Upgradable to Windows 11
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription
Lenovo Vantage

Camera & Audio

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
CameraFront-facing camera
Top-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps.
  • Front-facing camera with ThinkShutter privacy shutter
    720p (1280 x 720 HD) camera.
  • Optional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
Audio
  • Realtek ALC3271-CG with Waves MaxxAudio Pro
  • Two speakers (2.5W x 2 = 4W peak)
  •  4 digital array microphones
  • Dolby Atmos™ Speaker System
  • Dolby® Voice®
  • 4 x 360-degree microphones

Misc

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader in the power button
  • Windows Hello compliant fingerprint reader on the palm rest
  • Optional IR Camera
  • Ambient light sensor
  • NFC
Security
  • Windows Hello with Fingerprint Sign in
  • Wedge-shaped lock
  • Power-on Touch Fingerprint Reader
  • Match on Chip Touch Fingerprint Reader
  • dTPM 2.0 chip
  • Webcam privacy shutter
  • HPD sensor with IR Camera
  • ThinkPad PrivacyGuard
  • ThinkPad PrivacyAlert
  • Kensington™ lock slot
In the box-
  • ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
  • 65W AC adapter
  • 57Wh Internal battery
  • Quick Start Guide
Warranty-1-year Depot or Carry-in

Key Features

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
At Glance
Released in Early
2021
16:9 4K UHD
13.3”
2160p 60Hz
Weight
2.84 lb
1.29 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.70 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,374
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,487
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Dell XPS 13 9305 Ports
Released in Early
2021
16:9 4K UHD+
14”
2400p 60Hz
Weight
2.49 lb
1.13 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-1180G7
4C/8T, 2.20 → 4.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,364
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,474
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
4267 MHz LPDDR4X
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 Ports

Comparison Summary

Dell XPS 13 9305 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

Dell has released the XPS 13 9305, a 13.3-inch machine, in early-2021. It is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.70 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1300 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 was introduced by Lenovo around the same time in early-2021. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1180G7 with a boost clock speed up to 4.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (96 Execution Units, 400 → 1100 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell XPS 13 93051
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G41,16384.64%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G71,19586.97%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G71,374100.00%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 91
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G71,23890.10%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G71,34197.60%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™1,36499.27%
01,374

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell XPS 13 93051
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1115G42,44554.49%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G73,98088.70%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G74,487100.00%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 91
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1130G74,07990.91%
2
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1160G74,23894.45%
3
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1180G7 with vPro™4,47499.71%
04,487

The Dell XPS 13 9305 has a 13.3-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. In addition, the Dell XPS 13 9305 weighs 2.84 lbs. about 14% heavier than the 2.49 lbs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. Moreover, measured at 11.88” x 7.84” x 0.46”, the Dell XPS 13 9305 is much more portable than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 at 12.38” x 8.72” x 0.59”.

Dell XPS 13 9305Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9

There are a toal number of 6 ports and slots available on Dell XPS 13 9305. That includes a lock slot, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a microSD card slot, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack. With that said, it has two ports and slots fewer than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 that has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a headphone jack, a nanoSIM card slot, and a lock slot.

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell XPS 13 9305 supports up to 16GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Fortunately, it comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace and upgrade in the future.

For Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, it supports up to 32GB 4267 MHz LPDDR4X memory. Like Dell XPS 13 9305, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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