Dell XPS 13 9333 vs. Surface Pro 1: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between Dell XPS 13 9333 and Surface Pro 1 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

Dell XPS 13 9333 Pros

Reasons that Dell XPS 13 9333 is better than Surface Pro 1.

Newer manufacturing

2013 vs. 2012

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-4510U inside Dell XPS 13 9333 has a 31% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-3317U inside Surface Pro 1.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Dell XPS 13 9333 - Intel Core i7-4510U
1,335
Dell XPS 13 9333 - Intel Core i7-4500U
1,272
Dell XPS 13 9333 - Intel Core i5-4210U
1,146
Dell XPS 13 9333 - Intel Core i5-4200U
1,121
Surface Pro 1 - Intel Core i5-3317U
1,017
Dell XPS 13 9333 - Intel Core i3-4010U
850
Supports larger memory

Dell XPS 13 9333 supports a larger memory capacity than the Surface Pro 1. It supports up to 8GB versus 4GB of system memory on the Surface Pro 1.

Max system memory size
Dell XPS 13 9333
8 GB
Surface Pro 1
4 GB
25% larger display

Dell XPS 13 9333 has a 13.3-inch screen size 25% larger than the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 1.

Display size
Dell XPS 13 9333
13.3-inch
Surface Pro 1
10.6-inch
Slightly more versatile connectivity

Dell XPS 13 9333 has better versatile I/O connectivity than the Surface Pro 1. It has four versus three commonly used ports and slots on the Surface Pro 1.

PortsDell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Mini DisplayPortYesYes
USB-AYesYes
headphone jackYesNo
microSD card slotNoYes
power portYesNo

Surface Pro 1 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 1 is better than Dell XPS 13 9333.

About 33% lighter

Surface Pro 1 weighed 2 pounds, 33% lighter than the 2.95 pounds Dell XPS 13 9333.

WeightDell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Pound
2.95 lbs.
2 lbs.
Kilogram
1.34 kg
0.91 kg

Prices

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

Dell XPS 13 9333 Price
Dell Laptop Charger Slim 45W watt Power AC Adapter(Power Supply) Include Power Cord for Dell XPS 13 9333 9343 9350 9360 9370,LA45NM131 DA45NM131
Dell Laptop Charger Slim 45W watt Power AC Adapter(Power Supply) Include Power Cord for Dell XPS 13 9333 9343 9350 9360 9370,LA45NM131 DA45NM131
By Dell
$26.90
$30.00 10% OFF
Original Dell 45w 19.5V 2.31A Replacement AC Adapter for Notebook Model Number: Inspiron 14 (7437), XPS 11, XPS 12, XPS 12 MLK, XPS 13, XPS 13 (9333), XPS 13 Classic, Dell XPS 12, XPS 12 MLK Ultraboo
Original Dell 45w 19.5V 2.31A Replacement AC Adapter for Notebook Model Number: Inspiron 14 (7437), XPS 11, XPS 12, XPS 12 MLK, XPS 13, XPS 13 (9333), XPS 13 Classic, Dell XPS 12, XPS 12 MLK Ultraboo
By Dell
$25.70
Dell 45w(AA45NM131) New Version Replacement AC Adapter for Dell XPS 13 XPS 11 9P33D-1501, Compatible with P/N: 04H6VH, 4H6VH, DA45NM131, CDF57, JXC18
Dell 45w(AA45NM131) New Version Replacement AC Adapter for Dell XPS 13 XPS 11 9P33D-1501, Compatible with P/N: 04H6VH, 4H6VH, DA45NM131, CDF57, JXC18
By Dell
$27.89
$33.99 18% OFF
Surface Pro 1 Price
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 32GB Ram, 1TB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, 13" 2-in-1 Tablet & Laptop, Thin & Lightweight, Intel 12th Gen i7 Fast Processor for Multi-Tasking, 32GB Ram, 1TB Storage with Windows 11, Platinum Microsoft Copilot
By Microsoft
$1,749.00
$2,599.99 33% OFF
Microsoft QLP-00001 Surface Pro 9 13" Touch Tablet, Intel i7, 32GB/1TB, Platinum Bundle Surface Pro Signature Mechanical Keyboard, Black and 1 YR CPS Enhanced Protection Pack
Microsoft QLP-00001 Surface Pro 9 13" Touch Tablet, Intel i7, 32GB/1TB, Platinum Bundle Surface Pro Signature Mechanical Keyboard, Black and 1 YR CPS Enhanced Protection Pack
By Microsoft
$2,250.99
Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i5 4GB RAM 128GB SSD Windows 10 Newest Version (Renewed)
Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i5 4GB RAM 128GB SSD Windows 10 Newest Version (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$235.89

Availability

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Released20132012
Release Date
  • Available Late 2013
  • Updated Late 2014 (minor processors upgrade)
  • Introduced: June 18, 2012
  • Not available for pre-ordered
  • Released: February 9, 2013
Pricing-
  • Intel® Core™ i5
    • $899 - i5 | 4 GB | 64 GB
    • $999 - i5 | 4 GB | 128 GB
Generations

Exterior

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Dimensions12.44 x 8.07 x 0.24 - 0.71 in (316 x 205 x 6 - 18 mm)
Width: 12.44” (316 mm)
Depth: 8.07” (205 mm)
Height: 0.24- 0.71” (6 - 18 mm)
10.81” x 6.81” x 0.53” (275 mm x 173 mm x 13.46 mm)
Width: 10.81” (275 mm)
Height: 6.81” (173 mm)
Thickness: 0.53” (13.46 mm)
Weight
  • Non-touchscreen: 2.95 lb (1.34 kg)
  • Touchscreen: 3.03 lb (1.37 kg)
  • 2 lbs (910 g)
Colors
  • Carbon fiber composite base
  • Edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass NBT™
  • Magnesium palm rest with soft-touch paint
Dark Titanium
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Full-size backlit chiclet keyboard with 1.3mm key travel.
  • Glass integrated button touchpad with gesture support, 3.81 x 2.31 in (96.8 mm x 58.8 mm).
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys.
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12).
    • 4 directional keys; Windows and Media Controls Keys.
  • Trackpad:
    • Two-finger multitouch gesture trackpad.

Display

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Size13.3 Inches10.6 Inches
Info
  • 13.3-inch FHD non-touchscreen
    1920 x 1080, 166 PPI, 60 Hz, Non-touch support, 350 nits luminance.
  • 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen
    1920 x 1080, 166 PPI, 60 Hz, touch support, 350 nits luminance.
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (2M Pixels)
  • Density: 208 PPI
  • ClearType Full HDDisplay
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Touch: 10 point multi-touch
  • Surface Pen support (1st Gen)

Ports

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Dell XPS 13 9333 Ports
Image Source: Dell
Left (3)
  • 1 x power port
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (2)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), PowerShare
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
Surface Pro 1 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
Right (3)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
  • 1 x Surface Charging Connector
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Surface Touch/Type Cover Connector

Internal Specs

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Processor
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4010U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4200U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4210U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 2.70 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  4. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4500U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.80 → 3.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  5. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4510U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.00 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 17W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4010U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4400
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4200U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4400
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4210U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4400
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz
  4. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4500U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4400
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
  5. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4510U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4400
    20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
  1. Intel® Core™ i5-3317U
    Intel® HD Graphics 4000
    16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz
Memory
  • 4GB 8GB
    1600 MHz Dual-channel DDR3L-RS.
4GB
Dual Channel Memory
Storage
  • 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB
    mSATA (supports Intel Rapid Start Technology).
64 GB 128 GB
SSD

Connectivity

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Wi-Fi
  • Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260
    2.4 GHz/5 GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
  • Wi-Fi 4: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n compatible.
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Size
  • 6-cell smart lithium-ion
  • Battery Capacity: 55 Wh
42 Wh
Battery Life
  • Up to 11 hours 17 minutes
7-15 days of idle life
Power Supply45 W USB (Type-C) power adapter
reated at 19.50VDC/2.31A.
  • 48W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Charger: 43W

Software

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
OS
Windows 7 Home Windows 8.1
Upgradable to Windows 10
  • Windows 8 Pro
  • Upgradable Windows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps
  • Microsoft Office 30-days trial
  • McAfee LiveSafe™ 12 Month Subscription
Microsoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Camera
  • Front-facing camera
    Bottom-mount front camera with fixed focus lens, 0.92 Megapixels (1280 x 720 HD) at 30 fps..
  • 720p HD LifeCam front-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
  • 720p HD LifeCam rear-facing camera with TrueColor Technology
Audio
  • Realtek ALC3661
  • Two speakers (1W average output)
  • Dual array microphones
  • Single microphone
  • Stereo speakers

Misc

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
Inking-Supports Surface Pen
1,024 levels of pressure
Wacom Active Pen technology
Can be attached to charging port
Included with purchase
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
In the box-
  • Surface Pro (1st Gen)
  • Surface Pro Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
Warranty-
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
More-
  • Casing: VaporMg
  • Kickstand: 1 position at 22°
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1
At Glance
Released in Late
2013
16:9 FHD
13.3”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
2.95 lb
1.34 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4510U
2C/4T, 2.00 → 3.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
639
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,335
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 4400
20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
Up to
8GB
1600 MHz DDR3L
Dell XPS 13 9333 Ports
Released in Mid
2012
16:9 FHD
10.6”
1080p 60Hz
Weight
2 lb
0.91 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i5-3317U
2C/4T, 1.70 → 2.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
460
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,017
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 4000
16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz
4GB
1600 MHz DDR3
Surface Pro 1 Ports

Comparison Summary

Dell XPS 13 9333 vs. Surface Pro 1

Dell has released the XPS 13 9333, a 13.3-inch machine, in late-2013. It is powered by up to a dual-core Intel Core i7-4510U with a boost clock speed up to 3.10 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 4400 (20 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 1 was introduced by Microsoft about a year earlier in mid-2012. It comes with a dual-core Intel Core i5-3317U with a boost clock speed up to 2.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 4000 (16 Execution Units, 350 → 1.05 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Dell XPS 13 93331
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4010U37458.53%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4200U52982.79%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4210U54485.13%
4
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4500U61195.62%
5
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4510U639100.00%
Surface Pro 11
Intel® Core™ i5-3317U46071.99%
0639

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Dell XPS 13 93331
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-4010U85063.67%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4200U1,12183.97%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4210U1,14685.84%
4
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4500U1,27295.28%
5
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4510U1,335100.00%
Surface Pro 11
Intel® Core™ i5-3317U1,01776.18%
01,335

The Dell XPS 13 9333 has a 13.3-inch display which is considerably larger than the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 1. In addition, the Dell XPS 13 9333 weighs 2.95 lbs. about 47% heavier than the 2 lbs. Surface Pro 1. Moreover, measured at 12.44” x 8.07” x 0.71”, the Dell XPS 13 9333 is much bulkier than the Surface Pro 1 at 10.81” x 6.81” x 0.53”.

Dell XPS 13 9333Surface Pro 1

There are a toal number of 5 ports and slots available on Dell XPS 13 9333. That includes a power port, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort. With that said, it has the same number of ports and slots as the Surface Pro 1 including a USB-A port, a microSD card slot, a Surface Charging Connector, a Mini DisplayPort, and a Surface Touch/Type Cover Connector.

Moving over to upgradability, Dell claims that the Dell XPS 13 9333 supports up to 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3L memory.

For Surface Pro 1, it supports 4GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory. Unlike Dell XPS 13 9333, 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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