It’s often desirable to have portability and power in the same package. A 14” notebook represents a good compromise. Two notebooks popular in this space include the Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 and the Dell XPS 14z. The Y470 starts at $719 and the XPS 14z $899. We configured both of these notebooks with typical configurations and came up with a verdict on which is best to buy!
| Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 | Dell XPS 14z | |
| Processor | Core i7-2670QM quad-core | Core i5-2430M dual-core |
| Screen | 14” 720p glossy | 14” 720p glossy |
| OS | Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit | Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GT550M 1GB | Nvidia GeForce GT520M 1GB |
| Memory | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 500GB 7200RPM | 750GB 7200RPM |
| Optical Drive | DVD burner (tray-load) | DVD burner (slot-load) |
| Weight | 4.85 lbs | 4.36 lbs |
| Thickness | 0.8~1.3” | 0.9” |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, eSATA/USB 2.0 combo, VGA, HDMI, Ethernet | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, Ethernet |
| Battery Life | 4.0 hrs | 7+ hrs |
| Web Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Audio | JBL speakers, 2.0 | Standard (non-branded) |
| Price as Configured | $769.00 | $1,099.99 |
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Screenshots for the pricing on the above configurations are shown below:
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Price
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
The XPS line of Dell notebooks is aimed at the higher end of the notebook market. There are several preconfigured models available for each; we kept the configurations as close as possible. Lenovo gets the undeniable advantage in this category; it includes a far more powerful processor and graphics card. We’ll talk more about this later on, but the bottom line is that the Lenovo offers far more performance for the money – if that’s your goal.
Design
Advantage: Dell XPS 14z
Although Lenovo recently revamped the design of its IdeaPad lineup, it is not able to catch Dell in terms of putting out a premium product. The Y470 is mostly plastic where the XPS 14z is made entirely of metal. Additionally the Dell features a backlit keyboard; it is not even offered on the Y470.
Not only is the Dell more stylish – it’s also a lot more durable thanks to the metal body. The Y470’s overuse of glossy plastic means a cleaning nightmare. The glossy surface also shows scratches easily; the 14z’s anodized metal surface is much better in this regard.
My last observation is that the Dell is both thinner (just 0.9”) and weighs about a half-pound less than the Y470.
Advantage: Dell XPS 14z
The Dell takes the field again here; it includes a larger, more powerful 8-cell battery (the Y470 only has a 6-cell) that propels it to over seven hours of battery life. The Y470 on the other hand is only able to squeeze four hours.
Screen
Advantage: Neither
Both notebooks are each other’s equals when it comes to the screen. The same specifications are offered on both notebooks: 14” diagonal with a glossy surface and a 720p (1366×768 pixels) resolution. This screen is not impressive in any particular way; the 720p resolution is low and using two windows side-by-side is near impossible; additionally the glossy surface is reflection city in well-lit environments.
Processor Options and Performance
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
The Y470 is the clear winner here – it offers a powerful quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. The XPS 14z only offers dual-core processors. The Y470 will be far faster at applications that can take advantage of a quad-core processor including Adobe Photoshop and some modern games. For the general user, both the quad-core and the dual-core will provide almost the same performance, however.
Graphics Card
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
While both the Y470 and XPS 14z offer 1GB of graphics memory, the Y470 has a far faster Nvidia GeForce GT 550M. Put into practical terms, the GT 520M in the XPS 14z will struggle with modern games where the GT 550M will be able to play almost any modern game on maximum settings (at least at the 720p resolution on these notebook’s displays).
Weight and Thickness
Advantage: Dell XPS 14z
It has already become clear that the XPS 14z is the better travel companion; it not only has better durability and battery life, but also weighs less (4.36 lbs vs. 4.85 lbs) and is thinner (0.9” vs. 0.8~1.3”). The XPS 14z is one uniform thickness all around, which makes carrying it easier.
Ports Selection
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
The Y470 has twice the amount of USB ports and includes an eSATA port as well, which is great for high-speed connections to external hard drives. The XPS 14z has just two USB ports, which may not be enough.
Speakers
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
Neither notebook has fantastic speakers by any means, but the Y470 has the edge. It includes name-brand JBL speakers that provide fuller sound than the XPS 14z. I can’t see this as a big factor when deciding between the two machines, but if it’s meaningful to you then consider this.
Warranty, Support and Return
Advantage: Lenovo IdeaPad Y470
Notebook buyers often overlook the importance of the warranty. Dell and Lenovo offer 24/7 phone and online support including chat. Lenovo’s upgraded warranties are far cheaper, however; extending the base warranty from one to three years is just $99. Three years of warranty with accidental damage protection is just $164. Dell on the other hand charges $299 for a base warranty extension to three years – which is shockingly high – and it’s another $168 to add accidental damage protection to that.
And the winner is?
The XPS 14z may be the more stylish notebook but it is defeated by the Y470 in most areas. The XPS 14z has better battery life and is slightly more portable; additionally it has better build quality and a backlit keyboard. Spec’d comparably to the Y470, however, it is a good deal more expensive.
The Y470 comes out ahead in just about every other area. Its performance is light years ahead thanks to the quad-core processor and beefier graphics card. Additionally it has more ports and better speakers. Last but not least, at the time of this writing it is only $769.00 where the XPS 14z with similar specifications is $1,099.99. The major downside to the Y470 is the 4 hour battery life; the XPS 14z gets 175% of that.
Unless battery life is super important, the performance and value of the Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 are unmatched.
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