Someone smarter then me please help, windows/phd/2026

Hi,

I'm about to start a PhD in Neuroscience and need to swap my current MacBook for a windows machine, as everything will be windows compatible and annoying to use with a Mac. I just want something future proof, reliable and powerful. I do not know much about windows laptops, so through my research I narrowed it down to;

Dell XPS 16 32GB ram X7 chip
Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition (14” Intel)

I have no idea if this is actually a good choice, my budget is around $3k and ideally anything below that the checks the boxes would be amazing. The form is below;

Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
$3-$3500 CAD

Are you open to refurbs/used?
NO

How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
I want something sturdy that will last 5+ years for a PhD, I'd go MBP but I need windows.

How important is weight and thinness to you?
I don't want a cement brick but I'm not too worried if it's a little thick and heavy.

Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
N/A

Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
No video or photo editing or gaming. Mostly coding, working with large neuroimaging datasets, etc. I want something that can tackle most things though.

Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.

Overall, I just want something future proof, strong, and fast.