- The Dell XPS 14’s Intel Core Ultra processor is plenty powerful for most tasks.
- Sizewise, it feels like the sweet spot between too small and too big.
- It weighs more than I expected but feels more durable because of it.
When it comes to laptops, you’re either on team 13″ or team 15″—people have pretty strong opinions on one size or another. But what happens when you’re neither?
That’s where Dell’s XPS 14 comes to the rescue. This sleek-looking laptop is a great “in-between” size that feels neither too small nor too big. There’s plenty of screen real estate, and thanks to the Intel Core Ultra processor, it can manage just about any task you throw at it, including all the AI-powered activities popping up constantly.
Dell XPS 14 First Impressions
If you’ve read my other laptop hands-on stories, you may have gotten the sense that I’m an Apple Girl all the way. Before I discovered Apple, though, I was a Windows Baby. So, I have a special affinity for Windows-based computers that (despite my newfound love) I can’t seem to shake.
When I learned I’d be testing the new Dell XPS 14, I was thrilled. I’ve used Dell Computers for a very long time, and I’m aware of the quality and attention to detail they put into making these machines. I wasn’t disappointed when the XPS 14 showed up.
It was well-packaged in a carton designed to protect the laptop that seems to be mostly (if not completely) recyclable. And seeing the top of that laptop for the first time, my heart gave a little flutter. The excitement of new gear always gets me.
When I picked the XPS up, however, I was surprised at how heavy it was. It weighs about 4.7 pounds, and compared to the MacBook Air I’ve become accustomed to using, I was shocked at the difference. That trade-off, though, is that the XPS 14 feels durable. In fact, I’ve tossed it in my backpack and carted it across two states numerous times in the last couple of weeks and it still looks as good as it did straight out of the box.
Dell XPS 14 Performance
Dell’s XPS line is known for its performance, and the last couple of iterations have introduced AI-capable processors. The benefit of those processors is that, even if you’re not using AI every day, you’re still getting the power associated with AI demands. That means the XPS 14 runs programs like a champ. Everything from graphics programs (I use Photoshop and a Photoshop Beta with AI) to YouTube runs smoothly on this machine.
And it has a gorgeous display. The build I tested had the 3.2K (3200 X 2000) OLED InfinityEdge touch display. The colors displayed on the screen were brighter and more vibrant than those on my MacBook Air, and the touch function worked flawlessly. It also has a 1080p webcam, for those occasional video calls that we all need to make these days, and several ports for connecting accessories.
A neat feature I discovered is that the machine has an intelligent sensor on it that can tell when you’re looking at the screen. If you look away, it will dim and eventually fall asleep, but if you look back, it wakes back up so you can pick up where you left off. (Yes, I was purposefully not looking at the screen and then jerking my head around to see the screen light up again.)
The battery life on the XPS 14 was serviceable. I worked for about 8 hours on it before I felt like I needed to charge it (at around 10 percent power left), and it took a complete charge in about an hour and a half.
I liked the backlit keyboard for typing too. It’s a soft-touch keyboard that has enough resistance for you to know that you’re pressing the keys without a ton of travel. I wasn’t super fond of the invisible trackpad, though. I really struggled not knowing the boundaries of the trackpad, and that might just be a personal thing, but I would have liked it better if there had been some sort of demarcation around it so I could know where I was on the trackpad. Still, hooking a mouse up to the laptop alleviates that problem, so it’s a small one.
Dell XPS 14 Pricing and Is It Worth It?
The base configuration for the Dell XPS 14 has the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, Intel ARC graphics, 16GB memory, 512GB storage, and a non-touch screen and will cost you about $1700. To add the touch screen you’ll bump the price $300 and increasing the storage and memory will quickly push the price even higher. So, the Dell XPS 14 isn’t the cheapest laptop on the market.
However, for what you’re getting, It’s not at all unreasonably priced. Personally, I would suggest bumping up the specs a touch and expecting to spend $2200-$2400 on the middle of the road build with a touch screen, more storage, and more memory. If you add better graphics (there is an option for Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050—$400), you might go a little higher. But the laptop you receive should stick with you for a while, and it should be able to handle most anything coming at it for at least a couple of years.
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