Not since the 2016 MacBook Pro has there been a laptop this controversial .
Theannouncement of the Dell XPS 14 redesignsparked curiosity , bewilderment , and yes , even anger . Some of the initial reaction were overblown , but allow ’s just say the obvious upfront : There are peck of reason tonotbuy the XPS 14 . I ’ll get into those , do n’t worry .
But if you ’re capable to look past some of the divisive pattern decisions , you ’ll distinguish a muscular , attractive laptop computer that I line up myself doubtlessly drawn too — even if it feels Laputan at times .
Video review
Specs and pricing
The XPS 14 has an broad amount of form options in the RAM and storage departments , but the two master choice are in graphics and display . Dell allow you mingle and mate these however you please , charge $ 300 to promote from IPS to OLED and another $ 400 for the RTX 4050 .
That means yes , it ’s a rather expensive laptop computer . It ’s priced tight to theMacBook Pro 14 - in M3 , while laptop computer like theAcer Swift X 14and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 14 undercut it significantly . The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the one twist in the class that is more expensive at a start price of $ 2,000 .
I should also take down that similarly sized play laptop computer like theAlienware x14 R2 , Lenovo Legion Slim 5 , or Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 also descend with RTX 4050 shape that are significantly cheaper .
Design
The XPS 14 might be the most beautiful laptops ever made . It ’s sleek and minimalist in a way that build even the MacBook Pro appear cluttered . Let ’s not move on too quickly from this pointedness , because the sheer look of the XPS 14 is n’t happenstance . No other brand in the Windows ecosystem could ever pluck off what the designers and engineers on the XPS team have here . Add in the stark off - white gloss option to the already sportsmanlike aesthetic , and you ’ve got the most modern , futurist grapple laptop you could buy .
More than that , it ’s a design that sets out a Modern flight for itself that does n’t replicate the MacBook Pro . In many ways , the conception resists the urge to bend itself to the influence of the MacBook Pro , take over sharp edges and lines in rebelliousness of the rounded curves of the latest MacBook Pro .
The comparison to the MacBook Prois an significant one to make too , because it ’s pretty clear Dell has its mint determine on dethroning Apple ’s fine . That compare between these two laptop starts with the sizing . The XPS 14 has a slightly orotund projection screen at 14.5 inches diagonally , give for a slightly wide-eyed footprint than the MacBook Pro on the mesa . It ’s also slightly thicker , though when set them side by side , the differences in sizing are marginal . As the replacing for the now - dead XPS 15 , the XPS 14 really does experience like a equipment that sit justly in between the 13 and 15 - in manikin in terms of size .
The invisible trackpad feels like an overt canvas for your hands to work on .
It ’s the exact same thickness as theold XPS 15 , and is just around an inch smaller in terms of both length and width . It definitely feels more portable , but of course , you ’re sacrifice some performance since the XPS 15 could be configure up to an RTX 4070 , while the XPS 14 maxes out at an RTX 4050 . But more on that afterwards .
Of naturally , the size of it ( or even the screen ) are not what you first notice about the XPS 14 . It has two eye - catching figure features that make it genuinely unique in the sea of samey - samey laptop designs . First is the one I adore , which is the seamless haptic feedback trackpad . The unseeable trackpad blending right into the medal sleep across a single surface , giving you the feeling that work on the XPS 14 is an candid canvas for your hands . It ’s just a sentiment , of track , but I ’d be lie if did n’t work on me .
As for the quality of the touchpad itself , Dell uses aSenselhaptic trackpad , a different vender from the one used on the previous laptop that frisk this type of touchpad , theXPS 13 Plus . I ’m happy to cover that this one palpate much dependable . traverse and cluck all feels super suave and accurate , much like those bump on the MacBook Pro or Surface Laptop Studio .
Now , I make out many people do n’t actually like the fact that the touchpad is unseeable . But thanks to the touchpad ’s width , I just have n’t take to the woods into this as an issue . Never did I find my finger cross over that invisible boundary in normal use . Palm rejection is great too , which is supremely important since you ca n’t feel the edges of the touchpad .
The other controversial , eye - catching feature is the set of capacitive mite button that have replaced the row of function keys on the keyboard — another element bear over from the old XPS 13 Plus . I ’m a act more ambivalent about this one . On one hand , not have forcible occasion keys just is n’t the with child deal in the world to me . I do n’t apply them in my day to day too much beyond changing volume or brightness , and the contact clitoris are responsive enough to get the job done . They see full-strength — in my mind , even cool than Apple ’s messy old Touch Bar ever was .
On the other hand , I do still like they provided some tactile feedback . That was my response when I first find it on theXPS 13 Plus , and it remain today . Some way of registering a finger press would go a retentive way toward making the touch buttons more toothsome . And if you do bechance to be someone who relies heavily on those role key , this is become to be the first of several likely bargain breakers for the XPS 14 . That ’s wholly fair . Coders need not use .
The fantastical typing experience makes the touch buttons a bit more forgivable .
But for me , the marvellous typewriting experience on the keyboard itself makes the sense of touch buttons a second more excusable . The large , zero - latticework keycaps are a breeze to type on , and the whole keyboard has a delightful soft touch grain with clean lines and few distraction . It ’s certainly one of my preferent laptops to type by on at the present moment .
That ’s at least partially due to how well - make this laptop computer is . It ’s as set a laptop as you ’ll find , without a creak or noticeable imperfect spot . There ’s very piddling screen wobble when using the touch screenland , and not even a tip of flex anywhere . My only charge from a serviceableness point of view is that it ’s unmanageable to reach the eyelid with one hand . There is no lip to face-lift up on with your finger , mean you ’ll often need two hands to pry it open .
Ports and expandability
The variety to expandability is one of the other decisions made for the XPS 14 that ’ll leave a bad gustation in your mouth . The RAM solder this prison term around , prevent you from easily upgrade or fixate your system on your own . Dell is far from alone in this — in fact , you wo n’t discover many of this laptop computer ’s direct competitors that still actually permit you upgrade RAM in especial .
The understanding this is significant , of course , is because this laptop computer ’s herald , the XPS 15 , was one of thebest upgradeable laptopsyou could buy . It had upgradable parts , including an undefended SSD slot . It ’s disappointing to see Dell head in the wrong direction .
Fortunately , the RAM provided by Dell is superfast ( 7467 MHz ) and plenty of contour selection are useable , starting at 16 GB of RAM and going up to 64 GB . Meanwhile storage options range from 512 GB to 4 TB . In other words , you’re able to get what you want , but you ’re stuck with it . And you ’re gon na pay a hefty terms .
Having modified ports just is n’t as fashionable as it once was .
In terms of ports , there ’s some more bad news show . Like the XPS 15 , it ’s almost entirely USB - coke based . You ’ve still got three , all of which are Thunderbolt 4 . On the right side , it ’s flanked by a headphone jack and a microSD card slot , and that ’s where the frustration come in .
I know there are some use cases for microSD , but for anyone hop to utilise the XPS 14 for some photo or video redaction , you ’ll be adding another dongle to your work flow . I appreciate the drift to convey back full - size of it Mount Rushmore State card slots on laptop , and the XPS 15 was part of that . And now that even Apple has override its stance on ports with the MacBook Pro , get limited embrasure just is n’t as fashionable as it once was .
But hey , at least it still has a headphone jack . Ca n’t say that much about the new XPS 13 .
mention : In a previous variation of this review , it was stated that the SSD slot was soldered . It is not , however , and can be upgraded or replaced without too much dogfight .
Display
Of course , I got charge the high - end of the two options to review : the 3.2 K OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz . These are the first XPS display to support high refresh rate , and it ’s great to see . A faster refresh rate enhances the overall premium feel , and when you ’re paying over $ 2,000 for a laptop computer , you want it to feel as responsive and modern as possible .
Not only is this an OLED control board , it ’s quite a good one . The colour are grotesque , with excellent coverage ( 100 % sRGB , 85 % AdobeRGB , 97 % P3 ) and some of the best out - of - the - box colouration accuracy I ’ve ever understand on a laptop , with a Delta - E of 0.5 . Since this is OLED and certify at DisplayHDR 500 , you get some decent HDR performance here too , whether that ’s for game or for videos and movies . You just want to make trusted to toggle HDR on and off when you postulate it , as leaving it on washes out your colors for SDR content .
The XPS 14 has a glossy screen , which can be a problem on some musing OLED screens . The XPS 14 handles them pretty well , though . It also does n’t have a plasticky stratum on it like the OLED laptop of the past .
Being OLED , though , this screen does n’t get nearly as brilliant as the MacBook Pro ’s . In SDR , the XPS 14 only maxes out at 374 nit , compared to the close to 600 nits of the MacBook Pro . The inky blacks of OLED more than make up for it though , and only in the shining of environments would that brightness be a problem .
I should repeat that the showing include in the home constellation is much more modest . I have n’t tested it , but it sounds like a jolly standard 1200p IPS choice . fortuitously , you ’re at least still get a 120Hz refresh rate at that starting price . That ’s a welcome variety , and the first time 120Hz has been offered on XPS laptops — much less on astartingconfiguration .
Performance
The XPS 14 come with the option for RTX 4050 , and that alone feel like a big deal . It ’s definitely the most heavyset laptop computer Dell has ever had with discrete graphics , competing in the same blank space as laptop like the the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i , Acer Swift X 14 , and the Surface Laptop Studio 2 – or even the Zephyrus G14 .
Being bound to the RTX 4050 also means it ca n’t truly compete with the more knock-down MacBook Pro selection either . The M3 Max in the 14 - inch MacBook Pro is far more herculean than the XPS 14 can ever be — and that ’s just not something 14 - in window laptops in this category can replicate right now . It fares well against the M3 or M3 Pro , however — at least in terminal figure of GPU public presentation .
My unit came with the RTX 4050 and the Core Ultra 7 165H , which is a CPU variant made only for commercial configurations . It ’s near identical to the Core Ultra 7 155H that ’ll be available for sale , peculiarly in a laptop with limited thermals like this .
Keeping all that in judgment , I was glad enough with the performance of the XPS 14 , even if it was n’t at the front of the gang with its direct competitors . The multi - core CPU performance is stronger than more mainstream work machine like the Zenbook 14 , HP Spectre x360 14 , or Acer Swift Go 14 , and even has a marginal bump in mainframe execution over last class ’s XPS 15 .
Of course , the individual - Congress of Racial Equality performance of any of the M3 chipping will certainly ladder circles around the Core Ultra 7 , but the RTX 4050 plow itself well against MacBook graphics , even beating out last generation ’s M2 Max .
Interestingly , because of how good Intel ’s latest Arc graphics are in the Core Ultra 7 155H , there is n’t as full-grown of a gap between integrated and entry - level distinct GPUs as there once was . For example , the Dell XPS 14 was only 16 % faster than the Asus Zenbook 14 in the creative applications tests in PCMark 10 , which rely more intemperately on GPU rendering . That difference is more obvious in 3DMark Time Spy , where the lead is cover up to 39 % quicker , but it ’s something to keep in mind if you ’re on the fence about need a distinct GPU in a laptop of this sizing .
On the other extreme , the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is a laptop that has a alike target demographic as the XPS 14 but tip the proportionality away from portability and toward functioning . It ’s a much thicker laptop but is up to 30 % faster in 3DMark Time Spy , which show just how restricted the XPS 14 ’s thermal are . It ’s a tightrope to walk , of course , and the XPS 14 tilt more heavily toward a cooler , quieter experience . In the default option cool mode , the XPS 14 actually does a remarkable job of maintain surface temperature on the keyboard cool and buff interference to a lower limit . The keyboard and palm rests do n’t ever seem to get strong , even while play game .
As a Windows laptop computer , gaming is always going to be important as a distinguisher from the MacBook Pro . You wo n’t have a hard time playing typical esports games , of course , but the RTX 4050 even opens up the possibility of playing heavier title likeCyberpunk 2077.So long as you flex on DLSS , the XPS 14 can accomplish some decent frame charge per unit in 1200p — up to 94 frames per second ( fps ) if you flex on Frame Generation . It ’s by no means a dedicated gaming auto , and even compared to the most recent XPS 15 , which could descale up to an RTX 4070 , the XPS 14 ’s gaming capabilities are more limited .
TakeRed Dead Redemption 2 , for object lesson , where the laptop computer average 45 Federal Protective Service at 1200p . You ’ll need to drop down from the max options and use DLSS to get over 60 fps . It ’s possible to get smooth frame rate , but you ’ll need to make some sacrifices to image quality .
When it comes to other use case , such as video editing , the XPS 14 can serve as a seemly hobby video redaction motorcar . I tested its performance in Premiere Pro using the Pugetbench benchmark , unveil just how much that RTX 4050 add to the equation . It scored over double of the Zenbook 14 and leveled with the larger HP Spectre x360 16 ( also with an RTX 4050 ) . Like in gaming , larger 16 - inch laptops and gambling laptop will run circles around it , as will the M3 Max MacBook Pro . But taken for what it is , the XPS 14 handle itself rather well .
All that to say , the XPS 14 should n’t be seen as a consecrate content creation or gaming laptop computer . It favors a quieter , cooler experience , and has just enough kick to let you dabble in high operation territory . If you like the design but need a bit more oomph , the XPS 16 should open up up some smashing carrying out , thanks to the expectant chassis and the RTX 4060 and 4070 GPU choice .
Battery life
As with performance , battery life on the XPS 14 is the middle of the pack . It hold up around 8 - and - a - half hours in very light web - browsing examination of its 70 watt - hr battery . In a normal day of work , you ’ll get through a solid chunk of your day on battery , but belike not much more than 4 or 5 hour . It outlasts competitors like theLenovo Slim Pro 9iorAcer Swift X 14 , as well as magnanimous gaming laptops . Meanwhile , battery life champs without discrete art like theZenbook 14orDell Inspiron 14 2 - in-1 .
The examination was done at 100 lux ( around 44 % brightness ) at aboriginal resolution and the refresh rate at 120Hz . You could certainly drop the result and refresh rate if you wanted to eke out some more battery life .
It goes without enounce , but the MacBook Pro lasts just around twice this long in the same tests , which goes to show just how far behind these Windows laptops are .
Webcam and speakers
The speakers are n’t particularly telling . They ’re a decent quadruplet - loudspeaker system apparatus compare to some other Windows laptops , but the sound is overly press to my ears . The sea bass is jolly wanting as well . Again , the MacBook Pro blow this laptop out of the body of water with its bassy six - loudspeaker system setup .
The audio recording is certainly good enough for simple thing like watch social medium video or take calls . And fortunately , the 1080p webcam here is quite beneficial . It ’s at least on par with the MacBook Pro webcam , and I even prefer the more natural picture . It ’s in particular impressive since Dell is still rack this tiny camera mental faculty into that very minute top bezel .
There ’s also a Windows Hello IR photographic camera for easy , safe logins , in accession to the fingermark proofreader built into the powerfulness clit .
Is it actually worth it?
I ’ve been wanting Dell to make a laptop like the XPS 14 with distinct graphics for a foresightful time . And in a lot of ways , the XPS 14 does n’t let down . The performance is quite in effect , the blind is fantastic , and the laptop itself is beautiful .
But is it a truthful MacBook Pro option ? It sure as shooting aims to be , let in in its pricing . It ’s hard to get a true apple - to - apples constellation , but since the MacBook Pro ’s start model come with its mini - lead display , the XPS 14 actually ends up being more expensive in certain configurations . There ’s a lot more flexibility in how you may configure the XPS 14 , but if you want both the OLED panel and the RTX 4050 , you ’re look at a starting Mary Leontyne Price of $ 2,400 , which is actually $ 300 more than a likewise - configure M3 MacBook Pro . Keep that in judgment when assessing the time value the XPS 14 actually offers .
It ’s as high - end as Windows laptop computer get , which justifies Dell ’s pricing . But it does n’t undersell the MacBook Pro in any meaningful way to make up for that lack of bombardment aliveness .
When it comes down to it , any phone number of the problems I listed above could dealbreakers for you . Many of those dealbreakers did n’t exist in the erstwhile XPS 15 . I get it . But if you ’re intrigued by the functioning - to - size ratio and attract to this raw design like I am , there ’s plenty of laptop here to back up its expert looks .
