I examined Dell’s 2024 XPS 14 laptop computer and may’t suggest it sufficient

What is the deal?

Dell’s XPS 14 is seeing some huge reductions at Finest Purchase proper now for the higher-end configurations. The laptop computer with the Intel Core Extremely 7 processor and Intel Arc GPU is on sale for $1,799, which is $300 off the common value. Even higher: the configuration with the upgraded Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card — a strong GPU in its personal proper — is marked right down to $2,099 for a financial savings of $400.

Why is that this deal ZDNET advisable?

We go hands-on with Dell’s XPS line of laptops yearly, and this 12 months, they had been a success. We praised the XPS 14 for its glossy, fashionable kind issue and high-performing {hardware} bundle. Dell’s flagship laptop computer line is as versatile as it’s sturdy, designed for energy customers, creators, and even avid gamers with as much as 1TB of storage and a superb OLED show. 

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Dell XPS 14 laptop computer with the Intel Core Extremely 7 is on sale at Finest Purchase proper now for $1,799.
• This can be a glossy, highly effective laptop computer that has a premium really feel and distinctive minimalist aesthetic.
• Upgrading elements from the bottom mannequin rapidly raises the laptop computer’s value level into an entire new bracket.

Dell’s latest XPS 14 laptop computer incorporates a glossy, minimalist type that makes a design assertion with an “invisible” trackpad, a singular keyboard and LED gentle strip, and a strikingly spectacular show. Nonetheless, a lot of its finest options do not include the bottom mannequin, which suggests you will be paying for the upgrades. 

The XPS 14 is a really compact laptop computer that feels sturdy and is by no means cumbersome. Nonetheless, this isn’t a very gentle laptop computer, both. With the OLED display screen, it weighs 3.8 kilos, making it heavier than most different 14-inch rivals, together with the MacBook Professional 14, Zephyrus G14, and Spectre x360 14.

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Armed with the Intel Core Extremely “Meteor Lake” processor, Dell’s XPS line is prepared for AI with a devoted neural processing unit (NPU) that handles machine-learning duties on the native degree. This frees up processing energy for the remainder of the CPU and GPU for higher efficiency and fewer energy consumption.

View at Finest Purchase

The show on the Dell XPS 14 is one in all its finest options. Nonetheless, the bottom mannequin of the laptop computer solely comes with a 1900 x 1200 show, which is slightly disappointing. I used to be fortunate sufficient to get my fingers on an upgraded mannequin and ran the 3200 x 2000 OLED show at 120Hz, which regarded unbelievable, but it surely does make me pause to surprise why this machine would not include this degree of show within the first place, particularly at this value level.

It’s, nevertheless, fairly vibrant (as much as 500 nits) and vibrant, with extraordinarily skinny bezels across the display screen, maximizing the seen area to inside centimeters of the bodily edge. The Dolby Imaginative and prescient and 120Hz variable refresh fee make for easy and color-vibrant picture high quality.

So far as the GPU goes, the built-in Intel Arc card that comes with the bottom machine shouldn’t be notably inspiring, so for extra performance-based duties and gaming, you will need to pay the additional $300 to improve to a GeForce RTX 4050, 6GB card, which once more, is unlucky that it isn’t included. 

Even with this upgraded card, this isn’t a gaming laptop computer per se, and it’ll wrestle to run something notably demanding. The Dell XPS 14 ought to, nevertheless, have the ability to sort out workloads in video modifying, animation, or graphic design fairly properly. That mentioned, the laptop computer would not include a full-sized SD card reader and HDMI, however as a substitute: three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a microSD port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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The dearth of an HDMI port and full-sized SD card reader is a wierd design alternative as each would additional carve out an id as a premium-looking laptop computer for visible creatives. Fortunately, the XPS 14 does include a USB-C dongle that helps get most inventive jobs performed.

Specs comparability

Transferring to the outside of this laptop computer, the “invisible” trackpad is, very like the 12 months earlier than, very properly performed. I am shocked this design hasn’t made it into different laptops, as I am a fan of the sharp and clear minimalist aesthetic Dell’s going for right here. Moreover, the fabric used on this a part of the laptop computer feels high-end and premium. This isn’t a laptop computer you need to contact with grubby fingers.

The very first thing you discover concerning the keyboard is that it is all one single unit with the keys flush in opposition to one another — there is no such thing as a spacing between them. The person keys are massive sufficient, nevertheless, to function a refined indentation and shallow — if satisfying — keypress depth. This keyboard can be extremely quiet, with nearly no sound coming from the keys, even when typing quickly.  

Urgent down the fn key immediately switches the lights on the perform row between their “media” modes (quantity management, brightness, and so forth.) and “perform” modes (F1-F12). Esc and delete stay in the identical positions in each modes.

I’ve talked slightly about messing round with the perform keys in different machines’ evaluations, and it is nonetheless one thing I am on the fence about. Producers wish to experiment with these keys since they’re the least used on the keyboard, however when the performance would not land, it may be a nasty consumer expertise.

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On the Dell XPS 14, the perform row is so minimal that it would not even have bodily keys in any respect; there is no such thing as a haptic suggestions or bodily indication of a key being pressed, you are simply interacting with slightly LED icon, and that could be a design alternative that definitely will not be for everybody. Whereas working with the XPS 14, I by no means actually obtained used to having the Residence, Finish, and Delete keys related to these “lights” and located myself preferring merely having these hooked up to bodily inputs.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Dell XPS 14 is a quiet, glossy, and minimalistic laptop computer with a daring aesthetic. It is one of many best-looking laptops available on the market and may be decked out with some fairly highly effective {hardware}. Nonetheless, these upgrades come at a value.

This isn’t a scrappy, unpretentious workhorse, however somewhat a premium, ultra-modern machine. All of it comes down to non-public desire, however for a lot of customers, rivals just like the MacBook Professional 14 or Zephyrus G14 could be a extra sensible alternative. Nonetheless, if you wish to make an announcement, there’s nothing that appears fairly just like the Dell XPS 14.

When will this deal expire?

Offers are topic to promote out or expire at any time, although ZDNET stays dedicated to discovering, sharing, and updating one of the best product offers so that you can rating one of the best financial savings. Our crew of consultants usually checks in on the offers we share to make sure they’re nonetheless reside and obtainable. We’re sorry in the event you’ve missed out on this deal, however do not fret — we’re continuously discovering new probabilities to save lots of and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.