Dell XPS 14 review: Built for endurance, not speed

Price When Reviewed

$1,409.99

Best Prices Today: Dell XPS 14

Dell has properly returned to the XPS model with its new XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops, ditching the forgettable “Premium” and “Pro” branding it switched to a few years in the past. That’s excellent news for the Dell XPS 14, which fixes a number of design issues present in prior fashions.

But the Dell XPS 14 you select issues—and arguably extra so than many rivals. The entry-level mannequin begins at $1,349.99 and has an Intel Core Ultra 5 325. That places probably the most reasonably priced XPS 14 in an uncomfortable place in lots of efficiency benchmarks, although it at the least manages to ship superior battery life.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Specs and options as-tested

As talked about, the entry-level Dell XPS 14 has an Intel Core Ultra 5 325. It’s among the many most reasonably priced and least performant variants of Intel’s new Panther Lake structure. It has half as many CPU cores, and a 3rd as many Xe graphics cores, because the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H that powers top-tier XPS 14 configurations. The laptop computer I examined paired the Core Ultra 5 325 with 16GB of reminiscence and a 512GB stable state drive.

● CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 325

● Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x-7467

● Graphics/GPU: Intel Graphics

● NPU: 47 TOPS

● Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 120Hz IPS-LCD

● Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 stable state drive

● Webcam and microphone: 4K webcam with IR digital camera

● Connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm audio jack

● Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0

● Biometrics: Windows Hello facial recognition

● Battery capability: 70 watt-hours

● Dimensions: 12.19 x 8.26 x 0.60 inches

● Weight: 3.1 kilos

● Operating System: Windows 11 Pro

● Price: $1,409.99

The MSRP for this configuration rings up at $1,409.99. That features a $60 cost for Windows 11 Pro, placing the minimal MSRP at $1,349.99 for a Dell XPS 14 with Windows 11 Home. That’s lots lower than the OLED mannequin I reviewed, which had an MSRP of $2,259.99.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Design and construct high quality

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Dell’s pitch for the XPS 14 is a return to type, and the brand new laptop computer’s design backs that declare. It’s not loud about it, as there’s no aggressive geometry or attention-seeking end, however the particulars fall collectively right into a cohesive and slick piece of package.

The exterior makes use of thick aluminum panels with gently curved edges that eradicate any onerous transitions between surfaces, and the graphite colorway produces a darkish, understated luster that appears good when the sunshine catches it good. Branding is minimal with a single shiny XPS badge on the lid and the inside is splendidly freed from stickers.b

My solely situation with the design will be discovered within the show hinge. It solely opens to about 145 levels, which is able to really feel limiting when you use the laptop computer in a good area or when you’re significantly tall. On the plus aspect, the hinge is tuned to make the lid simple to open with a single finger, and a slight bump-out on the lip of the laptop computer supplies a spot to grip the lid for that goal. 

Weight is a small draw back, too, because the XPS 14 sits on the heavier finish for its class in 2026 at roughly 3.1 kilos for the LCD mannequin (the OLED mannequin is a tad lighter at three kilos, however the distinction isn’t noticeable). The Asus ExperBook Ultra is value a glance if portability is your precedence. The LCD mannequin of the XPS 14 is thicker than the OLED mannequin, too, however the distinction is about half a millimeter so, as soon as once more, it’s onerous to note. 

Fortunately, the XPS 14’s weight contributes to its chassis rigidity. And whereas three kilos is a bit heavy for this class of laptop computer, it’s nonetheless mild sufficient that the XPS 14 gained’t really feel like a burden when stowed in most laptop computer backpacks and messenger baggage.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Keyboard, touchpad

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Good information, everybody! The XPS 14’s keyboard as soon as once more has a bodily operate row, which deserves a second of acknowledgment. Dell’s choice to interchange it with a capacitive contact strip in prior XPS and Premium fashions was a clumsy misstep, and it’s good to see the corporate right itself.

Having stated that, the keyboard nonetheless isn’t a standout. Dell’s key design leans towards massive, flat slabs with minimal spacing between them, which provides the deck a clear look however doesn’t translate to a satisfying typing expertise. I prefer to have a greater tactile sense of the hole between keys.

The keycaps additionally really feel barely out of step with the remainder of the machine, because the plastic doesn’t carry the identical premium tactility because the aluminum chassis. Plastic is in fact a standard materials for keycaps, however the particulars matter, and the plastic used right here appears mild and insubstantial. Key journey is shallow and the bottoming motion is vague. The keyboard is completely usable, however when you’re evaluating the XPS 14 to a Lenovo Yoga 9i or an Asus ExpertBook, Dell comes up quick.

The touchpad is a distinct story. Dell has added refined bodily bumpers alongside the left and proper edges to delineate the touchpad’s boundaries, which sounds minor however was an annoying omission on earlier fashions. The touchpad is beneficiant in measurement at roughly six inches broad and three inches deep, edging out most rivals, which land nearer to 5 inches broad. The additional actual property earns its maintain throughout multi-touch navigation. 

Haptic click on simulation rounds out the bundle, and Dell’s implementation is well-tuned. The suggestions feels deliberate and by no means buzzy. I’ve heard some complaints about haptic touchpads, however I feel the texture is a lot better than any bodily touchpad button motion obtainable from a laptop computer bought in 2026.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Display, audio

Foundry / Matthew Smith

This assessment is targeted on the entry-level Dell XPS 14 with a 14-inch LCD show packing 1920×1200 decision. It’s probably the most reasonably priced show and it’s included with most pre-built configurations, although it’s attainable to customise any configuration to the OLED show for $150.

You’ll wish to spring for that improve when you care about picture high quality. The LCD show is okay, with okay distinction and fairly vivid colour. However, OLED supplies a night-and-day enchancment. Its vastly superior distinction presents a greater sense of depth and extra element in darkish scenes, whereas its improved colour efficiency supplies a extra vivid look. And whereas the LCD show is okay by way of picture high quality, nearly all notable rivals have totally switched to OLED.

It’s not a straight win for OLED, although. The LCD show has a semi-gloss end, versus the OLED’s shiny end, which makes the latter tougher to make use of in vibrant rooms. The LCD show is brighter, too, because it barely exceeds the promised 500 nits in my testing (a roughly 25 p.c enchancment over the OLED’s max of about 400 nits).

Surprisingly, the LCD show additionally has a slight benefit in VRR as a result of it may deal with a refresh fee from 1Hz as much as 120Hz. The OLED has a spread of 20 to 120Hz. To be sincere, I’m undecided that issues by way of movement readability and efficiency. It can matter for battery life, nonetheless, and the LCD mannequin delivers a giant battery life achieve over the OLED mannequin. More on that within the battery life part of this assessment.

While the LCD mannequin’s picture high quality is lowered in comparison with the OLED mannequin, all XPS 14 laptops have an distinctive quad-speaker sound system with a pair of three-watt audio system and a pair of two-watt tweeters. The audio system serve up a loud, well-rounded sound stage that’s among the many finest I’ve heard from any 13-inch or 14-inch Windows laptop computer.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Dell’s specs checklist a 4K webcam, however there’s a (hopefully momentary) situation. Windows reviews a most video decision of 1440p at 30 FPS, and 4K will not be obtainable. That’s true even in functions like OBS. The situation, based on Dell, pertains to the present Windows Studio Effects driver. Disabling that driver permits 4K decision however then, in fact, will disable Studio Effects (like auto-framing and background blur). Dell says it’s working with Microsoft to resolve this drawback.

Unlike many rivals, the XPS 14 doesn’t present a bodily privateness shutter. It’s not an important characteristic, however it will have been good to see.

A dual-microphone array flanks the webcam. Background noises are nicely managed and my voice got here by way of clearly once I recorded a take a look at clip. It’s not excellent, nonetheless. The microphone’s audio seize nonetheless has the hole, distant character typical of such microphones.

Biometric login is offered by way of Windows Hello facial recognition. A fingerprint reader will not be obtainable.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Connectivity

The XPS 14 course-corrects on a couple of of Dell’s latest design choices, however connectivity isn’t one among them. The port choice continues a contemporary minimalist method. You get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, every of which additionally handles USB-C, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery, plus a 3.5mm audio jack.

Of course, the trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports has perks. They offer you severe flexibility for docks, hubs, high-speed storage, and Thunderbolt/USB-C suitable screens. Many such gadgets can lengthen the Dell XPS 14’s connectivity. And Dell itself makes many screens with incredible Thunderbolt/USB-C connectivity, such because the Dell Ultrasharp U3225QE.

On the opposite hand, the XPS 14 lacks USB-A, devoted video output, a card reader, and  different legacy connectivity. For most customers, meaning dongles will probably be a truth of life. USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 have made important inroads, however I feel it’s near inconceivable to maneuver about the actual world with out often needing to make use of a port not discovered on the laptop computer’s flanks.

While the XPS 14’s bodily connectivity has trade-offs, its wi-fi connectivity fires on all cylinders. The laptop computer ships with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, each of that are latest sufficient that your current gadgets in all probability can’t take full benefit of them but. That’s factor. A well-built laptop computer at this value level has a sensible helpful life of 5 to 10 years, and each requirements ought to stay related all through the whole lot of the laptop computer’s life.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Performance

The entry-level Dell XPS 14 with LCD show ships with Intel’s Core Ultra 5 325. This chip is predicated on Intel’s new and deservedly well-reviewed Panther Lake structure—however there’s a catch. 

Intel’s Core 5 line-up is extra down-market than it was once, so the Core Ultra 5 325 is a fairly fundamental chip. It has simply eight cores (4 efficiency and 4 low-power effectivity). It additionally lacks the brand new high-end Arc B390 graphics and as a substitute has Intel Graphics with 4 Xe cores. These downgrades maintain again the entry-level XPS 14’s efficiency.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10 truly places the Dell XPS 14 with Intel Core Ultra 5 325 off to a good begin with a rating of 7,260. As the graph exhibits, that’s fairly a bit behind the XPS 14 with Intel Core Ultra X7, nevertheless it’s nicely forward of most Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chips. 

This is a development I’m observing with Panther Lake. All Panther Lake chips appear to do nicely on this benchmark. As PCMark 10 is a holistic take a look at that stresses a number of areas of efficiency, I feel this demonstrates that chips that use the Panther Lake structure are nicely balanced in CPU, GPU, and reminiscence efficiency.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

The story begins to shift a bit in Cinebench 2024. The Intel Core Ultra 5 325 appears to be like good if in comparison with the prior era of Intel {hardware}, as it may outperform the Intel Core Ultra 7 255U and Ultra 5 226V.

Compare it to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, although, and issues bitter. The Ryzen AI 7 350 is about 50 p.c faster within the multi-threaded Cinebench 2024 benchmark. Keep in thoughts, as nicely, that the Ryzen AI 7 350 isn’t positioned as a dearer chip. On the opposite, it may be present in laptops bought for as little as $800 and generally much less. The HP OmniBook 7 Aero, for instance, presently retails for $759.99 direct from HP.com.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

It’s an analogous story in Handbrake. The Intel Core Ultra 5 325 appears to be like good if in comparison with the prior era of Intel {hardware}. However, it solely barely defeats the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 within the HP OmniBook 7 Aero—a a lot inexpensive laptop computer.

I can discover issues to love concerning the Intel Core Ultra 5 325. There’s little doubt that it delivers a significant bump over the prior era. An Intel Core Ultra 5 325 appears to offer CPU efficiency on par or higher than chips just like the Intel Core Ultra 7 255U and Intel Core Ultra 7 256V.

But the worth issues, and on this case the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 is out of its league. AMD’s Ryzen AI 7/9 chips are higher bang-for-the-buck in cheaper price brackets. Or, at the least, that’s the case proper now. Laptops with Panther Lake are solely simply now hitting shops, which suggests many haven’t but obtained the reductions they’re prone to obtain after a couple of months on cabinets.

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Intel talked up Panther Lake’s new built-in graphics previous to launch, and for good purpose. The Intel Arc B390 built-in graphics, which supplies 12 Xe graphics cores, can ship efficiency on much like entry-level discrete graphics from a couple of years in the past, resembling Nvidia’s RTX 3050.

However, the Arc B390 is barely discovered on some Panther Lake chips—and the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 isn’t one among them. Instead, the Core Ultra 5 325 will get together with simply 4 Xe graphics cores clocked at 2.45 GHz. The 3DMark outcomes make the consequence of that clear.

I’ll admit that I’m stunned to see this resolution almost hit 3,000 in 3DMark Time Spy, and it managed to barely outperform the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 with Radeon 860M built-in graphics. However, there’s an enormous hole between the Intel Graphics resolution and the Intel Arc B390, with the latter greater than doubling efficiency. Most laptops with the last-generation Intel Arc 130V or 140V graphics can even have a bonus.

Real world outcomes replicate this. Shadow of the Tomb Raider averaged 27 FPS at 1080p and Highest element, which isn’t an pleasurable end result. You’ll seemingly wish to drop the element to Medium. Cyberpunk 2077 averaged solely 31 FPS at 1080p and Low element, which is a big downgrade from the Dell XPS 14 with Intel Arc B390, which averaged 36 FPS at 1080p and Ultra element.

Of course, it’s unreasonable to count on high-end efficiency from a modest chip just like the Intel Core Ultra 5 325. However, the entry-level Dell XPS 14 is priced towards laptops that can have a lot better graphics options starting from AMD’s Radeon 890M to Intel’s Arc 140V.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Battery life and portability

Dell ships the XPS 14 with a 70 watt-hour battery and boldly claims the laptop computer can last as long as 40 hours on a cost. That declare is barely relevant to the variations with the IPS show, nonetheless, so does it reside as much as that mark?

Foundry / Matthew Smith

Well, no—however because the graph exhibits, the Dell XPS 14 with LCD show nonetheless presents wonderful battery life.

Frankly, the 40-hour declare was absurd. Windows laptop computer makers have grown more and more aggressive about pushing technically attainable however unrealistic battery life claims, and Dell will not be proof against that.

However, the Dell XPS 14 with LCD show managed to show in almost 23 hours of battery life in our commonplace battery life take a look at, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Steel. 

That defeats many related laptops. Plus, this degree of battery life is excessive sufficient that I by no means needed to particularly cost the laptop computer. I did cost it, in fact—however by way of a USB-C monitor that I share with different PCs. I at all times discovered myself returning to my desk approach, approach earlier than the XPS 14’s battery was prepared to offer out.

Importantly, the LCD mannequin supplies an enormous battery life achieve over the OLED mannequin, which endured about 15 hours in the identical take a look at. I can’t say for positive how a lot of the LCD mannequin’s achieve ought to be credited to the LCD show, or how a lot ought to be credited to the much less performant Core Ultra 5 325 chip. In any case, it’s a profitable combo if battery life is vital to you.

Dell XPS 14 (LCD): Conclusion

The Dell XPS 14 with LCD show is, in some methods, a wonderful worth. I hesitate to name a retail MSRP of $1,409.99 reasonably priced, however in 2026 it’s undoubtedly extra of a mid-range value than it was once. And the entry-level XPS 14 retains many of the perks present in dearer configurations. It has an ideal haptic touchpad, plenty of Thunderbolt connectivity, and a ravishing design.

Intel’s Core Ultra 5 325 is a weak spot at this value level, nonetheless. $1,400 is sufficient to snag a variety of different laptops with AMD Ryzen 7/9 AI or Intel Core Series 7 chips, and most of those could have a big benefit. The built-in GPU efficiency is extra aggressive however nonetheless not spectacular.

Remember, too, that the entry degree XPS 14 achieves wonderful battery life and is superior to the dearer configuration on this space. If you care about portability, however don’t care about efficiency, the entry degree mannequin may be for you.