At a look
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Attractive and premium design
- Great show high quality with non-obligatory OLED touchscreen
- Plenty of quick Thunderbolt 4 connectivity
- Strong efficiency, notably in CPU duties
Cons
- Capacitive keyboard perform row is a miss
- No USB-A, HDMI, different legacy ports (in addition to 3.5mm audio)
- Touchpad is smaller than some rivals
- Modest battery life
Our Verdict
The Dell 14 Premium might need a 14-inch show, but it surely’s centered extra on premium design and efficiency than on portability.
Price When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
$2,049.99
Best Prices Today: Dell 14 Premium
The Dell 14 Premium isn’t what I anticipated.
With the XPS line-up rebranded to Premium, the Dell 14 Premium is now essentially the most transportable laptop computer in Dell’s flagship line-up. Because of that, I anticipated it may be extra just like the previous Dell XPS 13, or a MacBook Air, or the Lenovo Yoga 9i.
In actuality, this 14.5-inch laptop computer is extra like a compact Windows workstation than an ultraportable. Whether that’s good or unhealthy depends upon your wants.
Dell 14 Premium: Specs and options
The Dell 14 Premium has an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor with a complete of 16 cores—six efficiency, and eight environment friendly. The mannequin I reviewed additionally had 32GB of reminiscence and 1TB of strong state storage. Dell additionally supplies the choice to improve to Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, although the mannequin I examined had Intel’s Arc 140T.
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
- Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X
- Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140T
- NPU: Intel AI Boost as much as 13 TOPS
- Display: 1x 14.5-inch 3200×2000 OLED 120Hz
- Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- Webcam: 1080p 30 FPS
- Connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroSD card reader
- Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- Biometrics: Facial recognition
- Battery capability: 69.5 watt-hours
- Dimensions: 12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 inches
- Weight: 3.79 kilos
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Price: $2,049.99 MSRP, $1,899.99 typical retail
Pricing begins at $1,649.99 MSRP for a mannequin with the identical Intel processor however simply 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 2560×1440 non-touch show. The mannequin Dell despatched me had not solely the upgraded RAM and storage talked about above but additionally a 3200×2000 OLED show, which will increase the value to $2,049.99. Models with the RTX 4050 begin at $2,249.99 (with 32GB/1TB and the 2560×1440 non-touch show).
You doubtless received’t pay MSRP, although, as Dell incessantly locations laptops on sale. All fashions are presently $150 off, which places the value of the mannequin I reviewed at $1,899.99.
Contrary to what you would possibly anticipate at a look, the 14 Premium is clearly constructed to ship robust efficiency, with portability taking a again seat to that objective.
Dell 14 Premium: Design and construct high quality
IDG / Matthew Smith
The Dell 14 Premium’s design is glossy, refined, and a bit controversial, although not for causes which might be instantly obvious.
Left closed, the 14 Premium is elegant however not distinct. The mannequin I examined had a “graphite” end that appears skilled and refined although, like most laptops of comparable coloration, it tends to point out fingerprints. The laptop computer can also be accessible in “platinum,” which is a silver-white end.
Pick it up, although, and also you’ll discover the 14 Premium is a chonk. It weighs 3.79 kilos (with OLED show, or 3.66 kilos with out) and measures 0.71 inches thick. The Dell is a bit heavier and thicker than Apple’s MacBook Pro 14, and far heavier than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch or Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i, each of which dip below three kilos.
On the plus aspect, the burden and materials high quality present a really feel that’s, nicely, premium. Most high-end Windows laptops have a inflexible chassis, however the 14 Premium is essentially the most slate-like I’ve tried this yr. Flex is exceptionally tough to seek out. Even urgent very onerous on the middle of the keyboard, which normally does the trick, reveals solely slight deflection. You’ll be hard-pressed to discover a Windows laptop computer that’s extra luxurious, although some Lenovo Yoga 9i fashions are in comparable territory.
Dell 14 Premium: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and stylus
IDG / Matthew Smith
The keyboard is the place the Dell 14 Premium’s design goes a bit sideways.
Dell has changed the bodily perform row with a row of capacitive contact keys. This isn’t a brand new function, because it was launched by the earlier XPS 14. Still, it’s controversial. Dell’s advertising and marketing suggests it supplies a extra luxurious look and in addition has a purposeful profit, as a result of urgent the perform row causes the backlit icons to vary (they modify to Function key labels, from F1 to F12, when the Function key’s pressed).
Personally, although, I’m not satisfied. The capacitive contact keys are more durable to seek out by contact. They additionally appear to take up lots of bodily room, which appears to push the keyboard down a bit. We’re speaking a couple of millimeters, however customers with giant palms would possibly discover the keyboard too shallow.
That apart, the keyboard is nice. The structure is spacious and supplies noticeably bigger keys than most laptops on this class, which could be useful. Key journey is okay, if not outstanding, and the keys backside out with a agency, satisfying motion. Function row apart, I believe it’s a great keyboard.
The touchpad is much less spectacular. Dell opts for a seamless look the place the touchpad’s bodily boundaries aren’t seen. You would possibly suppose, then, that the touchpad could be very giant—that maybe it even spans your entire width of the laptop computer—however the reverse is true. The touchpad’s usable floor is about 5.5 inches vast and three inches deep, which is common for a 14-inch laptop computer.
It does have a haptic click on, although, which I take pleasure in. It feels higher than most touchpads with a bodily button motion and capabilities irrespective of the place you execute a left or right-button click on.
Dell 14 Premium: Display, audio
IDG / Matthew Smith
The base Dell 14 Premium has a IPS-LCD 2560×1440 non-touch show, however the mannequin I acquired had the improve to a 3200×2000 120Hz OLED panel. It’s an excellent show for all the explanations OLED usually excels. The show’s distinction and coloration vibrancy are spectacular and supply a deep, immersive, alluring picture.
Dell does have an edge in show dimension and backbone. Most rivals have a 14-inch OLED show with 2880×1880 decision. That’s a bit much less pixel-dense: the 14 Premium has about 260 pixels per inch, whereas rivals pack in about 245 pixels per inch. Dell’s 14.5-inch show can also be about 7.25 p.c bigger (in total show space) than a 14-inch competitor. These aren’t night-and-day variations however present a slight benefit.
Choosing the OLED show additionally supplies a touchscreen, which isn’t important however good to have. The 14 Premium isn’t a 2-in-1 (the show doesn’t even fold again to 180 levels), but it surely’s sufficiently small which you could sit it in your chest and use the touchscreen if you’re lounging on a sofa or in mattress.
The Dell 14 Premium’s sound system features a pair of two-watt primary audio system and two-watt tweeters. They present nice quantity and an honest sound stage, however there’s not a lot bass, and that finally places the 14 Premium a step behind audio leaders just like the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i and Apple MacBook Pro 14. Still, it’s a positive sound system for many use, notably at decrease volumes the place the shortage of bass is much less noticeable.
Dell 14 Premium: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
The Dell 14 Premium ships with a 1080p 30 FPS webcam and dual-array microphone. Video from the digicam seems sharp and has good coloration copy even in a modestly lit room, and the microphone picks up good audio with nice noise cancellation. With that stated, a 1080p webcam is to be anticipated on this worth vary.
Biometric login is supported via a fingerprint sensor and IR cameras for facial recognition. Both work nicely, although I want the pace and reliability of Windows Hello facial recognition log-in. Once once more, these options are typical for a laptop computer on this worth vary.
Dell 14 Premium: Connectivity
The Dell 14 Premium is all-in on Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C connectivity. This is a call that’s beginning to really feel just like the default for high-end Windows laptops, notably these with a show dimension under 14 inches.
With that stated, Dell executes the thought nicely. All three ports are Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, so all three assist Power Delivery to cost the laptop computer and DisplayPort for video output (both to a USB-C monitor or to a regular DisplayPort port with adapter). A 3.5mm combo audio jack and MicroSD card reader spherical out the choices.
Many aggressive laptops are a step behind right here. The Yoga Slim 9i and HP EliteBook X Flip G1i, for instance, have simply two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, with the latter together with a 3rd USB-C with out Thunderbolt.
On the opposite hand, loads of 14-inch laptops present USB-A and HDMI (amongst different ports). Examples embody the Razer Blade 14 and Acer Travelmate P6 14 AI. These have fewer Thunderbolt and USB-C ports, although, so that you’ll need to resolve if high-speed fashionable connectivity or assist for older peripherals ranks increased in your record of priorities.
Dell doesn’t miss on wi-fi connectivity, because the 14 Premium consists of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. These are the newest variations of every wi-fi customary. However, best laptops additionally assist these requirements.
Dell 14 Premium: Performance
Most Dell 14 Premium laptops ship with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor. It’s a 16-core chip with six efficiency cores, eight environment friendly cores, and a most Turbo frequency of 5.1GHz. Though it’s straightforward to overlook, this is a vital level. Intel’s H-Series is sort of a bit extra performant than the Core Ultra V-series, and that comes via in benchmarks.
IDG / Matthew Smith
Dell will get off to a great begin in PCMark, the place the 14 Premium turned in a rating of 7,453. As the graph exhibits, that’s a superb rating for a 14-inch laptop computer. It mainly ties the dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9, which additionally had an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, and simply outruns Intel Core Ultra V-series laptops. Only the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 takes a notable lead.
IDG / Matthew Smith
Next up is Handbrake, the place we transcode a feature-length movie utilizing the CPU. The Dell 14 Premium does extraordinarily nicely right here, tearing via the duty in a bit greater than 14 minutes. It was solely a bit behind the Lenovo Yoga Book 9, which had the identical processor, and far faster than 14-inch laptops and an Intel Core Ultra 7 V-Series. The 14 Premium was additionally a tad faster than the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.
IDG / Matthew Smith
Cinebench 2023, a closely multi-threaded CPU check, once more had favorable issues to say in regards to the Dell 14 Premium’s efficiency. It scored higher than the Yoga Book 9i, and significantly better than the thinner, lighter Acer TravelMate P16 14 AI. The OmniBook Ultra 14 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 struck again towards Intel, although, taking a lead total.
It’s clear the Dell 14 Premium is a powerful contender in CPU checks, and this could possibly be a key purpose to purchase the Dell over a aggressive 14-inch laptop computer. Contrary to what you would possibly anticipate at a look, the 14 Premium is clearly constructed to ship robust efficiency, with portability taking a again seat to that objective.
But what about graphics?
IDG / Matthew Smith
As talked about, the mannequin I examined had Intel’s Arc 140T. An Nvidia RTX 4050 with 30 watts of graphics energy is out there as an improve. Still, Arc 140T is an honest choose in case you have modest 3D wants. The Dell 14 Premium’s rating in Night Raid shouldn’t be the most effective we’ve seen from Intel Arc built-in graphics, but it surely represents a significant step up from laptops with Intel Arc 130V or AMD’s Radeon 860M.
In apply, you’ll be able to anticipate to play older 3D video games at 60 frames per second at 1080p and medium element, or 30 FPS at 1080p at increased settings. Newer and extra demanding titles will also be loved, however solely at low element settings and with important picture upscaling. The Intel Arc 140T is okay for light-duty 3D work too, like easy fashions in Blender or utilizing SketchUp.
Dell 14 Premium: Battery life and portability
The Dell 14 Premium provides strong efficiency, however that comes with a compromise in battery life. Intel’s Core Ultra 255H beats the pants off the 256V/258V partly as a result of it attracts extra energy, which ends up in a lot shorter runtimes in battery life checks.
IDG / Matthew Smith
PC World’s battery check, which entails looping a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of Steel, sucked the Dell’s battery dry in a little bit over 9 hours.
That’s not unhealthy, and definitely usable. However, because the graph exhibits, it falls method behind what essentially the most miserly laptops can obtain in 2025. Battery life is the place the Intel Core Ultra V-Series components make their case, with endurance figures that may greater than double what the 14 Premium provides.
As a outcome, I wouldn’t advocate the Dell 14 Premium for those who typically want all-day battery life, after which some.
The excellent news is that Dell ships the laptop computer with a compact 60-watt charger. It’s roughly 2.5 inches x 2 inches by 0.6 inches and is among the many smallest chargers I’ve seen shipped with a Windows laptop computer. You’ll doubtless want the charger, however packing it isn’t a problem.
Dell 14 Premium: Conclusion
The Dell 14 Premium isn’t a big laptop computer, however its focus is much less on portability than on a premium feel and appear and powerful efficiency. That comes at the price of elevated weight and disappointing battery life. If you’re in search of a grab-and-go laptop computer for every day conferences round city or cross-country flights, although, this isn’t the laptop computer for you. But buyers who desire a 14-inch Windows laptop computer that may deal with many duties nicely, with quick connectivity and an awesome OLED show, will just like the 14 Premium.