I tried this $599 Dell laptop and I was surprised by what it can do

Price When Reviewed

$599.99

Best Prices Today: Dell Plus 14 2-in-1

$599.99

$849.99

If you haven’t heard, Dell dropped a bombshell earlier this yr. It introduced the corporate has achieved away with its well-known Inspiron, XPS, and Precision manufacturers and as a substitute opted for a completely new hierarchy.

At the underside of this hierarchy, you’ll discover laptops just like the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. Last yr, this may’ve been known as a Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, and regardless of the change in title, it nonetheless fills its function of offering an reasonably priced entry level into computing.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Specifications

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that PC World acquired for testing is an entry-level AMD configuration with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor at its coronary heart. Dell affords many alternative Ryzen AI processors, in addition to Intel fashions, however that is among the many least highly effective configurations accessible.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 (6 cores, as much as 4.8GHz)
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 840M
• NPU: AMD 50 TOPs
• Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 60Hz WVA 300-nits touchscreen
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe stable state drive
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps digicam
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 64 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.36 inch x 8.9 in x 0.65 in
• Weight: 3.51 kilos
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Price: $849.99 MSRP / $599.99 at time of testing (Best Buy)

That’s mirrored within the value. Although it technically carries an MSRP of $849.99 on Dell.com, which feels a bit steep, it at present sells on Best Buy for $599.99, which is among the many lowest costs you’ll be able to anticipate from a Windows laptop computer that has the newest era of AMD or Intel processor inside. While this can be a sale value, the laptop computer was listed only a couple weeks in the past—so I’d anticipate this “sale” to happen often.

Despite its low sale value, the laptop computer doesn’t lower corners too intently. It nonetheless offers 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive.

You can anticipate to pay increased costs in case you do resolve to go along with a Plus 14 2-in-1 from Dell’s web site. However, among the fashions accessible on Dell.com supply a 1TB solid-state drive, and there’s additionally an choice for a 2560×1600 decision show on the Intel variant, which is an improve over the entry-level mannequin’s 1920×1200 show.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

Budget Windows 2-in-1s aren’t precisely recognized for his or her riveting or dramatic design, and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 isn’t any exception. It’s a easy, slim 14-inch machine that measures no better than 0.65 inches thick, accessible in a silver or navy-blue colorway, neither of which is exceptional.

With that stated, it’s a well-executed laptop computer in relation to construct high quality. Opening the laptop computer lid reveals a little bit of show flex, however not sufficient to lift any considerations. It’s the same story with the decrease chassis, which does barely creak if dealt with roughly however doesn’t visibly flex except actually abused.

I additionally just like the supplies used. I felt the plastics on the decrease chassis had a pleasant texture to them and didn’t attempt to pretend a metallic end. The rear of the show panel, in the meantime, appears to be manufactured from aluminum and affords a premium really feel.

Of course, because the title signifies, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is a 2-in-1 system with a touchscreen, and the hinge permits the show to be rotated again 360 levels to be used like a pill. It’s too massive and heavy to be comfortably used as a pill for any size of time, however the choice is beneficial if you wish to take notes or draw. Dell doesn’t embrace an Active Pen with the 2-in-1, but one is available for about $40. Owners may also rotate the show partway again to make use of the keyboard like a kickstand, which may be useful if you wish to use the laptop computer to observe Netflix or YouTube.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s keyboard ranks amongst its finest traits. The keys have good journey and a definitive tactile really feel with a delicate, clicky bottoming motion. I discovered the keyboard snug to make use of for lengthy typing classes. The consolation is aided by a superb quantity of palm relaxation area under the underside of the keyboard. Keyboard backlighting is normal, and it does what it says on the tin.

The touchpad is much less exceptional, but in addition competent. It measures about 4.5 inches large and about 3 inches deep. The touchpad felt responsive in my testing and dealt with multi-touch gestures effectively. However, some opponents—most notably, Asus—supply price range fashions with bigger touchpads.

Of course, since this can be a 2-in-1 with a touchscreen, it’s potential to make use of the touchscreen as a substitute of the touchpad. I personally favor having the choice to the touch the display screen over not having that choice, if it doesn’t add an excessive amount of to the worth, and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is actually reasonably priced.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Most Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 configurations have a WVA-LCD touchscreen show with a decision of 1920×1200 and a refresh charge of 60 Hz. A 2560×1600 improve is on the market on some fashions from Dell.com, however PC World didn’t obtain that show to check.

Display high quality is satisfactory. On the plus facet, the 14-inch show’s 1920×1200 decision is sort of sharp. However, the show is just rated for 300 nits of brightness, and on high of that it has a shiny coating that exhibits fairly a little bit of glare. That is a recipe for issues in case you intend to make use of the laptop computer in a vivid room or open air.

Color efficiency can be mediocre. The show seems fairly saturated and vibrant by itself, but when in comparison with an OLED show (which may be discovered on some price-competitive laptops, just like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x and Asus Zenbook 14) the distinction is night time and day in OLED’s favor. The identical is true for distinction, since OLED shows have an successfully infinite distinction ratio that ends in a deeper, extra immersive picture.

To put it merely, the show isn’t among the many Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s robust factors, and it’s the one characteristic that cuts strongly in opposition to a advice. If you desire a price range laptop computer with an awesome show, this isn’t it.

Audio high quality is best, although nonetheless blended. The audio system ship good quantity and readability, particularly with dialogue, which is greater than may be stated for a lot of price range laptops. Throw a little bit of bass at them, nevertheless, and distortion may result. Even the laptop computer chassis itself can vibrate, creating an annoying rattle. The audio system are good for podcasts and video calls, however not for video games or music.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 comes with a 1080p webcam and a twin array microphone, each of that are widespread specs for contemporary Windows laptops. The webcam is sharp, and the microphone picks up good audio high quality with nice noise rejection, particularly if AI noise rejection options are enabled. The digicam features a bodily privateness shutter, which is all the time good to see.

The one barely uncommon specification for the worth level is the inclusion of a fingerprint reader on the facility button within the higher left nook of the keyboard. It works effectively in most conditions, though a little bit of grime or moisture in your finger can idiot it. So, don’t attempt to log in after taking a swig of Mountain Dew.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

Dell has a popularity for leaning on trendy connectivity, and the 14 Plus 2-in-1 isn’t any exception.

It offers two USB-C ports, each of which provide energy supply and DisplayPort video connectivity, and each of which can be utilized to energy the laptop computer with the included USB-C energy adapter. They are joined by one USB-A port, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Although I may nitpick in regards to the lack of a second USB-A port, which suggests you’ll want an adapter in case you occur to need to join a wired keyboard and mouse, such a connectivity is typical for a contemporary Windows laptop computer.

When it involves wi-fi connectivity, the laptop computer helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, that are the most recent variations of the respective wi-fi requirements. Although that is widespread for contemporary Windows laptops, at this value level you would possibly find yourself some older fashions from the 2024 or 2023 mannequin years, and it’s doubtless they might not have Wi-Fi 7 or Bluetooth 5.4. Keep that in thoughts if wi-fi efficiency issues to you.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Performance

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that PC World acquired for testing was an entry-level mannequin with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor. This APU has a 6-core CPU and AMD Radeon 840M graphics. As you would possibly anticipate, the entry-level CPU and built-in GPU lead to modest total efficiency.

IDG / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark, didn’t put the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 off to the very best begin. While the rating of 5,579 isn’t unhealthy for a price range laptop computer, it’s additionally a great distance from what techniques outfitted with Ryzen AI 7/9 or Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors have a tendency to attain. The AMD Radeon 840M, which is comparatively much less succesful than many IGPs at the moment, doesn’t assist issues.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake, a closely multi-threaded long-duration benchmark, is a little more favorable. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 churned by way of a transcode of a two-hour-long film in 1,498 seconds utilizing purely the CPU cores (i.e. with out particular encoding options enabled). That’s not a foul end result for the worth, and it locations the Ryzen AI 5 340 in the same league to the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Ryzen AI 5 340 delivers a decent however hardly earth-shattering multi-core rating of 7,993 in Cinebench R23. Although a great distance from the highest, that is once more a good end result.

The essential problem right here, I believe, is the shortage of cores. Six isn’t rather a lot in 2025, and Cinebench R23 does are inclined to make good use of obtainable cores, no matter they could be. The Ryzen AI 5 340’s Cinebench R23 single-core rating was 1,828, which is principally the identical as the opposite processors listed within the graph above (they rating between 1,700 to 1,900). This signifies the cores which might be accessible are speedy.

IDG / Matthew Smith

As talked about earlier, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 has AMD Radeon 840M graphics, which is far much less succesful than the extra broadly recognized and well-regarded AMD Radeon 880M and AMD Radeon 890M. Specifically, the Radeon 840M has simply 4 graphics cores, an enormous lower from the 880M (12) and 890M (16).

3DMark Time Spy exhibits the end result with a rating of simply 1,427. That’s a lot decrease than an AMD Radeon 880M or 890M, in addition to Intel’s Arc 140V and even 130V graphics. These options have a tendency to attain 3,000 to 4,000, because the graphs present. To be truthful, you do usually have to pay a bit extra for them—and laptops with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V can be found for only a couple hundred {dollars} extra.

That’s to not say the Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is hopeless in relation to graphics and gaming. The 2-in-1 may comfortably play Grim Dawn, an action-RPG launched in 2016, at 1080p and medium element. If you need to play Diablo 4, although, you’re out of luck. It can technically launch and play, however in my expertise no quantity of twiddling with the settings made it an satisfying expertise.

The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1’s total efficiency is about what it is best to anticipate for the worth. It’s price point out, nevertheless, that Dell offers 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. It’s not unusual for price-competitive 2-in-1s to solely present 8GB of RAM or 256GB of storage, each of that are a big downgrade. These upgrades don’t essentially enhance benchmark efficiency, however do make the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 extra usable day-to-day and over time.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Battery life and portability

A 64-watt-hour battery powers the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. That’s a mean dimension for a laptop computer on this class, and whereas the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 is miserly when it’s not underneath heavy load, it does battle to compete with the most recent Intel and Qualcomm {hardware}.

IDG / Matthew Smith

I measured a tad over 15 hours of battery life in PC World’s normal battery check, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Steel. If 15 hours seems like rather a lot, I agree. However, because the graph exhibits, a number of trendy laptops can obtain 18 to 22 hours on this check.

The check end result matched my subjective expertise. I spent a few of my time with the Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 touring, and I discovered it may simply endure a day of blended net shopping and writing, with occasional breaks, with 40 p.c of the battery (or extra) left as soon as I arrived at a vacation spot.

I believe the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s battery life is ok, and definitely greater than a typical consumer is prone to want. Still, it seems that AMD’s Ryzen AI 340 is behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus and Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 the place battery life is anxious. 

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Conclusion

The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is an efficient choice for buyers trying to snag a do-it-all Windows system on a decent price range. It affords versatile design, a pleasant keyboard, and well-rounded specs whereas avoiding a significant problem or draw back that might take it out of competition. The Plus 14 2-in-1 is a very alluring when on sale for $599.99 at Best Buy, which is lower than many comparable Windows 2-in-1s and laptops. While I would favor to see a greater show, or a barely bigger touchpad, I loved my time with the 2-in-1.