2024 Dell XPS 14 evaluation: Higher, however not wonderful

Dell XPS 13 Plus 2022 arrived with a daring new design: a trackpad that matches seamlessly into the physique, a wonderfully flat “zero grid” keyboard and “a spread of capacitive contact options.” Sadly, the brand new look was marred by the truth that it ran too scorching and had too quick a battery life. Now Dell has given the whole XPS lineup the identical futuristic design, from the XPS 13 fashions powered by Intel or Qualcomm processors to new 14- and 16-inch sizes that appear to be aimed squarely on the MacBook Professional. The XPS 14 ($2,500 as reviewed) would not endure from the identical points because the 13 Plus and even XPS 15 — and but it is nonetheless underwhelming.

The XPS 14 could have a discrete graphics card just like the XPS 15, however even with a smaller physique and a extra highly effective GPU, it stays a lot cooler than the final XPS 15 we reviewed, and even the 13 Plus. Meteor Lake Intel Core Extremely 7 155H 21 % sooner than the Core i7-1280P within the XPS 13 Plus, and if this had been round two years in the past, it will have mounted different points we had with the 13 and 15 apart from warmth and battery life, like efficiency . Even with an OLED show, the XPS 14’s battery lasts twice as lengthy—12 hours in comparison with the 13 Plus’ six hours—with solely a 23 % bigger battery. That is nice.

The record of enhancements continues: The 14-inch mannequin has three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports as an alternative of two, plus a combo audio jack and microSD slot, and the power to configure as much as 64GB of reminiscence and 4TB of storage. The XPS 14 can be 1.1 kilos heavier than the 13, though it is solely 10 inches thicker and the show has a decrease decision however is bodily bigger. It is a extra cheap value—$1,500 for the bottom mannequin and $2,500 for the precise configuration reviewed right here—however nonetheless costly in comparison with comparable laptops.

Nonetheless, I am not loopy about all of those objectively good enhancements as a result of I do not like the way in which it feels to kind on the XPS 14. The important thing journey is okay, if shallow, however the switches really feel too springy, like a warped a part of the keyboard. a steel spring that pops out each time you attempt to push it again down. The plastic keycaps additionally really feel too skinny for a glossy and sturdy laptop computer, and I do not like how shut they’re for his or her measurement.

The shortage of a standard purposeful collection throws off my muscle reminiscence. I maintain complicated the tilde key with the escape key, and the Caps Lock key with the tab key, and may’t get used to urgent the esc button—or any button on the touchpad—as a result of there is not any haptic suggestions. It is built-in into the case identical to a trackpad, however the trackpad has haptics, so why would not the characteristic work? Sure, I can have a look at the display screen to verify if I pressed the suitable button, however it’s far more satisfying to see and really feel the results of urgent a button.

I do not thoughts the imprecise trackpad area because it takes up a really massive space beneath the keyboard. If I faucet or press far sufficient left or proper, it appears like utilizing an everyday trackpad. I do not at all times get it proper, so generally I exploit the OLED touchscreen for navigation only for effectivity’s sake, however not usually.

However I spent extra time than I ought to have searching for the facility button. I finally discovered it to the suitable of the Backspace key. There is no such thing as a icon indicating that that is the facility button. It is only a darkish grey key that blends seamlessly into the keyboard, however I nonetheless felt silly for lacking it at first.

Whereas the elective RTX 4050 GPU is nice for reinforcing graphics or video efficiency, the Dell XPS 14 is not the primary gaming laptop computer. You’ll be able to run a recreation like this Baldur’s Gate 3 on XPS 14 with the right settings, however there are gaming laptops like Asus ROG Zephyr G14 which pack extra highly effective {hardware} for much less cash and embody devoted gaming options like adaptive sync, and software program to fine-tune settings like fan pace and GPU clock pace.

When it comes to value and efficiency, the XPS 14 is just not a superb different MacBook Professional what the XPS 15 as soon as was. The bottom M3 chip performs effectively in nearly all of our exams, and though Apple eliminated the divisive touchpadDell put in a much less helpful one. The invisible haptic trackpad seems higher than the MacBook Professional’s conventional one, however it’s just a little more durable to make use of, whereas the MacBook’s keyboard is way nicer (just like the XPS 15’s keyboard).

The XPS 14 is extra aggressive with some Home windows laptops, comparable to Asus Zenbook 14X OLED, however it’s nonetheless too costly, and except you want a brand new laptop computer for 3D modeling or video work, it makes extra sense to go together with built-in graphics and save $400. Nonetheless, with the upcoming launch of the $1,300 coin XPS 13 powered by Qualcomm Snapdragonhigher to chorus from shopping for any Dell XPS, opinions pending.

IN her XPS 13 Plus evaluationMonica Chin, EdgeA former laptop computer reviewer mentioned the brand new design seems prefer it made the identical errors Apple made with the 2016 MacBook Professional redesign, with too many sacrifices within the title of subtlety. Dell took the efficiency and battery lifetime of the 13 Plus under consideration with the XPS 14, however the shallow, springy keyboard, ambiguously labeled energy button, and numerous contact options carried over from the 13 Plus maintain the XPS 14 from feeling underwhelming. It seems good, however it’s not that nice to make use of.

Photograph by Joanna Nelius/The Verge