The webcams with the XPS 14 and 16 are surprisingly good, better than most other built-in web cams I’ve tested this year.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Pretty Pricey
Dell is selling a number of configurations between these two sizes, but I absolutely do not recommend the base model. The problem with the base model is the screen, which is a 1920 x 1200 screen. At 14 inches, that works out to a pixels per inch (PPI) of 154. While I have not used this model, I have spent plenty of time testing similar specced screens, and you should never pay 1,700 for a laptop with 154 PPI screen (for comparison, a 14-inch Macbook Pro has a PPI of 254). Worse, the 16-inch base model also ships with a 1920 x 1200 screen, which is a PPI so low that frankly it should only be in cheap laptops under $500.
Just don’t buy the base model, mmmkay?
The models I tested both had the gorgeous 3200 x 2000 OLED screens, which are things of beauty, but do bring the base price of both models up by $300. That puts the price of the minimum config I would recommend at $2,000 for the XPS 14, and $2,200 for the XPS 16. Keep in mind that that price only gets you 16 gigabytes of RAM, no dedicated graphics, and a 512 GB SSD. While you can always add your own SSD, the RAM is not upgradable.
Adding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 bumps the price of the 14-inch model to $2,400. This is the config I tested, and frankly performance was wanting in demanding tasks.
Performance Problems
I was surprised by the benchmarks I got from the XPS 14 with the RTX 4050, but not in a good way. My results were notably lower than other laptops using the same chip, particularly in Geekbench, which measures graphics performance. After looking up some specs and puzzling through the test results, I’ve come to the conclusion that Dell is underpowering the RTX 4050 graphics. The XPS 14 only gives the RTX 4050 40 watts, which is just above the bare minimum of 30 watts that Nvidia recommends. On one hand that keeps down heat, which means the fans spin up less and the battery lasts longer. Indeed, the fans on the XPS 14 and 16 ran less than other laptops I’ve been testing, at least until I started doing more demanding things like editing video.
The cost of that efficacy, though, is performance. The XPS 14 performed roughly on par with similarly specced Windows laptops we’ve tested this spring, and is very snappy for average tasks like browsing the web or editing documents, neither of which ever caused the fans to spin or the laptops to get warm. The bad news is that if you want a video editing workstation, the XPS 14 is not the answer.
The Alienware m16 R2 uses a 2,560 X 1,600-pixel resolution IPS display that’s decent for its price but not particularly remarkable. The display lacks HDR support, instead opting for a basic sRGB color gamut. This isn’t a huge deal, but when similarly priced laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 pack vibrant OLED panels, it’s hard to ignore.
It peaks at 300 nits of brightness, which is slightly lower than some gaming laptops I’ve recently tested. Sitting next to a window during the day, I could still easily make out what was on the screen, but I started to struggle while outdoors in broad daylight.
The m16 R2’s display does have one advantage: It has a 240-Hz refresh rate, which is especially welcome in fast-paced games that can take advantage of it. While playing Doom Eternal on medium settings, I got an excess of 200 frames per second, which made jumping around and shooting demons a buttery-smooth experience.
Many other gaming laptops at this price (like the Zephyrus G14) are limited to 120 Hz, so that makes the m16 R2 an attractive alternative if you’re looking for extra-smooth gameplay. It’s worth noting that the refresh rate is useful only if games can take advantage of it, which means you’ll need to consider your spec options carefully.
For Work and Play
The base model of the Alienware m16 R2 comes with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, but it can be upgraded to an RTX 4070, which was in the model I tested. With the RTX 4070, I played Overwatch 2 on medium settings while hitting well over 200 fps. In a competitive game where split-second decisionmaking matters, this is a huge benefit.
In more modern, graphics-intensive single-player games like Starfield, I reliably got 50 to 60 fps in crowded areas like New Atlantis, with higher frame rates in less-demanding areas of the game. Cyberpunk 2077 fared similarly, regularly maintaining 70 to 80 fps during combat, dipping to 50 to 60 fps while driving through crowded parts of the city.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
All of these tests were done while plugged in, but it’s important to remember that if you plan to play on battery, more frames means more power drain. The m16 R2 has a substantial 90-watt-hour battery, which is among the largest you’ll find in a laptop. But cranking graphics settings to their maximum will burn through that fast. Performing normal tasks on the m16 R2, I achieved roughly nine to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. Gaming dropped that number substantially, but I was able to get an hour and a half to two hours of continuous gaming if I was careful to optimize my graphics settings and not push the machine too hard.
Overall, the Alienware m16 R2 balances power with everyday needs. You can use this laptop as your daily driver for work and get a full day of battery life out of it, then plug it into a dock at the end of the day to do some pretty robust gaming.
Ah, the Huawei MateBook lineup. It’s long been the go-to series for those on the hunt for a clean-looking, respectable laptop, with a decent spec list to boot, and this year’s model, the 2024 edition, certainly doesn’t disappoint in that domain.
It’s actually quite an extraordinary unit right from the get-go, as it’s available in a huge number of different specifications. In fact, there are five total, ranging all the way from the Core i5-12450H, complete with 8GB of DRAM, and 512GB of storage, all the way to the model I have here, featuring the Core i9-13900H and amping up to 16GB of DDR5 and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
On the surface, the build quality is fairly decent, particularly for the price. You get a nice sleek aluminum finish, complete with a full-size keyboard, healthy-sized trackpad, and a beautiful screen that lacks much in the way of a bezel. There are a ton of ports on board, and the branding is subtle and refined. It’s very much an XPS imitator in a lot of ways, just at a considerably lower price.
(Image credit: Future)
Where that refinement ends, however, occurs when you start actually using the thing. Sadly, the keyboard just isn’t up to spec. It feels spongy to the touch and lacks any form of satisfying tactile feedback compared to other options available at this price point or above. It’s without a doubt. Its one saving grace is that it is rather quiet because of that. The trackpad alongside that, is large and works just fine, but again, nothing particularly to write home about.
As for performance, well it’s certainly there. In day-to-day tasks and light office work, the Huawei MateBook does exceedingly well. It’s quick, smooth, and paired with that IPS panel, makes for a pleasant experience. If you do need to do anything more complex, involving any form of GPU however, you’re going to be quite disappointed, as Intel Iris is quite limited in what it is capable of, in comparison to something like a dedicated GPU from Nvidia or AMD.
Still, if you can look past that, and its clumsy software (more on that later), the Huawei MateBook D 16 2024 makes for a tempting offer, particularly at its £1200 / €1300 price point.
Huawei MateBook D 16: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? Starting at £500 / €600
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the UK and the EU
The Huawei MateBook D 16 2024 is available now in the UK and the EU, starting at £500 / €600 (around $650). For that investment you get yourself a 16-inch screen with a 1920×1200 IPS display, 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H CPU, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The review unit I have in for testing is available for £1200 / €1300. This upgrades you to 16GB of LPDDR4X memory, alongside a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a CPU upgrade to the Intel Core i9-13900H, taking you from 8 cores and 12 threads to 14 cores and 20 threads instead.
Bear in mind that thanks to the US government’s ban on Huawei products, you can’t buy this at retailers in America – though importing is always an option, and given the low entry price, it could be a good way to snag a great-value laptop if you’re in the US.
Huawei MateBook D 16: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Huawei MateBook D 16
Header Cell – Column 0
Base configuration
Midrange configuration
Review (Max) configuration
Price
£500 / €600
£700 / €800
£1200 / €1300
CPU
Intel Core i5-12450H
Intel Core i5-13420H
Intel Core i9-13900H
GPU
Intel UHD Graphics for 12th-gen
Intel UHD Graphics for 13th-gen
Intel Iris XE Graphics
Memory
8GB LPDDR4x
16GB LPDDR4x
16GB LPDDR4x
Storage
512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD
1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Display
16-inch FHD+ (1920×1200) IPS, 300-nits
16-inch FHD+ (1920×1200) IPS, 300-nits
16-inch FHD+ (1920×1200) IPS, 300-nits
Huawei MateBook D 16: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Fantastic materials throughout
Good looking styling
Solid I/O Options
Huawei is without a doubt trying to target that XPS market with its MateBook Vision line. One glance at its exterior, and you’ll notice the similarities between the two. The MateBook has an exceedingly slim form factor, measuring just 17mm in height, and coming in at an impressive 1.72 kg to pack it all together. Huawei has gone for a smooth aluminum finish across the MateBook, giving it an impressively svelte look.
(Image credit: Future)
All other branding is fairly subdued as well. There’s a Huawei logo on the back embossed in a mirror finish, and a smaller logo situated in the center of the bottom most screen bezel. Speaking of screens, the MateBook D 16, features a 16-inch 1920×1200 FHD+ IPS display, complete with a peak brightness of 300 nits. It’s crisp and clean thanks to that 142 pixel density, and actually has some pretty stellar stats to back it up as well, not least of all including a 1200:1 contrast ratio, and 100% sRGB compatibility, all thanks to that IPS display at its heart.
Over my time testing the MateBook, its color accuracy never wavered on that front. Combine that with the slim bezel, and not particularly obtrusive inbuilt webcam (which I’ll say now, is as good as you’d expect for a tiny 720p unit), and the screen itself is a genuinely decent experience all around.
(Image credit: Future)
Then we get onto the keyboard, and well, it’s a bit underwhelming, to say the least. Spongey is the word. It lacks any real tactile feedback, and although is well-illuminated thanks to some decent white LED backlighting, it just feels horrendous to use. It’s functional, sure, but it lacks the premium feel we’re starting to see in a lot of laptop keyboards at this price point. And that’s not dedicated mechanical keyboards I’m talking about here either.
Likewise, the trackpad is fine, it’s suitably large enough and clicks well on the bottom left and right sides, but again, isn’t exactly anything to write home about. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing when it comes to trackpads.
(Image credit: Future)
For ports, there’s not a huge amount here, but the bases are covered. You get one USB Type C, one USB 3.2 Type A, one USB 2.0 Type A, a HDMI, and a 3.5mm 4 pole combi jack. It’s not a huge array of ports by any measure, you’ll probably need a decent USB dock if you’re looking to use the MateBook in a more advanced setup, but it’s enough for on the fly.
Audio is enough bugbear for sure. You get down-firing speakers on the MateBook, which are fine. Volume is great, however due to a lack of bass and lower end of the mids, you’re going to find most audio is generally quite tinny, and sharp on the hearing in comparison to something more sophisticated found in the likes of a Dell XPS or Asus ROG Zephyrus.
Huawei MateBook D 16: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Decent productivity performance
Gaming is non-existent
On to performance, and it’s fair to say that the Huawei MateBook D 16, is certainly lacking in this area. If you’re looking to do any form of gaming or creative professional work, you’re far better off looking elsewhere. That lack of a dedicated GPU, even with Intel’s Iris graphics backing it up in my review model, sadly isn’t enough to produce any concrete performance boosts compared to some alternative devices at around these price points.
In fact, you’d be far better off sacrificing the glitz and glam of the professional design and opting for one of the better gaming laptops instead at around this price, if that’s what you’re looking for.
(Image credit: Future)
At its heart, the CPU inside my review unit is actually fairly decent for a lightweight mobile processor. The Intel Core i9-13900H comes with a total of 14 cores. Six performance cores (these are the full-fat, processors, complete with hyperthreading that prioritizes high load tasks, such as rendering, and managing large data sets), and eight Efficient-cores (designed to really manage background tasks and low power operations, such as word processor, or Discord, or Slack as an example). That gives you 20 threads to play with, and generally, it does fairly well in our benchmark tests.
In GeekBench 6.2.1, it scored an impressive 12,568 points in its multi-core test, putting it just behind a Ryzen 5 7600X, full-size desktop processor. What’s more impressive was the single-core however, which racked up an index of just 2,605, that’s not far off an Intel Core i5-14600K desktop processor, or AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D either. Combine that with a healthy chunk of DDR4 RAM, courtesy of the 16GB of LPDDR4X and this ain’t half bad at Photoshop work either.
(Image credit: Future)
Another moderately impressive area, particularly given the price is that SSD too. A quick run through CrystalDiskMark saw sequential reads top out at 4,905 MB/s and read at 3,952 MB/s making it an impressively zippy drive.
Getting into gaming, however, was another matter. I ran a total of five benchmarks on the Huawei MateBook D 16, to gauge how it performed here. In Borderlands 3, it scored just 10.27 fps at 1920×1200, on the Ultra preset, far from playable. Total War: Warhammer III, netted a more palatable 33.9 fps, but with one major caveat the graphical preset was set to “Low”. Any higher than that, even “medium” would result in the game immediately crashing, due to a lack of memory.
Similarly, I also ran it through a couple of 3D Mark tests. With Wildlife Extreme scoring 13,731, and Solar Bay (the mobile ray tracing test) not being available, as again, no dedicated GPU, means no dedicated ray tracing sadly.
Huawei MateBook D 16: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
Intel Evo efficiency is unmatched
Charges fast
Battery life during my time testing the Huawei MateBook D 16 was generally very good. I easily got a solid seven to eight hours out of it, with mixed-use, before needing to recharge. Doing everything from very light casual gaming to watching YouTube, and responding to emails and work.
If you do decide to game, you’ll likely not see more than 1-2 hours of use out of it, as it doesn’t have a massive battery, but as there is no dedicated graphics card here, the CPU is doing a lot of the heavy lifting and is limited somewhat in that regard. You’ll likely want to plug it in too, if you can in that situation, as the power plans won’t give you full turbo speeds that you’ll really want to take advantage of.
That said, it does charge quickly as well, thanks to an included 65W adapter.
Should you buy a Huawei MateBook D 16?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Huawei MateBook D 16: Report card
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Value
The Huawei MateBook is surprisingly well-kitted out, at least on the CPU and SSD front. However it does lack a GPU, and some of the build quality could be better.
4 / 5
Design
That keyboard is not quite as fun as we were hoping, and could seriously use an upgrade. Otherwise, the D’s clean design does lend itself well to a professional environment.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Hopefully, light productivity work and a bit of Photoshop is all you’re looking for in this laptop, otherwise, you might be disappointed, as gaming and rendering are duds.
3 / 5
Battery Life
All-round battery life is solid, and it charges quickly too. Just make sure it’s plugged in if you do decide to game for longer than five minutes.
4 / 5
Total
The MateBook D 16 is remarkably average, and it shows. It looks great and the spec on paper seems solid, but it’s one too many hiccups away from being a perfect pick.
3.625 / 5
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
Running limited-time flash sales seems to be Dell‘s favorite thing right now and as if on cue it’s back with another one this week. A new selection of laptop deals is up for grabs until Thursday, including savings of up to $400 on its popular Inspiron and XPS devices. Jump through to browse the full sale for yourself or scroll down for my top four picks.
Leading the way for me is this Dell Inspiron 15 for $449.99 (was $649.99). The $200 savings is strong, making this powerful all-around laptop great value for money. It boasts an Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and a large 512GB SSD to ensure fast load times, boot times and excellent overall performance for everyday computing needs.
If you want a cheaper model, you can get this basic Dell Inspiron 15 for $279.99 (was $449.99) instead. This one includes more entry-level components such as an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB of RAM. But that can still handle light tasks and general work, including web browsing, word processing, sending emails, and making video calls.
Meanwhile, if you want a real performance powerhouse, this Dell XPS 13 is $949 (was $1,409). Like many previous XPS models, it’s a powerful, portable, and stylish machine with an impressive battery life, making it one of the best laptops you can buy. It’s best suited to demanding work such as coding and creative tasks like video and photo editing thanks to top-end components like the Intel i7 processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD.
Dell Flash Sale – the 4 best laptop deals
The Dell flash sale only runs through April 12 so you haven’t got long to pick up these best laptop deals. Before you hit that buy button, though, you should check out all the latest Dell coupon codes to save even more money at the manufacturer’s store.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: there is a reason Dell is the gold standard when it comes to the best business monitors. Dell has been at the top of the business monitor game for years and continues producing phenomenal monitors for reliability and usability.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Over the last several years, it’s no secret that many industries have moved to having virtual meetings throughout their work week. These increases in virtual meetings can be felt by those working in an office, especially those working remotely. If you’ve been to a few virtual meetings, you have probably experienced those who do not have a webcam, those who have a poor webcam, and those who have an excellent webcam.
In our experience, the best business webcams, especially when paired with quality audio, help set your best foot forward in presentation, much like if you are dressed well and present yourself well in an in-person meeting. It’s not everything, but having a quality way to present yourself is essential when your primary or perhaps only interaction with people is through a virtual meeting.
Dell saw this value and paired it with their skill in creating professional displays for businesses to develop their line of Video Conferencing Monitors. This line-up comes in six sizes: 14-inch, 22-inch, 24-inch, 27-inch, 32-inch, and 34-inch. These sizes offer high-resolution, highly functional monitors with great built-in webcams, speakers, microphones, an onboard dock for your laptop, and Dell’s classic adjustable monitor stand.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Dell P3424WEB: Unboxing and First Impressions
As expected, the P3424WEB monitor came well packaged, just like all the Dell monitors I have tested over the years. I can always trust that any packages from the company will arrive securely and safely. All the cables, a stand, and the base were in the box. I set it up quickly and had it running in no time.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
This monitor is a standard 34-inch ultrawide monitor with a soundbar, mic, and camera factory-mounted to the top of the monitor. While that may not be surprising, how clean and seamless Dell has made this combination look astonishing. The soundbar spans the entire top of the monitor, though it does not have to, especially for the 34-inch model. Dell has made this look intentional and uniform across their vast monitor sizes. The camera has a physical shutter that I can open and close with a simple twist of a ring, and I can even angle the camera down a bit to get the perfect angle.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Thanks to the built-in USB-C hub, I could quickly and easily plug in my M2 MacBook Pro and get to work without even needing to plug in another dock or adapter, making it one of the best monitors for MacBook Pro in this regard. In fact, thanks to the actual speakers built in, I can use these speakers to play background music, listen in on meetings, and so on without having to deal with terrible standard monitor speakers or only my laptop speakers. Granted, the built-in speakers are nothing incredible, but they are better than standard monitor speakers,
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Dell P3424WEB: Design and Build Quality
As I mentioned earlier, the overall design of document number one can be described as a 34-inch Ultrawide monitor from Dell with a soundbar and camera placed on top. Although it’s done well, that is what it is. It took me a moment to get used to the design once I turned everything on and connected it to what I humbly suggest is one of the best MacBook Pro laptops. That’s because the large bezel on the top looked strange. However, I quickly got used to it.
The build quality is as high as expected; the stand works well but is still reasonably dull and works consistently. The camera is good enough for even those crucial virtual meetings, and it has built-in AI features that can track your movements to keep you center-frame. Through the free DDPM (Dell Display Peripheral Manager) app, I have complete control of the camera, the monitor, and even the built-in KVM settings. The mic is also clear enough for virtual meetings, and I can pick up my voice well while sitting back in my chair and talking usually. I do not need to raise my voice or speak a sure way to be heard clearly. Lastly, the speakers sound better than dedicated music speakers, Apple Homepods, or a legitimate soundbar.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Dell P3424WEB: In use
In daily use, the monitor excels at productivity tasks and video conferencing. The ultrawide screen allows me to have multiple windows up and spread out or have a smaller number of windows all opened up super large. This helps me multitask efficiently, as I only sometimes have to rely on switching from window to window.
The high-quality camera and audio features greatly enhance video conferencing, making remote communication more effective and engaging. Yes, all the best business laptops have a decent webcam, but if you’re using a business PC, don’t have a decent webcam, or want to elevate your virtual meetings, this camera will do the trick and enhance those virtual meetings.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design
Classic design with video conferencing added to the top
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of use
Very easy to use overall
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Practicality
Practical for those with a lot of virtual meetings
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price
Expensive to get all of these elements together
⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Dell P3424WEB: Final verdict
Dell’s P3424WEB Curved Video Conferencing Monitor is an excellent upgrade for anyone with many virtual meetings and needs a lot of screen real estate – it’s easily one of the best curved monitors for professional use. The 34-inch ultrawide is a personal favorite of mine for my desks, where I get much work done all at once.
There is so much room to spread tasks in Windows, chat threads, and apps. On top of the monitor’s abilities (see what I did there), the virtual meeting capabilities of this monitor allow it to do so much more than just a standard display. Instead of adding a camera or missing out on a quality virtual meeting experience, you can have significant, clear, and crisp video and audio on your next virtual meeting.
For those prioritizing virtual communication and productivity simultaneously, this monitor should absolutely be considered in your research and would be a worthwhile investment.
A Dell curved 4K monitor — especially a big 40-incher — can make an excellent external display, if today’s featured MacBook Air and MacBook Pro setup is any indication. The user put the dramatic display together with a 27-inch 4K monitor after trying two other configurations.
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40-inch Dell curved 4K monitor serves M2 and M3 MacBooks
So now he runs two powerful Apple laptops. His personal one is a 15-inch M2 MacBook Air with 24GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD. And his work provided him with a 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro with a whopping 95GB of memory and a 1TB SSD.
He uses the two slick laptops with two fine 4K displays. First, his own is a big 40-inch Dell UltraSharp U4025QW curved 4K display he got after trying two other configurations. And second, his work provided him with a 27-inch LG UltraFine 4K monitor.
Then he rounds out his setup with a bunch of other good gear — Logitech C920 webcam, a Keychron Q3 Pro custom mechanical keyboard, a Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse, a Blue Yeti USB microphone and an Elgato Stream Deck.
Work laptop trumps personal laptop, but reverse it true of displays
What MacBook Air owner would object to their work handing them a killer laptop like an M3 Max MacBook Pro packed with memory and a nice 4K display like the LG? But as far as the displays go, it’s Chris’ personal one, the 40-inch Dell U4025QW, that caught our attention, along with commenters on the post.
“How’s the 4025 working out for you?” a commenter asked. “Happy with it?”
“It only arrived on Wednesday and I haven’t spent any long sessions with it yet,” Chris replied. “Text clarity is amazing vs the old Dell 38-inch I had. No complaints.”
Another commenter asked about whether the Dell and LG would be too wide if both were in landscape mode (LG is in portrait). Chris’s reply made the LG display out to be essentially an unnecessary add-on.
“It’s for Slack, Spotify and terminal, really,” he said of the LG display. “I would say its nice to have but not critical. Don’t really notice the difference between 120Hz and 60Hz to be honest. I don’t game. If you can get old u4021qw on a deal, may be worth it.”
Why ditch dual 32-inch displays?
Another person looked to Chris’s previous display configuration with two 32-inch Dell displays.
“Why didn’t you like the 2x 32s from v2? I’m in the same boat and about to do v3 with a 32-inch main work monitor and a vertical as well, so just curious of your rationale,” they asked.
“I did — i used that for close to three years,” Chris replied. “I just didn’t use all of the screens. Had to run DisplayLink adapters to use my MacBook Air. Moving jobs game me new budget to try something new.”
“How Is the Dell 40-inch with a Mac?” a commenter asked. “I’m afraid of the scaling issues.”
“Zero issues with this one,” Chris replied. “The old 38 [-inch Dell] was terrible.”
And if you like the desktop wallpaper showing on the big display, you can find it here.
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The Dell XPS 14 is the newest entrant into an already storied line of laptops, and it is arguably the best laptop of this newest crop of XPS devices thanks to its powerful new processor, stunning OLED display, and a design that looks better than just about any other Windows laptop on the market.
The XPS 14 9440 starts at a somewhat pricey $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,998.60, and it lacks the dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and OLED display, so you’ll want to upgrade these two specs in particular, though it will end up costing you much more for the privilege.
To be clear, Dell XPS laptops have never been cheap, but my recommended configuration, the same as the one I reviewed, will set you back nearly $2,400 / £2,650 / AU$4,300. For the hardware packed into such a slim 14-inch form factor, it’s more than worth the investment as this laptop will last for years before it becomes obsolete.
In terms of design, the XPS 14 fully commits to the design changes that the Dell XPS 13 Plus introduced back in 2022, but introduces a couple of quality-of-life improvements on its smaller cousin.
For one, the down-firing speakers have been moved up top alongside the keyboard, producing far better sound in exchange for diminishing the XPS 13 Plus’s infinity edge-style keyboard. This is a much better design choice, ultimately, and you don’t sacrifice much in the way of key space on the deck itself.
The display is what really steals the show here: a gorgeous 3.2K OLED display with super-slim bezels. This latter feature is impressive because Dell has somehow managed to squeeze in a 1080p webcam. There’s no physical privacy shutter, but that’s never really been Dell’s thing, unfortunately.
The Dell XPS 14’s Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the Nvidia RTX 4050 deliver powerful performance across all workloads, and in some cases can even match or exceed what you’d get from a MacBook Pro 14-inch, especially for gaming (though the RTX 4050 isn’t nearly powerful enough to keep up with the best gaming laptops).
Overall, the Dell XPS 14 9440 is a powerful performer for everything from everyday computing use to 1080p gaming to moderate content creation. It’s an expensive investment, but on balance, it’s one of the best Windows laptops you can buy right now.
Dell XPS 14 9440: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much does it cost? Starting at $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,998.60
When is it out? It’s available right now
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia
The Dell XPS 14 9440 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,998.60. For that price, you get an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor with integrated Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x memory, 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD storage, and a 14.5-inch full HD+ (1920x1200p) non-touch display.
My review unit, which sells for $900 / £1,050 / AU$1,300 more, upgrades to discrete graphics with an Nvidia RTX 4050 (30W) GPU, 32GB LPDDR5x memory, 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD, and a 14.5-inch 3.2K (3200x2000p) OLED display.
You can max out your configuration with 64GB LPDDR5x RAM and 4TB M.2 PCIe SSD, in addition to the above, for $3,399 / £3,238.99 / AU$5,999.40.
Dell XPS 14 9440: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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Dell XPS 14 9440
Header Cell – Column 0
Base configuration
Review configuration
Max configuration
Price
$1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,998.60
$2,399 / £2,649 / AU$4,298.80
$3,399 / £3,238.99 / AU$5,999.40
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
GPU
Intel Arc Graphics
Nvidia RTX 4050 (30W)
Nvidia RTX 4050 (30W)
Memory
16GB LPDDR5x
32GB LPDDR5x
64GB LPDDR5x
Storage
512GB PCIe SSD
1TB PCIe SSD
4TB PCIe SSD
Display
14.5-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge, 500-nits
14.5-inch 3.2K 93200 x 2000) OLED Infinity Edge Touch
14.5-inch 3.2K 93200 x 2000) OLED Infinity Edge Touch
Dell XPS 14 9440: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Gorgeous design
OLED display is stunning
Upfiring speakers
The Dell XPS 14 doesn’t shy away from the design choices that the XPS 13 Plus introduced, for better or for worse, but it does make some very important improvements to the previous design iterations.
For one, let’s talk about top-firing speakers. Down-firing speakers are genuinely terrible. They might be necessary, but they’re terrible, and any time we can get top-firing speakers on a laptop, your audio experience is automatically going to improve substantially.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The exterior finish comes in two colors: Platinum or Graphite. The finish is a CNC machined aluminum with a glass palm rest, and everything about it feels premium. The chasis itself isn’t all that heavy, but it’s not as light as something like the LG Gram or some of the best ultrabooks that prioritize portability over performance.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
For ports, you have three Thunderbolt 4 ports with power delivery and DisplayPort output, a 3.5mm combo jack, and a microSD slot. Given its size, I’m not expecting all that much on the ports front, but it’s good to see the microSD slot included since this at least gives some flexibility for creative professionals or those who might have a device that saves to microSD, like one of the best drone models.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
As for the keyboard, this is one area that’s not so great, since the nearly flat surface of the keys makes it difficult for touch typers who are used to a bit more definition to find their place among the keys. You’ll get used to it, but it’s not the best typing experience I’ve ever had on a keyboard out of the box.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Another major issue is the trackpad, in that it’s invisible. This does give the laptop a bit of a ‘future’ feel to it, but at the cost of accessibility. Likewise, the touchbar along the top is in place of actual function keys. All of these features work fine enough for me, but I can see someone with reduced vision struggling with this keyboard and trackpad.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Next, you have the webcam. Somehow, Dell managed to fit a 1080p webcam into the narrow top bezel of the display panel, and it’s a welcome addition. Too many laptops skip the 1080p webcam in order to retain the thin bezels, and that was fine in the pre-work-from-home era, but nowadays, you need a quality webcam, there’s just no getting around it.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Finally, the air intake on the Dell XPS 14 comes in from the side and bleeds out the back though a vent underneath the display hinge. The heat management is ok, but given its thin form factor, the underside can get hot under load.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
As far as Windows laptops go, this is possibly one of the best-looking laptops going. There are some who won’t love—or even like—the planar-leveled keyboard and lack of physical function keys or clearly defined trackpad, but overall, there is way more to like here than to nitpick, especially if you’re opting for the OLED display.
Dell XPS 14 9440: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Excellent all-around performance
Surprisingly competitive against the MacBook Pro for creative work
Fantastic productivity and solid gaming performance
Finally we come down to the performance of the Dell XPS 14, and I can definitely say that it is among the best you’re going to get on a laptop right now.
The direct rival of the Dell XPS 14 is the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro, and the XPS 14 holds its own against the best Apple has to offer in terms of general performance, features superior gaming performance, and also manages to battle the MacBook Pro 14 to a draw for some typical creative workloads.
While the MacBook Pro 14-inch ultimately offers better single-core performance and slightly better multicore performance, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU does an admirable job against one of Apple’s best processors.
In terms of overall system performance, the MacBook Pro 14 with M3 Pro (11-core) does manage to score about 23% better in our Crossmark benchmark, as well as scoring about 12% better in Geekbench 6.2’s multicore performance test.
The two laptops are evenly matched for SSD performance, and the MacBook Pro 14-inch scores better in 3DMark’s Wildlife Extreme and Wildlife Extreme Unlimited. The RTX 4050 in the XPS 14, meanwhile, pulls ahead of the M3 Pro’s GPU in Solar Bay and Solar Bay Unlimited, which are ray-tracing workloads, so this shouldn’t be surprising as Nvidia’s hardware can handle ray tracing far better than Apple’s chips right now.
In terms of creative performance, the Nvidia RTX GPU in the XPS 14 will outperform pretty much any comparable Apple device when it comes to 3D modeling, since just about every 3D modeling tool relies on Nvidia’s CUDA instruction set, so Apple, AMD, and Intel will always be at a disadvantage.
When it comes to video encoding, the XPS 14 manages to encode a 4K video into 1080p about 7% faster in Handbrake 1.7, though depending on the app you’re using, Apple’s specialized encoding engine might be determinative. If you’re a creative pro working in film and video, you’ll know which tools play best with Apple and which lean towards Nvidia, so which is better will come down to the tools you’ll ultimately need to use.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Finally, taking the average 1200p gaming performance on Max settings, the Dell XPS 14 does a better job than the MacBook Pro 14 across the board. The XPS 14 does about 62% better with Civilization VI, getting nearly 90 fps at 1200p with performance and memory impact set to max. In Total War: Warhammer III’s battle benchmark, the XPS 14 gets around 40 fps, which is about 25% higher than the MacBook Pro 14-inch’s 32 fps. It’s only in Shadow of the Tomb Raider that the MacBook Pro 14-inch scores a win, getting 48 fps at 1200p on highest settings, while the Dell XPS 14 manages to get 47 fps, but there’s a huge caveat there.
This doesn’t factor in the RTX 4050’s DLSS upscaler, which can push the XPS 14’s fps much higher than that, depending on the settings you select. This is a huge advantage for the XPS 14 that, for right now at least, Apple’s best MacBook struggles to counter since its upscaler, Apple MetalFX, is developer-dependent, and not a lot of games include it as an option.
In the end, then, the Dell XPS 14 manages to go toe-to-toe with the venerable MacBook Pro 14 and comes out with some very important wins in the process.
Dell XPS 14 9440: Battery life
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Intel Evo is back, baby!
Charges to full in less than 90 minutes
Intel chips have not had good battery life for years. Back in 2020, Intel Evo was a big deal, and one of its biggest qualifiers was achieving more than 9 hours of battery life on a standard battery test. With the 12th-gen Intel Alder Lake laptop processors released in 2021, battery life on Intel laptops absolutely tanked, and Intel Evo faded away for a few years as Intel went through Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and Raptor Lake Refresh, all of which had generally terrible battery life (even on an ultrabook!).
Now, with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel seems to have refocused itself on more battery efficiency rather than dumping electrons into maximum performance.
The Dell XPS 14 benefits with a nine-hour 35-minute battery life on our proprietary web surfing test, which is far better than the six or seven hours these laptops were getting just a year or two ago.
Under heavier load, the XPS 14 still struggles to get more than seven hours of battery life on PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery test, and the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test only ran for about one hour 50 minutes before shutting down.
These are a far cry from what Apple is able to pull off with the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro, which lasted about 17 hours 32 minutes in our battery tests, but knowing where Windows laptops have been in the past couple of years, I’ll gladly take a laptop that can last a full workday without a charge.
Should you buy a Dell XPS 14 9440?
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Buy the Dell XPS 14 9440 if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Dell XPS 14 9440: Report card
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Value
While it can get very expensive, the Dell XPS 14 starts at a fairly reasonable price and gives you good specs for the investment.
4 / 5
Design
This is easily one of the best looking Windows laptops you can buy, even if some of its design quirks will irk some and will be a deal breaker for a few people.
4.5 / 5
Performance
The XPS 14 goes toe-to-toe with the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro and manages to walk away with its head held high.
5 / 5
Battery Life
While not nearly as long-lasting as the MacBook Pro 14-inch, the Dell XPS 14 gets decent battery life for a Windows laptop.
4 / 5
Total
The Dell XPS 14 is one of the best laptops I’ve tested this year, and while it’s an investment, it’ll pay dividends for many years to come.
4.38 / 5
First reviewed April 2024
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
Both the Apple MacBook Air and the Dell XPS 13 are outstandingly good premium laptops – and both are on sale for some of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen currently.
For example, Walmart currently has the Apple MacBook Air M1 for just $699, which isn’t just a record-low price but a whopping $300 cheaper than the original retail price. Granted, it’s an older 2020 model, but this is a superb deal for a machine that’s still more than capable for most users in 2024.
Over at the official Dell store, you can pick up a 2022 XPS 13 for just $599 – which is almost unbelievable considering how premium this Windows laptop is. With super-thin display bezels and a gorgeous aluminum chassis, this model is a great buy right now – just know that it’s the configuration with the 256GB SSD (like the M1 MacBook above).
Two outstanding good laptop deals
But, which is the better deal right now?
(Image credit: Future)
Windows vs MacOS – it’s a battleground that’s been around for as long as computers have been a thing. In 2024, both eco-systems offer incredible app support, superb interfaces, and plenty of headroom for upgrades down the line. So, realistically, it comes down to personal preference in regard to which is best for you.
That said, we’d single out the MacBook Air M1 as an incredible bang-for-the-buck option for most people right now. Apple products haven’t traditionally been known for their value, but this M1 MacBook is barely as expensive as some refurbished and second-hand models right now. It’s quite simply a ton of laptop for the money.
Not only that, but the M1 chipset inside the MacBook Air is incredibly power efficient, which lends not only to excellent battery life but a unique fan-less design that’s almost silent in operation. Performance-wise, there won’t be much between the two laptops, but the Air will provide better battery life overall.
With all that said, both of these laptops are fantastic, powerful, and, above all, cheap. If your budget is around $600 to $700, you can’t go wrong with either choice.
Want to see what else is available this week? Head on over to our laptop deals and MacBook deals pages for more recommendations.
A good PC monitor is like a good pair of glasses – until you try it, you don’t realise how much you need it. That’s equally true whether you’re creating presentations for college or the board, fragging enemies across alien worlds, browsing online shopping sites, or streaming the latest blockbuster in 4K.
Whatever your need, Dell and its subsidiary Alienware have plenty of monitors that will suit you.
Ahead of the curve
(Image credit: Dell)
Both Dell and Alienware make curved monitors, to keep you immersed in whatever you’re doing. The curved design gives it a wraparound feel, which is helped by the 21:9 aspect ratio, making it wider and less tall than the traditional 16:9. Get lost in imaginary worlds, zero in on the financial details, lap up every pixel of your holiday photos – it’s all made easier by the curved design.
Some monitors dial the image processing up to 11 and let the user deal with the fallout. It’s an assault on the senses. While Dell monitors have the most advanced image quality technologies, they present the picture in a way that’s easier on the eye, creating a more natural, lifelike viewing experience that in turn is more immersive and engrossing.
High contrast ratios create a greater difference between the light and dark parts of the picture, with more subtleties in between. This creates an image with more depth, making it appear more realistic.
Some Dell monitors feature ComfortView Plus, which reduces blue light emissions while still delivering excellent colour. Because the mode is always on, you don’t have to do a thing, just sit back and enjoy the stellar picture quality.
You can tilt and adjust the height of Dell monitors too, positioning them perfectly for your setup. So it’s goodbye to aches and strains.
Seamless switching
(Image credit: Dell)
Most people know you can connect an external monitor to your desktop or laptop to use two screens at once, but did you know you can connect two PCs to a single monitor? Dell monitors – like the Dell 27 4K USB-C monitor – support Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM), Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and Picture-by-Picture (PBP), meaning a single keyboard and mouse can switch between connected PCs, letting you flit between them without any unplugging or plugging in required. Double the fun.
Dell Easy Arrange lets you organise multiple applications on your desktop and snap them into a template quickly and easily, keeping everything organised. And with multiple HDMI ports alongside USB-C, you can hook up a laptop, games console and streaming stick all at once.
Dell Gaming monitors have ridiculously fast response times, giving you a competitive advantage. And with AMD FreeSync meaning no screen tearing or stuttering for buttery smooth gameplay, no lag, and sky high refresh rates, you’d be a fool to use anything else.
Game on
(Image credit: Alienware)
If gaming is your priority, an Alienware monitor from Dell’s offshoot brand will fit the bill. For example, the Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor can be customised to meet your needs. The size can be adjusted to 25, 32 or 34 inches (as well as the 27-inch model), and you can pick from either high-definition or ultra high-definition resolutions. It comes with a QD-OLED panel, Fast IPS or Fast IPS Nano Colour, and you get a choice of three refresh rates: 165Hz, 240Hz or 360Hz.
It all makes for smooth, consistent performance, ultra low latency and crystal clear graphics.
It’s a joy to behold too, with the Legend 2.0 design in Lunar Light seamlessly integrating into any gamer’s battle station. You also get 360-degree ventilation, the AlienFX lighting signature, improved cable management, and a fully adjustable stand and height adjustment for those long weekend sessions. There’s even an innovative hanger that extends from the side, so you can hang up your headset when not in use.
Gamers, students, professionals, and casual web users will all find something to like in the portfolio of Dell displays. And with a huge range of price points, specs and features available, it really does offer something for everyone.
According to a new report by Business Insider, Dell has announced a significant policy change that will impact its remote workforce.
Starting in May, fully remote Dell employees will no longer be eligible for promotion within the company. Employees are said to have told the publication that their remote setups had enabled them to adjust to other life factors. The flexibility had cut them some slack to perform better.
The company’s change of heart marks a departure from its previous stance on remote work; CEO Michael Dell himself had previously been an advocate.
Dell fights against WFHers
In 2022, the company’s CEO stated: “At Dell, we found no meaningful differences for team members working remotely or office-based even before the pandemic forced everyone home.”
Under the new policy, workers will fall into one of two remote-style categories: purely remote, which means that they will no longer be considered for career advancement opportunities, and hybrid, whereby workers will be required to be in the office at least three days per week.
In a memo obtained by Business Insider, Dell emphasized the importance of in-person connections and hinted at the necessity for remote workers to transition to hybrid roles.
Michael Dell previously told followers on LinkedIn, “If you are counting on forced hours spent in a traditional office to create collaboration and provide a feeling of belonging within your organization, you’re doing it wrong.”
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Employees speaking anonymously to Business Insider expressed frustration and concern over the new policy, fearing job insecurity and the impact of increased office hours on work-life balance, with many workers living hours away from an office location.
While Dell may not be the only company implementing such drastic measures – Apple, Google, Microsoft, and more have also been pushing office-based working since the pandemic – it does at least highlight an ongoing and seemingly unsettled debate about the future of remote work and the effectiveness of working from an office.
TechRadar Pro has asked Dell to confirm the report.
