Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best Dell Laptop for Most People
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus (7630)
Pros & Cons
Plenty of CPU and GPU power
Medium-high-resolution 120Hz display
Half a pound overweight
IPS screen can’t match OLED rivals’ vivid color
Mediocre keyboard
Specs & Configurations
Class
Desktop Replacement
Processor
Intel Core i7-13700H
RAM (as Tested)
16 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
1 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
16 inches
Native Display Resolution
2560 by 1600
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
8 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.71 by 14.1 by 9.9 inches
Weight
4.54 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
14:13
Bottom Line
Depending on Dell’s ever-changing discounts, the Inspiron 16 Plus can be a tempting desktop replacement with above-average performance, though its screen isn’t stellar.
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Dell Inspiron 16 Plus (7630) Review
Best Dell Laptop for the Tightest Budgets
Dell Inspiron 15 (3525)
Pros & Cons
Plenty of ports
Decent price-to-performance ratio
120Hz display refresh rate
Overall outclassed battery and display
No keyboard backlighting
Plain design
Specs & Configurations
Class
Budget
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 5625U
Processor Speed
2.3 GHz
RAM (as Tested)
8 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
256 GB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
15.6 inches
Native Display Resolution
1920 by 1080
Panel Technology
VA
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Graphics Processor
AMD Radeon Graphics
Wireless Networking
802.11ac, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.83 by 14.11 by 9.27 inches
Weight
3.65 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
9:14
Bottom Line
The Dell Inspiron 15 (3525) is as simple as budget laptops come. While this version addresses several shortcomings of the previous generation, you could find better elsewhere if you’re not committed to Dell.
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Dell Inspiron 15 (3525) Review
Best Dell Desktop Replacement Laptop
Dell XPS 16 (9640)
Pros & Cons
Sleek, slim aesthetic and inputs
Brilliant 4K OLED touch screen
High performance from Intel Core Ultra 7 and GeForce RTX 4070
Impressive battery life
Expensive
Not all design changes are improvements
USB-C ports only (though USB-A and HDMI adapter provided)
Specs & Configurations
Class
Desktop Replacement
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
1 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
16.3 inches
Native Display Resolution
3840 by 2400
Panel Technology
OLED
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
90 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
8 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.74 by 14.1 by 9.4 inches
Weight
4.7 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
18:40
Bottom Line
A slick new look and cutting-edge components make Dell’s XPS 16 a dream for Windows-bound creative pros and power users—as long as they have the cash for its premium features and build quality.
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Dell XPS 16 (9640) Review
Best Dell Ultraportable
Dell XPS 14 (9440)
Pros & Cons
Slick touchpad and LED function row
Long battery life
Available GeForce RTX 4050 GPU
Ample memory and storage options
Effective webcam
Pricey for the spec loadout
Heavy for its size
Uncomfortable keyboard
HDMI and USB-A relegated to (admittedly cute) dongle
Specs & Configurations
Class
Business, Ultraportable
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM (as Tested)
16 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
512 GB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
14.5 inches
Native Display Resolution
1920 by 1200
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
Dynamic
Screen Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
6 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.71 by 12.6 by 8.5 inches
Weight
3.7 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
19:36
Bottom Line
Dell’s XPS 14 is one of today’s classiest compact laptops, bolstered by an optional Nvidia GeForce GPU, lengthy battery staying power, and a sharp webcam—but it’s neither the lightest nor most affordable in its class.
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Dell XPS 14 (9440) Review
Best Compact Dell Gaming Laptop
Alienware x14 R2
Pros & Cons
Impressive super-slim build
Brisk gaming and processing speeds as configured
Appealing starting and configuration prices
Long battery life
Wide range of ports for a small laptop
QHD+ screen resolution challenges the GeForce RTX 4060 at max settings
Ports being all on the back edge can be awkward
Specs & Configurations
Class
Gaming
Processor
Intel Core i7-13620H
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
1 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
14 inches
Native Display Resolution
2560 by 1600
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
G-Sync
Screen Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
8 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.57 by 12.6 by 10.2 inches
Weight
4.2 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
9:38
Bottom Line
A near-flawless compact gaming laptop, the Alienware x14 R2 packs a super-slim metal design, a powerful pairing of CPU and GPU, and a long-lasting battery, all at an accessible price.
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Alienware x14 R2 Review
Best Mainstream Dell Gaming Laptop
Alienware m16 R2
Pros & Cons
Strong gaming, productivity performance, thanks to RTX 4070 and Core Ultra 7
Reasonable starting price and good value as configured
Sleek metal build is trim for a 16-incher
Superior keyboard, plenty of ports
Long battery life
QHD+ screen resolution strains hardware in demanding titles
Only two configurations, though they’re well priced
Specs & Configurations
Class
Gaming
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM (as Tested)
16 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
1 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
16 inches
Native Display Resolution
2560 by 1600
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
G-Sync
Screen Refresh Rate
240 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
8 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.93 by 14.33 by 9.81 inches
Weight
5.75 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
10:14
Bottom Line
A more compact redesign rules out Nvidia’s top-of-the-line RTX 4080 and 4090, but Alienware’s m16 R2 delivers rock-solid gaming with a premium feel at a good price.
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Alienware m16 R2 Review
Best Giant-Screen Dell Gaming Laptop
Alienware m18 R2
Pros & Cons
Blistering processing and gaming performance
Relatively approachable starting price
QHD+ 165Hz display with FHD+ 480Hz option
Optional mechanical Cherry MX keyboard
Expensive as tested
Heavy, even for its size
Screen could be brighter
Specs & Configurations
Class
Gaming
Processor
Intel Core i9-14900HX
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
2 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
18 inches
Native Display Resolution
2560 by 1600
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
G-Sync
Screen Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU
Graphics Memory
16 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
1.05 by 16.2 by 12.6 inches
Weight
8.9 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
6:45
Bottom Line
The Alienware m18 R2 is just a modest upgrade over the first generation, with Intel’s latest 14th Gen HX chips joining Nvidia’s GeForce best, but it’s still a sleek, super-fast gaming machine with premium flair.
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Alienware m18 R2 Review
Best Dell Windows Tablet
Dell Latitude 7350 Detachable
Pros & Cons
Full-workday battery life
Powerful, laptop-like performance
Wi-Fi 7 and Intel vPro
Built with recycled materials
Three-year warranty
Expensive, and essential accessories are still extra
So-so cameras
Specs & Configurations
Class
Detachable 2-in-1
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 164U
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
512 GB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
13 inches
Native Display Resolution
2880 by 1920
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Graphics Processor
Intel Graphics
Wireless Networking
Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7
Dimensions (HWD)
0.35 by 11.5 by 8.2 inches
Weight
1.76 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
15:26
Bottom Line
The premium-built, business-focused Latitude 7350 Detachable 2-in-1 impresses with competitive performance, long battery life, the latest features, and a hefty warranty.
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Dell Latitude 7350 Detachable Review
Best Dell Enterprise Fleet Laptop
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1
Pros & Cons
Slick frameless keyboard and extra large, feature-filled touchpad
Excellent performance and battery life
Plenty of available business features, including 5G WWAN
Pretty display with above-average color and brightness
Thunderbolt 4 ports only
Uncomfortable hard-edged palm rest
Pricey
Only one screen choice
Specs & Configurations
Class
Business, Convertible 2-in-1
Processor
Intel Core i7-1365U
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
1 TB
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
Screen Size
14 inches
Native Display Resolution
2560 by 1600
Panel Technology
IPS
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Graphics Processor
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.64 by 12.2 by 8.5 inches
Weight
3.4 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
16:33
Bottom Line
The Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 is a well-made business laptop with innovative features and some smart design touches, but it’s only so-so as a convertible.
Learn More
Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 Review
Best Dell Mobile Workstation
Dell Precision 5690
Pros & Cons
Stunning 4K OLED touch screen
Blazing performance for its size
Elegant build with snappy keyboard
Not quite as fast or expandable as heavier rivals
No USB-A ports or webcam shutter
Mega expensive, as most mobile workstations are
Specs & Configurations
Class
Workstation
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
RAM (as Tested)
32 GB
Boot Drive Type
SSD
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested)
512 GB
Secondary Drive Type
SSD
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested)
512 GB
Screen Size
16 inches
Native Display Resolution
3840 by 2400
Panel Technology
OLED
Variable Refresh Support
None
Screen Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Graphics Processor
Nvidia RTX 5000 Ada
Graphics Memory
16 GB
Wireless Networking
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth
Dimensions (HWD)
0.87 by 13.9 by 9.5 inches
Weight
4.46 lbs
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes)
17:11
Bottom Line
If you don’t need many terabytes of storage or ECC memory, Dell’s Precision 5690 is a mighty mobile workstation that stays under a briefcase-friendly five pounds.
Learn More
Dell Precision 5690 Review
Buying Guide: The Best Dell Laptops for 2024
What Are the Differences Among Dell’s Laptop Lines?When looking for the best Dell laptop, you’ll want to concentrate on which of its six main laptop families best meets your needs. The ones to familiarize yourself with are Inspiron, XPS, Alienware, G Series, Latitude, and Precision. Apart from the two gaming-oriented ones, you’ll find clamshell and 2-in-1 convertible entries in all these families.Inspiron: The Mainstream ChoiceFor use in the home or school, Dell’s Inspiron brand comprises consumer laptops of every stripe: power machines, inexpensive “just enough” machines, big displays, and ultra-compacts. Whether editing photos or managing your home finances, Inspiron’s copious options fit screen size and budget needs for most buyers. These machines are mostly Windows models; if you want something less expensive for simple tasks and browsing online, consider Dell’s Chromebooks, which put basic functionality into an affordable package that works great for kids and students.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Dell used to break its Inspiron line into three gradations or levels: 3000, 5000, and 7000 series. As you went up that stack, you tended to see more premium features and higher relative pricing. The number between the word “Inspiron” and the series number was typically the laptop’s screen size; an Inspiron 13 5000, for example, would be a 13-inch-screened laptop with middle-field characteristics.However, today, Dell names its Inspiron systems according to their rough screen sizes, which now include 14-inch and 16-inch Inspiron laptop varieties. This creates more significant ambiguity around what each laptop is capable of; you’ll want to look at detailed reviews with testing results to get an idea of relative potency.Want to ensure you’re saving the most cash possible, even on one of the best Dell laptops? Check out our article with 15 money-saving tips for buying laptops.XPS: The Power-User ClassSuccessive guises of the Dell XPS 13 were our “near-perfect” mainstream and power laptops for several years. Refresh after refresh, Dell keeps tuning to keep this hardy machine on top. XPS signifies a premium-design, fully decked-out machine that bridges demanding consumers and business users on both the desktop and laptop sides of the fence. Dell’s line of power tools is equally at home in a home office, coffee shop, conference room, or high-stakes business meeting.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
XPS-class laptops also sometimes serve as guinea pigs for introducing futuristic features, such as in the XPS 13 Plus, which ditched a physical touchpad in favor of a haptic feedback mechanism integrated into the palm rest. Traditionally, you didn’t find much variety in the XPS laptop line regarding screen size or stratification, just configurable versions of the 13-inch-screened XPS 13 and 15-inch XPS 15 as both clamshells and swiveling-screen 2-in-1s. The XPS 17, the biggest model, has a 17-inch screen and is only available in a clamshell form factor.This changed with the introduction of 14-inch and 16-inch Dell XPS laptop models featuring Intel’s Core Ultra AI-equipped processors. For now, all of the existing odd-number screen sizes (13, 15, 17) are sold alongside these new even-number sizes (14 and 16 inches), but some may be phased out.Alienware and G Series: Full-Spectrum GamingIf gaming is more your style, Dell’s Alienware brand delivers if you’re on the market for a serious, blinged-out gaming cruiser. The latest components combine with premium construction and design, earning Alienware a well-deserved reputation as an aspirational brand among PC gamers. The Alienware machines tend to be big, brawny models with heavy graphics, firepower, and prices to match. However, the brand known for its classic Area-51m bruiser has made forays into some leaner machines with its m16 and m18 series models and the even leaner Alienware X series, which goes down to 14-inch screens.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Dell also sells gaming laptops under its G Series brand, introduced in 2018. Before this new sub-brand’s introduction, this aggressively priced, lower-end line was part of the Inspiron family. Dell split it out as its own animal, and now the G Series is aimed at mainstream and budget-constrained gamers. It has more modest designs than the Alienware models and component load-outs that are humbler but still workable for the latest games.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
The G Series models hover above and below the $1,000 mark, while the Alienware models start north of that. The G Series models are gradated into G3, G5, and G7 classes, with the higher numbers indicating higher-grade builds and feature sets. Latitude: The Umbrella for Business MachinesThen we have the business machines. Dell’s Latitude brand is the mainstay for its business laptops, competing with options from Lenovo (the ThinkPad T series) and HP (the various EliteBook lines). Latitude offers options for workers in the office or out in the field, with a mix of thin-yet-powerful laptops and durable systems that can take a beating.Like the Inspirons used to, the Latitudes make use of a 3000, 5000, and 7000 nomenclature, plus a top-of-the-line 9000 series. The second number in the four-digit model number signifies the screen size. So a Dell Latitude 7390 is in second from the top of the four lines, with a 13.3-inch screen; a Latitude 9500 would be a top-grade machine with a 15.6-inch screen.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Beyond the “simply” durable units, the Latitude line also includes a few costly, highly ruggedized models designed for use in hostile environments: doused in water, clipped onto an ATV, exposed to cold and wind, etc. These are branded under the Latitude Rugged Extreme moniker.Precision: Workstation Laptops for Demanding ProfessionalsMobile workstations are a breed of machines that share some traits with business models. Still, they stand apart for their Independent Software Vendor (ISV) certifications and, in some cases, specialized CPU and GPU options and support for precise error-correcting-code (ECC) memory. ISV certifications give users of demanding professional business apps (in areas such as scientific computing, architecture, and engineering) assurances that the workstation will run up to snuff with a given application. Companies such as Adobe, Autodesk, Avid, Dassault Systemés, and Siemens tend to be the ISVs involved.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Dell’s line of mobile workstations is its Precision line, which comprises laptop and desktop models. On the laptop side, Precision uses the same 3000, 5000, and 7000 series lingo as the Latitudes, with the screen size indicated within the model number.A workstation might make use of consumer- or business-grade Intel CPUs. Still, the mark of a high-end workstation is the presence of a mobile Intel Xeon CPU and a dedicated workstation-grade graphics processor from Nvidia (RTX A-series, formerly Quadro) or AMD (Radeon Pro, much less common). The latter contrasts consumer-GPU counterparts (GeForce RTX and Radeon RX, respectively) and are designed specifically for the heavy-duty calculations that ISV-class applications require. Ready to Buy the Best Dell Laptop for You?You’ll find plenty of solid Dell systems, but don’t be overwhelmed by the options. We’ve combed through our many reviews and singled out the best Dell systems in multiple categories in the lists and summaries above. For more (Dell and non-Dell) options, check out our best laptops overall (updated constantly), and our lists of the best Chromebooks, the best budget laptops, and the best gaming laptops.
