The Dell XPS 14 is almost a MacBook killer, but its keyboard and price leave you wanting more

Dell revived the XPS brand with the newest XPS 14, and the laptop is more premium than ever before. There's an aluminum chassis, Gorilla Glass coverings, and a chic "XPS" logo on the lid. Crucially, Dell also added a physical function row back to the XPS line, replacing the capacitive one. The futuristic look of the XPS 14 is still intact, but it's more functional and powerful now. I've been using the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 laptop for about a month, and I wish every Windows machine put the same emphasis on build quality as the XPS 14.

There are still issues, though, with the most unforgivable one being the price. Laptops with similar performance as the XPS 14 cost much less, while laptops priced in the same sphere as the XPS 14 deliver more power. You're paying a premium for the design and materials, but this becomes a tougher sell due to the unusual lattice-free keyboard layout and unconventional edgeless touchpad. While the XPS 14 has room for improvement, it sets the standard for the build quality of a Windows laptop while offering fast performance and decent battery life.

Dell loaned us the XPS 14 for this review, but the company had no input in this article and did not see it before publishing.

Classy productivity laptop Dell XPS 14 (Almost) the perfect Windows laptop 7.5/10 CPU Series 3 Intel Core Ultra X7 Processor 358H (16 cores, 18MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz) GPU Intel Arc Graphics RAM 32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s The Dell XPS 14 is a premium Windows 11 productivity laptop with decent performance in a modest form factor. At just over half an inch thick and weighing only three pounds, its aluminum chassis is both sleek and easy to carry. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip inside is solid, and you should get all-day battery life, even if there are a few power and charging quirks to be wary of. The lattice-free keyboard now has a physical function row, but it's still error-prone. Storage 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD Pros & Cons Sleek and stylish design with impeccable build quality

Gorgeous 14-inch touchscreen OLED display with 2.8K resolution

Three Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack All-day battery life, but Intel power and charging woes remain

Configuration as reviewed feels overpriced for what you get

Keyboard and trackpad design is still more form than function

Dell XPS 14 pricing and availability

The Dell XPS 14 comes in a variety of configurations, all available for purchase on Dell's website. You may find XPS laptops at third-party retailers, but the XPS 14 isn't available at Best Buy or Amazon currently. The baseline Dell XPS 14 starts at $1,989.99 and features an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 355 processor, integrated Intel graphics, 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch non-touch 2K LCD panel. Note that the performance and display quality of this model will differ from the upgraded one tested here.

The configuration I reviewed retails for $2,879.99 and includes an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 X7 358H processor, integrated Intel Arc graphics, 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, and 1TB of SSD storage. It also sports a 2.8K touchscreen OLED display with a variable refresh rate between 20Hz and 120Hz. In the box is a 100W power adapter with a USB-C connector for charging.

For those that need extra power, the XPS 14 can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 X9 388H processor with a discrete Intel Arc graphics card at an additional cost.

Dell XPS 14 DA14260 specs (as reviewed) Operating System Windows 11 CPU Series 3 Intel Core Ultra X7 Processor 358H (16 cores, 18MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz) GPU Intel Arc Graphics RAM 32GB LPDDR5x Dual Channel at 9600 MT/s Storage 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD Battery 3Cell, 70Whr Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch, 2.8K Camera 8MP/4K HDR webcam Speakers Quad-speaker design with 3W Main x 2 Channel + 2W Tweeter x 2 Channel; 10W total peak output, Dolby Atmos Colors Graphite Ports 3x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack Dimensions 12.19 x 8.26 x 0.58 in. Weight 3.00 lb Price $2,880 (as reviewed; starts at $1,880) Model DA14260 Adaptor and Battery 100W USB-C power adapter included Finish CNC machined aluminum, Gorilla Glass 3 palm rest, Gorilla Glass Victus display glass Display type Touchscreen, OLED, 20-120Hz, 400 nits Audio Dual microphone array optimized with Intelligo High Fidelity Audio Connectivity Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE211 2x2 + Bluetooth 6.0 Wireless Card Security Windows Hello facial recognition

The Dell XPS 14's thin, light, and metal chassis shines

Every Windows laptop should be built this well — but what's going on with the keyboard?

The design and build of the Dell XPS 14 is certainly its strong suit. The XPS line has long featured Windows laptops with futuristic appearances, and the latest XPS 14 strikes a better balance between form and function. The sloping shape of old XPS 14 models is gone, and the capacitive function row has finally been replaced with physical keys. The design, well, looks like a MacBook. That's not a knock on the XPS 14, it's a compliment.

There is one thing the XPS 14 offers that a MacBook Pro doesn't, and it has to do with the glass. Laptop displays are often covered with a matte plastic layer or standard glass. You'll rarely find laptops with the advanced glass coverings you'd see on a smartphone, but that's what you get with the XPS 14. This laptop has Gorilla Glass Victus shielding the OLED touchscreen and Gorilla Glass 3 on the palm rest and touchpad, and these are neat inclusions for long-term durability. It fits right in with the aluminum chassis that makes up the XPS 14, which is currently available in a "Graphite" finish.

The stylish nature of the XPS 14 extends to the keyboard and touchpad, which looks better than it feels.

The thickness and weight of the XPS 14 are also worth mentioning. This isn't an ultrabook, but the OLED model I reviewed starts at three pounds and measures 0.58 inches thick. For reference, the base 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro is slightly thicker and heavier, at 0.61 inches and 3.4 pounds. These are miniscule differences in the grand scheme of things, but it adds to the XPS 14's premium and refined design.

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

The stylish nature of the XPS 14 extends to the keyboard and touchpad, which looks better than it feels. The edgeless palm rest and touchpad look unique, and Dell added subtle lines that show where the touchpad area begins and ends. However, the trackpad is probably oversized on the XPS 14, as there isn't enough room on the palm rests left for your wrists to sit. This can lead to tracking issues when the laptop accidentally detects your palms touching the area as an input.

The keyboard still uses a lattice-free design, and in other words, doesn't have gaps between the individual keys. This arguably is more visually appealing and makes for a keyboard that's easier to keep clean. The flip side is that, for many, it's harder to type on. Touch typists usually account for the gaps between the keys in their finger movements, and the XPS 14 can trip up even seasoned typists. I found myself making more errors on the XPS 14 than the average laptop, and the mere 0.8mm of key travel didn't help.

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

The port selection on the XPS 14 is minimal, but just enough for a productivity laptop. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left, and one more on the right. There's also a 3.5mm audio jack on the right. This is plenty for most people, and thankfully, you can charge the XPS 14 on either side. Thunderbolt 5 would've been nice considering the XPS 14's price point, but Thunderbolt 4 will have to do.

The gorgeous OLED touchscreen is a joy to use

It's a responsive display with rich colors and a variable refresh rate

The XPS 14 comes in two display configurations, a non-touch LCD and a touchscreen OLED. I tested the touchscreen OLED model, complete with a 2.8K resolution and a variable refresh rate between 20Hz and 120Hz. It was as crisp and vibrant as you'd expect, with the OLED panel reproducing deep blacks and rich colors. The touchscreen was responsive too, even if I rarely use my fingers to operate laptops.

This screen offers full coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 400 nits of typical brightness, with the XPS 14 able to crank up to 500 nits of peak brightness. It supports display standards like Dolby Vision and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500. In other words, this is as high-quality of a display as you'll find at the XPS 14's price point. The non-touch version has a higher typical brightness rating and can go as low as 1Hz, so consider these differences when choosing between XPS 14 configurations.

Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 is fast, but is that enough?

The Dell XPS 14 costs more than other laptops in its performance class

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

The Dell XPS 14 is powered by Intel's newest "Panther Lake" platform, also branded as Core Ultra Series 3. The platform update is yet another push by Intel to improve mobile processing power while prioritizing efficiency. The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H achieves at least half of that goal, delivering strong performance in exchange for modest power consumption. Compared to equivalent mobile processors in the last-generation Core Ultra Series 2 family, the XPS 14 is significantly better in both single-core and multi-core performance. It even beats higher-tier, last-generation chips like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H.

I ran a suite of productivity and graphics benchmarks on the Dell XPS 14 and similar laptops in its class, with each laptop running on battery power and set to the "Balanced" mode. The XPS 14 came out on top in nearly every test, outperforming its larger sibling, the XPS 16. The Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro uses the same Core Ultra X7 358H chip, and it scored about the same as the XPS 14, posting a worse single-core Geekbench 6 score but a better multi-core score. In PCMark 10, a classic office productivity test, the XPS outscored every other laptop tested.

It also performed well in 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme graphics test, handily outperforming last-generation Intel Core Ultra Series 2 systems. The XPS 14's integrated graphics won't match up to laptops with discrete GPUs, as evidenced by the Acer Swift X14's Wild Life Extreme score, which is to be expected.

Geekbench 6 (single-core/multi-core) PCMark 10 Crossmark (overall) 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Dell XPS 14 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H) 2,816 / 15,029 7,750 1,492 11,180 Dell XPS 16 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H) 2,652 / 14,022 7,314 1,422 11,576 Acer Swift Edge 14 AI (Intel Core Ultra 7 258V) 2,021 / 9,121 6,442 1,419 7,563 Acer Swift X14 (Intel Core Ultra 9 285H + Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU) 2,130 / 12,474 6,014 1,618 15,087 Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H) 2,751 / 16,165 N/A N/A N/A Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E88100) 3,738 / 19,711 N/A 1,549 9,741

What's interesting here is how the XPS 14 performed against the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, which is an Arm-based thin-and-light laptop running a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. Intel chips are frequently compared to Arm processors, and this comparison explains why.

The Yoga Slim 7x tramples the XPS 14 in most productivity tasks, demolishing the Ultra X7 358H in Geekbench 6's single- and multi-core tests. It's a little closer in Crossmark's productivity gauntlet, but the Snapdragon X2 Elite still comes out on top. Naturally, the XPS 14 beats the Yoga Slim 7x in graphics-based workflows, and app compatibility is still something to keep in mind when considering Windows on Arm.

Here's the real kicker — the Yoga Slim 7x tested here retails for $1,839.99 at full price, and it's discounted further. That puts it at $1,000 cheaper, or more, than the Dell XPS 14, while offering more performance for basic office tasks. This sums up the issue with the XPS 14's performance: it's good, but not for the price. You can find laptops that run as fast or faster than the XPS 14 and probably spend less money. You're paying for the premium build quality and fancy display when you buy an XPS 14. If performance and value are your only considerations, this isn't the laptop for you.

This sums up the issue with the XPS 14's performance: it's good, but not for the price.

Dell's XPS 14 pairs the Ultra X7 358H processor with 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. It also has a 70Whr battery that should give you all-day use, depending on your workflows. Use a bunch of power-hungry apps or switch on the "Best performance" mode, and things can get tight.

Intel's power and charging woes haven't been solved, though. I tried using a 65W USB-C power adapter to charge the XPS 14 overnight, and woke up to an error message, an overheating laptop, and a nearly dead battery. No, I wasn't using the official charger, but this still shouldn't be an issue plaguing Intel laptops in 2026. With three Thunderbolt 4 ports onboard, I should be able to plug a USB PD charger into any one of them and let the XPS 14 negotiate the power delivery profile.

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf

Be wary of Dell's default battery presets, too. The XPS 14 ships with an "Adaptive mode" for battery and power management that may limit charging to 80% when the laptop is connected to power for more than 12 hours. To fix this, you need to dig through the BIOS and change the battery mode to "Standard mode." I don't mind seeing this feature on the XPS 14 — it is better for long-term battery health — but it shouldn't be enabled automatically, and you should be able to change this without entering the BIOS.

Should you buy the Dell XPS 14?

You should buy the Dell XPS 14 if:

You want a Windows laptop with a premium build and aren't afraid to pay extra for it

You don't mind Dell's lattice-free keyboard design and oversized trackpad

You want a stunning14-inch OLED touchscreen with variable refresh rate support

You should NOT buy the Dell XPS 14 if:

You need the best battery life and a reliable charging experience

You're a value shopper looking for the perfect price-to-performance ratio

You need faster performance or modern amenities, like Thunderbolt 5 support

I can safely say that the Dell XPS 14 offers the best build quality of any Windows laptop I've personally tested — and I've used many that are more expensive than this one. The XPS 14 feels premium and sturdy while keeping thickness and weight to a minimum. The price tag is high for the performance you get from this machine, so be aware that you're paying a premium for the aluminum chassis and Gorilla Glass on the display and palm rest. For some, that won't be an issue, because Windows laptop manufacturers dismiss the importance of build quality all too often.

I have to stop short of giving the XPS 14 a decisive recommendation for those who want a premium Windows laptop, and the keyboard and trackpad are the two reasons why. People who care about refined build quality most likely also value a satisfying, error-free keyboard and touchpad experience. The gapless keyboard layout and the oversized touchpad simply don't offer that experience, and it weakens the value proposition of what would otherwise be a standout machine.

Still, the XPS 14 certainly has a market. There's an audience that will happily pay a markup for elegant design, even if that futuristic look comes at the expense of keyboard and touchpad usability. This is who the XPS 14 is for. If Dell further refines the keyboard in a successor, the XPS 14 could be a better fit for even more people.