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Best Dell Laptops 2024: Our 7 favourite Dell laptops
In This Article
For much of the 2010s, Dell dominated the productivity laptop area, while its gaming brand Alienware offered a unique alternative to other big brands. The 2020s have seen both Dell and Alienware pivot in their approaches, with mixed results. We’ve tested many of them to sort the wheat from the chaff, here’s the very best Dell laptops you can buy.
There are very few manufacturers, if any, that have a flawless catalogue of devices on offer particularly in the growing laptop space and Dell has shown that even lots of success can’t last forever. Until recently, Dell had done a decent job of leading the way in this regard. Despite a downturn in the quality of some of its latest products, the size of its output means that there are still plenty of excellent laptops to consider.
Dell’s selection spans high-end productivity and creative laptops, like the XPS, to more affordably priced picks, like the Inspiron, as well as the gaming-focused Alienware machines – we’ve tried a significant number of these devices and more. Our thorough testing has uncovered the best Dell laptops on offer, being stress tested through various benchmarks as well as our own daily real-world use, all done by our team of experts.
Unsurprisingly, Dell’s enormous range of laptops is frequently expanded and refreshed, and we keep testing them as they appear, so it’s essential that you bookmark this page and make sure to check back regularly to see which Dell machines have made the cut.
We don’t just test Dell’s latest and greatest though. If you’re not set on Dell as your laptop brand of choice, check out our selection of laptop guides includingBest Laptop,Best Ultrabook,Best Student LaptopandBest Budget Laptop.
Best Dell laptops at a glance:
How we test
Every laptop we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including build quality, performance, screen quality and battery life.These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real world checks, such as how well it runs the most frequently used apps.We also make sure to use every laptop we review as our primary device for at least a week to ensure our review is as accurate as possible.
Dell XPS 16 (2024)
Pros
Cons
Best overall Dell laptop
TheDell XPS 16 (2024)is a stylish powerhouse and the best Dell laptop of all the models we’ve tested.
With its sturdy build and large 16-inch display, the XPS 16 is definitely on the weightier end. However, what you get in return is a laptop that looks and feels premium, along with an expansive workspace.
The speakers are much larger than those on theDell XPS 14and the invisible trackpad is spacious, offering haptic feedback across a wide area. The keyboard consists of both physical buttons and a row of capacitive touch keys. The physical keys offer very little travel at just 1mm and both these and the touch keys might take some getting used to if you’re used to a more traditional keyboard with deeper travel.
There’s a 1080p camera above the display, along with three USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm jack and a microSD slot on the sides of the laptop. Dell also provides a dongle for USB Type-A and full HDMI connections in the box.
There are two display configurations, including a 16.3-inch FHD+ screen, and a 4K version with OLED technology and touch support for $300 more. We found the latter to be strikingly rich and bold, though the 48-90Hz refresh rate falls behind the 48-120Hz one on the XPS 14. The screen surpassed Dell’s claimed 400 nits of max brightness in our tests, while the colour reproduction hit 100% for sRGB, 99.8% for DCI-P3, and 88.4% for Adobe RBG.
When it comes to performance, the Intel Ultra CPU shines brighter in the XPS 16 than it does in the XPS 14 and is more than fast enough for everyday workloads as well as for more demanding tasks, including creative production. The laptop also defeated theAsus Zenbook 14 OLEDin our multi-core benchmarks, though it fell behind theAcer Predator Triton 17Xand theMacBook Pro M3 Maxduring our testing.
The battery life outperforms that on the XPS 14 and the laptop runs a clean version of Windows 11, keeping the OS lightweight and fast. There’s also a dedicated Microsoft Copilot button on the keyboard, making it easy to summon the chatbot.
If you want a laptop with a premium design, large screen and powerful CPU, the Dell XPS 16 is an excellent choice. However, if you don’t need that high-end performance, we’d recommend saving your money and opting for the smaller XPS 14.
Reviewer:Chris Smith
Full Review:Dell XPS 16 (2024)
Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023)
Pros
Cons
If you’re looking for a Dell laptop with cutting-edge style and a rich OLED display, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is a solid choice.
This laptop is a simple refresh on the XPS 13 Plus (2022), struggling with the same performance and battery life drawbacks as its predecessor but offering an intriguing, future-forward design.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is small and lightweight at 15mm thin and 1.26kg light. The gapless keyboard sits across the bottom of the laptop, with an invisiblehaptic trackpadand touch bar taking up the space above and below it. We found the keyboard a joy to use, offering the best typing experience of any thin and light laptop right now with a surprising amount of travel and a pleasing amount of crisp feedback.
The port selection is a little limited, with one Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port on either side of the device, so you may want to pick up a dongle if you don’t have one already.
Our review model also boasted an impressive 3.5K OLED display which achieved top-notch scores in our benchmark tests, including highly accurate colours and plenty of detail. It’s worth noting that your experience will differ depending on whether you opt for the FHD+ non-touch, FHD+ touch, UHD+ touch or 3.5K OLED touch configurations.
Performance is where the XPS 13 Plus (2023) stumbles. Our review model packed an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 32GB RAM and 512GB of SSD storage and was outpaced by both theLG Gram SuperSlimand theSamsung Galaxy Book 3 360in our tests. That said, as a productivity machine, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) rarely floundered in our experience.
Finally, the laptop offers a slightly below-average battery life that falls short of the LG Gram SuperSlim, Galaxy Book 3 360 andMacBook Air M2. However, the 60W charger will get you back to 100% in just over an hour.
Reviewer:Adam SpeightFull Review:Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) Review
Alienware M16 R1 AMD Edition
Pros
Cons
If you’re after something specifically aimed at gaming, then you can’t go wrong with theAlienware M16 (2023). This model felt very solid and durable during our review period, boasting a Stadium LED strip on the rear and the iconic, bright alien head logo on the lid.
The 16-inch display comes with a 2560×1600 resolution with a host of refresh rate options, including 60Hz, 120H, 240Hz and Dynamic 120/240 and Dynamic 60/120. Motion handling was spot on, with hardly any ghosting thanks to the support for Nvidia’s G-Sync adaptive sync technology. The loudDolby Atmosspeaker system pumped out an impressive amount of volume with more than enough bass and consistency to create an immersive gaming experience without the need for a dedicated headset.
Our Alienware M16 review model came packed with an AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX processor alongside an Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card. This combination provided a fantastic gaming experience, with Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal running smoothly and averaging 55fps and 60fps, respectively at the highest graphical settings in Full HD. It also ran very coolly and quietly, no matter how intensive the workloads became, making it a reliable option to use when on the go.
Ultimately the biggest feather in the Alienware M16’s hat is the wide array of internals that it can be configured with. You can pick your own CPU, GPU, refresh rate, RAM, SSD and even upgrade to a mechanical keyboard, giving you the chance to build a bespoke machine that fits your needs exactly. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, then the Alienware M16 is definitely the right pick for you. Otherwise, make sure you check out ourbest gaming laptoproundup for a more specialised view of what’s on the market.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull Review:Alienware M16 (2023)
Dell XPS 15 (2022)
Pros
Cons
If you’re hunting for a laptop with a larger screen, theDell XPS 15 (2022)is an excellent pick, scoring an impressive 4.5 stars from us.
It weighs in at 1.94kg, putting it slightly on the heavier side, although our reviewer claimed that it was still easy enough to take it to and from the office in a bag. It packs in twoUSB-CThunderbolt 4ports, as well as one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port and a 3.5mm audio jack, with Dell packaging the laptop with a USB-C to USB-A and HDMI adapter, so you won’t need to worry about dongles while at work.
We loved the 15-inch 3.5KOLEDpanel as it was able to elevate just about anything; TV shows and movies popped without looking unnatural and is bright enough for working in sunny environments. It also was able to cover 100% of thesRGBandDCI-P3gamut, making it perfectly serviceable for creative professionals who require high colour accuracy.
The model we reviewed came with a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-12700H which was incredibly speedy and performed well during productivity tasks, outpacing devices like theLG Gram 16andAcer Swift Edgein our Geekbench 5 benchmark.
And while this laptop does feature anNvidia RTX 3050Ti GPU, it isn’t as powerful as you may expect since it uses the low-power 40W variation. However, we were able to play games likeHorizon: Zero Dawnat 1080p resolutions at 53fps, meaning that this laptop can easily be used for gaming, just not at the 4K resolution some may desire.
This is one of our favourite overall 15-inch laptops on the market right now and is a very versatile device thanks to its high colour accuracy and impressive specs. If you’re after a larger screened laptop that can tackle most tasks, then the Dell XPS 15 (2022) could be the one for you, so long as the high price doesn’t put you off.
Reviewer:Stuart AndrewsFull Review:Dell XPS 15 (2022) Review
Alienware M18
Pros
Cons
Interested in a humungous gaming laptop? TheAlienware M18is one of the best in a current trend of emergent 18-inch machines.
The 18-inch display is obviously the focus here, and this is what you’re getting. You can either opt for a Full HD option with a whopping 480Hz refresh rate, making this the option for competitive gamers who value refresh rates, then there’s a more balanced QHD+ 165Hz pick. Our experience with the QHD+ IPS option brought a stunningly immresive experience alongside solid handling of the speedy motion of gaming titles. The 16:10 aspect ratio on this ginormous panel means that, not only is it great for big-screen gaming, it is also ideal for multi-tasking and taking in videos that benefit from more screen space.
We loved the unique look of this machine, with the Alienware design language offering a futuristic style that’s unlike any key rivals. It’s an admittedly heavy and large machine but that extra space gives plenty of room for a spacious keyboard and a pleasing keypress.
Under the hood, there are some beastly specifications available. Our review mode came with an Intel Core i9 13900HX, 32GB RAM and 175W RTX 4090 graphics chip. The result is upwards of 110fps across AAA titles at Full HD max settings, including titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull Review:Alienware M18 review
Dell Latitude 7320
Pros
Cons
If it’s a no-thrills laptop for the office, theDell Latitude 7320is a great choice.
The Latitude 7320 is a plain-looking laptop, but that isn’t such a bad thing. It looks more like a business-class laptop and succeeds in looking functional. At 1.21kg, this is also a lightweight device which we found to be especially portable without compromising on the build quality. The keyboard here is one the best small laptop keyboards around, with chunky keys and a deep travel, ensuring a comfortable typing experience.
The 13.3-inch FHD screen comes complete with a matte finish that makes this laptop easy to use in bright environments. Colour space coverage here is decent enough for general productivity work, although this isn’t the best laptop for more colour-sensitive work if you need a laptop to edit photos and video.
For such a compact laptop, the performance here is solid, achieving great results in our benchmark tests. The battery life is fantastic, with a total 63Wh capacity. This allowed it to last for 12 and a half hours during our testing, which means you can get through a day’s work without a hitch, and maybe even challenge the Latitude 7320 a little more before needing to reach for the charger.
The Dell Latitude 7320 may lack the character and flashy looks of other laptops on this list, but the Latitude excels in terms of functionality. If you want a snappy laptop that doesn’t cost too much and fits in well in an office environment, then the Latitude 7320 is a top-notch buy.
Reviewer:Andrew WilliamsFull review:Dell Latitude 7320 Review
Dell XPS 17 (2021)
Pros
Cons
TheDell XPS 17is the definition of a premium productivity portable and offers the largest screen in the XPS lineup. If you’re craving the biggest screen possible, this is one of the best Dell laptops you can buy.
The 17.3-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect is perfect for modern apps and workloads, given the extra vertical space on offer. We measured brightness levels here to be around 500 nits which means this large screen offered a good level of vibrancy, and the total 3840 x 2400 resolution provided excellent detail. The XPS 17 can also hit 100% Adobe RGB coverage, as well as nearly 100% DCI-P3, which means this laptop’s display is ideal for colour-sensitive workloads such as editing video.
You also need a fair bit of power for those more intense workloads, and the XPS 17’s Intel Core i7-11800H processor is up to the task, with a peak clock speed of 4.6GHz. Combined with its discrete Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, the XPS 17 should provide enough grunt for creative workloads.
As with the other laptops in the XPS line, this 17-inch model looks fabulous with thin bezels around the screen helping it to look especially modern. Ports-wise, expect to find four Thunderbolt 4 ports and an SD Card reader, but if you’re after a full-size HDMI though for instance, you may wish to head for the latest16-inch MacBook Proinstead. The keyboard offers a deep, consistent keypress, and sits alongside a trackpad with responsive buttons and clever gesture controls.
The 9hrs and 23 minutes of battery life that we managed to get out of the XPS 17 is perfectly reasonable and will provide enough juice for a day’s worth of work. Push it any further though and you’ll soon see that charge drop. Once again here, the new MacBook comes up trumps, but for a Windows laptop, this isn’t bad going. To sum up, this one of the better 17-inch laptops available, although you’ll find superior value with the smaller models if you’re not fussed about having a massive panel.
Reviewer:Mike JenningsFull review:Dell XPS 17 (2021)
We also considered…
A 16-inch laptop with a 3K display
One of the very best big-screen gaming laptops
A luxurious 15-inch laptop
The best ultrabook just got even better
The world’s best ultrabook sees a performance upgrade
We’ve reviewed
FAQs
There is not one particular best Dell brand, as they’re all catered for different audiences. Inspiron includes budget-friendly consumer laptops, XPS features premium-quality consumer laptops, while both Latitude and Vostro are designed for the business market.And then you have the Dell G Series and Alienware ranges, which both feature numerous gaming laptops.
Dell has built up a great reputation for high-quality laptops, although every model is different. It’s worth checking individual reviews for every laptop to make sure the build quality, screen quality, performance speeds and battery life are all up to the task of your chosen workloads.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
