ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Dell’s newest high-performance laptop computer is presently on sale beginning at $1,500.
- It is beautifully designed, with a smooth, fashionable construct and highly effective, however accessible, {hardware}.
- It runs heat, and requires energy administration from the person to get essentially the most out of the battery.
Dell’s laptop computer rebrand could have resulted in some shuffling round of naming conventions, however the brand new Dell 14 Premium — Dell’s refreshed high-performance line of laptops — seems an entire lot just like the Dell XPS upon first look.
In case you’re confused about this laptop computer’s placement in Dell’s product placement hierarchy, it is within the shopper class, and the highest-tier mannequin in that group. This makes it a premium, however accessible, laptop computer for professional creatives, designers, and tech fanatics.
Additionally: I tested the Dell XPS’ successor – here are the biggest upgrades (and what’s the same)
From the zero-lattice keyboard to the edge-to-edge OLED show and invisible trackpad, the Dell 14 Premium lives as much as its identify with a smooth, future-facing construct. When sitting on a desk, it gives the look that it is hovering above the floor due to its intelligent recessed design.
Appearances apart, Dell desires to emphasise that this laptop computer will not be an XPS, however slightly an evolution of the road into one thing new. The thought right here was to take what labored on its high-end machines and enhance on the issues that customers noticed as ache factors, and it does that to a point, regardless of apparent comparisons it to its predecessor.
By way of {hardware}, the Dell 14 Premium comes with the Intel Core Extremely 7 255H “Lunar Lake” processor, as much as 32GB of LPDDR5X, 8400MT/s dual-channel RAM, and both an Intel Arc Graphics or Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.
Choosing the 32GB of RAM and OLED show will carry the worth as much as $2,250 — the higher restrict of what could possibly be thought of “accessible” for a premium-tier laptop computer.
The assessment unit I examined had a special CPU than the retail model: an Intel Core Extremely 7 265H, accessible for shoppers as a particular order, however not commonplace on the machine. This resulted in a really slight efficiency increase in comparison with the retail model (a performance-core base clock velocity of two.2GHz vs the usual 2.0GHz).
The 14-inch OLED touchscreen is as attractive as you’d anticipate, with a 3.2K decision, 400nit brightness, and variable refresh charge as much as 120Hz. The show’s skinny bezels and seamless webcam module end in a clear and crisp design that gives the look the display screen is greater than it’s.
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All in all, it is a attractive laptop computer. The keyboard seems unbelievable, however there are some usability trade-offs related to its design. The primary being that, whereas it has good key journey, it would not really feel as expressly ergonomic as another laptops’ keyboards just like the HP EliteBook X G1a and even the Acer Swift 16 AI. In case you’re a quick typer, you could want a while to acclimate to the important thing structure right here, as some would possibly understand it as a bit cramped.
The LED perform key row can also be one other factor that sacrifices usability for aesthetics. In earlier opinions for the XPS, I’ve expressed my lukewarm reception for the characteristic, and it stays the identical right here. Personally, I discover the always-on lighting a bit distracting, however after per week with the laptop computer, I’ll say I’ve acclimated to it.
The invisible haptic trackpad is without doubt one of the most premium parts of the laptop computer’s design. The feel is in contrast to every other laptop computer I’ve felt, with a easy, silky texture that feels luxe. The haptic clicks are very refined, requiring little or no finger motion, permitting the person to glide throughout the floor unhindered by the trackpad’s boundaries. It is a design trick, because the trackpad itself is not essentially bigger than commonplace, however positively feels as such.
This design does increase some issues about sturdiness, nevertheless, since this single glass sheet seems nice, however a scratch or dent would mar the in any other case pristine floor. Fortunately, Dell emphasizes its sturdiness, saying it could actually stand up to as much as 1,200 drops.
In comparison with the XPS, port choice is streamlined with a bit extra choices. You get three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (as an alternative of two), an audio jack, and a microSD card slot. It is a welcome enchancment that pushes the machine firmly into professional creator territory and provides to the laptop computer’s longevity, one thing I am glad Dell determined to compromise on for the Premium line.
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The RTX 4050, whereas a aggressive GPU, is restricted to 30 watts of TDP (thermal design energy) within the Dell 14 Premium, which places a cap on its efficiency. The constraints of this laptop computer’s cooling system is clear throughout prolonged, demanding workflows, when the machine warms up and stays that manner.
That being mentioned, throughout on a regular basis duties, the laptop computer runs cool and quiet, and the 4050’s efficiency delivers for video enhancing, photograph rendering, and even gaming, however demanding workloads rapidly increase the temperature, which is especially felt on the wrist relaxation and keyboard.
The GPU right here performs properly for many video games, nevertheless it’s not notably optimized for PC gaming due to mentioned warmth era, and the laptop computer’s design, which will get in the best way of some gaming practicality. Particularly the LED perform row, which, in the event you’re taking part in a recreation that makes use of F1 keys, will must be reconfigured.
As a substitute of pounding on the keyboard, it is higher suited towards video enhancing and graphic design, with a number of ports for connecting to an exterior monitor, hooking up peripherals, and using the 32GB of RAM for giant file transfers with the included microSD slot.
For that purpose, I would place this laptop computer extra within the realm of professional creators and enterprise realm than a gaming laptop computer, regardless of its skill to run video games due to the 32GB of RAM and RTX 4050 GPU.
Talking of, let’s contact on the battery life right here. It is a laptop computer that vastly advantages from energetic energy administration, as you may wish to be conscious of consumption to get essentially the most out of the 69.5Whr battery.
Additionally: Dell’s new Pro Max lineup offers top-tier laptops for sky-high prices
Throughout my testing, I discovered that the Dell 14 Premium responds to battery life in a manner that parallels the warmth era. Throughout on a regular basis use: internet looking, productiveness software program, and multitasking throughout purposes, battery life is excellent, lasting to the eight hour mark and past. However when you shift gears to extra demanding workflows, that battery life begins to drop off.
You will get lower than that in the event you’re engaged on extra power-hungry duties and 5 hours or much less in the event you keep in efficiency mode. For these causes, I’d say it is a laptop computer that requires some mindfulness of use, versus a lightweight and breezy machine you possibly can maintain untethered from the charger and neglect about.
Lastly, whereas we’re on the subject, although this laptop computer is smooth and compact, it weighs 3.66 kilos for the LCD show, and three.79 for the OLED. That is under no circumstances the heaviest laptop computer on the block, however a testomony to its design for weighing greater than it seems.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Dell 14 Premium lives as much as its identify as an aesthetic laptop computer that is dedicated to its future-forward design. This is not a laptop computer that is made for everybody, and that is high quality. Dell has efficiently improved on parts of its design that do not compromise its imaginative and prescient with the expanded port choice and stability of {hardware} and value.
Because the highest-performing laptop computer in Dell’s base tier of laptops, it is a premium, however accessible, machine that is well-suited towards professionals who want a balanced strategy to efficiency. The luxe bodily design makes a press release and is a pleasure to make use of, however customers will must be conscious of the {hardware}’s energy calls for and warmth era.
