Dell 14 Plus Review: Mainstream Laptop With Bountiful Options, Basic Looks

7.8/ 10
SCORE

Dell 14 Plus

Pros

Sharp 2.5K display
Sturdy aluminum chassis
Good overall performance for the price

Cons

Touchpad a touch too firm
Plastic display bezels look cheap
Underwhelming audio output

The Dell 14 Plus is the update to the previous Inspiron 14 Plus as the computer maker’s mainstream offering that sits between Dell “base” models and the more upscale Dell Premium models (formerly named XPS). Dell may have dropped the longtime Inspiron name, but it’s nearly identical to the Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 I reviewed last year. It’s a solid, if plain-looking, laptop with an all-metal design based on a 14-inch display. This year’s version is slightly lighter and offers a slightly higher-resolution screen along with the latest AI chips from Intel and AMD.

The Dell 14 Plus is available as both a regular clamshell laptop and a two-in-one convertible, and each is available with Intel Lunar Lake or AMD Krackan Point processors. I tested an Intel-based laptop and an AMD-based 14 Plus two-in-one for this review. If you don’t need the added versatility of the two-in-one design, then get the laptop version. It has a superior display not offered on the two-in-one. And when the clamshell model is on sale for $750, it’s a particularly great buy if you’re shopping for a midrange laptop for home, school or work.

Dell 14 Plus models as tested

	Dell 14 Plus (DB14250)	Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (DR04255)
Price as reviewed	$1,100 (on sale for $750)	$850
Display size/resolution	14-inch 2,560×1,600 IPS LCD	14-inch 1,920×1,200 IPS LCD
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 256V	AMD Ryzen AI 5 340
Memory	16GB LPDDR5-8533	16GB LPDDR5-7500
Graphics	Intel Arc 140V	AMD Radeon 840M
Storage	1TB SSD	512GB SSD
Ports	USB-C Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio	USB-C Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audio
Networking	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Operating system	Windows 11 Home 24H2	Windows 11 Home 24H2
Weight	3.34 lbs (1.5 kg)	3.45 lbs (1.6 kg)

On the laptop side of the Dell 14 Plus series, there are three models based on Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and three models with AMD Ryzen AI 300 series chips. I tested the baseline Intel model that features the Core Ultra 7 256V; 16GB of RAM; Intel Arc 140V graphics; a 1TB SSD; and a 2.5K (2,560-by-1,600-pixel), 90Hz, nontouch display. It’s priced at $1,100 but was on sale for $750 for the majority of the time I was working on this review. There are two higher-end Intel models, but I’d want a sleeker laptop design to go along with the higher cost and performance.

The AMD models of the Dell 14 Plus laptop are lower-end models based on a lower-resolution 1,920-by-1,200-pixel display starting at $800. And there’s no option to upgrade to the 2.5K display. The AMD models cost a little less than the Intel models, but I think the crisper image of the 2.5K display I tested is worth the extra money. I also never saw these AMD models on sale with anything approaching the massive $350 discount of my Intel test system, so you might not even need to spend more to get the better display.

On the 14 Plus 2-in-1 side, you get the same Intel and AMD options, but you’re stuck with the 1,920-by-1,200-pixel touch display. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that I tested is the baseline unit that costs $850 for an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, 16GB of RAM, AMD Radeon 840M graphics and a 512GB SSD.

The Dell 14 Plus starts at £799 and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 starts at £649 in the UK. In Australia, pricing starts at AU$1,098.

Dell 14 Plus laptop in Ice Blue — Matt Elliott/CNET

Dell 14 Plus performance

The Intel-based Dell 14 Plus and the AMD-based Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that I tested produced similar results on our benchmarks, with one exception. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V features eight physical cores (four performance cores and four efficiency cores) and no Hyper-Threading, so you get a total of eight processing threads. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 has six physical cores and 12 processing threads by way of AMD’s multithreading technology. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 chips may differ in chip architecture, but each is a mainstream mobile processor that delivers similarly competitive laptop performance, although neither could match the power of Apple’s M4 processor in the latest MacBook Air.

The one area where the two Dell 14 Plus models differed the most was in graphics performance. The Intel 140V graphics of the Dell 14 Plus laptop proved to be greater than the AMD Radeon 840M graphics of the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. On our 3DMark Steel Nomad tests, the laptop was more than 2.5 times better than the two-in-one.

Despite a large difference in TOPS count, the two finished close to each other on the Procyon AI Computer Vision test, which measures integer math proficiency for AI workloads. With an overall 59 TOPS, the AMD-based Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 actually finished higher than the Intel-based laptop, which has a total of 115 TOPS.

Battery life, too, was close. Neither could match the long battery life of laptops with Arm-based Apple M4 or Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processors. At nearly 15 hours, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 ran for about an hour longer than the laptop, in large part because it has a lower-resolution display that consumes battery resources at a slower clip than the 2.5K display of the Dell 14 Plus laptop.

Dell 14 Plus Intel laptop — Matt Elliott/CNET

Two form factors in two colors, with one clear winner

The straightforward design of the previous Inspiron 14 Plus continues with the debut of the Dell 14 Plus. I like the sturdy, aluminum enclosure, especially the softly rounded edges. I also like both color choices. I received the laptop in Ice Blue and the two-in-one in Midnight Blue. The Ice Blue is more gray than blue, and the Midnight Blue is more black than blue, but each offers a pleasing muted effect that shakes up the standard silver or black laptop look to give the system a sophisticated appearance.

There’s a bit of flex in the lid and keyboard deck, but the overall feel is solid. The keyboard isn’t my favorite. The key response lacks the snappy feedback that I look for and feels a bit mushy despite the shallow travel. But the keys are well spaced and feel roomy, and there aren’t any annoyingly shortened keys you need to adjust to.

Dell 14 Plus keyboards — Matt Elliott/CNET

The touchpad, too, is serviceable but not my favorite. The mechanical click response feels too firm, and the diving-board effect is evident: Clicks feel much firmer at the top half of it than at the bottom half.

Dell managed to shave some weight off the Inspiron 14 Plus with the Dell 14 Plus. The Inspiron 14 Plus weighed 3.5 pounds, and the Dell 14 Plus laptop weighs 3.3 pounds. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is slightly heavier than the 14 Plus laptop at 3.5 pounds, likely because of the added layer for its touchscreen display and 360-degree hinges. Still, other 14-inch laptops are lighter, including the 2.9-pound HP OmniBook X 14 and the exceptionally light Asus Zenbook A14 that weighs only 2.2 pounds.

Dell 14 Plus laptop 2.5K IPS display — Matt Elliott/CNET

And now we arrive at the reason why the Dell 14 Plus laptop is the better pick than the two-in-one: the display. With the clamshell laptop, you get a display that’s sharper, faster, brighter and has better color accuracy. Here’s how they stack up:

Dell 14 Plus display comparison

	Dell 14 Plus	Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1
Resolution	2,560×1,600	1,920×1,200
Refresh rate	90Hz	60Hz
Max brightness	353 nits	283 nits
Color performance	99% sRGB, 76% AdobeRGB, 79% P3	66% sRGB, 51% AdobeRGB, 51% P3

I found that text looked clearly sharper on the laptop. On the two-in-one model, letters often looked fuzzy and pixelated. Movement on the laptop’s 90Hz display was smoother, an effect I noticed most when scrolling through web pages. And on my tests with a Spyder X colorimeter, the laptop proved to be brighter and much more color accurate. I look for a minimum of 350 nits of brightness in a mainstream laptop, which is a number that the laptop just barely exceeded. If a laptop has a display that can’t muster at least 300 nits of brightness, then I’m only interested if it’s priced accordingly — in the budget territory at around $500 to $600.

The plastic bezels that frame the laptop’s display also have a decidedly cheap look to them. For a mainstream laptop — particularly one with “Plus” in its name — I’d like to see edge-to-edge glass for a seamless, more polished look. That’s one advantage that the two-in-one has — its touchscreen gets the edge-to-edge glass treatment.

Dell 14 Plus display bezels — Matt Elliott/CNET

With either the laptop or the two-in-one, you get the same set of 2.5-watt stereo speakers for a total output of 5 watts. It’s just not enough. The speakers sound very thin and only suffice for video chats or watching shows and movies. Even then, you might want to use headphones or an external speaker. Music playback demands something other than the internal speakers.

The 1080p webcam produced a well-balanced image and was free of noise unless the lighting conditions were too low or too bright. The camera has an IR sensor so you can use it for Windows Hello logins, and the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader, giving you a second biometric login option.

In the move from the Inspiron 14 Plus to the Dell 14 Plus, the ports remain the same, with one notable exception: The microSD card slot didn’t make the jump. Digital photographers in particular won’t like that move, but the rest of the external connections should satisfy most people, with a Thunderbolt 4 port plus another USB-C port that can be used to charge the system while keeping the Thunderbolt 4 port free. There’s also a USB Type-A port for a mouse or older USB peripheral you might want to connect without needing to find a USB adapter.

Is the Dell 14 Plus worth buying?

The laptop version of the Dell 14 Plus is a good buy, especially when you can pick it up for its sale price of $750. Getting a sharp, 2.5K display inside a sturdy, all-metal design with a modern AI processor for that price is a great value. If you want to spend even less, check out the Acer Aspire 14 AI, and if your budget extends past $1,000, then the Asus Zenbook A14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 are two of my favorite Windows laptops.

For the two-in-one shoppers reading this and being disappointed in that half of the Dell 14 Plus equation, I’ve also got recommendations. The Lenovo Yoga 7 14 Gen 9 is my favorite two-in-one overall, and I also like the HP Spectre x360 14, if you have more to spend and want a premium model with an OLED display.

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computerlike devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device’s aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we’re currently running on every compatible computer include Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found on our How We Test Computers page.

Geekbench 6 CPU (multi-core)

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4 2025 15049HP Omnibook X 14 13428Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 11996HP Pavilion Plus 14 11646Acer Swift Go 14 AI (SFG14-01-X006) 11490Dell 14 Plus (DB14250) 11027Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-51T-75AF) 10918Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407) 10632Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (DR04255) 10554