Review: Dell 14 Premium

The Dell 14 Premium is here, and it promises to shake things up in the world of premium laptops. However, as bold as this new design appears, it faces a mountain of challenges in an already competitive market. With the XPS 14 now a thing of the past, Dell’s new naming strategy and incremental updates have stirred both curiosity and skepticism. But does the Dell 14 Premium have what it takes to stand out in a sea of high-end laptops? Let’s dive into the details and see if this refreshed model lives up to the hype.

Dell 14 Premium: A Fresh Look with an Old Soul

The Battle for Branding and Identity

One of the most notable changes with the Dell 14 Premium is the loss of the iconic XPS name. The XPS series has been synonymous with high-end performance and aesthetics, but Dell has chosen to simplify its brand and drop the “XPS” label. For those who have long admired the XPS lineup, this is a tough pill to swallow. Without the pedigree of the XPS name, the Dell 14 Premium now faces the challenge of proving itself without its established legacy.

While the Dell 14 Premium retains many design elements that we’ve seen before, the lack of meaningful upgrades leaves some questions unanswered. Is this just another rehash of an old design, or does it pack enough punch to rival its competitors?

Design: A Love-it or Hate-it Aesthetic

There’s no middle ground when it comes to the design of the Dell 14 Premium. Some people love its ultra-sleek, futuristic aesthetics, while others view it as a form-over-function design that sacrifices usability for looks. Personally, I find myself somewhere in the middle.

Let’s start with the positives: the Dell 14 Premium boasts an undeniably sleek design. The edge-to-edge keyboard and invisible haptic feedback trackpad give the laptop a clean, modern feel. The minimal bezels around the display are incredibly attractive, offering an almost bezel-free experience. In fact, when compared to the dated look of the MacBook Pro, the Dell 14 Premium feels fresh and futuristic.

One design choice that’s sure to divide opinions is the touch-button function keys. They look fantastic when illuminated, adding to the premium aesthetic of the laptop. However, the lack of haptic feedback makes them feel unresponsive, especially when compared to traditional physical keys. As someone who doesn’t use function keys extensively, I don’t find this to be a dealbreaker, but if you’re someone who uses keyboard shortcuts or relies on function keys for programming, this could be a significant downside.

Ports and Connectivity: Minimal but Functional?

The Dell 14 Premium continues the trend of limited ports that we’ve seen in previous Dell laptops. On the left side, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the right side features one more Thunderbolt 4 port, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack. This configuration is unchanged from last year’s model, and it’s clear that Dell is opting for a more minimalist approach.

While I wasn’t expecting Thunderbolt 5 ports just yet, it would have been nice to see a bit more variety in terms of connectivity options. The absence of a full-size SD card slot is particularly frustrating, especially for those who need to transfer photos or videos frequently. Additionally, having an extra USB-C or HDMI port would have been a welcome addition.

Overall, the port selection isn’t terrible, but it’s hard not to feel like it’s limiting, especially in an age when more connectivity options are becoming the standard.

Display: Beautiful, But Not Perfect

Dell has always been hit-or-miss when it comes to display quality, and the Dell 14 Premium is no exception. The laptop’s OLED screen looks absolutely stunning, but it comes with some caveats that are worth considering. The base model comes with a 2K IPS display, while you can upgrade to a 3.2K OLED touchscreen if you want to enjoy better color accuracy and deeper blacks.

However, this beautiful OLED display isn’t without its drawbacks. The HDR support, while present, is far from perfect. To enable HDR, you’ll need to use the Dolby Vision profile, but this reduces the laptop’s color space coverage. For content creators and anyone who requires precise color reproduction, this could be a dealbreaker.

While the OLED display does offer better contrast and colors than the typical IPS screens, its maximum brightness (615 nits) falls short when compared to other high-end laptops like the MacBook Pro (1,200 nits) or even some QD-OLED monitors (up to 1,000 nits). This means that while the display looks great, it may not be bright enough for those who plan on working outdoors or in bright environments.

Performance: A Solid Upgrade, But Not a Game-Changer

Processor and Graphics: Incremental Improvements

Under the hood, the Dell 14 Premium is powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, a step up from the previous generation. While this does bring about some performance improvements, the gains are modest. Benchmarks show a 7% increase in multicore performance and a 17% improvement in single-core performance, but these upgrades don’t justify the $500 price increase over the older Dell XPS 14.

What’s more disappointing is the continued use of the Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, which is now somewhat outdated. Dell made the decision not to upgrade to the RTX 5050, leaving the Dell 14 Premium behind the curve when it comes to GPU performance. This is especially frustrating considering that laptops with the RTX 5050 are now available in other models, offering better graphics performance and more VRAM (8GB vs. the 6GB on the RTX 4050).

Gaming Performance: Decent, But Not Outstanding

For gamers, the Dell 14 Premium may not be the ideal machine. While it can handle some gaming, it’s not going to deliver the kind of performance you might expect from a laptop at this price point. I tested Cyberpunk 2077, and while I could get it to run at around 74 fps on medium settings with Nvidia DLSS enabled, it wasn’t the smoothest experience.

If you’re looking for a laptop that can handle AAA titles at high settings, the Dell 14 Premium isn’t it. However, if you’re just looking to play some casual games on the side, it will get the job done—just don’t expect stellar performance.

Pricing: Is It Worth the Cost?

At a starting price of $2,200, the Dell 14 Premium is undeniably expensive. For that price, you can find other laptops that offer better performance and more features. MacBook Pro, Razer Blade 14, and even gaming laptops from Asus and Acer are all priced more competitively and offer superior performance in various areas.

While the Dell 14 Premium excels in terms of design and aesthetics, it doesn’t offer enough in the way of performance upgrades to justify the high price tag. If you’re looking for raw power, you might want to look elsewhere. However, if you value a sleek design and OLED display, the Dell 14 Premium could be worth the premium—just make sure you’re comfortable with its limitations.

Conclusion: A Beautiful Laptop with Room for Improvement

The Dell 14 Premium is undeniably a beautiful laptop. Its sleek design, stunning OLED display, and edge-to-edge keyboard make it an eye-catching option for those who prioritize aesthetics. However, its lack of meaningful upgrades, especially in terms of performance and connectivity, makes it hard to justify the high price.

In short, the Dell 14 Premium is a laptop that will appeal to those who want something stylish and modern, but it falls short of being a true powerhouse. If you’re willing to overlook its shortcomings and focus on design and display quality, it could be the right choice for you. Otherwise, you might find better value in other laptops that offer more power for the same—or lower—price.

Pros:

• Sleek, modern design
• Gorgeous OLED display (though not without drawbacks)
• Fantastic keyboard and trackpad
• Great for casual gaming

Cons:

• High price for limited performance upgrades
• Limited port selection
• HDR and color accuracy issues with OLED display
• Lacks the power to compete with other high-end laptops

If you’re in the market for a premium laptop and design is your top priority, the Dell 14 Premium is worth considering. But if you’re after sheer performance and a better overall value, other options might be more suited to your needs.