Beautiful laptops with usability features

Weight is the most obvious difference between the XPS 13 and 14: the smaller model comes in at 2.6 pounds (slightly less than the MacBook Air), while the XPS 14 is noticeably heavier at 3.7 pounds. (Dell somewhat follows Apple’s product strategy, as the 13-inch MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds and the 14-inch MacBook Pro weighs between 3.4 and 3.6 pounds.) The XPS 13 and 14 are easy to carry around all day , but the one-pound difference can make the larger model more annoying if you’re trying to travel light.

Still, the XPS 14 justifies its extra weight by cramming in more hardware. It can be equipped with NVIDIA’s RTX 4050 GPU (running at 30 watts) and also features more robust cooling, allowing it to reach a higher maximum thermal envelope of 47 watts. The XPS 13, on the other hand, can only achieve 28 watts of continuous performance. Although both machines use the same Intel Core Ultra processors, you’ll end up seeing much better performance from the XPS 14 for sustained workloads like video encoding or 3D rendering. (Again, this is much like the difference between a MacBook Air and a base MacBook Pro configuration.)

The XPS 14’s 14.5-inch screen is one inch larger than the XPS 13’s, making it more comfortable for multitasking with multiple apps or working with media graphics. No matter which model you choose, however, you’ll get a bright and compelling image, along with thin bezels that Apple still can’t touch. Both computers offer a variety of viewing options: the XPS 13 can be equipped with Full HD+ (1920 by 1200 pixels, non-touch), Quad HD+ (2560 by 1600) or 3K+ OLED (2880 by 1800), while its larger gets Full HD+ (non-touch) and 3.2K+ OLED (3200 by 2000) screens..

Dolby Vision is standard throughout, but you’ll only get 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage with the more expensive displays. You’ll also get up to 120Hz refresh rate on all screens, except for the XPS 13’s OLED, which peaks at 60Hz. (I would recommend avoiding this option entirely and opting for a high refresh rate LCD, which will ultimately provide a smoother image.)

Both the XPS 13 and XPS 14 I reviewed were equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The XPS 14 also had NVIDIA’s RTX 4050 GPU, while the smaller laptop relied on Intel’s built-in Arc graphics. As I expected, they weren’t much different when it came to CPU benchmarks like Geekbench 6. But the XPS 14 was twice as fast as the XPS 13 in the Geekbench 6 Compute test, which relies on the GPU for more intensive work. This NVIDIA hardware also helped the XPS 14 be more than three times faster than the 13 in the Geekbench Machine Learning GPU test.

While the XPS 14 is far from what I’d call a gaming laptop, its NVIDIA GPU also lets me play Halo Infinite in 1080p with average graphics at 40fps. That’s not exactly my ideal halo experience, but hey, it’s playable. By comparison, the XPS 13’s Intel Arc graphics barely managed 25 frames per second. The RTX 4050 GPU is mainly useful for multimedia creation on the XPS 14: I was able to use Handbrake to transcode a 4K clip to 1080p in 26 seconds, while the same task took 36 seconds on the XPS 13.

I had no problems with my daily workflow on either machine, but I enjoyed carrying the XPS 13 around town much more than the XPS 14, simply because it’s lighter and easier to maneuver. I could throw it in a large bag without a second thought, take it to Starbucks and get to work easily. Thanks to the extra bulk and weight, the II sometimes had trouble stuffing the XPS 14 into the same bag among parenting accessories. This won’t be much of a problem if you’re backpacking (and not trying to fit in the kids’ toys and snacks), but it was a reminder of how useful a sub-three-pound notebook can be.

Like the XPS 16, I enjoyed typing on Dell’s sweetly wide keyboards. The large keycaps are easy to hit and have satisfying key travel. The keyboard is more visually impressive on the XPS 13, as it stretches completely from edge to edge, while it’s surrounded by speakers on the XPS 14. The capacitive function keys are a fine most of the time, but they do disappear in direct sunlight and other bright light.

And then there’s the trackpad. By now I’m used to Dell’s invisible design, and I’ve also appreciated the increased size of the trackpad on the XPS 14. But it still needs some adjustment, especially for newcomers. I also noticed that it was sometimes difficult to find the line that separates left and right clicks, which led to a few frustrated attempts to copy and paste links from Chrome.

Now that I’ve experienced Dell’s invisible trackpad and capacitive function row on four machines, I’m even more convinced that they were a mistake. Sure, they look great and help Dell stand out in the boring world of Windows laptops, but that doesn’t excuse the usability issues. On the XPS 13 and 14, I also saw split-second delays while swiping around Windows. The problem went away when I forced both machines to run at 120Hz, but that also used more battery life than running at 60Hz. I feel like I’m trying to push through an extra layer of glass. I’ve noticed the same issue on multiple XPS 13 and 14 units, but Dell told me it hasn’t been able to reproduce any lag in its labs. The company will conduct further investigation on our review units and I will report back later on what it finds.

As for the rest of their hardware, both the XPS 13 and XPS 14 feature solid 1080p webcams with support for Windows Hello for facial authentication. You can also use Windows Studio Effects during video chats to blur the background and adjust your gaze, thanks to the NPU in Intel’s new Core Ultra chips. Their 8-watt speakers sound good for watching YouTube videos or playing background music, but they’re not as impressive as Apple’s notebooks. There was also a surprising difference in battery life between the two machines: The XPS 13 lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes on the PCMark 10 Modern Office test, while the XPS 14 lasted just four and a half hours. You can attribute this to its more powerful GPU as well as its larger screen.

Another downside to the XPS 13 and 14’s sleek looks? Higher prices. The XPS 13 now starts at $1,399 with the configuration we tested, while the XPS 16 starts at $1,699. (Our review unit will cost $2,399, thanks to its NVIDIA GPU and OLED screen.) I’ll give Dell credit for making 16GB of RAM standard instead of 8GB like previous models, but for the most part, you’re paying through the nose to have a more beautiful trackpad. Is this really worth it? Dell’s pricing is especially wild considering you can pick up an M3 MacBook Air for $1,099 and a 14-inch MacBook Pro for $1,599. Of course, you’ll need to add $200 to get 16GB of RAM, but even the base configurations are faster than Dell laptops.

While there’s a lot to like about the new XPS 13 and XPS 14, we can’t recommend them as readily as Dell’s earlier XPS generations. They look attractive and perform well, but that comes at a cost to usability, battery life, and, well, real price. Simply put, you pay more for beautiful machines.