The Dell 14 Plus is an un-Inspiron-ed introduction to Dell's new line-up

Dell took the Inspiron branding from us and gave us the oversimplified yet somehow still confusing Dell 14 Plus (2025). The previous version is still our pick for the best Dell laptop, so I had high hopes for Dell's updated affordable clamshell.

Now, for $949 (on sale), my review configuration of the Dell 14 Plus does offer decent performance and long battery life packed into an aluminum fingerprint-proof chassis. However, the upgraded models don’t cost that much more and feature stronger CPUs. But regardless of performance, the Dell 14 Plus supports a poor display and audio experience, along with a shallow touchpad.

You can count the Dell 14 Plus out in the running for the best laptops or best 14-inch laptops, but I’m sure someone could make use of its higher configurations. Let’s see if it’s right for you.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Specs and benchmarks

Dell 14 Plus: Price and configurations

I wouldn’t call the Dell 14 Plus a budget laptop, but it’s on the more affordable side of premium. The model I reviewed costs $1,099 (currently $949) and is outfitted with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14-inch, 2560 x 1600 non-touch display.

Okay, Dell’s system on its website is so confusing because if you go to the standard configuration list, you’ll find a $1,049 model with a 1200p touchscreen display (meanwhile, every other spec is similar to ours). But to get our configuration, you need to go to the custom order to find the better version with a 1600p display.

Now, you can step up to the $1,249 model (currently $1,049, so this is the one I’d get), which bumps you to the Ultra 7 258V CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 14-inch, 2560 x 1600 non-touch display.

Even if this wasn't on sale, $200 more (from the base configuration) is a steal for a boost in performance, RAM, and display. If you're thinking about buying this laptop, get this configuration.

Finally, the last model upgrades you to an Ultra 9 288V CPU for $1,399.

I’m shocked that none of these models feature high-refresh-rate displays, which are commonplace among laptops in this price range.

Now, if you’re looking for something a little cheaper, I recommend looking at our best laptops under $1,000 or true bargain-basement options among the best laptops under $500.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Design

I suppose a simple name deserves a simple design. The Dell 14 Plus features an aluminum chassis with an Ice Blue (this is silver, I don’t care what anyone says) colorway. The only feature on the lid is a glossy paint Dell logo. While the design seems uninspired, I’ll give credit to Dell; the chassis didn’t attract any of my fingerprints while I was using it.

The interior sports the same color while the keyboard is dressed in a darker gray, with the power button fingerprint reader combo situated in the top right corner. No one likes this power button placement at Laptop Mag. The bezels around the display are quite thin, leaving a thicker space at the top for the webcam (which has a privacy shutter, thankfully).

At 3.42 pounds and 12.36 x 8.9 x 0.67 inches, the Dell 14 Plus still has a bit of weight to it, which isn’t a bad thing, and its slim profile lets you fit it in just about any laptop bag. Here’s how it stacks up to its competitors.

• Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4: 2.7 pounds, 12 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches
• Asus Zenbook 14 UX3405: 2.81 pounds, 12.3 x 8.67 x 0.59 inches
• Acer Swift Go 14 AI: 3 pounds, 12.7 x 8.9 x 0.71 inches

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Ports

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Despite its size, the Dell 14 Plus offers the bare minimum number of ports for most people, but it would’ve been nice to see an additional USB Type-A port.

• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery
• 1x HDMI 2.1 port
• 1x Universal Audio jack

Need more ports? Check out our best USB Type-C hubs and best laptop docking stations pages.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Battery life

I'm not shocked that the Dell 14 Plus performed well in our battery testing, as Dell has produced some of the laptops with the best battery life in recent years. While I wouldn't call the Dell 14 Plus the best, it's quite good.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, which requires it to continuously surf the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the Dell 14 Plus scored 13 hours and 25 minutes.

While it came in a couple of hours behind the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 and Swift 14, the Dell offers more than enough time for a workday and some after-hours free time. And it's remarkably better than the Zenbook 14.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Display

At this price point, display quality can be a hit or miss. The Dell 14 Plus’ 14-inch, 2560 x 1600 non-touch panel is more of a miss, especially because there’s no better configuration. It’s not bad per se, but it’s mediocre.

I watched the Lilo & Stitch trailer, and when he busted out of his pod, and green smoke gushed out, the color seemed a bit muted. There wasn’t enough brightness to push the colors forward. Meanwhile, when the titular characters were side-by-side, Stitch’s blue fur and Lilo’s red shirt looked decent but not bold. I expected more out of a 1600p display.

The anti-glare on the display also seems a bit aggressive, as I could see a light fuzziness on the screen. It may be to accommodate the relatively poor brightness, but it just makes the light diffusion worse.

Overall, the Dell 14 Plus featured the dimmest and dullest display among its competition.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Keyboard and touchpad

This keyboard is weird. The Dell 14 Plus’ keys are well spaced, but they’re big enough that they take up more room, which tripped me up because the backspace feels further to the right than it should be. Despite that, there’s a decent bounce to each of the keys.

I fumbled pretty hard on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, scoring only 72 words per minute, which is far below my 81-wpm average. I’m not a big fan of the keyboard layout; the backspace really tripped me up, but that might just be me. On my second round, I got 78 wpm, so it takes some getting used to.

While the keyboard may be hit or miss for some, the touchpad is definitely a miss. Where’s my haptic feedback touchpad, Dell? This 4.5 x 3.1-inch touchpad is so shallow and unsatisfying that I actively hate navigating with it. I highly recommend taking a look at the best wireless mouse if you plan on getting the Dell 14 Plus.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Audio

If you were expecting a great audio experience, I’m sorry to disappoint. Unfortunately, the Dell 14 Plus’ bottom-firing speakers sound hollow and even a bit shrill on the higher notes.

I listened to “The Underworld” from Epic: The Musical (I’ll never stop listening to it), and I immediately noticed that the speakers pushed the vocals back and elevated the stringed instruments. This imbalance took away from the overall experience. I could also barely hear the sound effects, like the ship creaking in the background. The instruments also got a bit muddy toward the end of the song when Odysseus is singing his little heart out.

Surprisingly, there’s no audio software.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Performance and heat

Packed with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor and 16GB of RAM, the Dell 14 Plus wasn’t designed with the best performance in mind, but it’s solid for light multitasking. I only noticed a slight slowdown after popping open a couple of dozen Google Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos.

Unfortunately, the Dell 14 Plus got rinsed in almost every benchmark we threw at these laptops. On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the Dell fell behind the MacBook Air’s M4 and Zenbook 14’s Ultra 7 258V by quite a wide margin. It’s a wonder how much two digits can change in an Intel processor. Meanwhile, the Swift Go’s Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 pulled ahead only a little.

When transcoding a 4K video to 1080p, we saw similar results across all competitors. I’m not too shocked by Dell's performance, considering its processor, but I’m more disappointed by its 1TB SSD, which scored a sub-1,000-MBps transfer rate.

At the very least, the Dell 14 Plus remained cool after playing a 15-minute video, clocking in 95.2 degrees Fahrenheit between the G and H keys, basically in line with our 95-degree comfort threshold.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Gaming and graphics

I wouldn’t recommend running the latest AAA games on the Dell 14 Plus’ Intel Arc Graphics chip, but you can get some light gaming in.

We got 52 frames per second in Sid Meier's Civ VI: Gathering Storm (Medium, 1080p), 26 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Ultra, 1080p), and 24 fps in Borderlands 3 (Badass, 1080p). Now, the last two couldn’t make the 30-fps playability threshold, but if you turn down some settings, you can get there.

Meanwhile, its competitors landed around the same place.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): AI features

Naturally, the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V features an NPU, so you can natively run some AI processes, but there’s really no Dell-branded AI features you can take advantage of here.

The Dell 14 Plus, like every other laptop, offers the suite of Windows 11 AI features, like Recall, Cocreate, and Live Captions.

Dell 14 Plus: Webcam

It’s not often that a laptop sports a good webcam, which is why I wasn’t surprised when the Dell 14 Plus’ 1080p shooter fell short.

There’s a strong film grain over the entirety of the photo I took. The window behind me and half of my ceiling were overexposed, and the My Hero Academia poster’s gorgeous blue sky looked not-so-tantalizing. I recommend checking out the best webcams.

Dell 14 Plus (2025): Software and warranty

There are two important Dell-branded apps onboard the Dell 14 Plus: Dell SupportAssist and Dell Optimizer. The former gives you performance settings, updates, hardware scans, network optimization, and warranty information. Meanwhile, Dell Optimizer features settings for display, battery, and thermal management.

The Dell 14 Plus comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Bottom line

I wanted to like the Dell 14 Plus — I’ve always been a fan of the Inspiron series, but this one fails to stand out, and I swear it doesn’t have anything to do with its new name (maybe).

It offers decent performance and solid battery life, but I can’t get over its subpar display, hollow audio, and shallow touchpad.

If you want to stay in this price range but need better performance and battery life, I highly recommend checking out the MacBook Air 13-inch M4 or Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406).

But if you do like what you see out of the Dell 14 Plus, I highly recommend getting the Ultra 7 258V model for increased performance.