Dell XPS 14 (2024) Review

For years, the Dell XPS line has been a benchmark for premium Windows laptops, blending performance with a refined aesthetic. The new XPS 14 represents a bold leap forward, embracing a minimalist future that challenges long-held conventions of laptop design. It’s a machine that forces us to reconsider what a pro-grade portable workstation should look and feel like.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Dell XPS 14 is its stark, monolithic design. Hewn from a single block of CNC-milled aluminum and topped with a Gorilla Glass 3 palm rest, it feels less like a traditional laptop and more like a futuristic artifact. The controversial elements of its larger XPS 15 and 13 Plus siblings are all here: the “lattice-less” keyboard with its large, flat keycaps; the invisible haptic touchpad that blends seamlessly into the palm rest; and the capacitive touch row that replaces physical function keys. This is a design you’ll either love for its clean, uninterrupted lines or find frustrating for its rejection of tactile tradition. While the build quality is undeniably impeccable, the shallow keyboard travel requires an adjustment period and may not satisfy those who prefer a more decisive, tactile typing experience.

Under the hood, the XPS 14 is a serious performer. Our review unit, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, chewed through demanding creative tasks with impressive poise. Compiling code, editing 4K video timelines in Premiere Pro, and batch processing large RAW photos in Lightroom were all handled smoothly. The new NPU (Neural Processing Unit) in the Core Ultra chip promises to accelerate future AI-driven workflows, a nod to the future underscored by the dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard. However, this is not a gaming machine first and foremost. While the RTX 4050 can handle modern titles at respectable settings, the thermal solution is tuned for sustained creative workloads rather than peak gaming performance, and throttling can occur during intense, prolonged sessions.

The 14.5-inch 3.2K OLED InfinityEdge display is, without question, the star of the show. It is breathtakingly sharp, vibrant, and offers the inky, perfect blacks that only OLED technology can provide. With 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 500 certification, it’s a dream for photo and video editors who demand color accuracy. The quad-speaker setup provides loud, clear audio with a surprising amount of depth, making media consumption a genuine pleasure. Connectivity, however, is a classic XPS story of minimalist compromise. You get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the absence of USB-A means a dongle will be a permanent fixture in your travel bag.

Ultimately, the Dell XPS 14 (2024) is a beautifully engineered, powerful, and divisive machine. It’s an unapologetic push towards a minimalist future, prioritizing a seamless aesthetic over conventional usability. For creative professionals and tech enthusiasts who value a premium build, a world-class display, and strong performance for content creation, the XPS 14 is a compelling, if costly, proposition. But if your workflow depends on the muscle memory of physical function keys, a deep-travel keyboard, or legacy ports, this laptop’s forward-thinking design may feel more like a hindrance than a breakthrough.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon