Pros & Cons
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- Excellent battery life
- Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
- Good speakers and webcam
- Premium metal construction
- Practical port selection
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- Half a pound overweight
- Screen could be brighter
Dell 14 Plus DB14250 (Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, 14 Display) Specs
| Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) | 1 |
| Boot Drive Type | SSD |
| Class | Ultraportable |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 0.67 by 12.4 by 8.9 inches |
| Graphics Processor | Intel Arc Graphics 140V |
| Native Display Resolution | 2560 by 1600 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Panel Technology | IPS |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 256V |
| RAM (as Tested) | 16 |
| Screen Refresh Rate | 90 |
| Screen Size | 14 |
| Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 20:06 |
| Variable Refresh Support | None |
| Weight | 3.42 |
| Wireless Networking | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Wireless Networking | Wi-Fi 7 |
Dell’s first 14 Plus (starts at $1,099.99/£849, as tested) laptop takes the midrange torch from its venerable Inspiron brand and runs with it, challenging top-tier mainstream laptops for the adoration of home users and students. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 2 “Lunar Lake” processor, this Copilot+ PC delivers cutting-edge connectivity, impressive battery life, and a premium metal chassis complemented by a versatile port selection. While it's a little heavier, not quite as fast, and could use a brighter screen, the Dell 14 Plus can scrap with the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air and Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch (UM3406), our current Editors' Choice laptop picks for most people, especially when on sale.
Configurations: Decent Power for the Price
I tested the Dell 14 Plus with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, a system on a chip featuring eight processing cores, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a robust. Copilot+-ready neural processing unit (NPU). The laptop also comes with a 1TB SSD. This model typically costs $1,099.99 at list price but dropped to an impressive $699.99 on sale before publishing this review.
Our test laptop is Dell's base model. Dell sells several other 14 Plus configurations with up to a Core Ultra 9 288V, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. The memory is not upgradable after purchase, and the best-equipped setup will cost $1,547.99, though it was seen on sale for $1,079.99 at publishing time. Dell rarely sells its laptops and desktops at full list prices, but these price drops are particularly steep. You may want to watch them and time your buy. (Sale prices may also vary by the geography you're buying in.)
Design: Plain Yet Premium
Before Dell’s rebranding, the 14 Plus would have fit within the midrange Inspiron lineup. Its modern aesthetic borders on too plain, though its gleaming aluminum finish exudes a premium feel and impressive strength. Dell goes the extra mile to ensure this laptop is built to last, putting it through military-grade durability ratings in high temperatures and testing the lid-closing mechanism 20,000 times.
Dell’s 3.4-pound chassis is heavy for a 14-inch laptop. The Acer Swift 14 AI AMD (3 pounds), the MacBook Air 13-inch (2.7 pounds), and the Asus Zenbook A14 (2.4 pounds) are considerably lighter. That said, the laptop’s dimensions of 0.7 by 12.4 by 8.9 inches (HWD) are reasonable, closely matching the footprint of its 16:10 display.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The Dell 14 Plus provides a practical port selection, including two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 video output, a traditional USB Type-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Both USB-C ports are positioned on the left side—a split placement across both edges would have provided more flexibility when connecting the power adapter. Only one of these ports supports Thunderbolt 4, while the other is USB 3.2 Gen 2, providing Power Delivery and DisplayPort functionality. The laptop also includes Intel Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for modern connectivity.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The laptop provides two password-free login methods: a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, and an infrared webcam for facial recognition via Windows Hello. It comes preloaded with Windows 11 Home and includes an industry-standard one-year warranty.
Display: Sharp, Saturated, and Eye-Friendly
Dell’s latest laptop delivers reliable everyday performance, even if it doesn’t bring standout innovations. The laptop's high build quality instills confidence on the go, complemented by a 180-degree (lay-flat) display hinge and a lid that opens effortlessly with one hand. These are small details that make a big difference in day-to-day use.
You have two display choices with the Dell 14 Plus: a 1,920-by-1,200-pixel touch panel or, as seen in our review unit, a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel non-touch version that incorporates low blue-light hardware for potentially reduced eye strain. Both screens fall short in brightness, rated at just 300 nits—well below the preferred 400-plus nits mark for an IPS panel. Still, image quality remains high with decent saturation and contrast. The display also has a 90Hz refresh rate, a welcome bump over the usual 60Hz. The 1080p webcam situated above the display has a sliding privacy shutter and produces a sharp picture with minimal noise.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Keyboard and Audio: Comfy and Crisp
Typing on Dell’s keyboard feels comfortable, with well-cushioned keys and enough travel for responsive feedback. The white backlighting, available in two brightness levels, enhances usability in dim settings. The generously sized touchpad is smooth and reliable, providing firm feedback with a pleasantly subdued sound. Dell also includes a pair of decent speakers: While not especially loud, they project well for personal listening, and they sound full while playing rock and acoustic music from my playlists.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)As noted up top, this laptop features an Intel Lunar Lake processor with a high-performance NPU, meeting the requirements for Copilot+ certification and processing localized AI PC workloads. The Dell Optimizer app provides insights into battery health, fan profiles (including a quiet mode), and Dolby Vision display settings. Beyond standard Windows 11 apps, almost no other software comes preinstalled.
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Performance Testing: Decent Everyday Gusto
While the Dell 14 Plus can't unseat laptops costing hundreds more (at least when this one is on sale), in its starting configuration we've tested here, it shows above-average productivity speeds in some tested scenarios. The Dell 14 Plus didn't blow away any of these laptops below we compared it with, but it also doesn't need to—especially for as little as $700.
Our comparison laptops are the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD ($1,299.99 as tested), the latest Apple MacBook Air 13-inch ($999 as tested), the Asus Zenbook A14 ($999 as tested), and the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo A2VM ($1,499.99 as tested). Touting a variety of silicon, these laptops all strive to blend everyday performance, premium features, and battery life.
Productivity and Content Creation Tests
Our primary overall benchmark, UL's PCMark 10, puts a system through its paces in productivity apps ranging from web browsing to word processing and spreadsheet work. Its Full System Drive subtest measures a PC's storage throughput.
Three more tests are CPU-centric or processor-intensive: Maxon's Cinebench 2024 uses that company's Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Primate Labs' Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning; and we see how long it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution. Finally, workstation maker Puget Systems' PugetBench for Creators utility rates a PC's image editing prowess via various automated operations in Adobe Photoshop 25.
The Dell 14 Plus performed well above average in PCMark’s main test, matching the MSI but falling behind the more powerful (Ryzen AI 9) Acer. Its CPU results in Geekbench were also competitive with the MSI, though it lagged noticeably in the longer-running HandBrake test and was far slower than the Arm-based Apple and Asus laptops. These results indicate that while Dell offers sufficient power for everyday tasks, it isn’t a leader in sustained performance.
Dell's midranger also couldn't complete some tests. It failed the Cinebench multi-core test (not uncommon for Lunar Lake laptops with 16GB of memory) and encountered a benchmark-related error in Photoshop, neither of which we held against it. Performance-wise, this is a thoroughly middle-of-the-road system: a high-quality laptop for homework, managing bills, and web browsing—but not your go-to video editing machine, for instance.
Graphics Tests
We challenge each reviewed system’s graphics with a quintet of animations or gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark test suite. The first two, Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K), use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. The next pair, Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests, focuses on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal, DirectX 12, and Vulkan, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects. And the fifth test, Solar Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing performance.
Despite using the same Arc integrated graphics solution as the MSI, the Dell 14 Plus trailed well behind in graphics performance across all tests. While it was also no match for the Acer and Apple, it did prove as fast or faster than the Asus and its Qualcomm Adreno graphics silicon. As with general productivity, you'll get by with the Dell 14 Plus in minor graphical applications like video streaming and casual gaming, but don't press it into deep gaming or GPU-accelerated tasks. You shouldn't expect much more from a general-use midrange laptop.
Battery Life and Display Tests
We test each laptop and tablet's battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We make sure the battery is fully charged before the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.
Also, to gauge display performance, we use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen's color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
The Dell 14 Plus upholds Lunar Lake laptops’ impressive battery performance, lasting more than 20 hours. (Notably, the 14 Plus outlasted the MacBook Air by 10 minutes.) This is particularly admirable given that its 50% display brightness is practical for everyday use, unlike the Asus. Beyond battery life, its display makes few compromises, providing decent color coverage across our tested gamuts and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. Its only drawback is moderate brightness.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Dell 14 Plus (DB14250)
Dell’s 14 Plus is a good-value 14-inch laptop for home or school, particularly if you catch it discounted. Its long battery life and comfortable build make it a smart alternative to some leading mainstream models.