The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus laptop on a blue background.

Stiff keyboard
Heavy

About the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a midrange productivity laptop with limited configuration options. All models come with the same icy blue chassis, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and a 1TB storage drive, but you can configure the memory and display. There are two major configurations: the $1,000 model with 16GB of memory and a 2240 x 1400 resolution display, and the $1,100 model with 32GB of memory and a 1560 x 1440 resolution display.

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus specs

The Dell Inspiron Plus 14 closed on a green background. — The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus comes equipped with a Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, and either 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage.

Price as configured: $999.99
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16 total cores, 6 performance cores, 8 efficient cores, 2 low power efficient cores, 22 threads, up to 4.80GHz frequency)
Graphics: Intel Arc integrated graphics (8 cores, ray tracing, up to 2.25GHz frequency)
Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X-6400
Storage: 1TB PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD
Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800 resolution, 300 nits, WVA panel
Ports: 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x Thunderbolt 4, 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x microSD slot
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery: 52.6Wh lithium-polymer battery
Weight: 3.53 pounds
Dimensions: 12.36 x 8.92 x 0.63 inches
Warranty: 1-year limited hardware warranty
Special features: Fast-charging (80% in 60 minutes), NPU

What we like

Phenomenal graphics and ML performance

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus sports the all-new Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, the first Intel chip line to include neural processing units (NPUs) and Intel Arc integrated graphics. The core CPU performance is great, ranking among the top 10 productivity laptops and going head-to-head with the Dell XPS 14 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 M2 Max, but it’s the massively improved graphics performance, low-power cores, and the NPU that grab the spotlight.

The first thing that’s apparent is the new Arc graphics processor—it’s actually good enough to game. Compared to Nvidia and AMD’s discrete graphics processors, Intel’s Arc integrated graphics perform about as well as modern entry-level graphics cards like the Nvidia GTX 1650 and the AMD Radeon RX 6500M. Even demanding games like Warhammer 3 are playable on lower graphics settings.

Unlike the older Intel Xe graphics processors, the Intel Arc integrated graphics processor handles basic 3D modeling or video rendering tasks without a hiccup. The new NPUs in the Core Ultra 7 155H offload some machine learning (ML) and AI workloads from the CPU and GPU. It’s not as powerful as a beefy graphics card, but simpler ML tasks like text recognition, facial recognition, and image upscaling are more efficient to calculate on the NPU.

Battery life is all-day

At 9 hours and 30 minutes, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus’s battery life will get you through a whole day of productivity. While it doesn’t set records in battery life like the MacBook Pro 14, it’s notably better than the six to seven hours productivity laptop average on our battery life benchmarks. It’s also an improvement over the last Inspiron 14 Plus by almost two hours.

Responsive trackpad and fingerprint sensor make swiping painless

Sometimes budget laptops can have finicky touchpads, but that’s not the case with the Inspiron 14 Plus. The trackpad is about five inches across and four inches deep, which is enough for my small hands to have space to spare when swiping from side to side. Gesture detection and fingerprint detection worked well, too.

There are a few small but thoughtful considerations peppered throughout the device’s body, as well. The webcam has a physical privacy shutter, and the chassis can be disassembled with a small screwdriver. The Inspiron 14 Plus has a better port selection than most laptops its size, including an HDMI 2.1 port and an SD card port on top of the standard USB-C and USB-A ports.

While many laptops have sharp edges along their bodies, the Inspiron 14 Plus goes against the mainstream trend offering rounded edges that don’t dig into palms or wrists (like, say, the MacBook Air or even Dell’s own XPS 14).

What we don’t like

The design is less refined than the last generation

When we reviewed the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus in 2022, we were impressed by the laptop’s stylish metal body. The all-black aesthetic gave it a luxurious feel that the 2024 Inspiron 14 Plus lacks. Perhaps it’s the clash of the akuminum chassis’ light gray finish with the keyboard’s matte, darker gray finish. Maybe it’s the black bezel along the display, which sticks out against all the silvery tones. Maybe it’s just the fact that the Inspiron 14 Plus weighs almost four pounds.

That doesn’t mean the Inspiron 14 Plus is poorly constructed—its body is rigid and the display panel is hard to bend. The durability is not the problem. However, the aesthetics just don’t match the elegance of similarly priced laptops like the MacBook Air 13 or Lenovo Yoga 9i Pro.

Unimpressive display

If you’re just looking for a laptop to type on for eight hours straight, the 2.8K resolution panel can handle that just fine. A peak brightness over 400 nits, sharp pixels, and full sRGB color gamut coverage make this laptop easy to use in harsh lighting conditions like a bright sunny day. However, that’s all the display is: functional.

Considering you could get a number of laptops under $1,200 that are HDR-capable or include a high-contrast OLED display, the Inspiron 14 Plus’s panel feels modest for a thousand-dollar laptop.

The audio is as bland as the design

Music and podcasts came across as shallow and cold on the Inspiron 14 Plus. Its speakers lacked the warmth brought by lower frequencies and the presence that comes from a rich vocal range. If you’re a podcast listener, you might find the audio is clear enough for your needs, but expect music or sound effects to sound muffled by the laptop’s chassis.

The keyboard is too stiff

As far as keyboards and trackpads go, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus feels a bit stiffer than most. While accidental keypresses are basically nonexistent—the actuation force for the keyboard is tuned for heavy typists—you’re more likely to not press down hard enough on the keys.

It leads to a lot of missed keypresses and relatively quick finger fatigue for light typers. If you want to work on your finger strength, this is a good keyboard to use. But the average typist will prefer a smoother keyboard that feels snappy when you press down lightly like the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i.

Should you buy the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus?

Yes, if performance is a priority for you

A man using a Dell Inspiron 14 Plus laptop at a white table. — If you're looking for a solid productivity laptop, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus deserves a look.

For $1,000, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus does what it needs to do, and it does it well. The Intel Core 7 Ultra processor is phenomenal at handling both intense computing tasks and also conserving power when it’s just browsing the web. This laptop offers almost 10 hours of battery life plus graphics power strong enough to do some basic 3D modeling or gaming, especially if you opt for the $1,100 model with 32GB of memory. The Inspiron 14 Plus is even better when it’s on sale.

However, the Inspiron 14 Plus isn’t exceptional in its class. Laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 can offer the same levels of performance, 12-hour battery life, an HDR display, and fuller sound for only a couple hundred dollars more. For those that prioritize portability, the lightweight MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro 14 offer almost 20 hours of battery life, a durable all-metal body, and a great user experience (although you will have to settle for less memory and graphics performance for the same price). The Acer Swift 14 is great alternative to the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus too, since it offers about the same level of performance and display quality with a more usable keyboard for frequent typists.

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus suffers from being the middle-of-the-road option in Dell’s lineup. The regular Inspiron laptops are focused on affordability, the XPS laptops give a great user experience, and the Inspiron Plus tries to give a good experience for a midrange price. Its processors can handle tough work loads, but the awkward keyboard and heavy weight might put off those who need something that comfortably slips in a bag.

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus

$849.99

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a reliable, efficient machine for a great price.

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The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a bit too practically minded