Picking the best Dell laptop is no easy task, as the company produces several great laptops every year, some of which are the best budget laptops or even the best laptops overall. The affordable XPS 13 — which packs an almost magical amount of power and functionality into one of the tiniest chassis of all — is a case in point and our top pick.
There are some other great Dell laptops to consider, though. We’ve tested a good portion of what the laptop giant has to offer, with hundreds of hours of hands-on time with each of them. Here are Dell’s best — as well as a few great alternatives.
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9315
A new detachable tablet 2-in-1 competitor
Dell XPS 13 9315
One of the best XPS laptops is also the most affordable
Pros
- Aggressive price
- Very compact design
- Great battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
- Display is bright and high quality
Cons
- No headphone jack
- Performance is lacking
Why you should buy this: It’s the most affordable XPS laptop.
Who’s it for: Just about anyone but gamers.
What we thought about the XPS 13 9315:
We’ve been big fans of the XPS 13 for years now, and the 2022 version received a major update. The chassis lost the carbon and glass fiber palm rest options and converted to an all-aluminum design that’s more modern but stands out less. The build quality remains excellent. The laptop also updated to Intel 12th-gen CPUs, specifically 9-watt versions of Intel’s 12th-gen U-series CPUs.
Mainly, the new XPS 13 9315 competes directly with Apple’s MacBook Air M1, offering an affordable machine with a 16:10 13.4-inch display and the same excellent keyboard and touchpad as previous models. The XPS 13 provides a solid mix of performance and battery life that makes it a good choice for anyone wanting a great 13-inch laptop.
Ports include two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports but no 3.5mm audio jack, and Wi-Fi 6E support is included as well.
Dell XPS 13 9315
One of the best XPS laptops is also the most affordable
Dell XPS 13 Plus
Innovations abound a well-built 13-inch laptop
Pros
- Irresistibly fresh design
- Great OLED screen
- Helpful performance modes
- Excellent haptic touchpad
- Webcam has been improved
Cons
- Gets warm on the bottom
- No headphone jack
Why you should buy this: It’s powerful, has a spectacular display, and is the most innovative XPS yet.
Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a high-tech 13-inch machine.
What we thought about the XPS 13 Plus:
Dell split the XPS 13 into two machines in its latest revision. The XPS 13 9315, featured above, serves as a more affordable option, and the XPS 13 Plus takes the iconic machine in some new directions.
The first XPS 13 Plus innovation is a haptic touchpad, a first for the XPS line. It’s a solid implementation that offers the ability to click anywhere on the touchpad’s surface with a haptic engine that closely mimics physical buttons. The edge-to-edge keyboard is also a first, and it’s shallower but offers precise, snappy switches and large keycaps. Finally, the LED touch function keys save thickness and offer a more modern look.
Where the XPS 13 9315 focuses on quiet, cool, and efficient performance with 9-watt CPUs, the XPS 13 Plus has more powerful 28-watt Intel 12th-gen U-series processors. That makes it significantly faster while being less efficient. The XPS 13 Plus also offers higher-resolution displays, including a 13.4-inch 16:10 OLED panel with spectacular colors and contrast.
Dell XPS 13 Plus
Innovations abound a well-built 13-inch laptop
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Dell XPS 15 9520
A highly portable and powerful large-screen laptop
Pros
- Streamlined and solid build
- Aesthetically perfect
- Strong productivity and creative performance
- Above-average battery life
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
- Superior OLED display
- Outstanding audio
Cons
- Expensive
- Performance ceiling limited by thin chassis
Why you should buy this: Its display is beautiful, and its all-around performance is fantastic for creators.
Who’s it for: Creative professionals who crave portable power and panache.
What we thought about the Dell XPS 15:
What the XPS 15 loses in portability over the above 13-inch laptops, it more than makes up for it in performance and screen real estate. Built upon some solid components that promise excellent performance for productivity and gaming, the XPS 15 is one of the best full-size laptops around.
There’s some new hardware inside, including 45-watt Intel 12th-gen CPUs. It has an affordable starting price of $1,449 that bumps to $1,899 for a discrete GPU (the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050). The larger display looks beautiful — and color accurate — in both 1080p and 4K IPS with a 3.5K OLED panel that’s drop-dead gorgeous.
Storage options range from 256GB to 4TB PCIe SSDs while RAM is upgradable to 64GB, and ports include two Thunderbolt 4, a USB-C, and a full-size SD card reader. This is a bigger, badder version of the XPS 13, and it remains one of the best Dell laptops out there.
Dell XPS 15 9520
A highly portable and powerful large-screen laptop
Dell Inspiron 15 3000
An affordable business laptop
Pros
- Solid keyboard and touchpad
- Large display for multitasking
- Quality build
- Affordable price
Cons
- Full HD 16:9 display
- 11th-gen CPUs
Why you should buy this: You want Dell quality at a budget price.
Who’s it for: Anyone who wants the latest Intel CPUs but doesn’t want to spend a lot.
What we thought about the Dell Inspiron 15 3000:
Although not as premium as the XPS range of laptops, Dell’s Inspiron notebooks are far from the budget-friendly portable systems of old. The newest Inspiron 15 3000 is a primary example, with incredibly affordable prices paired with good components for excellent value. That includes an 11th-gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD.
You won’t get the same tiny bezels as on Dell’s XPS line nor all-metal construction. But even so, this is a well-built laptop with reasonable dimensions for the money. The laptop also incorporates several enhancements that are welcome at these prices, including enhanced thermals for better performance and a hinge that lifts the chassis bottom off the desktop for better airflow.
You’ll likely suffer some consequences in display quality and battery life, but the Inspiron 15 3000 overall performance is solid.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000
An affordable business laptop
Dell G15 Gaming Laptop
An affordable gaming machine
Pros
- Fast AMD processors
- Up to RTX 3070 Ti
- Fast refresh rates
- Solid build quality
- Affordable
Cons
- No per-key RGB lighting
- Below-average battery life
Why you should buy this: It’s an affordable gaming laptop with real power.
Who’s it for: Gamers on a (relative) budget who want to play at high detail.
What we thought about the Dell G15 Gaming Laptop:
The Dell G15 Gaming Laptop is a powerhouse gaming laptop at prices that are easier for gamers to accommodate. For example, the G15 Gaming Laptop can be configured with up to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU for the fastest processor performance.
But the real gaming power comes from the GPU options. Buyers can choose up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, which will run at 1080p with all features — such as ray tracing — turned on. Display options include up to a 165Hz panel that ensures tear-free gaming. Other options include up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD for optimal performance.
The G15 is also a solid choice for anyone who wants to do more than just game on their laptop. The keyboard is okay for productivity, and the battery life is okay given the components and the target market.
Dell G15 Gaming Laptop
An affordable gaming machine
Editors’ Recommendations
