Watch out, MacBook Neo! The new Dell XPS 13 is here, and it could arguably be the best budget laptop available. With a starting price of $699, it packs many of the features you’d find in higher-end XPS laptops. Given the ongoing RAM crisis, this notebook is seriously worth considering for what it offers.

Unlike most budget Windows laptops, the XPS 13 has a CNC aluminum chassis built to the same standards as its more expensive XPS counterparts. Not only does it look great, but it’s also the thinnest XPS laptop ever. Toss in other features, such as a vivid 2.5K touch display, a backlit keyboard, and fast performance, and you have a winner.

I’ve spent 48 hours with the Dell XPS 13 and find that it lives up to the hype. To be clear, I tested the model with 16GB of RAM, which retails for $899. I’ll review the model with 8GB of RAM soon, but for now, here’s what I think of the new Dell XPS 13.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Specs

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Design

“Wow, that’s light,” was the first thing I said when I picked up the XPS 13. And that wasn’t just my brain playing tricks on me. At 2.2 pounds, this laptop is lighter than the 2.7-pound 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Neo. This is exactly the kind of laptop I want to travel with since it’s so light — a fact that was very clear when I barely felt it in my backpack when I brought the XPS 13 from the office to my apartment.

The smooth aluminum chassis also ensures that the XPS 13 is plenty sturdy, as it doesn’t easily bend or flex. This is a far cry from the plastic laptops I’m used to in this price range. I’m glad that Dell didn’t sacrifice build quality to drop the price, as the aluminum casing is an important selling point here.

Another big selling point for anyone deciding between the XPS 13 and the MacBook Neo is the former’s backlit keyboard. This is something some folks don’t think about, since many laptops have backlit keyboards, but if you work at night or just need help seeing the keys, it’s a crucial feature.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Display

The Dell XPS 13 has a 13.4-inch 2.5K-resolution touchscreen display. Though it’s not an OLED panel, everything looks bright and colorful to me. When running a video featuring colorful animals, I was impressed by the color representation and accuracy. Naturally, text-heavy websites are very clear.

As you can see from our display benchmarks, the XPS 13 delivers solid color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E). While Dell’s notebook has higher resolution and touch support, the MacBook Neo matches the XPS 13 in color representation and accuracy. However, the Neo's display is overall brighter, especially with SDR content.

While the 13-inch MacBook Air has a slightly taller display at 13.6 inches, everything is still clear on the XPS 13’s display. This is a big win, especially since laptops in this price range tend to have duller displays.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Performance

The XPS 13 features the new Wildcat Lake CPU and gives me my first chance to test a laptop with Intel’s lower-end Series 3 processor. Our review unit also has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. While these specs aren’t mind-blowing, they get the job done.

Even with 15 Microsoft Edge tabs open and a YouTube video running in the background, the XPS 13 didn’t noticeably slow down. My experience aligns with our CPU benchmarks, which show solid single- and multi-core scores.

Even with its 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo has a slight edge in CPU performance, underscoring the incredible efficiency of Apple’s affordable laptop. As for the Handbrake video transcoding test, the MacBook Neo performed the task about 10 seconds faster.

We haven't run our battery life test yet, but Dell claims up to 17 hours of streaming battery life for the XPS 13. We’ll see if the XPS 13 can match the Neo’s 13.5-hour endurance in our lab tests. If Dell can match or exceed that, it would be another big reason to buy.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Outlook

For what it offers, the Dell XPS 13 is an excellent budget Windows laptop. It’s extremely rare to find such a solid notebook at this price point. I’ll have a full review for you soon, but based on my experience so far, I’m very impressed with what Dell has delivered.

As for the MacBook Neo comparisons, they’re even more relevant now, given Apple’s price hikes, which have put the Neo at the same starting price as the XPS 13. If you’re married to a specific platform (macOS or Windows 11), the decision should be easy. However, if you just want the best value, you now have two strong options.

Stay tuned for my full XPS 13 review, along with a deeper face-off between Dell’s laptop and the MacBook Neo to help you decide which one is best for your needs.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops
• How to maximize your MacBook Neo for peak performance

I’ve tested Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptop chip (spoiler alert: it’s mindblowing), and now I’ve gone hands-on with every single laptop launching in just a few months time to set up a ranked list.

Eight premium notebooks are launching — each with their own unique features and quirks that I’m keen to share, so that when the launch date arrives, you know which one is best for you. Of course, this is personal preference, and certain systems I put in a lower grade may be better suited for you!

These are all incredible-feeling laptops, but grading them allowed me to get brutally honest with where I’d put them. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

While the Microsoft Surface Laptop was used in the demos, other models were turned off. This was something Nvidia required to ensure journalists (like me) don’t sneakily benchmark the laptops! That being said, these notebooks are basically pre-existing laptops but with RTX Spark inside and some tweaked cooling, so I can use past experience to fill in some gaps.

Nvidia RTX Spark laptops: Tier list

S-Tier: Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra and Asus ProArt P14

I’ve already shared my experience with the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — it’s a spectacular-feeling laptop in terms of a premium build quality, fantastic mini LED screen, tactile keyboard and a utilitarian aesthetic.

But the big showcase feature here (that no other Spark system has) is that breakthrough touchpad, which is able to communicate back to you with haptics across the UI. It’s a unique sensation like when snapping apps to the sides of the screen.

That being said, it is a 16-inch beast of a system, and the reason why I love my 14-inch MacBook Pro is the power paired with portability. Enter the Asus ProArt P14, and when I say Apple’s pro notebook is in trouble, this is the most direct competition to it in terms of premium build, fantastic ergonomics, port array and that RTX Spark chip.

Throw in an OLED display, and you’ve got a phenomenal ultraportable that I’d be willing to trade off a little bit of battery life to get — but hopefully Nvidia’s “all-day battery life” comes true to make this less of a fear.

A-Tier: MSI Prestige Flip N16 AI+, Asus ProArt P16 and HP Omnibook X 14

Kicking off with the Prestige Flip N16 AI+, I’ve already gone hands-on with the Intel version of this system back at CES 2026, and I’m a huge fan of it. This is the only 2-in-1 in the lineup, and that flippable hinge has a smooth glide and strong staying power at all angles.

On top of that, the touchscreen OLED panel on the pre-existing model is gorgeous; the keyboard is nicely tactile; and the touchpad is absolutely massive. Plus, there’s a stylus stowed in the bottom of the shell magnetically.

Then there’s the ProArt P16 from Asus, which is the same as that P14, but only bigger. If 16 inches is more than your speed, this is a fantastic option. But I’ll always opt for something more portable.

And finally in the A-tier is the HP Omnibook X 14, which immediately tickled my inner love for 14-inch laptops. Premium build quality, good I/O and a top notch OLED panel up top — so why the lower grade? Well, it comes down to that keyboard.

Whenever I’m typing on laptop boards, I’m more of a fan of a subtle dish that my fingers can fall into, whereas the keys on here are much more pronounced. It definitely has its fans, but I’m a little more mixed towards them.

B-Tier: HP Omnibook 16 Ultra, Lenovo Yoga Pro 9N and Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition

Now for the B-tier. Again, not any real slight, and this is my way-too-early impressions based on holding the systems. But personal taste made this an easy decision.

The HP Omnibook 16 Ultra felt like the heaviest laptop of the bunch, and while it has all those same winning specs as other options like an OLED display and a ton of I/O, that keyboard has those odd raised keys again and the edges can feel a bit sharp on the wrists when leaning on this to type.

Next, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9N. From my time going hands-on with the Yoga Pro 9i (the same laptop shell), it’s a real prosumer piece of hardware with a nice aluminum build and those classic Lenovo ergonomics (a phenomenal keyboard for example).

But amongst a bunch of laptops that have some real unique elements that make these devices shine, it’s a rather unremarkable option. Not to say that’s a bad thing — I’m all for laptops that nail the fundamentals, but some just reinvent those fundamentals.

And then, there’s the Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition. In many ways, this is very much a Surface Laptop Ultra alternative, and another chapter in the book of Dell’s XPS apology tour for ditching the brand for a weird year back in 2024. The screen’s great, the touchpad is massive, and the I/O is plentiful.

My only main gripe is the keyboard — chiclet keys with no gaps between them. In my time testing XPS 16s of old, it took me a while to get used to a board like this, and I found myself often losing my place and making a couple of spelling errors.

Outlook

Of course, there's a lot more we need to find out first — not just actually testing these systems, but the big question of price. In a Q&A session, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang did say this is the top-tier chip as part of a whole family.

That does mean we could get cheaper, lower-end models too. But looking at what we tested, we can get a somewhat decent guess of the price based on the fact its essentially the same silicon (and RAM) as the DGX Spark mini AI PC — a device that costs $5,000.

So if you want the top-tier model, this could get real pricey! But all I can say is I hope there are more reasonably priced RTX Spark laptops, which in the midst of RAMageddon may be tricky.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best of Computex 2026: The 17 greatest gadgets from the world’s largest computing show
• I gamed for 250 hours on AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE — it’s a $549 nightmare for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti
• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — it leaves ROG Xbox Ally in the dust with breakthrough Intel Arc G3 power

We called MacBook Neo the "best budget laptop ever," and it's taken the world by storm. Speaking to a few Windows laptop makers here at Computex 2026, it's clear that the value-for-money proposition of a premium macOS portable with great battery life, nice design and powerful Apple silicon has terrified them.

But these companies are not taking things lying down. A lot of Neo competitors just got announced — all premium thin-and-lights that target that $6-700 price, and launching just in time for back-to-school.

And even better? Each of them offer a little something that the MacBook Neo doesn't, so the value fight is now officially on! Here are four budget-friendly laptops that I think could give Apple some serious competition.

Dell XPS 13

Dell's XPS revival started earlier this year, and it took another significant step forward at Computex with an all new XPS 13 aimed squarely at the MacBook Neo.

It continues to use a premium aluminum chassis, retaining the high-end feel that people expect from the XPS brand. You can really feel that in the hands, with a nice sturdy hinge, good ergonomics and a nice-feeling keyboard to boot.

Dell says this is also the thinnest and lightest XPS laptop it has ever made. And unlike the Neo, this is upgradeable too — configurable with up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processor and 32GB of RAM.

Pricing starts at $699 for the base model with Intel's new "Wildcat Lake" chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage ($599 with an education discount). Technically, that puts it in the same ballpark as the MacBook Neo if you spec the latter with 512GB of storage, but even from a base-model comparison, the XPS 13 offers a few advantages.

The four key ones are a silky smooth 120Hz touchscreen display with a non-reflective coating, USB-C ports on both sides of the laptop, a backlit keyboard, and support for Windows Hello face unlock.

From what I experienced testing it, the Dell XPS 13 feels like the most serious MacBook Neo competitor out there, and it could genuinely challenge Apple's dominance in this category once it launches later this year.

Asus Zenbook 14

Asus told me they couldn't make the Zenbook A14 any cheaper, so the company rewrote the rulebook, changed the materials and internals and made a banger of a value system.

On paper, the bad news is it starts a little higher at $799. But the good news in person is that it does offer one massive upgrade over the Neo right from the get-go: an OLED 120Hz display. Colors are mesmerizing on this panel with inky blacks to boot.

Beyond the display, you also get a premium all-metal build made from Asus' Ceraluminum material, which is basically a blend of ceramic and aluminum, along with a lightweight design that comes in at around 2.6 pounds.

The keyboard and touchpad feel solid on it with minimal flex on the board, and the colors look amazing with Komodo Coral being a personal favorite of mine.

Unlike some of the other laptops on this list that rely entirely on Intel chips, the Zenbook 14 is available with Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, with the Snapdragon variant starting at the lowest price point. That means a claim of 21 hours of battery life, which I can't wait to properly put to the test.

Port selection is also better than what you get on the MacBook Neo (or, in fact, all other laptops on the list). You get two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a full-sized HDMI port as well!

Acer Swift Air 14

Acer also wasn't holding back when it came to taking on the MacBook Neo. At Computex 2026, the company unveiled the Swift Air 14 (2026), another laptop that starts at a competitive $699 price point and focuses on delivering as much value as possible while still maintaining a premium feel with an all-metal chassis.

That said, I did notice a bit of flex around the keyboard deck when pressing down on it — something you don't experience on the Neo. But it's all about making the right compromises too.

Much like the XPS 13, it's got a 120Hz screen (though it's 14 inches for the Swift Air), powered by Intel's lower-cost Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" chips. And if you thought the Dell XPS 13 had a solid port selection, the Acer Swift Air 14 takes things a step further with a full-side USB-A too.

Another thing the Swift Air 14 appears to have going for it is that massive 70Wh battery. That's nearly double the 36.5Wh battery inside the MacBook Neo, and it'll be interesting to see how that translates into real-world battery life once we get more time with the device.

MSI Modern 14S AI+

First showcased at CES 2026, MSI has now shared more details about the Modern 14S AI+, and it's looking more and more like a legitimate MacBook Neo competitor. There's the aluminum alloy chassis (except for the bottom), a thin profile and a light weight of roughly three pounds.

Intel's "Wildcat Lake" CPU makes a reappearance again, and the port selection gets even better here with MSI throwing in an Ethernet socket too alongside the HDMI, USB-A and two USB-C.

In use, the keyboard deck has a small amount of flex and the touchpad can feel a little mushy in the corners, but again, it's all about balance, as the Modern 14S AI+ also comes with a 14-inch OLED panel too.

But arguably the most impressive thing about it is durability. MSI says the laptop is MIL-STD-810H certified, which should make it tougher and more resilient than most of the other laptops on this list.

Bottom line

The budget Windows laptop market had been unchallenged for so long by Apple that they'd got too comfortable — cutting corners in materials and making one too many compromises in the knowledge that if you had $5-700, they were the only options you had.

Now the Neo is here, Computex 2026 showed they've woken up, and have truly come to play. There are now plenty of compelling Windows alternatives entering the space as well, and I can't wait to review them all real soon.

That said, if you're looking for a premium Windows machine and don't mind waiting a bit longer, it might be worth holding off for the upcoming RTX Spark-powered laptops. From everything we've seen so far, things are looking pretty promising on that side of the market too.

More from Tom's Guide

• All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall
• Intel Arc G3 is here to shake up handheld gaming, and AMD should be terrified — Acer Predator Atlas 8, a new MSI Claw and more launching soon
• I built a touchscreen MacBook Pro using this snap-on accessory, and I'm baffled why Apple hasn't made its own for years

We've reached day 2 of Computex 2026, and from holding every Nvidia RTX Spark laptop to comparing all the new budget systems competing with the MacBook Neo, I have so much to update you on!

Beyond that, I got to talk to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about Spark, properly tested the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (spoiler alert: AMD gaming handhelds are cooked), and went on a mission to find every budget laptop that competes with the MacBook Neo.

But that's not all, as my team is out here too — running around the exhibition center and finding all the best (and weirdest) tech of Computex. So follow along with us for all the latest.

Read the latest from Computex

• I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble
• I held the MacBook Neo in one hand and the new XPS 13 in the other — and Dell’s affordable laptop is surprisingly lighter
• I just tested Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — Nvidia RTX Spark brings life to one of the best laptops I’ve ever tried
• I spoke to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark — he is ‘willing to work’ on an RTX gaming handheld, N2X and N3X are already planned and the chip is 'more like R2D2’ than a laptop CPU
• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — Intel Arc G3 is a breakthrough for handheld gaming, but at what cost?
• I thought Asus' massive 32-inch OLED would be my favorite Computex 2026 monitor — but I found one that was even better
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to — the numbers are staggering

LIVE UPDATES

Computex is still going strong

Hey, all! Our Computex 2026 coverage is going strong as we're on the ground in Taipei checking out the latest and greatest from the computing world. Keep it locked here four all of our live updates and hands-on impressions.

RTX Spark put to the test

We've had the opportunity to put Nvidia's RTX Spark to the test for video editing, gaming, and AI, and the results are... impressive. Now, the obvious caveat is that we don't know what these machines will cost once they arrive — but it should make Apple and its MacBook Pro a little more than nervous.

Here's what my colleague Jason had to say after he'd spent some time with Nvidia's new chip: "With Microsoft in tow, working in lockstep to rebuild Windows 11 for Nvidia's agentic vision for the future of computing, these are going to be some truly mighty notebooks that may very well revolutionize the Windows laptop and truly stand on their own as the future of computing."

• Read the full story: I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble

MSI debuts 'Triple Mode' monitor

This right here is the MSI MPG OLED 322URDX36. It's the first 31.5-inch, 4K 360Hz gaming monitor on the market to feature the 'Triple Mode' configuration technology.

It lets gamers switch freely between 4K 360Hz, 2K 520Hz, and FHD 680Hz based on their preferences — meeting the specific performance demands of various game genres.

The monitor rocks a peak HDR brightness of 1,500 nits and integrates an AI Care Sensor that "leverages accurate human detection to provide real-time OLED panel protection without compromising user privacy." Whatever that means.

Could Microsoft be building the most exciting RTX Spark laptop?

Microsoft will be facing down the MacBook Pro with the Surface Laptop Ultra later this year, it's one of the first eight laptops to arrive with Nvidia's RTX Spark on board and it could be seriously impressive.

Microsoft claims this will be most powerful Surface it's ever built and there are a few specs we are already pretty confident about. For starters, it has a 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra display that can reportedly reach 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. There's also a full set of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

The Surface Laptop Ultra will also reportedly have “all-day” battery life and you can expect it to come in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.

• Read more: Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra packs an Nvidia Spark chip — and it could be a MacBook Pro killer

Intel Arc G3 steps up against AMD

Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat with a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3, seemingly delivering some of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.

We've checked out the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ here at Computex already, and both have impressed us with their smooth performance.

This is a huge win for Intel, which has, up until now, played second fiddle to AMD and its near-dominance over the handheld space.

MacBook Neo has competition from Dell

We just got to go hands-on with Dell's new XPS laptop line but one device in particular stood out: the new Dell XPS 13. Thin, light and affordable, you know where this is going. We have another MacBook Neo competitor in our midst.

The Dell XPS 13 does have a few nice extras you don't get on the Neo, like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with one on each side. Stay tuned for our full hands-on but so far, I'm quite impressed.

A mesmerizing laptop

Laptops tend to look similar, which is why the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition stands out. Adorned with the troubled artist's work on the lid, it’s certainly a conversation starter. The fact that it’s built around a Prestige 14 Flip AI+ means you’re getting quite the workhorse here, too.

But what about the price? It’s the one question nobody can really answer, given how RAMageddon has put the whole computing market in flux.

To hazard a guess, given that the current Prestige sells for $1,299 and this is a more powerful special-edition machine, we bet it could be around $2,499. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the actual price is.

8 laptops confirmed to launch in the fall with RTX Spark

Nvidia's RTX Spark chip is already slated to appear in a bunch of laptops arriving this fall, including a new Surface Laptop from Microsoft. Following on from the laptops, expect to see it appearing in mini PCs and small form-factor from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer and Gigabyte.

Powered by the new chip, these laptops are poised to deliver a thin-and-light form factor coupled with elite battery life and enough power for desktop-class AI development and heavy video editing. They'll also be pretty good when it comes to gaming, too.

The only question is what will the pricing be for these new machines?

• Read more: All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ leaves the ROG Xbox Ally in the dust

Intel Arc G3 handhelds are the talk of the town here at Computex 2026, and I just got an early hands-on with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. In short, believe the hype — this is the next generation of gaming on the go, unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Of course, a lot of this comes from that new silicon, which copies a lot of Panther Lake’s homework, including that monster integrated GPU with XeSS 3 support to deliver some blistering frame rates (more on those later) while being much more power efficient than any AMD-filled handheld I’ve tested.

But the secret sauce here is MSI’s DNA — learning from previous Claws and dramatically upgrading the design, vastly improving airflow to keep it cool, bringing a gorgeous new display, tweaking the ergonomics and tactility of the vibration, and making it even easier to upgrade.

The Asus Xbox Ally X20 isn’t just another special edition handheld

We’ve already seen a ton of new handheld gaming PCs here at Computex 2026. Instead of going that route, Asus has decided to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) subbrand with a special edition of the ROG Xbox Ally X.

Dubbed the ROG Xbox Ally X20, this new device uses (mostly) the same hardware as last year’s Xbox-themed handheld. You still get the powerful performance of AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

While not technically a new device, Asus has made some fundamental changes under the hood and has also given the handheld a regal makeover, with hints of gold throughout its design.

The best of Computex 2026

Our best of Computex 2026 round-up is live! There, we detail the 17 products that impressed us the most during our time at the convention.

From Nvidia’s biggest chip release in the last 20 years, Intel revolutionizing handheld gaming, mind-blowing monitors, and actual value-for-money laptops to take on the MacBook Neo, we’ve fallen in love with so much tech here in Taipei!

There was a time when a budget laptop meant cheap but with the release of the MacBook Neo, those days are thankfully over. Here at Computex 2026, I’ve been able to see firsthand how PC makers are responding and so far, Dell’s new XPS 13 is the most impressive MacBook Neo alternative yet.

After briefly discontinuing its iconic XPS brand, Dell brought it back at the beginning of this year. Now, alongside the new XPS 13, the company is also releasing a more powerful XPS 14 alongside its new XPS 16. While I also got to go hands-on with both of those more powerful and premium laptops, just like with the Neo, the XPS 13 feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the best laptops for students.

With a starting price of $699, it is slightly more expensive than the MacBook Neo. However, to make up for this, Dell is throwing in a few extras that Apple’s more affordable MacBook lacks like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C ports (with one on either side).

Here’s why I think the XPS 13 could be the ideal MacBook Neo alternative for Windows users who aren’t ready to switch to macOS and one of the best budget laptops, especially if you prefer to travel light.

Dell’s take on the Neo

Although we brought our own MacBook Neo on this trip, Dell did too to make comparisons between these two budget laptops even easier. Side by side, they’re both technically 13-inch laptops, even though the XPS 13 actually has a slightly larger 13.4-inch screen.

In addition to having a touchscreen, the XPS 13 also sports a faster, 120 Hz display. However, it features a variable refresh rate that can go all the way down to 30 Hz to help conserve battery life during less intensive tasks. They both top out at 500 nits of brightness.

While I had both laptops side by side, I was quite impressed with the XPS 13’s screen even though the Neo’s appeared to pop a bit more. Personally, I think this comes down to Apple equipping the Neo’s display with a more glossy finish.

Though you can’t see it here since our own Paul Antill has a retro-style skin on his personal MacBook Neo, both laptops have aluminum shells. However, while Apple went with anodized aluminum for the Neo, Dell used CNC-machined aluminum chassis for the XPS 13. This makes the XPS 13’s case feel smoother overall while the Neo’s is more textured.

With direct side to side comparisons out of the way, it was time to open up the XPS 13 and take it for a spin.

XPS for the rest of us

Historically, Dell’s Extreme Performance System or XPS line was reserved for its premium laptops and the first XPS 13 heralded the arrival of ultrabooks. Now though, the company’s giving everyone a chance to experience XPS at a much lower price point.

Right off the bat, I really like how XPS is front and center on the back of the XPS 13’s lid. To find the Dell logo, you need to flip it over. Just like with the Neo, the aluminum case gives this new laptop a more premium feel.

When you open the XPS 13 up, you can see where Dell had to cut a few corners to hit that $699 price point. While the XPS 14 and 16 come equipped with Dell’s zero-lattice keyboards, the XPS 13 has a chiclet-style one.

Honestly, I didn’t mind this at all. In fact, when I switched between typing on the XPS 13 and the Neo, I actually preferred Dell’s chiclet keyboard over Apple’s. The keys felt more satisfying to press down and there wasn’t nearly as much wiggle.

The XPS 13 and the Neo have similarly sized trackpads but what stuck out to me immediately was the differences between their notches. While the Neo has that same smaller notch you find on the rest of the best MacBooks, the one on the XPS 13 stretches across the width of its trackpad. It’s also not nearly as deep.

One thing you won’t find on the XPS 13’s keyboard is a fingerprint reader. However, instead of charging $100 extra for one (and some additional storage) like Apple does, Dell equipped this laptop with Windows Hello for quick logins.

In the picture above, you can barely see it though thanks to Dell’s InfinityEdge design. The XPS 13 has incredibly thin bezels all around and they make the Neo’s look massive when you see them next to each other.

Light but not lacking

It wasn’t until I was holding the two laptops in either hand that I realized just how light the XPS 13 was. At 2.2 pounds, it’s half a pound lighter than the Neo despite sporting nearly identical dimensions and this all comes down to cooling.

The MacBook Neo has a fanless design while the XPS 13 features two active fans. Of course, we’ll have to get one into our lab for testing to see whether or not they ramp up to the point of being distracting under load. However, in my time with the XPS 13, I didn’t notice them at all.

The other more important difference between the two is upgradeability. Now I don’t mean long-term as you’re not going to open either of these devices up like you would with a Framework Laptop. Instead, if you want configuration options, Dell has plenty.From RAM to storage, you can pay more to turn this student-focused laptop into quite a powerful machine. For instance, you could outfit the XPS 13 with 32GB of LPDDR5X, a 1TB SSD and an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor.

Don’t get me wrong, the MacBook Neo is a fantastic laptop but it won’t be for everyone. With its new XPS 13, Dell has given the Windows diehards among us an excellent alternative.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — Nvidia RTX Spark brings life to one of the best laptops I’ve ever tried
• All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall and what they can do
• I just tried Asus’ upgraded Xbox Ally X20 for ROG’s 20th anniversary — and it isn’t just another special edition handheld

Computex 2026 is fully underway, and besides asking Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark, I just tested the laptops of the future from Team Green!

But that's not all, as Intel's having a ball dunking on AMD with its Arc G3 gaming handheld chip in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, we've been going hands-on with every Windows laptop that's facing off with the MacBook Neo (including the new Dell Xps 13), and much more.

Follow along with us for live updates from the ground, and keep us bookmarked throughout the week. You're going to want to see what we're up to!

Read the latest from Computex

• Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the pc' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip
• I spoke to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark — he is ‘willing to work’ on an RTX gaming handheld, N2X and N3X are already planned and the chip is 'more like R2D2’ than a laptop CPU
• All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do
• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — Intel Arc G3 is a breakthrough for handheld gaming, but at what cost?
• I gamed for 250 hours on AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE — it’s a $549 nightmare for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti
• I thought Asus' massive 32-inch OLED would be my favorite Computex 2026 monitor — but I found one that was even better
• I just held the most beautiful laptop, but I’m not sure Vincent van Gogh would be happy with his name connected to AI
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to — the numbers are staggering

LIVE UPDATES

Our first in-person look at RTX Spark

The big news of the conference so far is, of course, the RTX Spark and we've just got our first look at actual devices running Nvidia's chips from MSI.

They look even better in person than they did during Jensen's keynote yesterday. Hopefully, we'll be able to go hands-on with laptops, desktops and mini PCs running Nvidia RTX Spark chips soon.

• Read more: Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the pc' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip

8 laptops confirmed to launch in the fall with RTX Spark

Nvidia's RTX Spark chip is already slated to appear in a bunch of laptops arriving this fall, including a new Surface Laptop from Microsoft. Following on from the laptops, expect to see it appearing in mini PCs and small form-factor from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer and Gigabyte.

Powered by the new chip, these laptops are poised to deliver a thin-and-light form factor coupled with elite battery life and enough power for desktop-class AI development and heavy video editing. They'll also be pretty good when it comes to gaming, too.

The only question is what will the pricing be for these new machines?

• Read more: All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do

Reporting from the show floor!

Computex is the biggest computing industry event of the year, and in among the flagship keynotes it's always fun to roam the halls and see what's on offer.

So far this year, we've spied a holographic PC that uses AI to answer your questions, a custom-built GTA VI PC that could be outdated before the game itself actually arrives and the forthcoming Wireless Touchpad Keyboard from sustainable laptop company Framework.

Intel Arc G3 steps up against AMD

Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat with a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3, seemingly delivering some of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.

We've checked out the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ here at Computex already, and both have impressed us with their smooth performance.

This is a huge win for Intel, which has, up until now, played second fiddle to AMD and its near-dominance over the handheld space.

MacBook Neo has competition from Dell

We just got to go hands-on with Dell's new XPS laptop line but one device in particular stood out: the new Dell XPS 13. Thin, light and affordable, you know where this is going. We have another MacBook Neo competitor in our midst.

The Dell XPS 13 does have a few nice extras you don't get on the Neo, like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with one on each side. Stay tuned for our full hands-on but so far, I'm quite impressed.

A mesmerizing laptop

Laptops tend to look similar, which is why the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition stands out. Adorned with the troubled artist's work on the lid, it’s certainly a conversation starter. The fact that it’s built around a Prestige 14 Flip AI+ means you’re getting quite the workhorse here, too.

But what about the price? It’s the one question nobody can really answer, given how RAMageddon has put the whole computing market in flux.

To hazard a guess, given that the current Prestige sells for $1,299 and this is a more powerful special-edition machine, we bet it could be around $2,499. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the actual price is.

Could Microsoft be building the most exciting RTX Spark laptop?

Microsoft will be facing down the MacBook Pro with the Surface Laptop Ultra later this year, it's one of the first eight laptops to arrive with Nvidia's RTX Spark on board and it could be seriously impressive.

Microsoft claims this will be most powerful Surface it's ever built and there are a few specs we are already pretty confident about. For starters, it has a 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra display that can reportedly reach 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. There's also a full set of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

The Surface Laptop Ultra will also reportedly have “all-day” battery life and you can expect it to come in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.

• Read more: Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra packs an Nvidia Spark chip — and it could be a MacBook Pro killer

Asus' new laptops could include a MacBook Neo rival

Asus has revealed its new laptop family at Computex and while we already know about the RTX Spark-equipped ProArt machines, but another device has caught my eye.

Asus is launching the new Zenbook 14 with base-level specs that include a Snapdragon X1-26-100 processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Depending on the ongoing RAM crisis, Asus may be able to price this laptop to compete with the MacBook Neo.

For those that want a bit more power, the Zenbook 14 will also come with AMD and Intel configurations too.

MSI debuts 'Triple Mode' monitor

This right here is the MSI MPG OLED 322URDX36. It's the first 31.5-inch, 4K 360Hz gaming monitor on the market to feature the 'Triple Mode' configuration technology.

It lets gamers switch freely between 4K 360Hz, 2K 520Hz, and FHD 680Hz based on their preferences — meeting the specific performance demands of various game genres.

The monitor rocks a peak HDR brightness of 1,500 nits and integrates an AI Care Sensor that "leverages accurate human detection to provide real-time OLED panel protection without compromising user privacy." Whatever that means.

RTX Spark put to the test

We've had an opportunity to put Nvidia's RTX Spark to the test when it comes to video editing, gaming and AI and the results are...impressive. Now, the obvious caveat here is that we don't know what these machines are going to cost once they do arrive — but it should serve to make Apple and its MacBook Pro a little more than nervous.

Here's what my colleague Jason had to say after he'd spent some time with Nvidia's new chip: "With Microsoft in tow, working in lockstep to rebuild Windows 11 for Nvidia's agentic vision for the future of computing, these are going to be some truly mighty notebooks that may very well revolutionize the Windows laptop and truly stand on their own as the future of computing."

• Read the full story: I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble

The new Dell XPS 13 is coming for the MacBook Neo. Announced at Computex 2026, this is the thinnest and lightest XPS laptop ever and is competitively priced at $699. And while it’s technically a budget laptop, it has many of the premium features you’d expect from an XPS.

This includes a CNC aluminum chassis built to the same standards as every XPS, a 2.5K InfinityEdge touch display, and a backlit keyboard. The starting configuration also features the new Intel Wildcat Lake CPU, which promises smooth performance for everyday tasks and up to 17 hours of streaming battery life on a single charge.

I’ve long been a fan of Dell’s 13-inch XPS laptops, so it’s great to see the latest model not only adopt a more traditional design but also go head-to-head with the MacBook Neo in terms of price and premium features. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Dell XPS 13.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Specs

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Price

Dell XPS 13 with Intel Core Series 3 CPUs will be available sometime in June 2026 in the Sky colorway, with a starting price of $599 for students and $699 for everyone else.

Later this summer, we’ll see models with more powerful Intel Panther Lake processors, as well as the Storm colorway.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Design and display

The new Dell XPS 13 might be a MacBook Neo competitor, but thanks to its thin, lightweight design, it could also be mistaken for a MacBook Air rival. Dell says it’s the thinnest and lightest XPS laptop ever. While the Neo and Air weigh 2.7 pounds, the XPS 13 weighs 2.2 pounds. Thanks to its ultraportable design, it should be an ideal notebook for travel.

Like the Neo, the XPS 13 has an aluminum chassis instead of the cheap plastic typical of laptops in the $600 price range. If it’s as durable as its other XPS siblings, it’ll certainly feel more like a premium product. This is important if you’re a student running between classes or working on the go.

The XPS 13 has a backlit keyboard, one of the biggest things the Neo lacks. If you frequently work at night or in low-light settings, the XPS 13 would be a better fit. And speaking of the keyboard, the XPS 13 ditches the zero-lattice keyboard of the XPS 14 and XPS 16 in favor of a standard one.

While the Neo packs a 13-inch 1080p display, the XPS 13 has a larger 13.4-inch display with a 2.5K resolution. The display also has touchscreen functionality, which the Neo lacks. Dell says the display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and supports variable refresh rates of 30Hz and 120Hz. Of course, we’d need to get the XPS 13 into our testing lab to see what its display is truly capable of.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Performance and battery life

The XPS 13 features Intel’s new Wildcat Lake CPU, the lower-tier version of Intel’s Core Series 3 chips. We haven’t yet tested laptops with this processor to compare them with Panther Lake laptops, but Dell says the XPS 13 can handle “multitasking without friction.” The up to 32GB of RAM should also help with that.

Later this summer, we’ll see XPS 13 models with the beefier Panther Lake chip. These will no doubt be more expensive than the Wildcat Lake models, but hopefully, they can remain around $1,000.

In terms of endurance, Dell promises up to 17 hours of streaming battery life for the XPS 13. The Panther Lake laptops we’ve tested have generally lasted around 12-15 hours, so it’ll be interesting to see if Wildcat Lake can match or exceed that. If this claim is true, you won’t have to panic if you accidentally leave the XPS 13’s power plug at home.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Outlook

Dell’s XPS apology tour keeps rocking with the XPS 13. Like the latest XPS 14 and XPS 16, this smaller laptop is a strong return to form for the iconic brand. That it’s competitively priced with the MacBook Neo without sacrificing the distinctive features of an XPS makes it even more enticing.

I’ll need to get hands-on with the new XPS 13 to see if it lives up to its promises. If it does, it should make an excellent alternative to the MacBook Neo.

More from Tom's Guide

• Qualcomm's Snapdragon C chip is here to take on the MacBook Neo — do these $300 laptops stand a chance?
• I checked out the world’s first 6K gaming monitor — and it's a sight to behold
• The new Microsoft Surface Laptop 8 is great — but it's hard to recommend to most people

Back to school shopping is probably the last thing on your mind right now. However, now that Memorial Day weekend is underway, there's never been a better time to buy a new laptop. Sure, there will be more laptop deals during the summer, but Memorial Day is a behemoth of a retail holiday that shouldn't be missed.

I track laptop deals for a living and with RAM prices through the rough, this holiday is a great time to replace that old laptop or upgrade to a machine you've had your eye on for awhile. If you're on a tight budget, Dell has laptops on sale from $379. One of my favorite deals is this Dell 16 Laptop for $699. It's $620 off and includes a Core 7-150U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Dell has cheaper laptops available, but hardware-wise, this machine hits all the right marks.

If you can afford to spend a little more, the XPS 13 for $1,199 is a killer deal. I've seen cheaper configurations, but I like this deal because you get a 13.4-inch 2K 120Hz display, Core Ultra 7-256V CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Meanwhile, if you're in need of a new display, Dell monitors are on sale from $69. This 32-inch Alienware Gaming Monitor for $249 is a no brainer for gamers on a budget. You get a curved screen, QHD resolution, and 180Hz refresh rate for well under $300.

There are lots of deals worth your attention, and I've highlighted my favorites below. For more deals, check out our full guide to the best Memorial Day sales and the best Dell coupon codes.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell sale
• Monitors: deals from $69
• Laptops: deals from $379
• Desktops: deals from $749
• Alienware: deals from $1,299
• Dell 15 Laptop: was $619 now $499
• Dell 14 Plus Laptop: was $1,379 now $959
• XPS 13: was $1,299 now $1,199
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 5060: was $2,079 now $1,299
• XPS 14 (2026): was $4,519 now $2,819
• Alienware Aurora w/ RTX 5060 Ti: was $2,499 now $2,199

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

If you’re a Windows 11 user, you’re already familiar with the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) — popping up when a critical error forces the operating system to stop. Normally, the blame falls on Microsoft (although its team is working hard on improving Windows soon). But if you’ve been seeing this happen on your Dell PC, it turns out the culprit is so much more ironic.

As spotted by Neowin, Dell’s own SupportAssist software (the company calls it “your personalized PC support experience”) is causing some Dell PCs to hit a BSOD every 30 minutes after a recent update. So far, we’re seeing confirmation that the following laptops are affected:

• Alienware M16 R2
• Dell Pro 16 Plus
• Dell Pro 14 Plus
• Dell XPS 16
• Dell XPS 15
• Dell XPS 14
• Dell XPS 13

This is based on what Dell forum members are saying, but given it’s widespread, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a far wider problem than this. If you’re one of these folks who just installed the Dell software update and are seeing this issue, there is a simple fix.

Just uninstall SupportAssist

The situation was revealed after keen-eyed users took a look into the system log to see what was going on. It was identified after some people reported their laptops “kept randomly rebooting” roughly every 30 minutes. This suggests that the SupportAssist is trying to check system health on a regular half-hour schedule, where it hits a corrupted piece of code and crashes it.

As you can see, there’s a lot of critical errors at the Kernel-Power level — basically the system level — and after a check, the critical process that dies has consistently been the “Dell SupportAssist Remediation” service. Giving a “CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (0xEF)” code, it’s taking down the entire operating system with it.

And it’s not the first time this has happened, with a similar SupportAssist problem happening at the end of 2024. Luckily, just like the last time, the issue is simple. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, find Dell SupportAssist, select More > Uninstall.

Users who have already done this are reporting that it fixes the issue and they’re not seeing any more random BSOD crashes.

Can we cool it with the bloatware?

Windows 11 already has a RAM problem. It’s inherent to how the OS prioritizes preloading parts of apps into system memory before you click them, but what that means is all these little additions actually harm the experience rather than enrich it.

Things like Dell SupportAssist take up another chunk of that precious RAM that could be better used elsewhere on apps people actually use. And while the Windows K2 project may be aiming squarely at tackling some of these challenges at an OS-level, I can only imagine that the additional bloatware won’t help the situation.

So I beg of you, Dell and others, please just let us have a clean install, so we don’t have to uninstall all the unnecessary heft!

More from Tom's Guide

• I can finally turn my MacBook Pro into a gaming laptop (sort of) — GameHub just fixed my Mac’s biggest weakness in minutes
• I loved Asus’s Zenbook A14 and A16 — but a $200 price hike changes everything
• AI is changing how we transcribe, and this might be the best example of it on Mac yet

It’s no secret that Dell makes good laptops, and the storied brand has done it once again with the Alienware 16X Aurora. A powerful gaming laptop with bags of performance under the hood, the 16X Aurora is an excellent mid-range option. With its 240Hz refresh rate, bright screen, wide color coverage and accuracy, there’s a lot to love about it. Gaming performance is nothing short of exceptional, and it's perfect for everyday work too.

Graphics are beautiful thanks to NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series too. The 16X Aurora also sports a premium, good-looking design with plenty of ports for hooking up several peripherals. But it’s worth noting that its battery life can be described as mediocre at best, and the top level configuration will cost you an arm and a leg.

Is this the best gaming laptop for you? Read my full Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review to find out.

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review: Specs

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A (slightly bulky) gaming laptop boasting outstanding performance in gaming and productivity
• Who is it for? Gamers who want a high-performing laptops
• How much does it cost? The Dell Alienware 16X Aurora starts at $2,499 / £2,199 and goes all the way up to $4,299 / £3,299
• What do we like? The premium design, excellent gaming and productivity performance, and great color coverage and accuracy
• What don’t we like? The mediocre battery life and premium price point

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review: The ups

From its fantastic design and numerous ports, to its excellent gaming performance and wide color coverage, the Dell Alienware 16X Aurora is a superb machine.

Fantastic design and connectivity

Ever since I first heard about Alienware laptops back when I was 12, I’ve always loved the design — the alien logo is a treat. The Alienware 16X Aurora is, then, a rather good-looking laptop, wrapped in dark blue and purple-ish colors, officially called “Interstellar Indigo.” Its smooth aluminum chassis feels premium, and the matte finish lends the 16X Aurora a classy look.

The 16X Aurora packs a 16-inch (2560 x 1600) non-touch screen, so it measures 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.92 inches, making it a little bigger than the Dell XPS 16 ($1,749). While not exactly compact, it still fits into most regular-sized backpacks with ease — although its weight (5.66lbs) might put you off from traveling with it for long.

I’ve really enjoyed using the 16X Aurora’s keyboard and trackpad too. The keys on the keyboard have enough space between them that you don’t accidentally hit an unintended key, but they’re also close enough that you don’t have to spread your fingers too much to type. The keyboard features single-zone RGB lighting only, which I don’t personally mind — and you can change the colors and effects via Alienware’s Command Center software. The touchpad also feels highly responsive and pans smoothly. No complaints there.

Ports-wise, the 16X Aurora is packed, and features basically everything you’d need to hook up a plethora of peripherals to it. Alongside the laptop’s left edge, you’ll find a USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, an ethernet jack, as well as a 3.5mm jack for plugging in gaming headsets.

There are no ports on the right edge; instead, the others are located on the rear. There’s another of the same USB-A port, two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), the port for the power adapter, and an HDMI port.

A vivid display

I’ve used the Dell Alienware 16X Aurora extensively and for a number of tasks: gaming, testing gaming keyboards and mice, conducting lab testing on the best monitors, and everyday work-centric tasks too. And there’s plenty of performance here to enjoy.

The 16-inch screen, first of all, has a refresh rate of 240Hz, which ensures silky smooth performance in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5. The 2.5K panel is plenty of resolution that makes games feel immersive, and there’s also an OLED configuration if that’s more your speed.

In addition to gaming, which I’ll get into in the next section, the 16X Aurora delivers bright, vivid colors across the board. I was stunned at how rich all the different shades and hues looked in the World Wildlife 4K YouTube video. Lush, green meadows appeared highly detailed, as did darker scenes filmed at night.

My lab testing confirmed what my eyes saw, as you can see in the table above. The 16X Aurora covers 98.3% of the sRGB spectrum and 99% of the wider DCI P3 color gamut. While both values are just a touch off 100%, the difference is barely noticeable, and you get an enjoyable viewing experience.

A Delta-E score of 0.6 is good too. It basically determines color accuracy, and the closer the score to zero, the better. 0.6, in this regard, is great, and I found the colors to be accurate in real-world use too.

The Razer Blade 16 ($2,999) and the Alienware x16 R2 ($2,099) boast better color accuracy making either a slightly better option than the 16X Aurora for those who do, say, color-intensive work, like photo and video editing. However, the 16X Aurora is much brighter than both with a measured brightness of 450.8 nits, so you shouldn’t have any issues seeing the screen in lit-up rooms. The MacBook Pro M5 ($1,599) upstages them all, though, with its 558 nits of brightness.

Performance aplenty

In addition to excellent color coverage and accuracy, the Dell Alienware 16X Aurora packs a powerful chip too. Depending on the configuration you go for, there are a few processing chips you can go for. My review unit came fitted with the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Regardless of the task I did, the 16X Aurora performed admirably. Having multiple applications and browsers with 20 tabs open wasn’t an issue for the 16X Aurora. I didn’t experience any noticeable lag or unresponsiveness. Though there were a few instances where the laptop sounded like it was going to take off — particularly while playing the CPU-intensive Cyberpunk 2077 — I didn’t find it too jarring.

On Geekbench 6, which tests overall CPU performance, the 16X Aurora pulled in an excellent multi-core score of 18,697, outclassing both the Razer Blade 16 (2024) and the Alienware x16 R2. The MacBook Pro M5 performs slightly better than the 16X Aurora in our HandBrake video editing test (transcoding a 4K video to 1080p), but only by a very small margin.

On the BlackMagic Disk Speed test which measures the write and read speed in MBps, the 16X Aurora performed stupendously, with 4,233 write and 5,045 read speeds. The MacBook Pro M5 outperforms the 16X Aurora here with its fast 6,068 write and 6,323 read speeds, but in everyday use, Dell’s offering is more than enough.

Great for gaming

The Dell Alienware 16X Aurora is a beast for gaming. The model I tested packs an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card, with the top level configuration featuring an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti card.

At a native resolution of 2560 x 1600, this laptop can run the best Steam games without breaking a sweat. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve used the 16X Aurora extensively to test the best gaming monitors, and the laptop has always performed admirably.

I played Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5 and F1 25 with the highest graphics settings enabled. In Cyberpunk 2077 with features like Ray-Traced Lighting set to Ultra, the benchmark results showed an average of 63fps. Meanwhile, in Forza Horizon 5, I hit 150fps in Extreme mode, while F1 25 ran at a silky smooth 109fps in Ultra High graphics mode. Counter-Strike 2 achieved a maximum FPS of 235, so close to the screen’s 240Hz refresh rate, and it ensured ultra smooth performance.

Benchmark results are great on paper and can tell you a lot about the laptop’s performance, but how do the games really run? Well, really well. The user experience is sublime, with stunning visuals, vivid colors, and non-existent lag or ghosting. When the driver in front of me hit the brakes in F1 25, I could see the sparks flying from underneath the tyres in great detail — just like you would while watching a race on TV. In Cyberpunk 2077, the neon lights appeared saturated enough that they made me feel immersed in the streets of Night City.

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review: The downs

The Dell Alienware 16X Aurora is a highly competent laptop, but there are a couple of flaws, namely its high price point and mediocre battery life.

Can get very expensive

The rule of thumb when buying a laptop is that the more things you add to its internal hardware, the more expensive it becomes — and the Dell Alienware 16X Aurora can get very pricey, especially when you deck it up with the best graphic card available and fit the biggest SSD possible.

The standard configuration I tested, at the time of writing, costs $2,499 / £2,199. If you go for the top level configuration with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 card, a 4TB SSD, and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, you’re looking at an expenditure of $4,299 / £3,299. That’s a lot. I also say “at the time of writing” as prices may vary and fluctuate with the ongoing RAM crisis. It’s also worth noting that neither of these configurations feature an OLED panel.

For the OLED model, you’ll need to settle for 32GB RAM, 1TB storage and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HZ process, and this model costs $2,919. It’s also not available in the U.K., at the time of writing.

Mediocre battery life

One of the first things I noticed during my early testing time with the Dell Alienware 16X Aurora was that its battery life seemed very short. I was having to constantly recharge the laptop while playing games. Having conducted a benchmark battery test, I can now confirm that the 16X Aurora’s battery life leaves a lot to be desired.

Due to lab testing limitations, I wasn’t able to conduct our specialized in-house battery testing, so I used UL Procyon’s battery benchmark test instead. I calibrated the 16X Aurora’s brightness to 150 nits and let the software play videos until the laptop ran out of charge, and that took three hours and one minute, which is awful.

This is poor but it isn’t exclusive to the 16X Aurora. As you can see in the table above, the Razer Blade 16 and the Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptops also have subpar battery lives, especially when compared to the behemoth MacBook Pro M5.

Chances are, your gaming laptop will be plugged in while you play anyway, and the 16X Aurora isn’t really a portable laptop either, so does the suboptimal battery matter that much? I don’t believe so.

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora review: Verdict

The Dell Alienware 16X Aurora is a very capable gaming laptop, and one of the best you can buy today. The laptop boasts a lovely, premium design, and it’s built well too. There are plenty of ports for connecting the laptop to a monitor or plugging your favorite peripherals into it.

Performance-wise, the 16X Aurora features a vivid display with great color coverage and accuracy, and its 240Hz refresh rate makes it ideal for gaming. It’s perfect for general productivity as well. While its battery life isn’t industry-leading, and the laptop can get very expensive depending on the configuration, neither drawback should stop you from picking up the 16X Aurora. It looks good and performs even better.

RAM prices are still scarily high, but Dell is temporarily slashing hundreds off its gaming laptops to make up for it. So if you've been searching for a new portable rig at an affordable price, now's a great time to shop.

If you're looking for a relatively cheap gaming laptop with a new 50-series GPU, take a look at the Alienware 16 Aurora on sale for just $1,299. This entry-level gaming laptop is equipped with an RTX 5060 GPU, an Intel Core 7 240H processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage — ideal specs for less graphically demanding games.

Or, splurge on something large and powerful like the Alienware 18 Area-51 at only $2,949 right now. That's nearly $1,000 in savings on a top-tier gaming laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD.

Scroll on to see all the details for five different deals I'd recommend for Dell and Alienware gaming laptops. (For more discounts, check out our guide to the best Dell coupon codes).

Quick Links

• shop all Alienware gaming deals at Dell
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 4050: was $1,369 now $1,069
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 5060: was $2,499 now $1,949
• XPS 14 w/ RTX 4050: was $3,499 now $2,249
• Alienware 18 Area-51 w/ RTX 5070 Ti: was $3,899 now $2,949
• Alienware 16 Area-51 w/ RTX 5080: was $4,049 now $3,149

Best Dell gaming laptop deals

The hits keep coming for PC and laptop makers as RAMaggeddon, and now the U.S.-Iran war, disrupts everything from supply chains to component costs. Apple and the MacBook Neo may be the beneficiaries, thanks to a disappearing market of budget-friendly computers.

Nikkei Asia is reporting that many of the major PC makers like Asus, HP and Lenovo are being forced to raise prices thanks to astronomical memory prices. Plus, the unwarranted U.S. attacks on Iran are actively affecting the oil industry which will cause shipping and manufacturing prices to increase as well.

"There is only so much PC companies can do to absorb the costs and we have to pass on the surging costs to consumers,” an unnamed gaming PC executive told Nikkei Asia.

Yep, AI is the problem

I’m getting tired of saying the same thing over and over, so I’ll just cut to the chase. The demand for AI compute is getting out of hand — with DRAM demand accounting for 50% of the globe’s memory consumption in 2025.

That has left PC and smartphone makers scrambling for supply, and that demand is driving the prices up to lofty numbers. Acer’s Chairman Jason Chen has said the cost of memory and storage chips had risen “between 50 to 100%,” and companies would have to “reflect” this in their prices to us.

And over the course of this year so far, we’ve had:

• A roughly 20% increase in Asus prices
• Dell jumping by around 20-25%
• Lenovo warning that prices will start to go up this month
• HP confirming its prices will rise
• And Acer flagging price increases of 10-20%

And we’re only in March?! I’m tired, boss, and so are the companies. “I am very pessimistic about the PC industry this year,” a gaming PC company executive told Nikkei Asia. “January was my final call for friends to buy PCs this year before facing more expensive price tags."

Ditching the budget end

Most interestingly in this report, the writers spoke to an executive at ELAN Microelectronics — a company that makes the controller chips for touchpads across laptops from brands like Lenovo and Dell. Basically, a critical part of the manufacturing process that can be the eyes and ears of what’s happening on the ground.

“We are seeing laptop builders shift to prioritize…higher-end commercial notebooks rather than entry-level products to boost revenue and make better use of the limited memory supply,” the executive commented. “Overall shipment volumes are still declining but the value per unit is increasing.”

You see, companies started stockpiling memory chips in the third quarter of last year, which has quickly started to run out.

Advantage, Apple MacBook Neo

Apple recently announced the new $599 MacBook Neo, an attempt by the Cupertino company to directly compete with budget-friendly Chromebooks and low-end Windows notebooks. Whether Apple read the tea leaves or is launching at the most opportune time, the company is going to benefit massively.

As Nikkei reports, many PC manufacturers are turning away from their cheapest offerings in favor of premium laptops and PCs to make the most of the RAM they have available. It’s a matter of survival as the companies attempt to recoup more profit from higher-priced laptops over reducing specs and memory in cheap sets.

Even Apple has been forced to raise prices on its higher-end MacBooks. The just-announced MacBook Pro M5 Pro starts at $200 more than the previous generation. Additionally, Apple just discontinued the six-month-old 512GB MacBook Pro M5 in favor of a starting model with 1TB of storage.

It’s so dire that one PC maker declined to even make an estimate for 2026 due to the memory shortage and rising prices.

Meanwhile, Apple locked the Neo to 8GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB storage. These aren’t spectacular numbers, but they are more than adequate for the target audience.

More from Tom's Guide

• The RAM crisis is out of control: Here's the most alarming tech products affected (so far)
• Your computer is slow because the RAM is full — 7 ways to free it up
• I edit video for a living — and this is how much RAM you need in 2026

Laptop deals are getting harder to come by. AI data centers are buying RAM in bulk to power their RAM-hungry AI models, which in turn is causing a shortage in RAM. The resulting RAMaggedon has caused the price of RAM to skyrocket, which in turn is affecting the price of laptops.

I track laptop deals for a living and while I've seen prices increase, there are still some deals worth noting. For example, right now Dell is taking up to $800 off select laptops and desktops. It may sound like your everyday sale, but hidden within this sale is $220 off the new XPS 14 (2026). In our XPS 14 (2026) review we called it a fantastic laptop with amazing performance and battery life.

There are lots of deals worth your attention, and I've highlighted my favorites below. For more deals, check out our guide to the best Dell coupon codes.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell sale
• Monitors: deals from $79
• Laptops: deals from $329
• Desktops: deals from $599
• Alienware: deals from $1,099
• Dell 15 Laptop: was $619 now $449
• Dell 14 Plus Laptop: was $1,219 now $749
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 5050: was $1,419 now $1,099
• XPS 14 (2026): was $1,800 now $1,579
• Alienware Aurora w/ RTX 5060 Ti: was $2,149 now $1,749

Laptops

PCs

Need an upgrade? Now is the time thanks to this huge Dell sale on laptops, PCs and accessories.

If you need help choosing, I have my eye on the Dell XPS 13 for £999. The XPS 13 series has long been one of our computing team's favourite models, and this one is a steal with £200 off. You get solid specs and speedy performance with a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

Want to add accessories? You can get 20% off monitors, keyboards and more when you get a new PC. Just use code "PROMO20" at checkout to bundle and save.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell sale

Best sales now

Presidents' Day sales are getting started, and Dell's deals are now live. For a limited time, you can get up to $800 off PCs, monitors and more in Dell's Presidents' Day sale.

In case you need a few ideas, I'd recommend the Alienware 16 Aurora Gaming Laptop on sale for $1,099. You get an Intel Core 7 CPU, RTX 5050 GPU, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage for a solid $320 discount. Or, if you're not a gamer, there are Dell laptops on sale from just $329.

There are lots of deals worth your attention, and I've highlighted my favorites below. For more deals check out our guide to the best Presidents' Day sales and the best Dell promo codes.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell Presidents' Day Sale
• Monitors: deals from $79
• Laptops: deals from $329
• Desktops: deals from $469
• Alienware: deals from $1,099
• Dell 15 Laptop: was $519 now $329
• Dell 14 Plus Laptop: was $1,219 now $699
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 4050: was $1,369 now $1,099
• Alienware Aurora w/ RTX 5060 Ti: was $2,149 now $1,849
• Alienware Area-51 w/ RTX 5080: was $4,299 now $3,499

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

The Dell XPS is officially back! Like many others, I wasn’t exactly enthused when the company decided to rebrand its iconic laptop line as “Dell Premium.” I even had bets going with my colleagues on how long it would take for Dell to return to the XPS name. I gave the company at least two years, but thankfully, I was wrong. XPS has returned, and it’s arguably better than ever.

We recently received two XPS 14 models — one with a lower-end Panther Lake chip and an LCD panel, and a more premium model with a Core Ultra X7 chip and a tandem OLED screen. I’ve spent the past 24 hours with the latter, and let me tell you, it’s impressive so far. Not only is it fast and efficient, but the design finally gets back to basics. I’ll have a full XPS 14 review for you soon, but for now, here are my initial impressions of this sleek (and refreshingly retro) laptop.

Dell XPS 14: Specs (as tested)

A lovely new design that fixes my biggest complaints

The new XPS 14 design is the best kind of apology Dell could have given us. The team clearly took some inspiration from the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5, featuring more rounded corners and a refined CNC-machined aluminum chassis that feels dense and premium.

But the biggest wins are the ones that fix the previous generation’s "innovations." The controversial capacitive touch row is dead; in its place is a standard function row with physical keys.

Even better, the invisible trackpad is gone. While it’s still a seamless glass haptic touchpad, Dell added subtle tactile etching around the active area. I can finally feel where the touchpad ends without having to look down. It's the little things...

At 3 pounds, this machine is significantly lighter than last year's Dell 14 Premium (3.7 lbs), making it much easier to travel with. You still get three USB-C ports (all Thunderbolt 4), but the overall package feels much more grounded and practical. It successfully combines the best aspects of previous XPS models with the functional basics you expect from the best Windows laptops.

Strong Panther Lake performance

While I didn't have the maxed-out Core Ultra X9 chip in my test unit, the Core Ultra X7 inside this XPS 14 held up perfectly during my workday.

I spent the afternoon at the office with dozens of Chrome tabs open, a Slack window constantly buzzing, and a 4K YouTube video playing in the background. Through it all, the laptop remained snappy and responsive.

Looking at our lab results, the XPS 14 shows a healthy jump over the 2025 model. While it still can't touch the MacBook Pro M5 in single-core speeds or video transcoding, the gap is closing.

For everyday productivity, you simply won't feel this machine struggle. While this configuration doesn’t deliver mind-blowing benchmarks, it has more than enough power for both work and play.

Good gaming performance for an iGPU

Since this laptop relies on integrated Intel Arc graphics rather than a dedicated GPU, I kept my expectations in check. However, the new Panther Lake architecture shows some serious gaming prowess for an ultraportable.

While the raw numbers are lower than last year's model (likely due to the lack of a discrete RTX chip), the real story is in the playability. When I dropped the resolution to 1080p and enabled Intel XeSS, I was able to get a surprisingly smooth experience in titles that would have been unplayable on integrated graphics just two years ago.

The Panther Lake chip allows it to run modern titles as well as a budget gaming laptop would — and as I’ve said before, that’s a big win for integrated graphics.

The Tandem OLED display is gorgeous

Besides the new design and Panther Lake power, the headline feature on the XPS 14 2026 is the Tandem OLED display, the same tech Apple uses on the latest iPad Pro M5. By stacking two OLED layers, you get inky blacks, vibrant whites, and contrast levels that are quite pleasing to the eye. It's easily one of the finest screens I’ve seen on a laptop.

I love the way colors pop on this panel, especially when you have something rich in front of an all-black background. If you plan to watch movies or YouTube videos on the XPS 14, you’re going to have a great time.

You’ll notice that this Tandem OLED doesn't get as bright as the previous year's model or the MacBook Pro in our testing. This is likely because Dell tuned this specific panel for power efficiency and longevity rather than raw peak brightness. By using two layers to share the workload, the screen should resist burn-in much longer, even if it doesn't "pop" quite as much in direct sunlight.

Impressive battery life gains

We were only able to run one battery test on the Dell XPS 14 (we always do three minimum), but the initial result is pretty impressive. In our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the new XPS 14 lasted for an average of 12 hours and 23 minutes.

While the XPS 14 doesn’t quite hit the numbers of other OLED-equipped Panther Lake laptops we’ve tested—falling behind the Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro (15:17) and the Asus Zenbook Duo (14:23)—it’s still a huge step forward for Dell. It still lasted four hours longer than its predecessor. Still, the MacBook Pro M5 reigns supreme with its epic 18-hour runtime.

I should note that the Tandem OLED panel likely plays a role here. While the dual-layer tech is designed for efficiency and long-term durability, as Dell said, powering two layers of pixels still demands more juice than a standard LED or single-stack OLED panes.

The Dell XPS 14 with an 1200p LED display lasted 21 hours and 20 minutes, which is one of the longest runtimes ever. But it has a less powerful processor and lower-res screen than the OLED model.

Outlook

I’ll have a full review once I’ve put this laptop through more stress tests, but after 24 hours, the XPS 14 is already one of my favorite Windows laptops of 2026.

I appreciate Dell’s willingness to return to the drawing board and acknowledge that they dropped the ball with the previous generation. By listening to users and bringing back the basics, they’ve built a machine that should win people back. Stay tuned for my full review!

More from Tom's Guide

• Intel Core G3 ‘Panther Lake’ handheld chips reportedly delayed
• DDR4 in 2026? These kits can help you beat the RAM crisis
• Nvidia won't release new gaming GPU for 'first year in three decades'

The first wave of Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" laptops are starting to arrive! Not only are these notebooks perfect for everyday work, but they're also powerful enough for playing the best PC games. Best of all, they also offer MacBook-level battery life.

While we're not yet spoiled for choice, the Panther Lake laptops currently available all promise everything outlined above. And despite the ongoing RAM crisis, these notebooks don't (yet) have exorbitant prices. Because of that, you might want to act fast in case prices unexpectedly go up!

Without further delay, here are three Panther Lake laptops you can buy right now!

Quick links

• HP OmniBook X (2026): $1,449 @ Best Buy
• Dell XPS 14 (2026): $1,599 @ Dell
• Dell XPS 16 (2026): $1,749 @ Dell

Panther Lake laptops you can buy right now

And there’s more to come

Again, there aren't many options at the moment, especially as some models like the MSI Prestige 14 Flip are already out of stock. We're also waiting on fresh information about Lenovo's own Panther Lake laptops. Also, units we've covered, like the Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) and Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro, aren't yet available in North America.

We'll update this post as more Panther Lake laptops become available, so stay tuned!

I’ve had a rocky history with Dell, the owner of Alienware. Having built my own gaming PCs for over 25 years, I’ve always been skeptical (to say the least) about Dell and Alienware prebuilts — their historically proprietary hardware makes them difficult, if not impossible, to customize.

I’ve also had a tricky time with a Dell monitor in recent times, which I had to send off for replacement no less than three times, with all subsequent replacements sent to me under warranty turning up damaged.

As you can no doubt understand, I’d vowed not to use another Dell-made monitor for a while. Then the Alienware AW2725D dropped on my desk (metaphorically) for testing, and I rather quickly realized my own words needed eating.

I’ve been testing this 280Hz QD-OLED 27-inch gaming monitor for around two months now, and it’s handled everything I’ve thrown at it: work, gaming, production, you name it. I think this is one of the best gaming monitors you can buy in the mid-range price bracket. Read my full Alienware AW2725D review to find out why.

Alienware AW2725D review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A mid-range 1440p QD-OLED gaming monitor
• Who is it for? Gamers (...duh), although it’ll suit some light production too
• What does it cost? $499 / £509
• What’s good? The beautiful QD-OLED panel, speedy performance, vibrant and accurate colors, and strong contrast
• What’s not? Not a lot, although I wish it had more ports and built-in speakers

Alienware AW2725D review: Specs

Alienware AW2725D review: The ups

From its beautiful 27-inch QD-OLED panel, through to its high 280Hz refresh rate, premium design and suitability for tasks beyond gaming, this is an excellent mid-range display.

Beautiful QD-OLED panel

The Alienware AW2725D features a 1440p QD-OLED panel, which is frankly gorgeous. You can also buy the 27-inch monitor in different sizes, from 25 inches up to 34 inches; and different resolutions, from 1080p to 4K. Naturally, this affects price, as well as refresh rate, with the 27-34-inch 4K models topping out at 240Hz instead of the 1440p’s 280Hz refresh rate.

Given my desk setup and the games I play, 1440p at 27-inches is the sweet spot for me. 27-inches is wide enough for a fairly immersive experience, while also avoiding me having to turn my head to see different ends of the display. That said, if you want a truly immersive experience, an ultra-wide display like the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 ($1,199) is where you’ll want to look.

I find 1440p is plenty of resolution for 27-inches, and the panel relays plenty of fine detail and looks extremely sharp. You can also buy the 27-inch model with a 4K panel, which is the Alienware AW2725Q ($899). As I mentioned above and will cover below, you lose some performance (and more of your cash) by stepping up to 4K, but the differences aren’t huge.

Rich color, strong contrast, decent brightness

Helping that panel look so lovely, of course, are the rich colors and deep contrast from the AW2725D’s QD-OLED pixels. This is an OLED display, meaning each pixel lights itself rather than needing a backlight, resulting in true blacks as each pixel can turn itself off completely — this results in more contrast than IPS or VA (both LCD) panels which use a backlight to illuminate their pixels.

The ‘QD’ slapped on the front stands for ‘Quantum Dot’ — these little dots are essentially tiny semiconductors that produce extremely vibrant colors and also enhance brightness. So, with a QD-OLED, you’re getting better brightness than a standard OLED, and even more vivid colors.

I tested this display by playing a variety of games, three of which were Cyberpunk 2077, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (KCD2) and Total War: Rome II. Cyberpunk's vivid, contrasty scenes looked awesome on the AW2725D, with super inky shadows contrasting against bright neon signage. I tended to leave this game in the monitor’s standard mode, which maintains bright highlights — otherwise (in RPG mode) the game felt a little too dark.

KCD2 and Total War: Rome II also looked fantastic, with their warm, saturated palettes done full justice by the monitor’s standard color mode. I switched out the monitor’s color mode to RPG for KCD2 though, which clips the highlights a little to aid in that warmer, historical and cinematic feel. I tried the display’s warm mode, but this felt a little too yellow.

Across the board, there’s tons of contrast on offer, while colors look fantastic and nicely saturated, while still feeling fairly natural in the standard display mode.

Now for brightness. In the table above, I’ve compared the AW2725D’s lab test results against other QD-OLED rivals. The AW2725D offers better peak brightness (measured using the central 10% of its display) than its 4K stablemate the AW2725Q. It also offers comparable peak brightness to both the MSI MPG 272URX ($1,099) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10, despite being much cheaper than both. The MSI is a 4K panel, though.

OLED panel brightness rises or drops depending on how much of the screen is in use — this is for screen longevity. While we measure peak brightness at 10% screen usage (right in the center), we also measure at 100%, which gives you a real-world brightness figure. The AW2725D performs similarly to other QD-OLED rivals here, with very little in it. I had no issues using the monitor in bright sunlight, even with a window behind me, in large part thanks to the monitor’s anti-reflective coating.

Burn-in protection

It’s worth noting that the AW2725D also features burn-in protection. It’ll flag you a warning after using it for some time, before automatically turning itself off (by default) to protect the panel. It also features a panel health flag when you access the main menu — this uses a traffic light system to tell you quickly how things stand. If you’re on orange, you can perform a quick panel refresh and be back to green!

Stellar gaming performance

The Alienware AW2725D also has plenty of gaming features up its sleeve, as you’d expect from a gaming monitor. Most notably, its refresh rate tops out at 280Hz, which ensures ultra-smooth gameplay free from motion blur and input lag.

It also boasts a 0.03ms GTG response time. GTG means gray-to-gray and measures how quickly the pixels can change color. A 0.03ms response time is very good, helping to reduce motion blur and ghosting.

Smooth gameplay is, of course, beneficial in virtually all gaming, but these ultra-quick stats are most important in fast-paced titles like first person shooter (FPS) games. I played Counter Strike 2 and Isonzo, two FPS games, and suffered no noticeable input lag or ghosting. In Counter Strike 2, I was running at a consistent 270-280Hz on my hardware — buttery smooth.

The AW2725D also has some handy secondary gaming features. Within the display settings, you’ll find a black stabilizer, which allows you to boost the brightness in black areas of the screen, helping you see enemies hiding in dark areas, for example. There are three “Alienvision” modes. Two of them (Vision 1 and Vision 3) apply a central reticule to the display, with the Vision 1 mode also applying a darkened target box around the reticule. Vision 2 mode applies color peaking around contrast areas to help you detect shapes quickly. All of these will be useful for players wanting every available competitive edge possible.

Not a one-trick pony

The Alienware AW2725D isn’t only good for gaming — in fact, I can’t own or use a monitor that is so. As the cameras editor here at Tom’s Guide and a photographer in my spare time, I use my monitor for a lot of photo and video editing. The AW2725D proved itself highly capable, thanks to its high color accuracy.

As you can see in our lab test results in the table below, the AW2725D demonstrated a Delta-E figure of 0.14. This essentially measures color variance. We use calibrated color spectrometer devices to measure how much the color on screen varies from the color sent to the monitor by the computer. The lower the better and 0.14 is a fairly strong score, showing low variance and meaning the colors you see on screen are true. It isn’t as outright impressive as the 4K variant, the Alienware AW2725Q, but it’s still better than the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099) I tested in late 2025 — and that’s a monitor designed purely for design work.

More impressive is the AW2725D’s coverage of the two most common color gamuts: sRGB and DCI-P3. The monitor covered 190% of the sRGB gamut, which is the most common color space used online. Of course, more than 100% is unnecessary, but it demonstrates that this monitor has a very wide tonal range. Any color that’s in the sRGB gamut can be relayed by this display. The same is true for the DCI-P3 gamut, which is commonly used for cinematic video editing, and which the AW2725D more than covered at 135%. A splendid show.

This means the AW2725D will be a solid choice for gamers who also dabble in a spot of creative work, such as photo editing or making videos for online sharing. If you are printing images or you’re a professional video editor, naturally you’ll want a monitor with a wider array of color modes, such as Adobe RGB (for printed photography) and Rec. 2020 (used in the production of video for television). The AW2725D only has sRGB and DCI-P3 modes, but then again, it is primarily a gaming monitor.

Reasonable price

While it isn’t exactly a budget monitor, the Alienware AW2725D is priced fairly for the performance it offers. One of the gripes we had about the 4K AW2725Q variant was its steep $899 asking price. I’m glad to see the 1440p variant isn’t priced quite as highly.

Like I said, at $499 / £509, it isn’t cheap — but I think this is a reasonable asking price for the beautiful panel with its rich colors and vibrant contrast, not to mention the rapid gaming specs and high color accuracy. The AW2725D is also built very well, looking high quality and finished in a textured, matte plastic that gives a premium feel, again helping justify its price.

Alienware AW2725D review: The downs

I really can’t think of much wrong with the Alienware AW2725D. It’d be nice to have a few more I/O ports and some built-in speakers, I guess, but that’s kinda splitting hairs.

Limited onboard I/O and no speakers

As I alluded to directly above, I’m aware this is splitting hairs, but I’d have liked to see a few more onboard I/O ports on the Alienware AW2725D. I’m used to my BenQ PD3226G monitor which, with its plethora of I/O and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, serves as a USB-C hub.

The AW2725D, by contrast, features 1x USB-A and 1x USB-C downstream ports, the latter of which is rated for 15W of power delivery. That’s fine for charging a couple of devices, but it proves a little limiting when you want to hook up multiple devices for complex workflows. Again, this isn’t a huge issue, and stems partly from me being a spoilt professional tech reviewer who is accustomed to his monitors doubling up as USB hubs.

It’s also worth noting that there’s no headphone jack, nor any internal speakers built into the monitor. Again, I don’t think this is a huge deal as you’ll be hooking this thing up to, y’know, a computer, where you can plug in a headset. Still, it would’ve been nice to see built-in speakers for people who don’t have any external speakers — I know from first-hand experience that when you’re building your PC paycheck-by-paycheck, built-in monitor speakers are a welcome temporary solution.

Alienware AW2725D review: Verdict

The Alienware AW2725D is one of those products where I’ve had to scratch my head for negatives. And realistically, there just aren’t that many. The AW2725D is a lovely monitor, in large part thanks to its beautiful QD-OLED panel, rich colors, inky blacks and strong contrast. Its color accuracy and gamut coverage are excellent, while brightness is on par for a QD-OLED, if not a little better than I’d expect. There is a plethora of gaming features and some handy creative ones too, and on top of all that, the monitor is reasonably priced given the performance.

Sure, I’d have preferred some more ports, and the lack of built-in speakers will be annoying to anyone without an external set; and while it’s fairly priced, it isn’t cheap. But heck, given those are the worst things I can say about it, the AW2725D is doing pretty well. I’m happy to say that the Dell-shaped demons from my past have been well and truly exorcised.

The annual CES 2026 show is hitting its stride in Las Vegas this week, and "AI" remains one of the most popular buzzwords you'll hear at the show. From Nvidia's AI-driven DLSS 4.5 upgrade to AI-powered robot pets, the tech industry's fascination with AI shows no signs of slowing in 2026.

That's not a huge surprise given basically the same story played out last year at CES 2025, where nearly every major laptop maker was talking up the promise of the AI PC. It's a vague marketing term that typically connotes PCs packing CPUs with onboard NPUs (Neural Processing Units) optimized for AI-driven work like blurring your background on video calls.

Dell was one of the big promoters of AI PCs at CES last year, rebranding their laptop lines and repositioning many as AI PCs. But this year the PC vendor took a different tack, reversing last year's rebranding (XPS is back!) and clearly stating that it's pulling back from promoting its new computers as AI-first PCs.

How come? According to Dell exec Kevin Terwilliger, people just aren't buying computers based primarily on their AI capabilities.

People aren't buying based on AI

Terwilliger said so during a pre-briefing for Dell's CES 2026 product announcements, which include new Dell XPS laptops packing the latest Intel Panther Lake CPUs. And as our sister site PC Gamer helpfully pointed out, the Dell exec made a point of saying that while Dell isn't abandoning AI features, it's not going to keep trying make them a primary selling point of PCs.

"One thing you'll notice is the message we delivered around our products was not AI-first," Terwilliger said. "So, a bit of a shift from a year ago where we were all about the AI PC."

He went on to note that while every new product Dell unveiled at CES this year has an NPU inside, the company refrained from promoting their AI features first and foremost because it believes people aren't buying new PCs based on AI.

That's a significant bit of insight into how people are buying laptops and desktops from one of the biggest suppliers on the planet. And as someone who personally had to review a fair number of "AI PCs" over the last year or two, I can tell you they're nearly always all style and no substance.

"What we've learned over the course of this year, especially from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI," added Terwilliger. "In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome."

This was a common note during Dell's CES 2026 presentation, echoing folks like Dell COO Jeff Clarke claiming "we have this un-met promise of AI" that's struggling to convince folks to buy laptops right as "we're about ready to enter 2026 with a memory shortage that is pretty significant."

Outlook

So while all of Dell's new laptops will support the latest AI features in Windows 11, you can expect them to return to the classic XPS branding and feature a bit less AI-focused advertising.

As someone who's been reviewing laptops for decades I gotta say, this sounds like good news to me. I've reviewed over a dozen "AI laptops" in the last year and I've yet to actually use any of their AI features in my day-to-day work. They're typically fun to play around with for five or ten minutes, but unless you like a robot rewriting your words or fiddling with your scribbles in Paint they aren't much help.

Even better, Dell has brought back not just the XPS branding but a few other features I loved about the old XPS laptops as well, including a visible touchpad and physical function keys instead of the frustrating old capacitive versions. I'm looking forward to getting a chance to review Dell's 2026 XPS lineup when they ship later this month—stay tuned!

The holidays are over and there's no major retail holiday in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, Dell's New Year Sale is still going strong and I'm seeing plenty of great opportunities to score a new laptop or monitor on the cheap.

For example, right now Dell has laptop on sale from $299. As part of its New Year Sale, you can get the Editor's Choice XPS 13 for just $949. While there have been cheaper XPS 13 deals in the past, I love this deal because there are no compromises. You get a 13.4-inch 2K 120Hz display, Core Ultra 7-256V CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

If you need a new display, Dell also has its monitors on sale from $94. I've browsed the entire Dell New Year Sale and below I've highlighted my top deals. For more deals, check out our Dell promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell New Year Sale
• Monitors: deals from $94
• Laptops: deals from $299
• Desktops: deals from $549
• Alienware: deals from $899
• Dell 15 Laptop: was $749 now $599
• Alienware 27" QD-OLED Monitor: was $649 now $599
• Dell 14 Plus: was $1,099 now $799
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 5050: was $1,199 now $899
• XPS 13: was $1,299 now $949

Editor's Choice

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

Update: See our top 9 gadgets of CES 2026 from day 3!

We've wrapped day two at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026. And, after day one dazzled us with some truly spectacular new TVs, it's now all about the laptops. We saw new machines from MSI and Acer alongside the very nice-looking XPS 14 from Dell.

But it wasn't just laptops stealing our attention in Las Vegas. For the first time ever, Lego held a CES keynote. The reason? The iconic toy brand wanted to show off its first "smart brick" — a standard Lego brick with a tiny computer packed inside that can work with NFC-enabled smart tags. Cool!

Of course, it wouldn't be CES without some head-turning weird tech that may — or may not — actually make it on sale in 2026. Like the Ascentiz H1 Pro exoskeleton that our senior fitness writer Dan used to assist him in walking around the vast exhibition halls.

Make sure you check out our ongoing CES 2026 live blog for the very latest from the show, and here's our day 1 round-up of the 10 best new gadgets we saw.

Dell XPS 14

After abandoning the XPS line, Dell has admitted its mistake and brought these premium laptops back in a big way. The XPS 14 and 16 were both on show in Las Vegas and our Global Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer spent some quality time with the CNC-machined aluminum XPS 14 that's just 14.6mm thin — in between the MacBook Air M4 (11.3mm) and MacBook Pro M5 (15.5mm).

There's a mesmerizing 2.8K OLED display with a variable refresh rate going all the way down to 1Hz to conserve battery life. The XPS 14 is powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and built-in Arc graphics, so you should expect smooth performance. There's a range of CPU options, including a Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra 7, X7 and X9. And the RAM options go from 16GB to 32GB and a max of 64GB.

The only catch is that, with the price of RAM skyrocketing due to AI-driven demand, the price is going to be tough to hear. According to Dell, prices start at $2,049.

Intel Panther Lake

Intel's keynote took place during our second day of CES and the brand stepped up to show off its new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 laptop chips. Codenamed Panther Lake, they were first revealed back in October, but CES has given us our first look at them in action.

The big change is that Panther Lake is built on the new Intel 18A node and employs a "System of Chips" design featuring up to 16 cores and fabricated out of smaller "tiles," which can be moved and swapped to fine-tune performance and efficiency.

In addition, the GPU built into these new Core Ultra 3 chips introduces a new, more efficient Xᵉ3 graphics architecture and scales up to 12 Xᵉ cores and 12 Ray Tracing Units, delivering better performance and featuring an increased 16 MB L2 Cache in the high-end configuration.

There's also better multi-thread performance and a number of other tricks that my colleague Alex Wawro has detailed right here.

Strutt ev1 personal mobility vehicle

Let's get fun for a second. My colleague Mike Prospero took this "personal mobility vehicle" for a spin around the show floor and called it a cross between Professor X's wheelchair and a Tesla. I'll share the bad news up front: You can pre-order it for $5,299, but its regular price will run you $7,499. Ouch.

But here's what you get for your money, the Strutt's four motors power it at speeds of up to 7 mph (11.3 km/h), and it can carry a maximum payload of 350 lbs (160 kg). It'll glide up hills as steep as 13-degrees, and ride over curbs up to 2 inches in height. Finally, the 18.5Ah/592Wh removable battery is good for about 20 miles of range.

The cherry on top is that it's voice-controlled with built-in navigation. So you can sit there and just tell it where you want to go. If you want to know more, read Mike's hands-on with the Strutt ev1 here.

Hisense UR8 RGB Mini-LED TV

Day one of CES 2026 was dominated by LG and Samsung's new TV smarts but Hisense has also arrived at the party. This Chinese brand has constantly impressed us with its value for money and this year we got a good look at how it's embracing Mini-LED technology.

Hisense has upgraded its RGB Mini-LED architecture to include a fourth primary color. The addition of cyan — or sky blue, as Hisense calls it — is said to improve the color fidelity, and there are several models to choose from this year.

The Hisense UR9 and the Hisense UR8 are the brand’s first attempt to scale the tech down to smaller screen sizes. It was previously limited to a 116-inch display in the Hisense 116UX but these new sets will be available in sizes ranging from 55 to 100 inches.

Lego Smart Brick

This was a bit of a left-field reveal at CES, but we are totally here for it. The European toy brand Lego revealed its first-ever "smart brick" at a dedicated keynote that included a demo of how it'll work.

The company has fitted a tiny computer into a standard 2x4 Lego brick that's capable of detecting NFC-enabled tags inside new Lego tiles and minifigures. When the block detects one of these (or another smart brick) it will react dynamically.

Lego says it will make sets come to life with features like sound effects, lighting or movement.

Ascentiz H1 Pro exoskeleton

Exoskeletons aren't as strange a sight these days as you might expect. We saw one at last year's CES and they're back again for 2026. This year, senior fitness writer Dan Bracaglia strapped on the Ascentiz H1 Pro and called it the most comfortable exoskeleton he's tested.

Like other exoskeletons, the Ascentiz relies on AI to analyze a user’s stride, ensuring natural movement assistance. While Dan says it wasn't as powerful as exoskeletons from Hypershell and Arc'teryx, the range of movement was more comfortable.

Weighing just 4.4 pounds (sans battery), the H1 Pro is surprisingly unburdensome to wear. It also folds down into a neat little package that can easily be stored in a gym bag. So whether you're hiking around a massive trade show or want some help at the squat rack, this looks like a winner.

Ascentiz has a few different models in development, and you can find more information over at its fully-backed active Kickstarter campaign.

MSI Pro Max QD-OLED monitor

MSI always shows up in full force at CES with new laptops, graphics cards and gaming PCs, but this year, my colleague Anthony Spadafora said he was interested in the company's new Pro Max 271UPXW12G monitor.

This all-white QD-OLED display isn’t just another gaming or business monitor. Instead, it’s designed to work perfectly with your Mac; it features M-Color Mode for seamless color synchronization and even allows you to adjust brightness and volume directly from your MacBook shortcut keys.

So, if you're looking for an alternative to the $1,599 Apple Studio Display, this could well be it. Especially as Anthony thinks this could arrive with a sub $1,000 price point. You can read all his thoughts on it right here.

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo

Asus has stepped up to CES 2026 with the world’s first dual-screen 16-inch gaming laptop. It's an OLED waterfall that seems like overkill in all the right ways.

Computing Editor Jason England took a look at the two 16-inch 3K OLED displays and proclaimed them: "drop-dead gorgeous, running at a buttery smooth 120Hz and sporting HDR support."

Both displays are attached onto a hinge that can bend back a full 320-degrees too and since this is a Zephyrus machine, the specs list is crazy good. There's an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 CPU, up to RTX 5090 laptop GPU, 64GB LPDDR5X RAM and a 2TB SSD — pumping 135W through that GPU. You also get plenty of I/O including Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to boot.

You can check out more of Jason's thoughts on this beast of a laptop right here.

Alienware 16 Area-51 (2026)

I told you that day two of CES was going to be all about the laptops. My colleague Tony Polanco is a life-long gamer, so it's only right that he got to check out the new machines from Dell's gaming sub-brand, Alienware.

Later this year, we can expect an Alienware ultra-slim gaming laptop, coming in at just 0.66 inches (17mm) thin, which is cool. But Tony got to grips with the sturdy Alienware 16 Area-51 on the show floor.

It continues everything about last year's laptop that made it a favorite and levels up in one crucial area: the display. There's now a 240Hz OLED panel with lower latency as well as improved cooling. Tony thinks it has a good chance of being one of the best gaming laptops you can buy this year.

Unfortunately, we don’t yet have a concrete release date, but expect it sometime in the first quarter of this year. Alienware says it will share pricing closer to launch.

Nvidia's AI car tech

Nvidia is one of the biggest names in tech at the moment and the company hosted its own keynote at CES on day two. Unfortunately, we didn't get any new GeForce RTX graphics cards as the company was instead focusing on AI and robotics.

Aside from CEO Jensen Huang messing about with some Star Wars droids on stage, the most interesting development was the announcement of Nvidia Alpamay. This is a new open-source AI model for self-driving cars. Instead of being trained on data and driving reactively, this model is able to use reasoning at lightning-quick times to be proactive.

Nvidia showed it in action with a driving demo across San Francisco and it could just be the future of self-driving cars. Huang confirmed the model will be included with the 2025 Mercedes Benz CLA — already rated the world's safest car by the automotive bodies.

This new self-driving motor vehicle is heading to manufacturing and launching in the U.S. in Q1! Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.

 Eli Health Hormometer

Alongside laptops and AI, wellness tech is a big draw at CES and this at-home hormone test shows why. For just $8, you'll be able to test your cortisol levels and, from February, your testosterone and progesterone levels too. Before we go any further, it doesn't replace your doctor but it should give you some extra insight into things like your sleep and energy levels.

Once you've installed the Eli Health app on your phone, you take the saliva collection cartridge out of the sealed package and put it in your mouth for 60 seconds.

From there, you pull on a tab so that the results can start “developing,” similar to a Covid test. You’ll need to wait 20 minutes for this part but once it's done you use the app and your phone’s camera to snap a photo of the saliva stick, at which point the AI will analyze your results and give you a cortisol score.

The tests are $8 a piece, but you can get 8 tests for $99 or a 3-month supply for $225. Find out what my colleague Mark Spoonauer thought when he tried it for himself on the show floor.

Segway Navimow (2026)

It might be the middle of winter right now, but in just a few short months you're going to be looking for ways to keep your lawn looking fresh. And Segway has turned up to CES 2026 with the answer. The company revealed eight new robot lawn mowers covering five different series in the Navimow lineup.

These range in price from $999 to $2,999 for models suitable for home use. The most notable is the Navimow H2 Series, which has an impressive obstacle avoidance system that can detect objects as small as 1 centimeter.

There's also the Navimow i2 AWD series that uses a three-wheel drive system to climb up steeper slopes, along with the Navimo i215 LiDAR that generates detailed maps with its next-generation solid-state LiDAR. If you need to know more, we've got a full breakdown of the new robot mowers and their specs right here.

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Alienware has plenty to show off at CES 2026, including all-new gaming laptops boasting OLED displays and more. Now, it's just introduced one of its slimmest machine to date — and it comes close to a MacBook Air.

Later this year, we can now expect an Alienware ultra-slim gaming laptop, coming in at just 0.66 inches (17mm) thin, while aiming to deliver the performance we expect from Alienware's lineup of laptops. Compared to the sturdy Alienware 16 Area-51 at 1.12 inches, the new model is set to be 50% smaller. I've seen it up close, and it's just the laptop gamers and creators after a portable machine will want (me included).

The ultra-slim gaming laptop is set to arrive in both 14- and 16-inch sizes, all while keeping the design aesthetic of its premium Area-51 counterparts, including a light-up RGB touchpad. Alienware notes that the compact design means ths model won't reach the heights of its flagship laptops, but it will still offer high-performance CPUs. (Think Intel Core Ultra 300, and Nvidia discrete GPUs (RTX 50-series is surely in the cards.)

"We set out to build a laptop that delivers features that appeal to gamers first and foremost, but also excels for people who need a powerful device for creative projects, productivity and everything in between," Alienware states.

Compared to Apple's MacBook Air M4, which comes in at 0.44 inches, the all-new ultra-slim is still slightly thicker. However, you can expect the Alienware model to be around the same size as the portable Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 at 0.6 inches — and that's one of the best gaming laptops you can grab for portability.

As for how it looks? It's not like your usual Alienware Aurora or Area-51 models. Expect a sleek, minimalist design with a subtle Alienware logo right on the back. It's a laptop that fits into an office setting or at a coffee shop, as well as on any gaming desk.

The official release date, pricing and specs are still up in the air, but the ultra-slim will make its debut later on in 2026 at the earliest.

A more affordable option

Along with the ultra-slim model, Alienware also announced an entry-level gaming laptop that it will add to its lineup this year.

It's slim pickings for details for now, as we have yet to know the official price of this model and its specs, but expect a step down from the Alienware 16 Aurora laptops at a more affordable price point. So, think an RTX 5050 and possibly an RTX 5060.

At the very least, Alienware promises "strong gaming performance at our most accessible price point yet." That will be a big win considering RAM price hikes.

It may be a while before we see these laptops on the market, but in the meantime, check out what else is in store in our CES 2026 live blog.

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Alienware's goal for CES 2026 is to "push the boundaries of what’s possible in PC gaming." And it's certainly looking to do so with its entry-to-mid-level gaming laptop that now packs an OLED display.

As announced at the world's biggest tech event today (January 5), the Alienware 16X Aurora will come equipped with an OLED display, being one of the first (along with its mighty Alienware 16 Area-51 sibling) to feature a 16-inch premium anti-glare OLED panel.

Not only will this panel reduce gloss by 32%, which keeps glare and reflections to a minimum, but you can also expect a wicked-fast 0.2ms response time for fast-paced gameplay, 620 nits peak HDR brightness and HDR True Black 500 support.

Otherwise, this is the same laptop that stole the show in many sales events, boasting Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 GPUs for the latest in gaming performance (DLSS 4 included). What's more, we can expect more Intel Core Ultra 200HX CPU options, although current models are also available with Core Ultra 7 255HX and Core Ultra 9 275HX on Dell's store.

When I tested the Alienware 16X Aurora, I was impressed by the performance it offered (especially at a discount) and its sizeable 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS display with a 240Hz refresh rate. With the all-new anti-glare OLED panel it's getting, it moves the needle into becoming a proper mid-range machine.

Deeper blacks, brighter colors and getting rid of reflections boost visuals to make those stunning single-player titles shine. We'll have to see it in action, as we have yet to see if this laptop will still deliver its high 240Hz refresh rate with OLED now onboard. But it's a welcome upgrade nevertheless.

For a taste of the performance you can expect in this laptop, check out the benchmarks I tested below (equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX CPU, an RTX 5060 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD).

The Alienware 16X Aurora with OLED will be available in the first three months of 2026, with pricing yet to be announced. I was already impressed with this laptop last year, and the anti-glare OLED upgrade is sure to see this machine push more affordable gaming even further (we'll see about that price first).

For more of the latest announcements from Las Vegas, we've got it all in our CES 2026 live blog.

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I tested many of the best gaming laptops in 2025. These machines were equipped with the latest CPUs and GPUs, providing them with sufficient power to run the best PC games. Such machines include the sleek Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and enormous Alienware 18 Area-51. Choosing a favorite was difficult, but there was one that’s still on my mind.

That gaming laptop is the Alienware 16 Area-51. As I said in my Alienware 16 Area-51 review, this laptop makes a bold statement thanks to its (inter)stellar design, powerful RTX 50-series performance and vibrant 16-inch display. Though it’s expensive and heavy to carry, it delivers an out-of-this-world gaming experience.

Read on to find out why the Alienware 16 Area-51 is my favorite gaming laptop of 2025 and why I think you should consider checking it out if you’re looking for a premium gaming experience.

Otherworldly design

Alienware resurrected the “Area-51” moniker for its gaming laptops, which is appropriate given this notebook’s otherworldly design. The Liquid Teal finish and curved edges provide a distinct look that’s unlike other gaming laptops. The chassis’ color shifts under different lighting conditions, and the RGB lighting on the back mimics the motions of the aurora borealis. It all makes for a machine that commands attention.

The unit I reviewed was configured with a Cherry MX ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard that is a dream to type on. I’m a mechanical keyboard enthusiast (to say the least), so I enjoy the clicky keys and short travel distance. I wish the touchpad was a tad larger, but it works well enough and is very smooth and responsive.

My only complaint is that the Alienware 16 Area-51 is big and heavy at 14.37 x 11.41 x 1.12 inches and 7.92 pounds. Since the laptop is so bulky, you might want to mostly use it at home. This could be a potential deal-breaker, depending on whether you’re looking for a desktop replacement or a portable PC.

Strong gaming performance

The Alienware 16 Area-51 I reviewed packed an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, an RTX 5080 GPU and 32GB of RAM. Thanks to those components, I enjoyed a superlative gaming experience.

I got Doom: The Dark Ages to run at 108-120 frames per second with DLSS 4 disabled on Ultra Nightmare graphical settings. With the frame-boosting DLSS, the game ran at 240 fps, which matches the display’s refresh rate. The graphically demanding Cyberpunk 2077 ran at 70fps with DLSS off and a blistering 240 fps with DLSS on.

The Alienware 16 Area-51 also performed well in our lab tests, where we run games through their respective built-in benchmarking tools with graphics and resolution cranked to the max. You likely won't be running every game at ultra settings, so you'll certainly get better results than what you see above, even with DLSS off.

As configured, the Alienware 16 Area-51 I reviewed could run games at buttery smooth frame rates with graphical settings cranked to max and with DLSS 4 enabled. That’s a testament to this rig’s power. However, if you get a configuration with an RTX 5070 Ti or lower, DLSS 4 will be crucial for getting higher frame rates.

Vivid 16-inch display

Games look as great as they run, thanks to the Alienware 16 Area-51’s 16-inch display. While there’s no OLED option, the sharp 1600p resolution, aforementioned 240Hz refresh rate, and overall vibrant image quality help draw you into whatever game you’re playing.

As you can see from our display benchmark results above, the Alienware 16 Area-51 doesn’t have oversaturated color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3). Color accuracy (Delta-E) is slightly better than on competing laptops like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and HP Omen Max 16. The latter two produce bolder colors, but Alienware’s colors are more naturalistic.

I should note that the 3ms response time isn’t as low as on other gaming laptops or gaming monitors I’ve tested. However, unless you’re a professional gamer, you’re probably not going to notice any input lag. I certainly didn’t!

Bottom line

2025 was a very good year for gaming laptops, thanks to the introduction of Nvidia’s 50-series GPUs and Intel’s second-generation Core Ultra CPUs. With CES 2026 happening soon, I’m eager to see the laptops we have in store for next year. Will any of them match or beat the Alienware 16 Area-51? I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

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Desktop PCs are getting expensive — you can thank the RAM pricing crisis for that. But there are cost efficiencies you can make here and there to get a monster tower for cheaper. The answer? Go boring and ditch the RGB tax.

I’ve been testing the RTX 5080 version of the Dell Tower Plus, which my colleague Alex reviewed and gave 4 stars. One look at Dell’s website (U.K — no points for guessing where I'm from based on my last name), and you’ll find it at £2,500. To get a gamer-centric equivalent, the Alienware Aurora R16 with the same spec comes in at well over £3,000.

And the situation is similar in the U.S. too. The RTX 5060 Ti-armed version of the Dell Tower Plus costs $1,769 to the $2,099 of the Aurora

So in a world where we’re all looking for ways to cut costs and get the maximum bang for our buck, I’m here to defend the dullness. While it’s not as clear cut when you get into the details (cooling being one particular example), it’s proving more cost-effective to get a more basic tower specced out the wazoo over a gaming beast. Let me explain.

Bland is the brand

The Dell Tower Plus is super unassuming — I mean look at it. As Alex said in his review, it is “a breath of forgettable fresh air,” and I agree. The aesthetic is basic and utilitarian in nature, and that’s A-OK with me.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for good RGB and well-presented components through a tempered glass side (you’ll see as much in Terry the Tom’s Guide test bench). But given the chances your tower will go underneath your desk, all that pizazz would just be wasted on illuminating the floor.

Instead, this low-key look just kind of fades into the background of your desk nicely, while also keeping its considerable power a secret. Honestly, I’m here for it.

Near-parity for less

And speaking of that “considerable power” I took a look inside to see an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 1TB of storage and an RTX 5080 GPU. All of it is popped onto a proprietary motherboard, which for those more confident, you could get into and tinker. But it’s meant to be for Dell only to touch under its warranty. This is the cost of affordability.

But the end result is seriously impressive performance that matches up to its gaming ilk while staying quiet (more on that in a second).

Another thing to point out is the cooling solution here. While the Alienware Aurora R16 does have an all-in-one cooler and a couple 120mm fans to keep everything tip top, the Dell Tower Plus has a far simpler cooling solution with a fan at the back and large CPU cooler.

When I took the side off and looked at the way it manages thermals, I was shocked by how quiet it had been the entire time. Not only that, but CPU and GPU temperatures never exceeded the maximum (160-degrees Fahrenheit) that we saw in testing the Alienware Aurora R16.

As Alex said, this is “a wolf in corporate sheep’s clothing,” and Dell’s really thought about everything here.

Where does the extra money go?

When it comes to gaming pre-builts, the premium often comes in the flash of it all. The price of all those key components are all relatively fixed — you’re investing in three key things here:

• A fancy case: That unique, flashy case is usually designed and tooled to be eye-catching for gamers. If you don’t need that edginess, you can save some money.
• The brand name: A brand like Alienware or Asus ROG carries a premium cost with it, so opting for Dell here may have chopped some change off the total price too.
• Advanced (and often unnecessary) features: Outside of that premium lighting, you’ve got a more advanced cooling solution, too. But given temperatures weren’t that different at all, skipping it is another cost-saving measure you can make.

That’s not to say this is all pointless. If you want the flashiness, go right ahead. I won’t deny gaming PCs look cool! But it’s a corner you can cut without sacrificing power but reducing the price you pay.

Should you play it safe (and boring)?

So this is my case for choosing an office box over a spaceship — a boring desktop tower over the gaming PC. RG-be damned, because you could take that $200 saving, get yourself a 4K monitor like the Gigabyte M27UP and make the most of that RTX 5080.

Are there downsides? Sure — the same issues you’d get with any pre-built. Lack of modular customizability and the use of proprietary parts being chief among them.

But as is becoming clear at the moment, it’s now cheaper to go pre-built over building yourself at the moment (thanks RAMageddon). And dodging the RGB-laden options is another way to save yourself some cash while still getting the same sustained performance.

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I have been a gamer for as long as I can remember — from playing a demo of Tomb Raider on my family's rusty ol' computer, Pokémon on my cousin's DS whenever he came around, to sinking hundreds of hours into my favorite RPGs on my PS5 Slim. Video games, especially story-driven ones, are therapeutic to me (regardless of how many times I've cried while playing the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33).

But there is one thing that can absolutely ruin my immersion, and that's bad audio. There's an easy way to rectify bad audio, though, and the solution lies in picking up one of the best wireless gaming headsets. Now, as a lifelong gamer, I'm very privileged that I get to test gaming peripherals as part of my job. I've tested some fantastic gaming headsets, and I recently reviewed the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset and it almost instantly because one of my favorite sets of cans.

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is my primary gaming headset, but the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset comes in a close second. There's a lot to love about Alienware's flagship set of cans — incredible sound quality, long and reliable battery life, a lightweight design which ensures all-day comfort, you name it. If you're looking for a new headset, this might be the one for you.

Cloud-like ear cushions

Whether you're spending $50 or $300 on a headset, that money is a waste if the cans aren't comfortable and make you want to take them off your head instantly. To that affect, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset is money spent extremely well because of just how comfortable these cans are.

Many headsets feature memory foam ear cushions, or leatherette ones. The Alienware headset features a combination of the two: leatherette-covered memory foam cushions! And when I say they feel like you're resting your ears against fluffy clouds, I mean it. Having worn the headset for an eight-hour gaming session, my ears never overheated and no sweat pooled into the earcups.

Also assisting the Alienware headset's comfy nature is its padded headband which helps relieve pressure on the top of your head, lending it a feeling of weightlessness. In fact, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset isn't made for just gaming — you can wear it while listening to music too, when you're out and about, thanks to its sleek, minimalist, non-RGB powered design. Really, it's the only pair of headphones you need for anything and everything.

Sublime, textured, detailed sound profile

In addition to being ridiculously comfortable, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset sounds magnificent too, injecting life into even the most boring games. Regardless of the game I played, the Alienware headset made every thing sound incredible. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I loved being able to truly appreciate the powerful, orchestral operatic soundtrack, and enjoy the sound of my magic and sword attacks landing on enemies. Everything sounded well-balanced and never like one element was overpowering the other.

In Ghost of Yotei and Cyberpunk 2077, I was able to take a truly stealthy approach when infiltrating enemy camps and bases. I could hear every single footstep and NPCs breathing which helped me pinpoint their position and help me plan my next move. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset features directional audio too, which meant that I could hear dialogue move from one earcup to the other, and this, again, helped me gauge my enemies' position.

From the slashes of my odachi and katana to the loud explosions caused by my projectiles, each and every sound in both games was loud and clear, with plenty of depth and low-end impact. The energetic, vibrant sound profile alone firmly cemented the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset as one of my top five gaming cans of all time.

Power in spades

Sure, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset looks good, sounds great, and it's very comfortable... but that's not all. It's got power in spades — and I mean that literally. The Alienware headset is rated at up to 75 hours of battery life (depending on usage conditions), and it's very reliable. Using it with active noise cancellation enabled, of course, halves the battery life, bringing it down to 35 hours (which proved true in my testing, by the way), but even then, that's a lot of juice.

Oh, did I say it's got active noise cancellation — and highly effective ANC, at that? The Alienware headset is capable of blocking out most external noise, whether that's your neighbors drilling into their walls (speaking from experience), or construction going on outside your house, or something as simple as the doorbell ringing. Regardless of the situation, the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset isolates noise and pulls you right into your game, making you feel like you're the main character. What else could you ask for?!

Not many other headsets I've tested are better than the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset — barring the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro — so it's a small, exclusive club. It's the only headset I'd buy just for the cloud-like ear cushions. I really can't recommend it enough.

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Cyber Week is almost over and there's less than three weeks left till Christmas. Fortunately, some sales are being extended — and one of this weekend's best sales comes from Dell.

For a limited time, Dell has laptops on sale from $249. As part of its extended sale, you can get the Editor's Choice XPS 13 for just $849. I recommend this deal because there are few compromises. You get a 13.4-inch 2K display, Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Gamers will also want to get this Alienware 16 Aurora with RTX 5050 for just $849. It's the cheapest RTX 50 series Alienware I've seen.

Meanwhile, Dell also has its monitors on sale from $69. The sale includes price cuts on its premium displays like the Alienware 27-inch Gaming Monitor on sale for $179. I've browsed the entire Dell holiday sale and below I've highlighted my top deals. For more deals, check out our Dell promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell holiday sale
• Monitors: deals from $69
• Laptops: deals from $249
• Desktops: deals from $349
• Alienware: deals from $849
• Alienware 27" QD-OLED Monitor: was $899 now $549
• Dell 14 Plus: was $1,099 now $649
• XPS 13: was $1,099 now $849
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 5050: was $1,199 now $849
• XPS 13 OLED: was $1,499 now $1,099

Editor's Choice

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

We have reached the seemingly sudden arrival of the RAMageddon tidal wave.

As AI companies gobbled up DRAM and hard drives for expanding and new data centers, it slowly became apparent that a shortage was brewing with a downstream effect that would hit manufacturers and consumers in the pocketbook.

It started earlier this week with the closure of Crucial, a Micron company that sold consumer memory. And now a report from TrendForce suggests Dell, HP, and Lenovo will raise prices heading into 2026.

Dell could raise prices as soon as mid-December

Just before Thanksgiving, Dell COO Jeff Clarke called the memory shortage “unprecedented” during an earnings call with investors.

“We’re in a very unique time. It’s unprecedented. We have not seen costs move at the rate that we’ve seen,” said Clarke, according to CRN. “And by the way, it’s not unique to DRAM, it’s NAND. It is hard drives, leading edge nodes across the semiconductor network.”

Clarke went on to say the last cycle like this was in 2016 and 2017. At the time, Dell prioritized getting parts. Dell is now going to do everything it can to “minimize the impact”, according to Clarke, but cost will go up across all its products.

Sure enough, Trendforce’s industry sources claim Dell is now expected to raise prices between 15-20% as soon as mid-December.

Lenovo is reportedly also warning customers (presumably retailers and enterprise clients) that “all current quotations and prices” will expire on January 1, 2026. The company is blaming the memory shortage and rapid growth of AI tech for the forthcoming price hike.

Product roadmaps derailed by shortage

As the Korean publication Chosun Biz reports, the shock of the memory shortage is causing multiple companies (from Lenovo and Dell to Samsung and LG) to rethink their entire 2026 product roadmaps, including whether to launch new AI-focused PCs and tablets.

"PC companies have no choice but to respond by postponing releases or redesigning products rather than lowering margins,” a Korean PC company rep told Chosun Biz.

During HP’s earnings call at the end of November, HP CEO Enrique Lores expressed similar sentiments. Though Lores did say that the first half of 2026 should be okay for HP since the company currently has a memory stockpile. Bloomberg reported that Lenovo has also begun stockpiling PC memory to get through at least 2026.

Starting in May, though, Lores claimed the shortage will start eating into HP’s product margins. Lores explained that the cost of memory alone now accounts for 15-18% of the cost of producing a typical PC, which is double what it was last year.

Not alone

CyberPowerPC announced last week that it would raise prices starting December 7. Maingear has been telling customers to buy PCs and components now to avoid the coming rate hikes.

PC makers are the canary at this point, but we expect this shortage to hit every tech market. Right now, phone makers are also bracing for hikes. Chinese companies like Xiaomi and Redmi have already told clients that increases between 20% and 30% are coming next year.

And internal divisions at Samsung surrounding memory pricing between the company’s Electronics Device Solutions (DS) and Mobile eXperience (MX) wings could impact the pricing of next year’s Galaxy S26 series. And there is no end in sight. PC Gamer reports that the blooming DRAM prices could run past 2028.

Don’t expect cheaper tech any time soon. Between PC manufacturers hoarding memory and the insatiable appetite of AI companies, it may actually be cheaper to buy a pre-built PC than building one yourself.

More from Tom's Guide

• It is now cheaper to buy a pre-built gaming PC than building one yourself — this RAM price crisis is only going to get worse from here
• Confirmed: Steam Frame will lack this Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest feature at launch — Valve says it's 'on our list'
• Think you're a spreadsheet wizard? You ain't seen nothing 'til you've watched the Excel World Championships — here's how

Finding the best Windows laptop in 2026 is no simple task: What size is best? Should I get a touchscreen? Intel or Snapdragon CPUs? Nvidia or AMD GPUs? Dual screen? There's a lot of deciding to do, but it's this wide variety that also makes picking a machine all the more exciting.

To help you along with your buying journey, my team of computing experts and I have tested and reviewed hundreds of laptops to pinpoint the machines worth your money. And, if you've made peace with the state of Windows 11 right now (it's getting better), it's important to give yourself an upgrade, seeing as Windows 10 officially ended last year. With no crucial security updates, it's time to move on to Microsoft's latest operating system.

For the best Windows has to offer right now, we here at Tom's Guide highly recommend the Dell XPS 14 (2026). Our own in-house lab testing proves it, but there are many other choices we've picked to cater to different needs — whether that be for work, creativity or purely gaming. For our top recommendations worth your money, follow this guide to find the right Windows laptop for you.

The best Windows laptops you can buy right now

Best Windows laptop overall

I have an easy time recommending the Dell XPS 14 as the best Windows laptop for most folks because it sports a new design that ditches many of the controversial parts of prior models. It also packs a serious punch thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 3 Panther Lake chip.

It's no coincidence that this XPS takes design cues from MacBooks, with the chassis featuring softer, rounded corners and the machine clocking in at a light 3 pounds. We also get the return of physical function keys and a haptic touchpad with clearly identifiable boundaries.

Then there's the gorgeous 2880 x 1800 InfinityEdge tandem OLED touch panel. Thanks to it, you get incredible contrasts, vivid colors, and vibrant HDR that makes other panels look dull in comparison.

Performance is just as impressive thanks to Intel’s Panther Lake architecture. Built on the 18A node, this chip delivers strong performance for everyday work and even gaming. The latter is especially noteworthy for a laptop featuring an integrated graphics card. You get the best of both worlds here.

For all these reasons and more, this is the Windows laptop we recommend most often to those in the market for a new notebook for work, school or play. Now, if you're after an even bigger display to get more out of Dell's marvelous OLED, the Dell XPS 16 (2026) is well worth your time.

• Read our full Dell XPS 14 (2026) review

Best value Windows laptop

It's outstanding what Lenovo has done for well under $1,000, and these days, finding value in a Windows laptop is incredibly important. At $749 (and down to as little as $499 during sales seasons), the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x is our top choice when it comes to making the most of what Windows has to offer.

Yes, there are sacrifices made here, including a 15.3-inch 60Hz IPS touch display with low brightness and weak speakers, but for the price, the pros far outweigh the cons. Namely, its long battery life of over 16 hours. That's up there with some of the longest-lasting laptops! So for work or school, this will easily last you throughout the day.

That's thanks to the star of the show: the Snapdragon X chip. Made for budget-friendly laptops, this CPU offers up decent performance for multitasking and even light photo and video editing. It's by no means good for gaming, but if that's not what you're here for, then you'll be pleased with everything else.

What's more, even at this price range, its thin, lightweight design comes with an excellent, snappy keyboard for plenty of comfortable typing. And for those who require quick access to numbers, you'll be happy to know this comes with a number pad.

We have a lot of love for the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x, so if an affordable, reliable machine is what you're after, this will have you covered.

• Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x review

Best premium Windows laptop

The Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra stands out for its dazzling 16-inch AMOLED display, top-tier Intel Panther Laker processor and optional RTX 50-series GPU, which easily puts it in the upper echelon of premium Windows laptops. That said, it also has the price to match.

In typical Samsung fashion, the gorgeous anti-reflective (2880 x 1800) OLED touchscreen delivers deep blacks, intense colors and makes every on-screen detail pop. Even better, it's made for gaming, too, with a variable refresh rate scaling between 30Hz and 120Hz.

Sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 356H CPU (up to a mighty Intel Core Ultra X7 358H), you can expect desktop-class speed on even the most demanding creative or professional workloads, something that even puts the MacBook Pro on notice. Even when we stress-tested RAM performance by loading up 45 Chrome tabs and running heavy photo edits, the system never stuttered. It's an ideal pick for multitaskers and power users who can't afford slowdowns, and that 15 hours of battery life is the cherry on top.

Beyond sheer performance, the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra's chassis impresses with its minimalist, slim profile and premium materials that feel satisfying to type away on, even if it's a tad on the heavier side at over 4 pounds (but still lightweight for a 16-inch laptop). The speakers surprised us: audio is full and punchy, with crisp highs and enough bass to make music and calls genuinely enjoyable. That's a rarity in Windows ultrabooks, and a highlight if you care about sound quality.

The biggest trade-off here is the preinstalled Samsung bloatware. While it doesn't cripple performance, the extra apps and utilities clutter the otherwise clean Windows experience, and you'll likely spend time uninstalling or disabling what you don't need. But that's just one blemish on an otherwise polished premium package.

This is one pricey machine, but if you're after one of the finest Windows laptops that will last you for years to come, the Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra is well worth the investment.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra

Best Windows gaming laptop

This one is still hard to top. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) doesn't need another yearly update, even if we were expecting it, as it already boasts some of the strongest specs you'll find in a gaming laptop of this size and price.

To get its problem out of the way, battery life isn't this laptop's strong point, with under two hours when gaming, and around six hours for general use. But really, that can be said for all Windows gaming laptops. Other than that? It's a triumph.

From its beautiful 14-inch (2880 x 1800) OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and speedy 0.2ms response time to its mighty Nvidia RTX 50-series performance (all the way up to an RTX 5080), this laptop will conquer the visuals, speeds and demands of the most demanding PC games on the market. That's also backed by its AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB for previous storage.

From Cyberpunk 2077 to Black Myth: Wukong at their highest settings, you can expect to reach 50 frames per second (FPS). Oh, but that's with Nvidia's DLSS turned off. Really, expect frame rates to reach 150 FPS and higher, depending on the games you play and the settings you tweak.

It's also a beauty to look at, with its CNC-milled aluminum chassis, glass-topped trackpad and chiclet keyboard. Its design isn't screaming that it's a gaming laptop, either, and it's nicely compact to take with you wherever you go.

For gamers after a reliable, portable gaming machine, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 continues to be our champion that doesn't disappoint.

• Read our full Asus ROG Zephryus G14 review

Best 2-in-1 Windows laptop

We're at a point where dual-screen laptops have become mainstream, and the Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) is the best of its class. This really puts the "two" in 2-in-1 laptops, as this gorgeous machine gives you a variety of ways to use it. Even better, thanks to its mighty Intel Core Ultra X9 388H CPU, it can be used for just about anything.

This one is pricey at $2,099, but what you get in return is a premium-built, powerful laptop boasting dual 14-inch 3K OLED touch displays with a 120Hz refresh rate. As you can imagine, the display is a feast for the eyes (as our reviewer rightfully puts it), with impressive brightness and color coverage for those rich, deep visuals.

Its premium-feeling form factor (although on the thicker side, understandably) can be easily utilized to swap between a normal clamshell laptop and an amazing dual-screen setup, with a movable keyboard deck that feels great to type on. So, that makes it ideal for productivity, but it's also a fine machine for creative work and gaming.

Think playing Cyberpunk 2077 at over 60 frames per second (with Intel's integrated XeSS 3 tech), and breezing through multiple apps and tabs. Despite its dual screens, this laptop also comes with a long 14 hours of battery life, too.

If you've got the money to spend, the Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) aims to last you for years to come. Plus, you won't need to hand over an extra bit of cash for a second monitor, and this one comes with you on the move.

• Read our full Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) review

Best Windows laptop for creators

I mean, if you're partnering up to make a GoPro-ified version of a laptop made for creators, it better hit the mark. Thankfully, that's exactly what the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) does, so much so that our reviewer even states that it's the "true Windows MacBook Pro."

Now, that also means it has the price to match, at $2,999. What do you get in return? An absolute powerhouse with an uber premium, sharp-looking design boasting a 13-inch 3K OLED touchscreen. That's an important factor for creative work on the move, as the screen here offers up high visual details and accurate colors, with zero latency on touch response.

Powering it all is the mighty AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU, delivering strong performance for 4K photo and video edits. Thanks to the integrated Radeon 8060S graphics, this will shine bright for 3D creative work (and plenty of demanding gaming), so rest assured, this ProArt has the chops to take on all manner of multitasking. And that 128GB of DDR5X RAM? Insane.

Plus, it has ample battery life for what it offers, coming in at over 11 hours, which means getting creative on the move. It's a shame there's no full-size SD card, but at least there's a microSD card slot for those who do have a GoPro. And really, don't bother with the Asus-exclusive AI apps.

If you thought MacBooks were the only reliable laptops for creators, the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) has now proved us wrong.

• Read our full Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13)

Best Windows laptop for productivity

Many of us are just looking for a laptop to get things done, without having to pay for all the premium flair that will largely go unused. If that's the case, let me introduce you to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x, boasting exceptional battery life and an efficient Snapdragon X2 Plus processor for a price that won't break the bank.

Just how long can this laptop last? In our lab tests, it ran for an impressive 15 hours and 24 minutes on a full charge — meaning you can leave your charger behind for all-day meetings or travel without fear of running out of juice.

Drafting articles, firing off emails, organizing spreadsheets, and juggling web tabs all felt zippy and responsive, thanks to the big performance from the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip inside. It's the kind of performance you want when your workflow can’t afford those annoying slowdowns or stutters, especially for more everyday tasks.

That 0.61-inch-thin chassis also makes this one of the most portable 15-inch laptops around — perfect for commuters or anyone who regularly sets up shop in different locations. Plus, connectivity is another strong point: two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (including DisplayPort support), HDMI 2.1, a headphone jack and a microSD card reader — pretty much all you could want.

Still, it’s not perfect. Video calls are a weak spot, as the built-in webcam delivers grainy, laggy images in every app our reviewer, Dylan, tried. If crystal-clear conference calls are critical for your work, you might need to budget for one of the best webcams (we highly recommend it). And for power users, this won't be able to keep up.

Prefer reliability and versatility over flashy extras? The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x is the Windows laptop we'd recommend most, especially at this sub-$900 price.

• Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x Gen 11 review

Performance test results

CPU speed isn't everything, but putting a number on it can go a long way towards helping you understand exactly how fast a laptop is in relation to the rest of the options available to you.

We use Geekbench for these tests, as it assigns each laptop a score for its performance in single-core workloads and multi-core workloads. The single-core score is often a little more meaningful because not all apps are optimized for multi-core performance, but many are, so it's good to consider multi-core performance as well.

And I know. Windows 11 isn't in the best spot right now, especially when it comes to bringing performance down (thanks to Copilot AI). However, it is getting better, so it's only up from here (fingers crossed).

Best Windows Laptops Performance Tests

Slide through to see our Geekbench results

< Prev

Geekbench 6 (single-core)

Next >

Dell XPS 14 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H)

2867

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X)

2124

Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra (Intel Core Ultra X7 356H)

2852

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2025 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)

2929

Asus Zenbook Duo 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X9 388H)

3031

Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395)

2932

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus)

3299

01,0002,0003,0004,000

Geekbench 6 (single-core) Data

Product	Value
Dell XPS 14 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H)	2867
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X)	2124
Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra (Intel Core Ultra X7 356H)	2852
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2025 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)	2929
Asus Zenbook Duo 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X9 388H)	3031
Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395)	2932
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus)	3299

Dell XPS 14 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H)

16927

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X)

10505

Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra (Intel Core Ultra X7 356H)

16655

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2025 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)

15280

Asus Zenbook Duo 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X9 388H)

17283

Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395)

18407

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus)

12390

05,00010,00015,00020,000

Geekbench 6 (multi-core) Data

Product	Value
Dell XPS 14 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H)	16927
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X)	10505
Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra (Intel Core Ultra X7 356H)	16655
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 2025 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)	15280
Asus Zenbook Duo 2026 (Intel Core Ultra X9 388H)	17283
Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395)	18407
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus)	12390

1 of 2

Battery benchmarks

One of the most important aspects of any laptop is its battery life, and you'll be happy to know that many of the Windows laptops we recommend are among the best laptops for battery life. As in, lasting close to a literal 24-hour day.

We run every laptop through our battery test, which consists of setting a laptop's display to 150 nits of brightness and having it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it shuts down. Of course, this isn't generally how one would use a laptop, especially when working in different apps, streaming shows or playing games.

However, this gives us a good idea of how long a laptop can last while running continuously and shows just how far you can go with one before reaching for a charger. Check out our results below.

Best Windows Laptops Battery Life Tests

In our battery test, we set the laptop's display to 150 nits of brightness and have it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.

Battery life (hh:mm:ss)

Dell XPS 14 2026 (non-OLED)

20:41:00

Dell XPS 14 2026 (OLED)

12:23:00

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x

16:29:00

Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra

15:12:00

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

05:30:00

Asus Zenbook Duo 2026

14:23:00

Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13

11:12:00

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x

15:24:00

07.51522.530

hours

Battery life (hh:mm:ss) Data

Product	Value
Dell XPS 14 2026 (non-OLED)	20.683333333333334
Dell XPS 14 2026 (OLED)	12.383333333333333
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x	16.483333333333334
Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra	15.2
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14	5.5
Asus Zenbook Duo 2026	14.383333333333333
Asus ProArt GoPro Edition PX13	11.2
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x	15.4

Also tested

We test and review dozens of Windows laptops every year, and they can't all be the best — but just because they don't all make this list doesn't mean they aren't good machines worth checking out.

Below, I've gathered all the great laptops we've tested that don't quite make this list, but are still good alternatives well worth considering if they meet your unique needs, or if you can't find your first choice on sale.

FAQs

How to choose the best laptop for you

Performance: If performance isn't important to you, say because you only need a laptop for browsing the web, you can save a lot of money by choosing a cheap Windows laptop with an Intel Core i3 processor or Snapdragon X, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x. But if speed and performance are important to you, pick a laptop with starting specs such as a better CPU, 16-32GB of RAM and at least a 1TB SSD, like the Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra.

Size: Consider how mobile you want your Windows machine to be. Notebooks like the Dell XPS 14 are incredibly light and slim, while gaming-focused laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 have real heft to them but offer real power in exchange.

Flexibility: The 2-in-1 category of Windows laptops is an exciting market of devices with hinges capable of rotating all the way around to lay the screen flat on the back of the laptop, turning it into a Windows tablet. If the idea of having a laptop that doubles as a tablet is exciting to you, Windows notebooks like the Asus Zenbook Duo are a great choice.

Graphics and gaming: Most Windows laptops feature integrated graphics as part of the CPU, which means they can handle games like Minecraft or World of Warcraft. But with Intel and AMD's latest offerings, these are now able to play AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 at high settings! And yes, that means these are now good for more video editing and creative work. For more power, though, you'll want a laptop with a discrete graphics card, like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

How we test the best Windows laptops

To determine which laptops deserve to be counted among the best Windows laptops, we run every machine we review through a rigorous suite of benchmarks and real-world tests to gauge how it will perform during everyday use.

These tests cover the speed and capabilities of the laptop, as well as its display capabilities. We carefully measure the average brightness and color quality of each laptop's display using our in-house Klein K10-A light meter and colorimeter.

To evaluate overall performance, we then run our machines through tests that include Geekbench 6 (CPU performance), as well as various AI-focused tests and some 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run our own custom file transfer test to measure how fast a machine's hard drive is, and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.

When testing all laptops, we benchmark gaming performance running Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. For testing dedicated gaming laptops, we also run benchmarks for a number of other popular games, from Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

All of these lab tests are complemented by our hands-on review process, in which reviewers spend time putting each laptop through its paces while working, watching movies, listening to music, and playing games.

For more information on our testing process, check out our guide to how we test products at Tom's Guide.

I’ve been covering Black Friday for eight years and testing laptops for the past decade. And in all my time doing this, I never thought I’d be able to say the following words: you can buy a Chromebook for $49.

Normally, the holy grail writers like me look for is the $99 Chromebook. Well, consider my mind blown. Right now, the Dell Chromebook 3120 is just $49 at Walmart. If you just need something cheap for the basics, there’s no better deal available right now on a refurbished laptop.

Taking me back to my netbook days, this 11-inch Chromebook is every bit of what I appreciated of the tiny laptops of old — a simple, super cheap clamshell system with basic performance to get stuff done and keep yourself entertained while taking up next-to-no backpack space.

Of course, this isn’t going to be for everyone. At such a low price, don’t expect to do anything more than browse the web, watch videos and write documents. With a HD display, Intel Celeron chip, 4GB RAM and a 16GB SSD, you’re definitely not going to set the world on fire with this configuration.

But if these are your only use cases, and you just need something super low cost to tide you over, there’s far worse ways to spend 50 bucks. This is a solid Grade A refurbished device with a durable build quality to withstand knocks, and even some connectivity to plug into other peripherals too.

Shop today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, AirPods and more
• Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia, more
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

Dell is back for another round of Black Friday deals, and it's here where you'll find epic discounts on some of the best laptops, PCs and monitors we've tested this year. So, if you're looking to grab your next Alienware gaming rig or productivity machine for less, the savings have arrived.

I've been tracking major deals across Dell's sale, and considering you can get an Alienware 16 Aurora with an RTX 50-series GPU for under $1,000, it shows these are discounts not to be missed. Even our favorite Windows laptop, the Dell XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite, is $350 off, and you'll find this 27-inch Dell 4K monitor is just $229 right now. That's a steal!

We're looking out for the latest and greatest sales in our Black Friday live blog, but if you have your sights set on an all-new PC setup, Dell won't disappoint with its biggest deals of the year. For even more discounts, check out our Dell promo codes coverage.

Quick links

• shop all Dell Black Friday deals right now
• Laptops: deals from $299
• PCs: deals over $500 off
• Monitors: deals from $94
• Dell 24" S2425H monitor: was $134 now $109
• Dell 14 Plus: was $1,099 now $749
• Dell XPS 13: was $1,299 now $949
• Alienware 16 Aurora (RTX 5050): was $1,199 now $999
• Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5070): was $2,749 now $2,199
• Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop (RTX 5070): was $2,099 now $1,649
• Alienware 27" AW2723DF: was $549 now $375

Dell Black Friday laptop deals

Dell Black Friday PC deals

Dell Black Friday monitor deals

Shop today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, Under Armour and more
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia and more
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + 66% off bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster laptop deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Nike: apparel/sneakers from $7
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

While we're already seeing plenty of early Black Friday 2025 deals pour in, Dell has decided the time is now to offer up the lowest prices I've seen on its Alienware gaming laptops, PCs and monitors. Get ready to upgrade your gaming rig!

In Alienware's Black Friday sale, you'll find an Alienware 16 Aurora with an RTX 5050 down to just $999, along with up to $650 off its monster Alienware 18 Area-51 with an RTX 5080. That's not all, as gaming PCs like the Alienware Aurora PC with an RTX 5070 are $400 off.

These are among the best gaming laptops and best gaming PCs we've tested this year, so you know these are deals worth jumping on.

Dell is no stranger to big sales, but when Black Friday comes around, it offers up the lowest prices of the year on its latest Alienware gaming rigs. So, the time to save is now. Oh, and for even more ways to save, don't miss out on these Dell coupon codes.

Quick links

• Shop all Alienware Black Friday 2025 sale right now!
• 💻 Alienware 16 Aurora (RTX 5050): was $1,199 now $999
• 💻 Alienware 16X Aurora (RTX 5060): was $1,649 now $1,499
• 💻 Alienware 16 Area-51 (RTX 5070): was $2,749 now $2,199
• 💻 Alienware 18 Area-51 (RTX 5080): was $3,649 now $2,999
• ⌨️ Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop (RTX 5070): was $2,099 now $1,649
• ⌨️ Alienware Area-51 Gaming Desktop (RTX 5070 Ti): was $3,749 now $3,199
• 🖥️ Alienware 32" AW3225DM: was $299 now $249
• 🖥️ Alienware 27" AW2723DF: was $549 now $399
• 🖥️ Alienware 27" AW2725QF: was $549 now $449

Alienware Black Friday gaming laptop deals

Alienware Black Friday gaming PC deals

Alienware Black Friday gaming monitor deals

Having one of the best monitors on your desk is a near-necessity, whether you work on a laptop for up to eight hours, five days a week, or you're an avid gamer and want the best-looking experience. Given the rapid rate at which technology has advanced (and continues to do so), we're spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a screen.

OLED, 4K and even 5K monitors are all the rage, but what if I told you I've been testing an LED IPS monitor that won't make you care that its resolution is limited to just 1080p, and one that doesn't cost thousands? It sounded too good to be true... until I tested the Alienware AW2525HM 25-inch 320Hz monitor. This is the gaming and work monitor for you if you're on a budget.

Look, I'm no stranger to 4K resolution and just how fantastic it looks, but when the colors look this good and the monitor is this fast, I can look past that. With a whopping 320Hz refresh rate, 0.5ms response time, and mindblowing color reproduction, it didn't take long for the AW2525HM to become my favorite monitor. My mind was blown even further when I saw the price tag, so let me take you through it all.

If Speedy Gonzales was a monitor

Ever heard of the fastest mouse in all of Mexico? If Speedy Gonzales was a monitor, he'd be the Alienware AW2525HM. Marketed as a gaming monitor — and for good reason — the AW2525HM has a whopping 320Hz refresh rate and a 0.5ms response time. "What does that mean?" The 320Hz refresh rate ensures smooth, fluid motion, while the 0.5ms response time reduces ghosting and motion blur.

Sounds great in theory but what about in real-world usage? It works, and boy, does it work well! Regardless of the game I played to test this monitor, I was stunned by the performance, and I was left highly impressed. There was no choppiness during fast-paced combat in Cyberpunk 2077, or while sprinting in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And no, no signs of ghosting either.

Given the AW2525HM's speed, I'm happy to trade off 4K resolution. Before you come for me, there's another excellent reason for this — and that's the color rendition, which I'll talk about next.

Any color you like

When I see an opportunity to make a Pink Floyd reference, I take it. Now that we're past my exquisite taste in music, let's talk about the Alienware AW2525HM's performance when it comes to color reproduction. 1080p isn't as good as 4K, but when the colors look this good, I'm inclined to not care as much.

First, let's talk about objective testing. I conducted my standardized lab testing to see how the AW2525HM fared in terms of color, and the results blew me away, as you can see in the table below.

What do these numbers mean? The monitor covers 148.5% of the sRGB color gamut, which means it covers the entire color spectrum and then some, and it delivers bold, bright, vivid colors, shades and hues.

Then we've got DCI-P3, another common color space with a wider overall gamut than sRGB, meaning it delivers a more accurate rendition of lifelike color. 105.2% coverage means it can render more shades than the actual gamut.

Lastly, Delta-E, which tells us how accurate or close the color on screen is to the color output from the source, such as your computer or laptop. The closer the score to 0, the more color-accurate the image — yes, 0.06 is an outstanding score.

The numbers are great and tell us half the story, but testing the monitor by playing video games confirms the AW2525HM's prowess in color rendition and reproduction. In Cyberpunk 2077, the neon lights appears brightly colored but not oversaturated to the point that they looked fake. This made the game feel more immersive, which is exactly what you need in an FPS/RPG.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is more of a challenge because there are many dark areas and dungeons in the game. Regardless, the AW2525HM excelled in balancing highlights and shadows to deliver a fantastic image. I was able to make out details in the dark areas, such as plants or objects which were otherwise obscured. And while a lot of the graphics performance comes down to your GPU, all the cutscenes appeared highly detailed and, again, bright and bold, which helped keep my immersion intact.

Wait, how much?!

What does the Alienware AW2525HM excel at? It's ridiculously fast with its 320Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time. It reproduces colors vividly and accurately. It looks great. When I first started using this monitor, I honestly thought it cost more than $500, and you probably will too. But to my surprise, it costs less than half of what I expected.

The question, then, isn't how much it costs — it's how little. That's right. The AW2525HM is a budget monitor and one of the cheapest screens that delivers outstanding performance, retailing for just $249 / £209. 4K and OLED panels cost a lot more money, but given that you're getting a speedy monitor that makes colors look the best they ever have, I really can't complain about being limited to a 1080p resolution.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just replaced my work monitor with this Alienware 25-inch 320Hz screen — and I’m never going back
• I've tested 100 monitors and these are the best ones for work, gaming and everyday use
• I added a portable monitor next to my main display and this inexpensive upgrade is a game changer

As someone who sits in front of a laptop for up to eight hours, five days a week, having one of the best monitors is a necessity for me. While many of the finest screens don’t come cheap, you don’t need to break the bank to get a great viewing experience — just look at the Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED. I’ve been using this monitor for gaming and work and it has blown me away.

Boasting a 320Hz refresh rate and a 0.5ms response time, the AW2525HM is a solid monitor for RPGs, FPS, and any other genre of gaming you can think of. Its color accuracy and rendition are something to behold, as is its SDR brightness. Considering that this monitor costs less than $250, it really doesn’t give you a lot to complain about.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review.

Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 25-inch 1080p monitor featuring a 320Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time
• Who is it for? For gamers who also need a reliable monitor for work
• How much does it cost? The Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED is available for $249 / £209
• What do we like? The 320Hz refresh rate, great color accuracy, minimalist design, and overall fantastic value
• What don’t we like? There are no built-in speakers and HDR is weak

Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review: Specs

Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review: The ups

From its minimalist design to its superb color accuracy and reproduction, the Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED is an excellent monitor for both gaming and work.

Minimalist design

If you want a monitor that’s primarily designed for gaming but fits right into an office space and doesn’t draw unnecessary attention, then the Alienware AW2525HM is the one for you. The AW2525HM features an all-black design with minimal branding. There’s no flashy RGB on display either. There’s an Alienware logo around the back of the monitor, and it functions as a holographic sticker that reflects light and appears rainbow-like. I love it.

Given the AW2525HM’s 25-inch screen, you don’t need to worry about fitting it on your desk, even if you’re short on space. The monitor measures 21.87 x 19.71 x 2.71 inches with the stand, so it’s slightly smaller than 27-inch screens like the Lenovo L27i-4B ($109) — my second screen at work. The AW2525HM weighs 13.38lbs with the stand, so while it’s heavy enough to stay in place, it’s still easily liftable and movable.

Adding to the AW2525HM’s minimalism and ease of use is its straightforward menu system, which can be controlled via the clickable joystick located under the Alienware logo on the front. In my testing, I found the menu system highly responsive with zero input lag, and the joystick felt nice to use, too. It was super easy and quick to adjust brightness and contrast, swap between different presets (sRGB, FPS, RPG, etc.) and other settings.

Overall, the AW2525HM is nondescript, looks great on my desk, and is intuitive to use.

Great for gaming

The Alienware AW2525HM is marketed as a gaming monitor, and that’s not surprising given its 320Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time. It excels at delivering a smooth, lag-free gaming experience. There are plenty of picture modes to choose from so that you get a tailored experience, and this includes, but is not limited to, FPS, MOBA, RPG, and Sports.

The AW2525HM features an LED panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 FHD, so there’s no 4K at play. But even without it, visuals look nothing short of stunning, especially for a monitor that doesn’t charge a premium. To test the monitor, I played a few games on a Windows 11 laptop, and regardless of the genre and title, I was mesmerized.

I kicked things off with Cyberpunk 2077, an FPS/RPG with bright neon lights and quick movements that can cause motion blur. The neon colors appeared detailed, bright and vivid on screen, and I appreciated that they didn’t appear oversaturated to the point that they felt fake.

You can see plenty of details even in dark environments, so I was able to make my way through dark areas with confidence in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It’s like I was able to see in the dark, which felt fantastic. And while a lot of the graphics performance is down to the graphics card in the laptop, I felt fully immersed in the life-like cinematic cutscenes during the game, given how detailed all the characters and surroundings appeared.

The whopping 320Hz refresh rate proved its worth in both games, as I didn’t experience any choppiness while sprinting or during fast-paced combat in Cyberpunk 2077. The AW2525HM has a 0.5ms response time, which means its pixels can change colors within 0.5ms, so I didn’t experience any ghosting during gaming either. Of course, if you want even better response times, you’ll need to spend way more on the likes of the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED ($1,199).

Lab testing analysis: Color

So, the colors look great on screen, but what about actual lab testing? As part of our standardized lab testing, I measured the Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED’s color coverage as well as accuracy — and I was left impressed, in practice and on paper. You can see the results below, compared to other similarly priced monitors.

The AW2525HM covers 148.5% of the sRGB color gamut, which means it covers the entire color spectrum and more, which helps it deliver bright, vivid colors, shades and hues. This is aligned with the bold colors I saw when using the monitor for gaming and work, so I’m very pleased. The color coverage is also better than both the Dell 24 S2421HGF ($250) and Gigabyte G27FC ($229), which are in the AW2525HM’s price bracket.

DCI-P3 is another common color space with a wider overall gamut than sRGB, meaning it delivers a more accurate rendition of lifelike color. The AW2525HM has this space more than covered, with my testing showing 105.2% coverage (meaning it can render more shades than the actual DCI-P3 gamut) — again, better than both the Dell and the Gigabyte.

The last number I tested was Delta-E, which tells us how accurate or close the color on screen is to the color output from the source, such as your computer or laptop. The closer the Delta-E score to 0, the better, and the more color-accurate the images. As you can see above, the AW2525HM blows all other rivals out of the water with a score of 0.6. Even the pricier Alienware AW2725D ($529) is less accurate.

Good for work too

Given the Alienware AW2525HM’s nondescript design, high refresh rate and response time, it’s a fantastic monitor for office work. Its incredible color accuracy and rendition make it a good monitor for editing photos and videos I’ve taken on the best cameras and the best drones.

The 10-bit color depth means that the AW2525HM is capable of showing 1.07 billion individual hues. This enabled me to see the different shades of red and orange in photos of robins I’d taken, as well as the various hues in photos of autumnal leaves and trees. There are a few work-related picture modes, and you can adjust the monitor’s gain, offset, hue and saturation to achieve the ideal settings for photo editing and other work.

This is a very bright monitor too, which is exactly what I needed to watch videos I’d taken of nightscapes on the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and the DJI Mini 5 Pro. My lab testing showed that the monitor’s brightness in SDR peaks at 365 — my coworker, Erin, asked me if my retinas were burning when I had the monitor turned up to 100% brightness!

The table above shows the AW2525HM’s brightness in comparison to other monitors, and as you can see, it’s much brighter than the rest. The AW2525HM feels like an absolute steal, and this brings me to my next point.

Excellent value for money

Given that you get a 320Hz refresh rate, 0.5ms response time, and fantastic color accuracy, you’d think the Alienware AW2525HM costs a lot of money — and you’d be wrong. It’s one of the cheapest monitors on the market, retailing for just $249 / £209, making it the ideal screen for casual gamers who also want to use the same screen for work.

Alienware’s monitor is priced similarly to the Gigabyte G27FC ($229), the Dell 24 S2421HGF ($250), the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 27-inch 280Hz ($239) and the ViewSonic XG2536 25-inch 280Hz ($299), but Alienware’s device is better than all of them as it offers a faster refresh rate. And while it’s pricier than the Lenovo L27i-4B, it’s well worth the extra spend if you want great color accuracy as well as more hertz.

Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review: The downs

There isn’t a lot wrong with the Alienware AW2525HM, but it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have the strongest HDR or built-in speakers.

Weak HDR

Strangely, the AW2525HM’s product page doesn’t mention anything about HDR. The only way I found out that it supported HDR was via system settings on my laptop. But I’m not surprised that Alienware doesn’t emphasize this information, considering that the monitor doesn’t have the best HDR.

I tested the HDR at three levels as part of our standardized testing, and the results weren’t great. The AW2525HM peaked at 200 nits on 10% of the screen, 210 nits on 40% and just 198 nits on 100%. While not the brightest, it is worth noting that some of its competitors, like the Dell 24 S2421HGF and the Gigabyte G27FC, don’t support HDR at all — something is better than nothing, I suppose?

No speakers

Annoyingly, the Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED doesn’t feature built-in speakers, so you can’t hear any audio. This is a pretty minor issue if you have external speakers that you can plug into your gaming PC or laptop, or you’re using one of the best wireless headsets. But still, it would have been nice to have some speakers built into the display as a fallback.

Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED review: Verdict

The Alienware AW2525HM 320Hz LED is a fantastic monitor, and I don’t know how I’ve gone so long without it. Its LED panel is bright and detailed, and its color accuracy and rendition blew me away in both subjective and objective testing. I love its 320Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time too, both of which contribute towards a lag- and blur-free gaming experience.

The AW2525HM doesn’t have built-in speakers or the brightest HDR, but these are small drawbacks considering the monitor’s budget price tag. If you need a monitor for gaming and work, I can’t recommend the AW2525HM enough. It’s fast, it’s bright, and it’s unbeatable value for money.

The Dell 16 Premium ($1,799 to start) is effectively the 2025 edition of the Dell XPS 16 with a new name that spells out exactly what it is: Dell's premium 16-inch laptop.

And when you see one in person it's hard not to agree with the branding, especially if it's the model with the optional 4K OLED touchscreen upgrade. I've long loved Dell's top-tier laptops for their elegant design with remarkably thin bezels that make the display seem to float in the air, and the 2025 Dell 16 Premium is no exception.

But I've also loathed some of the design changes that Dell has implemented in its Premium laptop lineup over time, including the decision to make the touchpad "invisible" and ditch physical function keys in favor of a dynamic row of capacitive touch keys. I can adapt to these peccadilloes over the course of a review, but they keep me from ever wanting to buy one myself.

However, there's still lots to love about the new Dell 16 Premium if you don't mind those details. I know because I've been using one for weeks and we extensively tested it in our testing lab, so let's dig into it!

Dell 16 Premium review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The 2025 edition of Dell's premium 16-inch Windows laptop.
• Who is it for? Anyone who wants an elegant 16-inch laptop that's broadly customizable with everything from an OLED touchscreen to a high-powered Nvidia laptop GPU.
• What does it cost? The 2025 Dell 16 Premium is available for purchase from Dell.com and participating retailers for a starting price of $1,799, but it can climb to $4,000+ if you splurge and upgrade it to the max.
• What do I like? The eye-catching design, good performance and high customizability are strengths of the Dell 16 Premium, and it's also fairly thin (though not light) for its size.
• What don't I like? I really don't like the invisible touchpad or capacitive touch row, since they're both difficult to use without looking down at your hands. The fact that it has few ports and reliably lasted less than 8 hours in our battery tests is also disappointing.

Dell 16 Premium review: Specs

Dell 16 Premium review: The ups

While I grouse about the keyboard and touchpad, there's a lot to love about the Dell 16 Premium. Here's a few of the standout strengths I've appreciated during my time with our review unit.

Beautiful design

Our Dell 16 Premium review unit looks lovely on a desk, and it feels like a premium laptop in your hands.

Part of that has to do with the weight and heft of this machined aluminum machine. While it's not as heavy as a gaming laptop it does feel hefty and solid, and I couldn't feel any flex in the keyboard deck no matter how hard I tried to twist or bend it.

And when you open up our review unit (decked out in the Platinum color scheme) the remarkably thin bezels help emphasize the 16.3-inch display, making it seem to almost float in the air. And while I wish there was a little more lip at the top of the screen to make it easier to open with one hand, the Dell 16 Premium's lid is cut at an angle that makes it fairly easy to flip open with a finger.

While I wish Dell would axe the capacitive touch row and invisible touchpad because I find them frustrating to use, I can't deny they make the laptop look futuristic and unlike any other laptop at the coffee shop. I don't think that's worth the trade-off you're forced to accept, but I want to acknowledge that as much as I hate using these features they do look kind of cool.

Good gaming performance

One of the things I've long loved about the old Dell XPS 16 laptops is the fact that you could outfit them with enough beefy components that they could double as a gaming laptop in a pinch.

The same is true of the new Dell 16 Premium, which starts under $2,000 but gets a lot more expensive if you take advantage of the fact you can upgrade it with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU and up to 64GB of RAM.

With those specs it would be a pretty decent gaming laptop, which I love because this laptop doesn't look the part at all. So if you (like me) are a little tired of gaming laptop designs with all their RGB light strips and pointy edges, the Dell 16 Premium can be the most subtle gaming laptop you've ever owned.

The review unit Dell sent us isn't the top-of-the-line model but it does have that RTX 5070 laptop GPU, and when we put it through our testing lab it performed pretty well in our gaming benchmarks.

As you can see, our Dell 16 Premium review unit was reliably able to outperform both its predecessor and the latest MacBook Pro in every one of our gaming tests. But set your expectations accordingly, because as you can see from our test results we run all those tests in 1080p so we can compare them more effectively across laptops — so if you upgrade to the 4K OLED display and try to play your games at native 4K resolution, you're not going to see framerates like these in modern games.

For example, when I was playing Cyberpunk 2077 on my own I was easily able to get a pretty steady 60+ frames per second at native 4K resolution by enabling Nvidia's DLSS tech. But in our testing, when we run the game without DLSS at 1080p and 4K, the laptop could only manage a bit over 30 FPS at 1080p and roughly 2 FPS at 4K.

So while the Dell 16 Premium can absolutely double as a good gaming laptop if you outfit it with top-of-the-line hardware, don't expect it to ever outperform the best gaming laptops on the market.

A top-of-the-line Dell 16 Premium will, however, play games better than 90% of non-gaming laptops, including nearly every MacBook ever made.

A similar story played out when we put our review unit through our gauntlet of general performance tests, but in these challenges Apple's MacBooks have the edge and the M4 Pro MacBook Pro ($3,499 as tested) we reviewed beat the Dell 16 Premium in ever test.

But that's not terribly surprising since the best MacBooks have long outperformed the best Windows laptops in terms of raw CPU performance and video editing speed, thanks in large part to the remarkable efficiencies of Apple silicon.

So while the latest MacBooks still outperform Dell's premium 16-inch Windows laptop, that's par for the course these days. What's more notable here is that the Dell 16 Premium handily outperformed its predecessor in every test except one: SSD transfer rate.

As you can see from our test results, the SSD in our Dell 16 Premium review unit transferred files significantly slower than the SSD in its predecessor. That's not a huge deal-breaker for most people, but it's something you should be aware of, especially if you expect to be moving big files or file packages (like videos and video editing projects) around on a regular basis.

Gorgeous 4K OLED display

I love the 16.3-inch (3840x2400 pixels) 120Hz OLED touchscreen on our Dell 16 Premium review unit an awful lot.

Heck, I think it might be my favorite feature of the machine because it makes everything you do on it look lovely, plus it gives you the freedom to reach up and tap when you get tired of typing. So the fact that it costs at least $200 extra to get on the Dell 16 Premium is kind of a bummer, but it's such a small splurge that I really think upgrading from the 2K IPS to the 4K OLED display is a smart idea when buying one.

I'm not deaf to the complaint that touchscreen capabilities can literally smudge the value of a good OLED, because you're risking leaving fingerprints all over your beautiful display. But good hygiene and regular screen cleaning can take care of that issue, and it's worth the effort to enjoy this upgrade.

I really love this display and OLED screens in general because in my experience you get much brighter lights, deeper darks and more striking contrasts on OLED than you do on any other kind of screen. They making watching movies and playing games with support for HDR (high dynamic range) a real treat, and even just navigating around Windows is a little nicer on a fast OLED.

However, despite the higher contrasts you get on OLED they do tend to eat up more power and be less bright than other types of panels. You can see this play out in our display testing, as the Dell 16 Premium did well but actually ended up a bit less bright than both its predecessor and the latest 16-inch MacBook Pros.

Dell 16 Premium review: The downs

Our Dell 16 Premium review unit is an attractive machine with some impressive capabilities, but after using one for a week or two I have to also warn you about some potentially frustrating downsides.

Keyboard is frustrating and uncomfortable to use

I don't love the keyboard and touchpad on the Dell 16 Premium, but that's not a huge surprise given I didn't like them on last year's model either.

If you haven't seen one of Dell's new Premium laptops in person, they have these slick keyboards with a capacitive touch row, a flat rectangular keyboard with nearly no space between the keys and an invisible touchpad somewhere beneath it.

I love the ultra-thin bezels around the display, and at a glance the keyboard deck's similarly minimalist aesthetic looks attractive. But once you start using it, you might understand why I find the Dell 16 Premium's keyboard so frustrating to use: you have to constantly look down in order to use it well.

And hey, we all end up looking at our hands when learning a new keyboard. But in my experience the lack of physical features on the Dell 16 Premium's keyboard deck makes it especially frustrating to master because it's very hard to feel where you should place your fingers without looking down.

The same goes for the capacitive function keys and invisible touchpad. The fact that the capacitive touch keys change their icons if you hit the Function key is neat, but it's a pointless feature for touch typists because ideally you'll rarely look down at the keyboard while working.

And of course, since the "invisible" touchpad has no raised edges or visible markers there's no way to figure out where the edges are without trial and error — and lots of looking down at your hands.

If it seems like I'm complaining about looking down a lot, it's because that habit makes working on a laptop even more painful and unergonomic than usual. I know because I write about laptops for a living, so I spend much of my work day working on a laptop and I use accessories like Xreal AR glasses to keep my head in a comfortable, healthy position.

The Dell XPS 16's minimalist design may look cool, but in my experience it's harder for touch typists to master and forces you to look down at your hands more often while working, which could ultimately exacerbate back and neck issues.

Not enough ports

For a 16-inch productivity laptop the Dell 16 Premium's port array feels pretty disappointing.

Far from offering you a premium port offering, Dell gives you just three USB-C ports, a microSD card reader and a headphone jack. That's enough to get work done, especially if you invest in a good USB-C hub with the ports you actually need, but it's not great.

That feels like a letdown, especially when you consider that most other laptops of this size and price give you a more versatile selection of ports. The 16" MacBook Pro, for example, gives you all the same ports but upgrades the card reader to a full-size model and also gives you an HDMI 2.1 port for hooking up an external display.

Bad battery life

While using our Dell 16 Premium review unit in my day-to-day work I had no concerns about running out of battery, but I did notice that if I used it all day that it would require a charge by late afternoon.

That anecdotal experience is backed up by the results of our battery testing, which involves running our test (endlessly streaming video via Wi-Fi with screen set to low brightness) multiple times and averaging the results. And unfortunately, our Dell 16 Premium review unit reliably failed to last even eight hours on a full charge.

That's a pretty disappointing result that reminds me of the bad old days of Windows laptops, when getting 8+ hours of use on a full battery was a rare feat.

However, a high-quality modern Windows 11 laptop tends to last 10+ hours these days thanks to more power-efficient chips and designs. As you can see from our chart of recent test results above, the majority of Windows laptops we've tested in the past year last hours longer than the Dell 16 Premium. And of course, similarly priced and -sized MacBooks can easily last 15-20 hours on a full charge.

So while you can count on the Dell 16 Premium to get you through hours of work with no trouble, you may want to lug the charger with you if you take it out for a day of working on the go. And that's kind of a hassle that drags down the light, minimalist feel of this laptop.

Dell 16 Premium review: Verdict

The thing I've long loved about Dell's premium 16-inch laptops is the fact that they're highly customizable and potentially very capable machines (if you pay for the privilege) that look great on a desk.

The 2025 Dell 16 Premium is no exception, and the review unit Dell sent us hits that sweet spot of being a performance laptop that doesn't look like it. I'm currently playing through Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PC, and I love that I can play that (admittedly years-old) game with graphical settings cranked up high and still achieve a steady 60+ FPS on the laptop's luscious 4K OLED display. I also appreciate the fact that I can do this on a laptop that doesn't look like a gaming device in public, because there's no garish RGB lighting or ridiculously edgy design.

But I don't think I'd ever actually buy one of these for myself or anyone I know, because I think the capacitive touch keys and invisible touchpad are irritating to use. I'm also disappointed to see that our review unit performed pretty poorly in our battery tests, and I hate how few ports you get on this big, premium laptop.

The holiday season has officially started. Now that we're halfway through the month, retailers are offering Black Friday previews. While my advice in the past has been to wait until November, some deals this week are just too good to pass.

For example, right now Dell has laptop on sale from $249. As part of its Black Friday preview, you can get the Editor's Choice XPS 13 for just $1,099. While there have been cheaper XPS 13 deals in the past, I love this deal because there are no compromises. You get a 13.4-inch 3K OLED display, Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Meanwhile, Dell also has its monitors on sale from $79. The sale includes price cuts on its premium displays like the Alienware 27-inch Gaming Monitor on sale for $189. I've browsed the entire Dell Black Friday preview and below I've highlighted my top deals. For more deals, check out our Dell promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell Black Friday preview
• Monitors: deals from $79
• Laptops: deals from $249
• Desktops: deals from $529
• Alienware: deals from $899
• Dell 15 Laptop: was $549 now $399
• Alienware 27" QD-OLED Monitor: was $899 now $599
• Dell 14 Plus: was $1,099 now $649
• Alienware 16 Aurora w/ RTX 4050: was $1,099 now $899
• XPS 13 OLED: was $1,499 now $1,099

Editor's Choice

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

Summer unofficially ends today. That means the next few days are an excellent time to shop for a new PC. Retailers are offering aggressive deals as students shop back to school sales alongside Labor Day sales.

As one of the biggest PC manufacturers, Dell is offering epic deals this weekend. My favorite deal of the moment is the XPS 13 laptop on sale for $899 at Dell. It's an epic price for a machine that houses an Intel Ultra 5-226V CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Not to mention a gorgeous 13.4-inch 2K display.

If you need a new monitor, check out the Alienware 27-inch QD-OLED 4K Gaming Monitor on sale for $599. That's $300 off its regular price. Below I've rounded up all of my favorite Dell Labor Day sales happening now. For more deals, check out our Dell promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop the entire Dell Labor Day sale
• Monitors: deals from $79
• Laptops: deals from $249
• Desktops: deals from $399
• Dell 27" Plus QHD Monitor: was $219 now $189
• Alienware 25" Gaming Monitor: was $349 now $249
• Alienware 27" QD-OLED 4K Monitor: was $899 now $599
• Dell 16 Plus: was $1,149 now $749
• XPS 13: was $1,249 now $899
• Alienware 16 Aurora: was $1,199 now $899
• Alienware Aurora R16: was $2,099 now $1,799

Editor's Choice

Laptops

PCs

Monitors

Shop all Labor Day sales

• Amazon: up to 40% off sitewide
• Lego: sets from $7 @ Amazon
• Adidas: deals from $9 @ Amazon
• Lululemon: styles from $9 @ Lululemon
• YETI: deals from $10 @ Amazon
• Best Buy: 50% off appliances, TVs, more
• REI: 40% off Patagonia, The North Face, more
• Skechers: deals from $11
• Arc'teryx: from $24 @ REI
• TV sale: deals from $69
• Hoka: $20 off $150 @ Hoka

These days a great gaming PC can cost you thousands of dollars, but trust me — I review PCs for a living, and you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to have a great experience.

Labor Day is nearly here and now is a great time to be hunting for deals on a new machine. My personal favorite so far is this Alienware Aurora R16 with RTX 5060 Ti for $1,449 at Best Buy, which is $350 off the usual $1,799 asking price. That's one of the best Labor Day sales right now.

The Alienware Aurora R16 has been our top pick for the best gaming PC on the market for some time thanks to its compact, stylish case and great performance. You can read all about it in our Alienware Aurora R16 review, which includes detailed lab testing results which show this discreet desktop delivers good performance for the price.

However, the model of Aurora R16 that Best Buy has on sale right now is more powerful than the one we reviewed since it comes with a mid-range Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics card onboard. While it's not the most powerful RTX 50-series card you can get, this model (with 8GB of memory) should be more than capable enough to play the best Steam games at great framerates in 1080p or 1440p.

It will look cool doing it, too thanks to its glass side panel showcasing its internals, honeycomb cooling vents and subtle RGB lighting. Personally, I really love the way the R16 is so small and unobtrusive, because it's a nice change from the massive, flashy and loud gaming PCs we usually review.

The one thing you should know is that while the Aurora R16 looks great on a desk and is pretty easy to open up and mess around with, the proprietary design of the internals can make it a little frustrating to upgrade components down the road. It's not a huge problem unless you plan to be working inside the case a lot, but you should know before you buy.

But if you want to buy one I recommend you act fast, because I doubt this sale will last past Labor Day and I don't know how long supplies will last!

Millions of Dell laptops were vulnerable to attack that would have let potential hackers steal sensitive data and monitor activities thanks to a chip flaw.

As reported by Reuters, Dell has released a fix to address a vulnerability which impacts a chip in many of its laptops that stores biometric data, passwords, security codes and more. The flaw was first discovered by researches at Cisco Talos.

Dell apparently validated this analysis in a June security advisory in which it explained that the flaw affects more than 100 models of the company's laptops.

Fortunately, no one has found indications that the flaw has been exploited in the wild, according to Cisco's researchers. Apparently, Dell issued security patches for the issue starting in March and then into April and May.

The Reuters report says the vulnerable chip was the Broadcom BCM5820X which Dell was using in its 'ControlVault' software. Reuters does note that the laptops using that software are more likely to be used in industries handling sensitive information as it's designed to offer heightened security features.

A Dell spokesperson told Reuters that it addressed the flaw "quickly and transparently."

“As always, it is important that customers promptly apply security updates that we make available and move to supported versions of our products to ensure their systems remain secure,” the spokesperson said.

How to stay safe

This vulnerability does highlight some of the downsides to keeping biometrics and other sensitive information on your laptop, even with on-device security that is more common today.

Fortunately, there are ways to stay safe in addition to installing the latest security patches. For instance, we've put together a list of 12 mistakes that you should avoid making with your computer.

Relevant to today's news, you should make sure you keep your software up to date, especially security patches. Many people don't update out of an unwillingness to interrupt tasks or fear of new bugs and flaws.

However, keeping your system updated will help make sure you don't have giant holes in your system. Many of these updates can be automated or scheduled, so make sure you don't avoid them and leave your machine vulnerable.

Likewise, it's always a good idea to make sure that your laptop and other devices are protected against malware and other threats by using one of the best antivirus software suites.

More from Tom's Guide

• Email security features are being hijacked to steal Microsoft 365 logins — what you need to know
• 5 Android settings you need to turn off right now because they’re a huge security risk
• I tested four AI-enabled home security cameras — but this is the one I'd actually buy

Dell is waving goodbye to its XPS lineup in favor of all-new flagship laptops, and it has now launched the Dell 14 and 16 Premium — and they're already up to $400 off.

Right now, Dell's big launch sale is bringing down the Dell 16 Premium with an RTX 5070 by $400, along with up to $350 off the Dell 14 Premium. Better yet, you can save on all configurations, even on the latest laptops with OLED displays.

Back-to-school laptop sales are now kicking off, and if you're looking to upgrade your laptop for school or work, Dell's latest Premium laptops, packed with powerful specs, are a great shout — especially with these discounts going around.

For even more discounts, check out our Dell promo codes.

For years, Dell has taken its spot as the best laptop for Windows users. Just check out our Dell XPS 13 review, and better yet, the 14 and 16 Premium are essentially a name change over the XPS lineup, so these laptops will impress (if you can get used to having no function row or visible touchpad).

The 14 and 16 Premium both come with InfinityEdge (bezel-less) displays and come with a thin, lightweight form factor, being just 0.7 inches thin and weighing as little as 3.6 pounds (the 16 Premium is at 4.5 pounds). If you prefer Windows over Mac, it's good to note that the 14 Premium isn't quite as thin or lightweight as the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4, but at least the 16 Premium is lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4.

But it's the displays that are the key highlight. With two options available on its model, you can either get a 2K (1920 x 1200) LCD non-touch display, which we praised on the Dell XPS 13, or upgrade to dazzling OLED panels. There's a 14.4-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2000) OLED touch display or a 16.3-inch 4K (3840 x 2400) OLED touch panel. Oh, and they all rock a 120Hz refresh rate.

For those after peak performance out of these machines, I recommend the Dell 14 Premium with an RTX 4050 or the Dell 16 Premium sporting an RTX 5070. These models boast OLED displays and a boost under the hood, including 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Moreover, you're getting the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs to back all this up.

Even the new Dell 14 Plus impressed with its upgraded performance, and that says a lot about these Premium models. So, if you're in need of a work machine to power through work or study, grab a discount on these Dell 14 and 16 Premium laptops while the launch sale still lasts!

After even more savings? Head on over to our back-to-school sales live blog for plenty of discounts on tech and beyond.

The Dell 14 Plus is the beige cardigan of laptops — not stylish, not exciting, but somehow always reliable. I mean look at it. It’s the most cookie-cutter clamshell with the personality of a corporate email signature. But after a month of using it, I’m thinking “hey, it gets the job done,” and with some gusto too!

That’s unsurprising, given this is essentially the sibling of Dell’s long-running Inspiron brand — dropped in favor of this simpler-yet-more-confusing lineage of Plus, Pro and Pro Max sounding like a line of caffeine pills. But underneath its extraordinarily bland shell, you’ve got a solid workhorse.

And its superpower? Pricing starts at $699. Yes, I know Dell’s website says this is discounted down from $1,099, but like a lot of laptop companies, Dell seems to have fun with big MSRPs to make the actual price look like a discount.

The value for money on what you get here is strong. With Copilot+ PC specs starting from this low, alongside at least an Intel Core Ultra 7 200 series CPU and a 2.5K display, that’s a compelling cost. Plus Dell hasn’t forgotten the ergonomics, as the keyboard and touchpad feel great on this.

But it’s not perfect. That plastic build can flex easily, and the screen isn’t bright enough for use outdoors. For the same price as the one I’m testing (slightly upgraded at $849), you could get the superior M4 MacBook Air. That being said, though, it’s all-round performance, port array and 13+ hour battery life makes it a workhorse.

It’s not sexy. It’s not cool. It’s just useful. And honestly, that might be all you need in a laptop for a college student or general productivity.

Dell 14 Plus: Cheat sheet

• What is it? This is an Inspiron in Plus clothing — a continuation of the budget-to-mid-range laptop lineage for Dell.
• Who is it for? The 14 Plus is a great laptop for students, as well as for general productivity on-the-go.
• What does it cost? Technically, I should say that the MSRP is $1,099, but you’ll never see this for that price. Dell’s inflated retail price to make the actual MSRP look like a deal is in full effect, and you can pick one up from $699.
• What do we like? For the price you pay, this is a real workhorse. The keyboard and touchpad are ergonomically sound to use with nice tactility, the Intel Core Ultra power under the hood is stellar for performance and power efficiency (13+ hour battery life), and all this is in a slim, lightweight chassis.
• What don’t we like? But said chassis has the personality of a filing cabinet that came to life and learned to multitask. The display may be sharp and colorful, but is average in brightness, and that plastic chassis can flex a little under pressure.

Dell 14 Plus: Specs