The best laptop deal of this big week of deals can’t be found on Amazon. Not on Best Buy or Walmart either. Instead, at Dell.com, you’ll find the Dell 14 Plus (6/10, WIRED Reviewed) selling for just $650. For a Windows device, that price thoroughly categorizes it as a “budget laptop,” but the specs are anything but. It has 16 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage, and a 2560 x 1600 resolution display. The average laptop of this price is worse is just about every way.
In my own testing of this laptop, I found a lot to like about it. The processor used is the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which is a flagship chip used in some of the best laptops, some of which cost up to a thousand dollars more, including within Dell’s own lineup. One of the great benefits of this chip is battery life, which I was happy to be surprised by. You’ll easily get a full day of work away from the outlet. The performance is more than enough for most people, and it even has some impressive integrated graphics. The display, is also quite good. It’s colorful, and there’s even a 90 Hz refresh rate. I didn’t love the matte display and plastic bezels, but the panel itself is surprisingly high quality. I wasn’t as impressed by this when the price was $1,099, but for $650? It’s heads and tails over the competition.
-
Photograph: Luke Larsen
-
Photograph: Luke Larsen
-
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Compare it to the Asus Vivobook 14 (6/10, WIRED Reviewed), for example, another “budget” laptop that I’ve recommended in the past. It only has a 1920 X 1200 resolution display with a 60 Hz refresh rate and really, poor color accuracy. It has a sickly green tone that’s hard to get around.
The one caveat is that when I reviewed the Dell 14 Plus, it came with 32 GB of RAM. There was no 16 GB option, which is now available. Even with that difference, though, this configuration of the Dell 14 Plus is the best Windows laptop deal I’ve seen in recent memory.
So, yes, if you’re shopping for a Windows laptop, this is clearly the one to buy. The only exception I’d give is if you’re looking for something with a larger screen. If that’s you, I’d point you to the Acer Swift 16 AI (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has a lot of the same specs as the Dell 14 Plus, but comes with a larger (and higher-resolution screen)—and importantly—has a more expansive screen. It’s $800 though, so you’ll be paying $150 more for this 16-inch laptop.
For more Prime Day deals on laptops, make sure to check out my full list of Best Prime Day Laptop Deals, as well as our comprehensive list of the Best Prime Day Deals.
