A good laptop can help you quickly accomplish your work and personal tasks—and if you’re seeking a new laptop, odds are that Dell has come up in your search. To find the best Dell laptops, the Forbes Vetted tech team evaluated several models, considering processing power, storage, battery life and more. We also tapped several IT experts for additional insights. We chose the Dell 14 as the overall best Dell laptop thanks to its powerful processor, plentiful storage and its abundance of ports that accommodate external hardware.
After hours of research and speaking with IT experts, we found the best Dell laptops for working, gaming and streaming.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailer
If you’re a gamer, look to the decidedly larger and eminently capable Alienware 16 Area-51, which features components that can run the latest AAA games. And for the Dell laptop enthusiast watching their budget, the Dell 16 is a competent computer with a large screen that offers excellent value. Here are the best Dell laptops you can work, game and stream on right now.
Its fast processing power, which can handle most tasks
Plenty of ports that accommodate external hardware
Skip If:
You want better screen resolution
You want better battery life
The Dell 14 has a 10-core Intel Core 7-150U processor and comes with 16GB RAM, so it can handle multiple power-hungry work applications with ease. The laptop also offers 1TB of SSD storage—plenty to store scores of documents and photos as well as some larger files, like video clips or other media.
The Dell 14 uses an Intel Graphics card that is integrated with the processor rather than being a dedicated separate graphics card; this arrangement isn’t powerful enough for the heaviest of video editors or for gamers, but if you’re doing very light work in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, it suffices. The laptop also comes with plenty of ports if you need to connect peripherals, including one USB-C, one HDMI, two USB-A, one headphone jack and a power port. It’s also worth noting that while the 14-inch display isn’t a touchscreen, it offers FHD+ resolution and gets up to 300 nits brightness. It’s not the brightest screen, unless you’re heading outdoors with this device, you won’t notice. The battery life could also be a bit longer, but it should last through your workday.
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A good combination of 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage
The touch screen, which is useful for light tasks
Skip If:
You want more storage space
You want a lighter and more portable computer
The Dell 16 is a larger laptop, at 4.4 pounds, but it features 16-inch screen that is useful for multitasking. There’s plenty of processing power tucked into this laptop: Its Intel Core 5-120U CPU is useful for most home and standard work tasks, and it’s paired with 16GB RAM and plenty of SSD storage. “A fast SSD storage with 16GB RAM will make for smoother everyday use than a marginally quicker processor,” says Steven Athwal, CEO and founder of The Big Phone Store, adding: “You don’t need a workstation if your work is primarily in a browser, like email, docs, video and so on.” Which is not to say the Dell 16 can’t handle running programs itself; aside from the most demanding projects, like 3D rendering or gaming, this computer is up to most everyday tasks. You can also choose between 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage.
The Dell 16’s display reaches up to 300 nits of brightness, which is fine for most indoor conditions, and its touchscreen is responsive and precise. The battery life of this laptop is lacking; while others we recommend can last nearly 24 hours away from a power socket, this one can only get about nine hours on a single charge. Still, nine hours is plenty of time for most students or for a standard workday, so don’t let the battery life sway away from this model. You can also connect plenty of external hardware, as it has one HDMI port, two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an audio jack and a power port.
Best Premium Dell Laptop
Includes An Nvidia Graphics Card For Digital Artists
Its advanced processing power thanks to its CPU and RAM
The screen, which is visible even in bright light
Its high-quality speakers
Skip If:
You need a lightweight model
An HDMI port is critical to your workflow
There are several configurations you can opt for when customizing a Dell 16 Premium laptop, but don’t think you need to choose the most powerful model. “Dell often offers multiple configurations, and the biggest priorities are the processor, memory, storage and the display,” says Mark Vena, CEO and principal analyst with SmartTech Research. The configuration we chose uses the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, which can easily handle advanced tasks like video editing, 3D modeling and rendering and more. While the configuration we chose features 1TB of storage, you can opt for 512GB, 2TB or 4TB of storage. The biggest draw to this laptop is its use of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, which can help you run intense graphics applications.
Our testing team found that this laptop’s 16.3-inch touchscreen is more than large enough to have two windows or apps open side-by-side, making it ideal for multitasking. The screen reaches up to 500 nits of brightness, so you can use it in bright rooms or outdoors. The Dell 16 Premium is large and heavy; if you plan to carry a laptop around with you every day, you may want to look elsewhere. It has three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports as well as a 3.5mm audio jack and a Micro SD card reader, but no HDMI port.
Its ultra-fast processor that can handle demanding, fast-moving programs
Its immersive, bright display
Impressive speakers
Skip If:
You want more than three hours of battery life
You want a lightweight, portable device
Our tech team panel tested and found the Alienware 16 Area-51 to be the best Dell gaming laptop. The configuration we chose offers 64GB RAM, one of the strongest Intel Core processors on the market and a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, so you can enjoy playing any AAA title. “It offers a massive display that is beautiful for watching videos and gaming,” said one tester, who also felt the laptop’s display showcased dark sequences in the game Borderlands 3 nicely. Our testers were also impressed by the speakers. “I think this was probably the strongest audio quality of all the laptops I tested,” shared one tester.
The primary issue with the Alienware 16 Area-51 is that this laptop is bulky and heavy. It’s nearly twice the thickness of most other Dell laptops we tested, and it weighs 7.5 pounds. Also, almost all ports are located on its back, which can be annoying for swapping in and out external hardware. Still, as this gaming laptop is really intended to replace a desktop computer, the size and port placement aren’t critical flaws. If you’re using it as a desktop replacement, you also won’t noticed its very short battery life of only two or three hours, as you’re unlikely to use this laptop away from a desk and a charger.
You want better color and contrast when screen is dimmed
If you can’t choose between a tablet and laptop for your next computing device, consider the Dell 14 Plus 2-In-1, a device that doubles as both. With a solid AMD processor and 16GB RAM, this versatile laptop can handle most applications and everyday work tasks. You also get 1TB SSD storage, which is plenty for taking your files with you. There’s also a great selection of ports, including two USB-C, one HDMI, an audio jack and one USB-A.
The 14-inch screen is highly responsive to a finger or the Dell Pro Plus Active Pen stylus, so in tablet orientation, the Dell 14 Plus 2-In-1 is well-suited to drawing or drafting. In laptop mode, the keys and touchpad could be more responsive and have a better tactile feel. If you’re in the market for a laptop rather than a 2-in-1, we recommend sticking with a traditional laptop build, though this is a great choice for someone who also likes to work on a tablet. When the display dims, some users noted that the colors and contrast look a bit muted, too.
How We Chose The Best Dell Laptops
To find the best Dell laptops, we reviewed the company’s latest laptop launches and considered its most popular laptop models. We compared key features and cross-checked components like the processor, graphics card, RAM and more to determine what made the shortlist. We also leaned on expert insights from IT professionals.
We dove into the details for the processor, RAM, graphics, storage, display and more to narrow down what features provide the best experiences.
We relied on the expert advice of Turner, Vena, Prockiw and Athwal to help guide our choices.
Additionally, we interviewed a representative from Dell to understand which laptops were designed for which type of user, and took into account the features that can help make or break these experiences.
All of the laptops on this list have outstanding customer reviews, with an average rating of no fewer than 4 out of 5 stars.
We also considered different customer needs, from gamers to students to casual browsers and more. All of the laptops on this list encompass a variety of users, so there’s something on this list for everyone.
What To Consider When Choosing The Best Dell Laptop
A Dell laptop should showcase plenty of processing power so you can accomplish all of your work tasks, but it’s not just about processing power. There’s plenty more to consider before deciding on your next Dell laptop. Here’s what to know.
Performance
A laptop’s performance refers to how well its processor, or CPU, tackles different tasks. Essentially, it’s considered the laptop’s brain, and the stronger it is, the faster it can work with heavy applications. Dell offers two different brands of processors, Intel and AMD. “Intel and AMD are neck-and-neck these days, and you’d have to be doing some pretty intensive computing to start fretting over the nuances between each,” says Turner.
For Intel, look for the Intel 14th generation or the Core Ultra. AMD Ryzens typically come in three different levels, also known as series. Series 5 is good for casual tasks and general internet browsing. Series 7 offers more balance for power-hungry tasks while keeping this power affordable. Series 9 is the company’s top-of-the-line processor that’s built for heavy applications and AAA gaming. Most shoppers, depending on their needs, should opt for an AMD Ryzen Series 7 or higher, especially for multitasking or playing video games on your Dell laptop.
Display
Odds are you’re staring at your screen for multiple hours per day, and a bright display can make a big difference, whether you’re reviewing images or just watching content. Most of the Dell displays that made our list are FHD displays that are an IPS display, which is a type of LCD. LCDs are recommended for having bright backlighting, so they’re ideal for working at any time of day.
That said, there are a few on our list that are OLEDs, which is a panel that’s composed of self-lit pixels. These displays are excellent for reproducing high-contrast images with vivid colors, and it’s why a lot of video editors and photographers prefer this type of panel.
Battery Life
With a longer battery life, you don’t have to worry about always being near an outlet. The minimum amount of time a laptop’s battery should last is eight hours (though gaming laptops can last as few as four), but some laptops can last significantly longer.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted team works entirely from home, and we rely on our laptops to stay connected to our coworkers and complete day-to-day tasks, like maintaining our hundreds of tech and electronic guides. By leveraging our personal experiences with laptops and in-depth product research, we’ve published several guides on home office essentials, including the best home printers and Wi-Fi extenders in addition to this roundup.
Author of this guide and Forbes Vetted consumer tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs has spent the past six years testing and reviewing the latest in consumer technology. Isaacs has personally tested many Dell laptops and can speak to benchmarking, build quality and more. She has also tested products for related guides, like the best gaming TVs, Android phones and writing tablets.
We also consulted unbiased computer experts to learn more about Dell devices and their offerings. In particular, we spoke with Jake Turner, cofounder and CFO of IT consulting company Cosmistack, Inc. John also spoke with Steven Athwal, CEO and Founder of The Big Phone Store, Mark Vena, CEO and principal analyst at SmartTech Research and Cameron Prockiw, founder and CEO of Nerder.
We know that new Dell laptops are released periodically, and that older models are superseded or go out of stock, so we regularly revisit this article to make sure it’s updated. This version was published in January, 2026 to update our testing methodology and include new picks like the Dell 14 as our best Dell laptop overall.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Based on our research and testing, right now the best Dell laptop for most users is the Dell 14. It has a powerful Intel Core 7-150U processor, offers either 16GB or 32GB RAM and has 1TB SSD regardless of the RAM you choose.
Both computer manufacturers make fine hardware, but based on our research, Dell tends to edge HP out when it comes to durability and longevity. Many premium Dell models use durable materials, like aluminum, and solid chassis designs that withstand wear and tear, and as noted earlier, Dell customer service does an admirable job of repairs when damage does occur. “Dell is known for strong build quality,” says Vena. “When Dell is at its best, it is not about one killer feature, it is about delivering a balanced laptop that stays reliable over years of use.”
In our extensive hands-on laptop testing, our team found that Apple, and in particular the MacBook Air, was the best overall laptop for most users. That said, if you are more comfortable with a Windows laptop, Dell makes many options that should very much be at the top of your list. Dell is celebrated not only for the quality and reliability of its hardware, but also for solid customer service.
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