When I first Reviewed the Dell 14 Plus (6/10, Wired Review), and my main criticism was that it was beyond the price. At the time, the only available configuration had a stored Terabyte for $1,099. This hurts its appeal to me, especially since Dell sells a 512-GB option, which would be a more attractive laptop for under $1,000.
But what if the 1-TB model is significantly discounted? Well, that changed everything. Currently, the price for more than 14 times is only $700, down directly from Dell, down $400 from its retail price. Last week, on Amazon Prime Day, it briefly dropped to $850 on Amazon Prime Day before returning.
What you get for $700 is a stacked laptop with 1 TB of storage and 16 GB of RAM. It also has a 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution display that fits sharpness in 14-inch sizes. If you want to handle it with a larger screen, Dell offers the same laptop in 16-inch size for the same price and specifications.
Dell 14 Plus deal
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Photo: Luke Larsen
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Photo: Luke Larsen
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Photo: Luke Larsen
Compare this deal to my current recommendation for the best cheap laptop, Asus Vivobook 14 (Snapdragon), which costs $750. The Dell 14 plus laptop hits a $700 sale price. The battery life is almost the same, but the display is better and the touchpad is more responsive. These are two areas where laptop manufacturers tend to compromise to lower prices, and the Dell 14 Plus uses high-quality parts.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is the key to the success of your laptop. This is a very efficient CPU. It also offers the best integrated graphics I tested on my laptop. Don’t expect AAA games with the biggest setup, but for something lighter, the core Ultra 7 256V might surprise you. It performed well at a recent casual party party, with Counterattack 2,,,,, Heroes of the Storm,,,,, StarCraft, There are some other lightweight titles.
Photo: Luke Larsen
If you buy a laptop now, only other laptops will make me question buying the Dell 14 Plus. That’s the M1 MacBook Air. Last week, Walmart’s price dropped to $599, and the sale is still ongoing. $100 cheaper than Dell and offers you a proper MacBook with build quality, touchpad and speakers. Yes, it’s a pitiful RAM and storage space, but for the right person, a MacBook may still be the way to go.
You can also find high-quality window laptops outside, such as the Surface laptop, which has faster screen removal rates and a haptic feedback trackpad. But you will pay extra for it and have less storage space. At the sale price, the Dell 14 Plus is almost impossible to beat.
