A laptop that's not just for the holidays: why you should give the gift of a Dell 14 Plus

TL;DR

• The Dell 14 Plus is a versatile laptop and an all-rounder capable of tackling all manner of tasks in everyday computing and beyond, with a powerful CPU plus integrated graphics, and an NPU accelerating AI workloads
• This laptop can handle creative needs, is a great device to watch movies on, and even does gaming in a pinch, with a great quality screen and speakers
• The Dell 14 Plus is also a durable laptop built to last many years, and a highly portable device you can take anywhere, with excellent battery life to keep going when you're out and about

If you're thinking of buying a new laptop for a loved one this holiday season, you might be struggling to decide which model to purchase – there's a practically unending array of notebooks on the market, after all.

And if you feel intimidated by the amount of choice out there, things only get worse when matters are complicated by trying to work out what's a suitable model for your loved one's own particular needs. Are they a creative type, do they binge-watch movies, or do some work on their notebook, or even dabble with some gaming?

In truth, though, juggling all these factors comes down to two key aspects: choosing a laptop brand which is reliable and trustworthy, and picking a versatile notebook that can handle anything that's thrown at it. Especially given that often, the family member (or friend perhaps) you're buying the laptop for may have quite diverse needs and will perhaps use their device for all the purposes mentioned above.

This article will explore how the Dell 14 Plus laptop fulfils this billing in terms of not just being from a trusted, long-standing brand – and built for reliability so it lasts for many years – but also how it's a paragon of flexibility, coping with all kinds of tasks (including a spot of casual gaming).

If you've got questions about why this is the case, and what makes the Dell 14 Plus special, here are all the answers as to why this is the ideal laptop to give as a gift this Christmas.

Does the Dell 14 Plus laptop have a high-quality screen?

Yes, the Dell 14 Plus display is excellent. It's a 14-inch screen with a 2.5K resolution which offers a very sharp level of detail. It's also nicely bright (at 300 nits), and the IPS display ensures colors are rendered accurately and vividly. This means that creative types get to see their photos, videos, or other content in all its glory.

On top of that, ComfortView Plus tech means the screen emits only low levels of blue light (without impacting color accuracy), and an anti-glare coating also helps the screen to be easy on the eyes when using the Dell 14 Plus for longer sessions. This makes the laptop perfect for not just creatives, but those who watch long movies – or maybe back-to-back TV shows – on their notebook, or anyone who uses the device for a lengthy period of time.

Is the sound good with a Dell 14 Plus laptop?

Yes, this Dell notebook delivers great audio to match the screen's image quality. The Dell 14 Plus has a pair of 2.5W stereo speakers (5W total) with Waves Maxx Audio Pro software to enhance the audio output. There's also Dolby Atmos spatial audio for a more immersive '3D' listening experience (where content supports this form of playback).

Again, this makes the Dell notebook great for movies and YouTube videos, or listening to a playlist via a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music. Even Windows 11's little sound effects have a bit of punch and detail to them thanks to the speakers in the Dell 14 Plus laptop.

Does the Dell 14 Plus laptop have a fast enough processor to run multiple apps at the same time?

The Dell 14 Plus sports a choice of Intel Core Ultra 200 series CPUs, all of which pack quite some power under the hood and can easily deal with multi-tasking needs.

When it comes to everyday computing, these Intel Lunar Lake chips will cut through multi-tasking workloads like a red-hot knife through butter – whether that's running a whole bunch of browser tabs, or a suite of various productivity apps.

Multi-tasking simply won't be a problem, and the performance picture is even rosier when it comes to AI workloads. That's because the Core Ultra 200 chips come with a powerful NPU (Neural Processing Unit) designed to speed up AI tasks, meaning that, say, if a creative person wants to use an AI-powered image editing ability, that functionality will fly on the Dell 14 Plus.

Indeed, this Dell laptop is a Copilot+ PC, and so it can be used to create images from scratch in a flash, thanks to the NPU, even if the laptop owner doesn't have much in the way of talent for digital art. Even searching the laptop for files or relevant content is quicker when using AI features with a Core Ultra 200 CPU.

In short, everything's snappy with Lunar Lake and these Intel chips really do show how far mobile processors have come these days. A minimum allocation of 16GB of system RAM also helps ensure that multiple tasks run swiftly on a Dell 14 Plus laptop.

Can the Dell 14 Plus laptop be used to play PC games at all?

Yes, this laptop is capable of gaming – but there's a caveat here, and that's to temper any expectations in terms of more demanding games.

Nevertheless, the Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors which are the engine of the Dell 14 Plus have surprisingly strong integrated graphics alongside the mentioned beefy NPU. The on-board Intel Arc graphics mean this Dell laptop can do more than mere casual gaming, and allows for contemporary games – even the current top-selling titles on Steam – to be played at an acceptable level of smoothness with low graphics details.

Granted, those who want to crank up the visual details, or play the most demanding games, will need a dedicated gaming laptop (like an Alienware notebook). But while you need an Alienware to engage in real gaming, it's honestly surprising just how much of a decent job the Dell 14 Plus can do when it comes to gaming.

Does the Dell 14 Plus laptop have good battery life when out and about?

Battery life is one of the major strong suits of the Dell 14 Plus and this notebook can last a long time away from a power socket. This is partly because Intel's Lunar Lake processors didn't just make big leaps in performance, but also huge leaps in efficiency, meaning better battery longevity.

To put a hard figure on this, going by Dell's testing, the Dell 14 Plus with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU lasted for up to 22 hours¹ when playing a video on local video playback. So, that's almost three-working-days of video playback stamina, and whatever's running on this notebook – whether that's a bunch of apps for work, college, or even playing games – the Dell 14 Plus has battery life in spades.

Is the Dell 14 Plus laptop easy to carry around in, say, a backpack?

A Dell 14 Plus notebook is highly portable, slim and lightweight. This laptop weighs just 1.55kg (for the base model, though others won't be much more), and comes in at a whisker under 17mm thick – at its thickest point, 14mm at the thinnest – so it's very svelte. Measuring 314 x 226mm, it'll easily fit in a backpack or bag without making it appreciably heavier.

The whole point of a laptop, of course, is to be portable so it can be taken anywhere (within reason), and Dell is well aware of the importance of sleek hardware (stylish looks are part of the equation here, too – and that never hurts).

Is the Dell 14 Plus a well-built laptop – will it last for a long time?

Whoever you buy the Dell 14 Plus for as a holiday gift – and as the above points illustrate, it's a good fit for all kinds of people – you can rest assured that it'll be with them for a long time into the future.

That's because Dell designs its laptops to last for up to five years (and they'll likely be going for a good while longer than that). The notebook maker also tests its hardware to ensure that it's highly durable and robust. The Dell 14 Plus is put through stress tests that include exposure to extreme heat, and even opening and closing the lid of the laptop 20,000 times to check the hinges don't loosen over time.

Given its sturdy aluminum chassis and quality build, the Dell 14 Plus with Windows 11 Home starts from surprisingly affordable prices as you'll see if you head to Dell's online store.

If you think a Dell 14 Plus laptop is for you, find out more on the Dell website: US readers click here, AU readers here and UK readers here.

And there’s one more thing to know before you buy: Dell offers a price match guarantee. To learn more about the Dell price match and price guarantee, including the terms, exclusions and restrictions, US readers can click here, AU readers here and UK readers here.