Truly cutting-edge displays — Dell XPS 14 screen tech explained

TL;DR

• Both the OLED and LCD screens with the Dell XPS 14 are high-quality displays, but with their own respective strengths
• The OLED is excellent for color accuracy and creative work, with pin-sharp detail levels due to its 2.8K resolution. The LCD is well-suited to casual gaming and makes for a more affordable choice, plus it helps push battery life to new heights
• Dell's unique take on VRR, or Variable Refresh Rate – where the tech can drop as low as 1Hz with the LCD screen, and 20Hz with the OLED – is an industry first, and a major benefit for buyers of the XPS 14 with both of these screens

One of the most compelling – and literally eye-catching – features of the new Dell XPS 14 is the laptop's screen. There are two types of display available with the XPS 14: OLED and LCD, both of which are cutting-edge takes on those different technologies. Each has its own relative strengths, and this article is going to examine those benefits, along with the major advances Dell has made with screen tech therein.

If you're not sure on the difference between OLED and LCD as technologies, the latter has been around longer, having the entirety of the screen lit using a backlight. OLED is markedly different because each individual pixel has its own light, meaning that when it's turned off, you get a true (deeper) black, and that provides better overall contrast levels. In short, OLED delivers punchier, more vivid colors.

It's not a case of OLED being flat-out better than LCD, though, because as noted, each display technology has its own strong points compared to the other. And both are graced with a key innovation that Dell has brought in with the XPS 14, namely a different take on VRR, or Variable Refresh Rate, which isn't just a good thing for gamers – as you'll see.

Depending on your needs, then, one screen or the other may be better suited to you. So, if you're thinking about buying Dell's new XPS 14, and you have questions about which display would be best for you, read on to find out all the answers.

If OLED gives you more vivid colors, is it the most accurate screen, and best for serious or creative work?

Yes, the XPS 14’s OLED option is the best choice for creatives who need color accuracy, not to mention pinpoint detail due to its higher resolution.

As mentioned, OLED gives you deep blacks and vibrant colors. These screens are gorgeous to look at, and Dell's OLED display boasts a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's also very accurate in terms of color representation, offering 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is crucial for photo and video editing.

If you're a keen Adobe Lightroom user, for example, you'll love not just the colors on the OLED, but also the sharpness. With a resolution of 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800), images will be pin-sharp, as will videos and anything else. VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification also means excellent levels of low-light details, so you can see more in shadowy areas of images.

If you're worried about an OLED not being bright enough, you can put those fears aside, too. The XPS 14's display hits 500 nits at peak brightness, and this OLED reaches 400 nits typically, which is plenty bright.

While the Dell XPS 14 isn't a workstation notebook – obviously – it's a great laptop for casual creatives. This portable is powerful enough to easily drive apps like Photoshop, with the OLED screen giving you a highly color-accurate and super-sharp level of image quality.

What about LCD – the advantages of OLED sound very tempting, so what exactly are this alternative's strengths?

The LCD option is more affordable, and this screen is also a bit brighter, plus it's more frugal with power usage which means a longer battery life for the XPS 14.

For everyday users who don't need a high level of color accuracy – painstakingly accurate colors are overkill for the average consumer – going for the LCD option means they can buy a Dell XPS 14 which is towards the more affordable end of the spectrum in the range. That's going to be an important consideration if the budget is a bit tighter for your next laptop.

The LCD screen is also a bit brighter, reaching 500 nits typically (versus 400 nits for the OLED). Granted, it does have a lower resolution at 2K (1,920 x 1,200) compared to 2.8K for the OLED. However, a 2K screen is still very crisp and detailed at a 14-inch size, so you won't be disappointed in the sharpness here.

Going the LCD route also gives you the maximum battery life with the Dell XPS 14. Indeed, based on Dell's testing while streaming Netflix videos (at 4K), the XPS 14 with LCD screen will last for up to 31 hours.¹ The new 2K LCD screens on the XPS 14 use up to 15% less power than Dell's previous generation of laptops, hitting new heights for power-efficiency.

Overall, with the LCD you're getting a whole lot of laptop usage on the move. Indeed, potentially topping 30 hours of longevity is all-day battery life and then some.

What about battery life with the OLED version of the XPS 14 – does that fall behind?

While the OLED screen uses more power by its very nature, it still offers a seriously impressive level of battery life with the XPS 14, so you don't have to worry about coming up short.

With the OLED model of Dell's XPS 14, battery life for streaming is rated at up to 24 hours, which is still well in excess of a full working day. So, while the LCD offers more, the OLED option still boasts plenty of longevity for keeping the laptop going when you're out and about.

Dell has actually provided an even bigger upgrade for power-efficiency with its Tandem OLED display here, which offers up to a 30% reduction in power usage than the previous generation of notebooks (twice the 15% efficiency boost seen with the LCD).

It should be noted that whichever screen you go for, overall battery life is kept strong thanks to the highly efficient Panther Lake processors which are the engine of the XPS 14, a brand-new range of mobile silicon from Intel that's on the cutting-edge.

What about the VRR tech that was mentioned as a key innovation for the XPS 14 – how does this fit in, and is it for both LCD and OLED models?

Yes, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) is available with the LCD and OLED displays, and in both cases, Dell has a unique innovation which leaves every other laptop maker playing catch-up.

First off, it's worth indulging in a quick refresher for those unsure about VRR and what it does. The refresh rate of a screen is a measurement of how often it refreshes every second, provided in Hertz (Hz). Dell's XPS 14 offers a (maximum) refresh rate of 120Hz for both OLED and LCD, meaning the screen refreshes 120 times per second. That's important because a high refresh rate like this means a smoother experience that's easier on the eyes.

Obviously, that's important for gaming, as 120Hz means the display can cope with running a game at 120 frames per second – which is incredibly smooth. (For reference, 60 frames per second is regarded as the magic number for a good-quality gaming experience). This isn't just about gaming, though, as it also affects the smoothness of, say, scrolling down a web page. Everything happening on-screen feels slick at 120Hz.

What a Variable Refresh Rate means is that the screen can change down a gear, varying the refresh rate so it's not always running at the maximum (120Hz in the case of the XPS 14). What's an industry first with Dell here is that VRR can go as low as 1Hz with the LCD screen.

Why would you want to do that? You wouldn't if you were gaming – obviously, as 1Hz, or one frame per second, would literally be a slideshow – but what if you were looking at a static document, say? In this case, the screen refreshing the image 120 times every second is pointless, and moreover a waste of power, as the document is doing nothing – it's just sitting there.

The clever bit with Dell's VRR is that in these situations, it drops to 1Hz – a new low for laptop displays – in order to make considerable power-savings. This is part of the reason why the battery life is so good on the XPS 14. (It's also due to clever new battery tech, and the super-efficient Panther Lake CPU). The XPS 14 will intelligently adjust the screen refresh rate so you get the best power-efficiency with a static image, or the most fluid experience with a full 120Hz when needed, such as with gaming.

Note that the 1Hz low is only for the LCD model, whereas the OLED can drop to 20Hz, which is still very low – and indeed the XPS 14 is the first laptop to ever have an OLED that drops to this level. All this happens dynamically, without you knowing, but you'll feel the benefit in terms of that all-day battery life, of course.

Which is the better screen for those who want to indulge in some casual gaming with the XPS 14?

The LCD is the stronger choice if you want to partake of some lighter gaming with Dell's laptop.

That said, it's worth noting that you need to manage any gaming expectations here. This isn't an Alienware notebook – which is what you want for a real gaming powerhouse of a portable – but the XPS 14 is surprisingly capable, and it can cope with mainstream gaming, not just casual efforts. So, you can happily run the likes of Fortnite or Minecraft at 60 frames per second for a smooth and fluid gaming experience. (Just don't expect demanding games to run as well as with an Alienware model).

The advantage with the LCD screen is that not only does it still provide an excellent image quality, but it has a lower native resolution than the OLED. That's a plus point here because it's still super-sharp, as already noted, but at a lower resolution it's easier for the integrated graphics to cope with gaming workloads.

On top of that, you get longer battery life with the LCD model as observed. That's important because gaming is a relatively taxing task (in general), so that extra stamina is helpful for eking out more hours of play when you're travelling and away from a power socket.

Don't get the idea that the OLED screen is somehow notably inferior for gaming, as that definitely isn't the case – it still provides a gorgeous visual experience, of course, but the LCD has some clear advantages in this area.

What if I intend to do a spot of work on the XPS 14 – how do these screens stack up then?

Both the LCD and OLED screens are well-equipped for productivity, with technology to help prevent eyestrain with longer sessions where you're tackling work-related tasks.

Both displays have Eyesafe technology, meaning that the levels of blue light emitted by the screen are reduced to help mitigate potential eyestrain – but the important part is that this is achieved without compromising the colors (which is obviously vital for the OLED and creative work). Anti-glare and reflection-handling technology is also used by Dell to help make these screens more comfortable to look at for extended viewing sessions.

An additional benefit with the OLED model is that it's a touchscreen, which could be useful and convenient for productivity apps in some scenarios.

Furthermore, away from work, it's also worth remembering that the capability to reach a refresh rate of 120Hz helps reduce eyestrain levels when viewing fast-moving content, such as when gaming or watching movies.

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