There’s a reason why the best Dell laptops are among the most popular portables on the market. Affordable and built to last, they effortlessly balance price and performance while throwing stunning designs into the mix. That makes them among the best value laptops on the market, even if some of them aren’t exactly the cheapest.
In recent years, Dell has made a name for itself for building portables that are robust and budget-friendly yet also attractive and powerful. The best Dell laptops have certainly given Apple a cause to pause, combining power and durability with elegant designs and nifty feature sets. And, both the budget-minded and prosumers can take one home without blowing their budget or compromising on performance.
We gathered the best Dell laptops for 2020. Whether you just want a lightweight Chromebook, a gaming laptop with staggering power or a stunning yet capable Ultrabook, there’s a Dell laptop that’ll meet your needs. And, with our price comparison tool, you’ll also snag the best deal available right now.
Best Dell laptops at a glance
- Dell XPS 15 (2020)
- Alienware M15 R3 (2020)
- Dell XPS 13 (2020)
- Dell Latitude 7490
- Dell G5 15 5590
- Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
- Alienware m17 (2019)
- Alienware Area-51m
- Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1
- Dell G3 15
The Dell XPS 15 might be a bit pricey for regular students, but it’s easily one of the best laptops for students in the creative field. Combining staggering power in a stylish thin and light chassis, this laptop doesn’t hold back when it comes to internals and features that improve your computing experience overall, making this the best Dell laptop of 2020. Among those amazing features are a gorgeous bright display with 500 nits of brightness, an extremely comfortable keyboard, impressive speakers, and a terrific trackpad. We’re not saying that this laptop is perfect, but our coveted 5 out of 5 rating should speak for itself.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 15
Dell’s Alienware gaming laptop line has established itself as among the very best on the market. But for 2020, one of the best Dell laptops is back and better than ever, rocking the best internals for gaming that money can buy. Of course, that means that its configurations cost a pretty penny, but if you have the money to spare, it’s certainly worth the splurge because of its sublime gaming performance. That’s without factoring in its quirky yet attractive design, excellent build quality and display with fast refresh rates. We’ve been fans of the line since its design overall a couple of years ago, and that hasn’t changed.
Read the full review: Alienware M15 R3 (2020)
The competition in the Ultrabook market is getting tougher every year, and early players have been finding it difficult to keep up. Not the Dell XPS 13, however. Not only has this laptop kept a lofty spot in every best Dell laptops list, but it’s also still among the best laptops on the market years after its first release. This extremely luxurious device comes with an all-day battery life, solid performance and a design that you’ll fall in love with at first sight. Due to its thin chassis that’s only about half an inch, it does compromise on a couple of things, most notably its audio and its price tag, which is pretty high for some people. However, the Dell XPS 13 is worth every penny.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 (2020)
Despite the derivative design, the Dell Latitude 7490 has many of the makings of a great computer and one of the best Dell laptops 2020 has on offer. It’s all thanks to its excellent performance, a long battery life, and more than decent memory and storage options. It isn’t the cheapest, but it’s definitely worth the price.
Read the full review: Dell Latitude 7490
A gaming laptop that delivers a solid performance without costing you a pretty penny is key when you’re a gamer looking to upgrade on a somewhat limited budget. Dell’s 15-inch G5 may not have the highest end specs, but it will see you through 1080p gaming and last you up to 10 hours of battery life as well. All while boasting a robust, appealing, arguably thin chassis and a port selection that’s up to par.
Read the full review: Dell 5 15 5590
Though Dell has its premium lines, it’s also been very good at building excellent budget machines. The Dell G5 15 SE (2020) is a very good example of that, touting impressive AMD specs, especially in the CPU department, to keep cost down without compromising performance. Here’s an affordable gaming laptop that delivers a staggering performance for the price, with a stunning display to boot. Of course, being a budget laptop, some sacrifices have been made – namely, its build and heat management. However, for the budget-minded, this is certainly among the best Dell laptops out there for gaming.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15 SE (2020)
If aesthetic is as important to you as power, then look no further than the Alienware m17 (2019). Touting Alienware’s new unique design that kind of makes you think you’re in a really cool sci-fi movie, this stunning 17-inch laptop has a few things going for it. It has a lot of power under the hood, enough to make it future-proof, for one. Plus, it’s thin and light for a gaming laptop, and among the lightest 17-inch laptops in the world. To be fair, it’s not perfect – its battery life is particularly poor, and it’s only got a 1080p display. However, if you’re looking for a gaming laptop that is as good in performance as it looks, the Alienware m17 (2019) is a winner.
Read the full review: Alienware m17 (2019)
Hands down, the Alienware Area-51m is a stunner of a gaming laptop, with a beautiful yet unique chassis and a comfortable keyboard to complement it. But it goes beyond looks; it’s also by far the most powerful gaming laptop on the market right now (and obviously, one of the best Dell laptops). Not that it’s perfect, as it does get really hot and its fans can get very loud. However, it’s a performance beast fitted with high-end processors and high-end graphics cards, and your gaming experience with it will be an absolute pressure.
Read the full review: Alienware Area-51m
The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 is a versatile 2-in-1 with a lot going for it under the hood. This premium laptop is more than just about its premium design; it also has high-end internals to compete with the likes of the more powerful Dell XPS 13. Rounding that out is a 4K display, and a clever stylus slot that makes us wonder whether they actually beat Microsoft to the idea. Granted, the display is a bit of a battery drain, and the speakers impressive, but this is still among the best Dell laptops out there.
Read the full review: Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1
When it comes to gaming, more often than not, you have to invest in premium parts to get that gaming edge you want. That’s especially true if you’re going for smooth 1440p or 4K gaming. In other words, while there’s a number of budget gaming laptops out there, very few really get you to where you want to go. Among those few is the Dell G3 15 gaming laptop, Dell’s affordable answer for gamers who want solid performance without splurging. It's all thanks to those latest yet economically-priced internals it's fitted with. It's probably not going to get you competitive level, but if you want a cheaper laptop to game on for the sake of gaming, this will go a long way.
Read the full review: Dell G3 15
- Check out our list of the best laptops