Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 evaluation: A budget-friendly touchscreen convertible

When you haven’t heard, Dell dropped a bombshell earlier this yr. It introduced the corporate has accomplished away with its well-known Inspiron, XPS, and Precision manufacturers and as an alternative opted for a wholly new hierarchy.

On the backside of this hierarchy, you’ll discover laptops just like the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. Final yr, this may’ve been known as a Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, and regardless of the change in identify, it nonetheless fills its function of offering an reasonably priced entry level into computing.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Specs

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that PC World acquired for testing is an entry-level AMD configuration with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor at its coronary heart. Dell presents many various Ryzen AI processors, in addition to Intel fashions, however that is among the many least highly effective configurations out there.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 (6 cores, as much as 4.8GHz)
• Reminiscence: 16GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 840M
• NPU: AMD 50 TOPs
• Show: 14-inch 1920×1200 60Hz WVA 300-nits touchscreen
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe strong state drive
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps digital camera
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with Energy Supply and DisplayPort, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 64 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.36 inch x 8.9 in x 0.65 in
• Weight: 3.51 kilos
• Working System: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Worth: $849.99 MSRP / $599.99 at time of testing (Greatest Purchase)

That’s mirrored within the worth. Though it technically carries an MSRP of $849.99 on Dell.com, which feels a bit steep, it presently sells on Greatest Purchase for $599.99, which is among the many lowest costs you possibly can anticipate from a Home windows laptop computer that has the newest technology of AMD or Intel processor inside. Whereas it is a sale worth, the laptop computer was listed only a couple weeks in the past—so I’d anticipate this “sale” to happen steadily.

Regardless of its low sale worth, the laptop computer doesn’t lower corners too intently. It nonetheless offers 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive.

You’ll be able to anticipate to pay increased costs in the event you do determine to go along with a Plus 14 2-in-1 from Dell’s web site. Nonetheless, a number of the fashions out there on Dell.com supply a 1TB solid-state drive, and there’s additionally an possibility for a 2560×1600 decision show on the Intel variant, which is an improve over the entry-level mannequin’s 1920×1200 show.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Design and construct high quality

Finances Home windows 2-in-1s aren’t precisely identified for his or her riveting or dramatic design, and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is not any exception. It’s a easy, slim 14-inch machine that measures no better than 0.65 inches thick, out there in a silver or navy-blue colorway, neither of which is outstanding.

With that mentioned, it’s a well-executed laptop computer in relation to construct high quality. Opening the laptop computer lid reveals a little bit of show flex, however not sufficient to lift any considerations. It’s an analogous story with the decrease chassis, which does barely creak if dealt with roughly however doesn’t visibly flex except actually abused.

I additionally just like the supplies used. I felt the plastics on the decrease chassis had a pleasant texture to them and didn’t attempt to faux a metallic end. The rear of the show panel, in the meantime, appears to be fabricated from aluminum and presents a premium really feel.

After all, because the identify signifies, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is a 2-in-1 system with a touchscreen, and the hinge permits the show to be rotated again 360 levels to be used like a pill. It’s too massive and heavy to be comfortably used as a pill for any size of time, however the possibility is beneficial if you wish to take notes or draw. Dell doesn’t embrace an Energetic Pen with the 2-in-1, however one is offered for about $40. Homeowners also can rotate the show partway again to make use of the keyboard like a kickstand, which will be helpful if you wish to use the laptop computer to look at Netflix or YouTube.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s keyboard ranks amongst its finest traits. The keys have good journey and a definitive tactile really feel with a refined, clicky bottoming motion. I discovered the keyboard snug to make use of for lengthy typing classes. The consolation is aided by quantity of palm relaxation house beneath the underside of the keyboard. Keyboard backlighting is normal, and it does what it says on the tin.

The touchpad is much less outstanding, but in addition competent. It measures about 4.5 inches huge and about 3 inches deep. The touchpad felt responsive in my testing and dealt with multi-touch gestures nicely. Nonetheless, some rivals—most notably, Asus—supply price range fashions with bigger touchpads.

After all, since it is a 2-in-1 with a touchscreen, it’s attainable to make use of the touchscreen as an alternative of the touchpad. I personally desire having the choice to the touch the display screen over not having that possibility, if it doesn’t add an excessive amount of to the worth, and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is definitely reasonably priced.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Show, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Most Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 configurations have a WVA-LCD touchscreen show with a decision of 1920×1200 and a refresh price of 60 Hz. A 2560×1600 improve is offered on some fashions from Dell.com, however PC World didn’t obtain that show to check.

Show high quality is satisfactory. On the plus facet, the 14-inch show’s 1920×1200 decision is sort of sharp. Nonetheless, the show is simply rated for 300 nits of brightness, and on prime of that it has a shiny coating that exhibits fairly a little bit of glare. That could be a recipe for issues in the event you intend to make use of the laptop computer in a shiny room or outside.

Colour efficiency can be mediocre. The show seems moderately saturated and vibrant by itself, but when in comparison with an OLED show (which will be discovered on some price-competitive laptops, just like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x and Asus Zenbook 14) the distinction is evening and day in OLED’s favor. The identical is true for distinction, since OLED shows have an successfully infinite distinction ratio that ends in a deeper, extra immersive picture.

To place it merely, the show is just not among the many Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s robust factors, and it’s the one characteristic that cuts strongly towards a advice. If you would like a price range laptop computer with a terrific show, this isn’t it.

Audio high quality is best, although nonetheless blended. The audio system ship good quantity and readability, particularly with dialogue, which is greater than will be mentioned for a lot of price range laptops. Throw a little bit of bass at them, nonetheless, and distortion may result. Even the laptop computer chassis itself can vibrate, creating an annoying rattle. The audio system are good for podcasts and video calls, however not for video games or music.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 comes with a 1080p webcam and a twin array microphone, each of that are widespread specs for contemporary Home windows laptops. The webcam is sharp, and the microphone picks up good audio high quality with nice noise rejection, particularly if AI noise rejection options are enabled. The digital camera features a bodily privateness shutter, which is all the time good to see.

The one barely uncommon specification for the worth level is the inclusion of a fingerprint reader on the facility button within the higher left nook of the keyboard. It really works nicely in most conditions, though a little bit of grime or moisture in your finger can idiot it. So, don’t attempt to log in after taking a swig of Mountain Dew.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

Dell has a fame for leaning on fashionable connectivity, and the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is not any exception.

It offers two USB-C ports, each of which provide energy supply and DisplayPort video connectivity, and each of which can be utilized to energy the laptop computer with the included USB-C energy adapter. They’re joined by one USB-A port, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Though I might nitpick concerning the lack of a second USB-A port, which suggests you’ll want an adapter in the event you occur to wish to join a wired keyboard and mouse, this kind of connectivity is typical for a contemporary Home windows laptop computer.

On the subject of wi-fi connectivity, the laptop computer helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, that are the most recent variations of the respective wi-fi requirements. Though that is widespread for contemporary Home windows laptops, at this worth level you may find yourself taking a look at some older fashions from the 2024 or 2023 mannequin years, and it’s probably they might not have Wi-Fi 7 or Bluetooth 5.4. Hold that in thoughts if wi-fi efficiency issues to you.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Efficiency

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 that PC World acquired for testing was an entry-level mannequin with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor. This APU has a 6-core CPU and AMD Radeon 840M graphics. As you may anticipate, the entry-level CPU and built-in GPU end in modest general efficiency.

IDG / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark, didn’t put the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 off to the perfect begin. Whereas the rating of 5,579 isn’t unhealthy for a price range laptop computer, it’s additionally a great distance from what programs geared up with Ryzen AI 7/9 or Intel Core Extremely Collection 2 processors have a tendency to realize. The AMD Radeon 840M, which is comparatively much less succesful than many IGPs at the moment, doesn’t assist issues.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake, a closely multi-threaded long-duration benchmark, is a little more favorable. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 churned by way of a transcode of a two-hour-long film in 1,498 seconds utilizing purely the CPU cores (i.e. with out particular encoding options enabled). That’s not a nasty consequence for the worth, and it locations the Ryzen AI 5 340 in an analogous league to the Intel Core Extremely 5 226V.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Ryzen AI 5 340 delivers a decent however hardly earth-shattering multi-core rating of seven,993 in Cinebench R23. Though a great distance from the highest, that is once more an honest consequence.

The primary challenge right here, I feel, is the shortage of cores. Six isn’t so much in 2025, and Cinebench R23 does are inclined to make good use of obtainable cores, no matter they could be. The Ryzen AI 5 340’s Cinebench R23 single-core rating was 1,828, which is mainly the identical as the opposite processors listed within the graph above (they rating between 1,700 to 1,900). This means the cores which are out there are speedy.

IDG / Matthew Smith

As talked about earlier, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 has AMD Radeon 840M graphics, which is way much less succesful than the extra extensively identified and well-regarded AMD Radeon 880M and AMD Radeon 890M. Particularly, the Radeon 840M has simply 4 graphics cores, a giant lower from the 880M (12) and 890M (16).

3DMark Time Spy exhibits the consequence with a rating of simply 1,427. That’s a lot decrease than an AMD Radeon 880M or 890M, in addition to Intel’s Arc 140V and even 130V graphics. These options have a tendency to attain 3,000 to 4,000, because the graphs present. To be truthful, you do typically must pay a bit extra for them—and laptops with the Intel Core Extremely 7 256V can be found for only a couple hundred {dollars} extra.

That’s to not say the Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is hopeless in relation to graphics and gaming. The two-in-1 might comfortably play Grim Daybreak, an action-RPG launched in 2016, at 1080p and medium element. If you wish to play Diablo 4, although, you’re out of luck. It might technically launch and play, however in my expertise no quantity of twiddling with the settings made it an gratifying expertise.

The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1’s general efficiency is about what you need to anticipate for the worth. It’s price point out, nonetheless, that Dell offers 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. It’s not unusual for price-competitive 2-in-1s to solely present 8GB of RAM or 256GB of storage, each of that are a major downgrade. These upgrades don’t essentially enhance benchmark efficiency, however do make the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 extra usable day-to-day and over time.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Battery life and portability

A 64-watt-hour battery powers the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1. That’s a median measurement for a laptop computer on this class, and whereas the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 is miserly when it’s not beneath heavy load, it does battle to compete with the most recent Intel and Qualcomm {hardware}.

IDG / Matthew Smith

I measured a tad over 15 hours of battery life in PC World’s normal battery take a look at, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Metal. If 15 hours feels like so much, I agree. Nonetheless, because the graph exhibits, a variety of fashionable laptops can obtain 18 to 22 hours on this take a look at.

The take a look at consequence matched my subjective expertise. I spent a few of my time with the Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 touring, and I discovered it might simply endure a day of blended net searching and writing, with occasional breaks, with 40 p.c of the battery (or extra) left as soon as I arrived at a vacation spot.

I feel the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1’s battery life is okay, and positively greater than a typical consumer is more likely to want. Nonetheless, it seems that AMD’s Ryzen AI 340 is behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus and Intel’s Core Extremely Collection 2 the place battery life is worried. 

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Conclusion

The Dell Plus 14 2-in-1 is an efficient possibility for customers seeking to snag a do-it-all Home windows system on a decent price range. It presents versatile design, a pleasant keyboard, and well-rounded specs whereas avoiding a serious challenge or draw back that will take it out of competition. The Plus 14 2-in-1 is a very alluring when on sale for $599.99 at Greatest Purchase, which is lower than many comparable Home windows 2-in-1s and laptops. Whereas I would like to see a greater show, or a barely bigger touchpad, I loved my time with the 2-in-1.