Best Dell Laptops

Why it made the list: Our top pick, and the reason is that it reads like the roomier big-screen option. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. A 16" panel lets you comfortably run two windows side by side, which is often what the smaller picks on this list cannot do without squinting. 16GB of RAM lands in the current sweet spot — enough for real multitasking without pushing the price up the way 32GB configurations tend to. The bigger screen is useful, but it is also a reminder that this is more of a desk-friendly machine than a toss-it-in-any-bag pick.

Why it made the list: Its edge over nearby picks is that it functions as a stronger-than-average all-rounder. The right reader is anyone who wants a capable all-rounder rather than a laptop optimized for a single task. $4,779.2 puts it in upgrade territory, and the spec sheet actually reflects it rather than just charging for the badge. The 3.5-pound carry weight keeps it in practical everyday-bag range rather than pushing it toward desk-only duty. At this price you are buying real margin over the entry-level picks — nice, but overkill if your workload actually fits on a mid-list machine.

Why it made the list: Its edge over nearby picks is that it functions as a flexible note-taking and tent-mode option. It fits buyers who measure "good laptop" partly by how little they notice it in a bag. At $899.99 it anchors the low end of the list, which is the whole reason this pick exists here. 16GB of RAM lands in the current sweet spot — enough for real multitasking without pushing the price up the way 32GB configurations tend to. This is a budget-tier pick, so fit and finish, speakers, and display quality are where the money did not go.

Why it made the list: Reads as the roomier big-screen option more than a star attraction — which is exactly why it is useful alongside the flagships. The right reader is anyone who wants a capable all-rounder rather than a laptop optimized for a single task. $4,399.99 puts it in upgrade territory, and the spec sheet actually reflects it rather than just charging for the badge. A 1TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. At this price you are buying real margin over the entry-level picks — nice, but overkill if your workload actually fits on a mid-list machine.

Why it made the list: The angle here is simple: the roomier big-screen option, plus the basics. The right reader is anyone who wants a capable all-rounder rather than a laptop optimized for a single task. $4,719.99 puts it in upgrade territory, and the spec sheet actually reflects it rather than just charging for the badge. A 2TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. At this price you are buying real margin over the entry-level picks — nice, but overkill if your workload actually fits on a mid-list machine.

Why it made the list: It earns its slot by covering the role of the roomier big-screen option. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. At $4,049.99 it is priced like a step-up pick, not a bare-minimum buy — which is partly why it shows up in a different role than the cheaper entries here. A 1TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. The flip side is straightforward: you are paying for polish and headroom here, not just checking the minimum boxes for the category.

Why it made the list: Its case on this list is that it works as the roomier big-screen option. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. 16GB of RAM lands in the current sweet spot — enough for real multitasking without pushing the price up the way 32GB configurations tend to. At $1,959 it is priced like a step-up pick, not a bare-minimum buy — which is partly why it shows up in a different role than the cheaper entries here. The flip side is straightforward: you are paying for polish and headroom here, not just checking the minimum boxes for the category.

Why it made the list: It rounds out the lineup as a well-rounded alternative, which is a lane the top picks do not fully claim. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. At $5,799.99 it is priced like a step-up pick, not a bare-minimum buy — which is partly why it shows up in a different role than the cheaper entries here. A 2TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. The flip side is straightforward: you are paying for polish and headroom here, not just checking the minimum boxes for the category.

Why it made the list: Its case on this list is that it works as the roomier big-screen option. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. At $3,999.99 it is priced like a step-up pick, not a bare-minimum buy — which is partly why it shows up in a different role than the cheaper entries here. A 2TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. The flip side is straightforward: you are paying for polish and headroom here, not just checking the minimum boxes for the category.

Why it made the list: Its case on this list is that it works as the easiest carry on the page. It suits people who genuinely carry their laptop all day and want it to feel like part of the backpack, not an extra burden. Its 3.1-pound frame is light enough that the laptop disappears into a normal backpack instead of anchoring the bottom of it. 16GB of RAM lands in the current sweet spot — enough for real multitasking without pushing the price up the way 32GB configurations tend to. At this price you are buying real margin over the entry-level picks — nice, but overkill if your workload actually fits on a mid-list machine.

Why it made the list: Its case on this list is that it works as a flexible note-taking and tent-mode option. It earns its place by covering a broader everyday workload instead of solving only one narrow niche. The 3.8-pound carry weight keeps it in practical everyday-bag range rather than pushing it toward desk-only duty. The 360° hinge gives it a genuinely different use case than the clamshells around it — tent mode for video, tablet mode for handwritten notes, and laptop mode for everything else.

Why it made the list: Its case on this list is that it works as a flexible note-taking and tent-mode option. The right reader is anyone who wants a capable all-rounder rather than a laptop optimized for a single task. $2,299.99 puts it in upgrade territory, and the spec sheet actually reflects it rather than just charging for the badge. A 1TB SSD is noticeably more forgiving than the 256GB–512GB drives common at this tier, especially once apps, project files, or a modern game library start piling up. At this price you are buying real margin over the entry-level picks — nice, but overkill if your workload actually fits on a mid-list machine.