Dell XPS 13" 9350

A beautiful, ultra-portable workhorse with a killer screen and tons of RAM, but the weak graphics and laughable port selection mean it's strictly for productivity purists. Skip it if you want to play games or plug anything in without an adapter.

The Core Ultra 7 258V surprised us with how well it handles a heavy browser load and multiple Office apps without breaking a sweat. It's a solid mid-pack performer in our CPU rankings, which translates to real-world snappiness for everything from spreadsheets to light photo editing. The integrated graphics are the obvious weak spot, landing near the bottom of our database. You can forget about modern AAA gaming, but it'll chew through 4K video streaming and older indie titles just fine. The 32GB of RAM is a standout for this class, letting you keep a frankly ridiculous number of tabs open without a hiccup.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, the XPS gets absolutely smoked in graphics performance, but it's also in a different universe for portability and screen quality. The Lenovo Legion 5i will run circles around it in games, but it's a chunky boy by comparison. The real competitor here is the MacBook Pro M4 Max, which offers a similar premium build and screen but with vastly superior GPU performance and reliability, though you'll pay a lot more for it. For pure Windows productivity in a tiny package, the XPS holds its own, but the HP OMEN Transcend 14 offers a much better balance of power and portability if you can live with a slightly less stunning display.

At $1500 for a refurbished unit, the value proposition is tricky. You're getting a top-tier screen and plenty of RAM, but you're also inheriting below-average reliability scores and a warranty situation that's frankly a bit of a gamble thanks to that Bill 29 opt-out. If you can find it on a solid sale, it's a beautiful machine for a student or office worker. At full price, you're paying a premium for the XPS design and that screen, not for long-term peace of mind.

The Dell XPS 9350 is a gorgeous ultraportable that nails the basics for work and browsing, but it's not the do-everything machine some might expect at this price. You're getting a stunning 13.4-inch QHD touchscreen, a snappy new Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, and a generous 32GB of RAM in a chassis that feels premium the second you pick it up. The one thing to know? This is a productivity and media darling, not a gaming rig or a port hub. If you need raw GPU power or more than a couple of USB-C ports, you'll need to look elsewhere.

If you're looking for any kind of gaming performance or a machine that can handle video editing, this isn't it. Go get an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or an HP OMEN Transcend 14 instead. You'll trade a little portability for a massive jump in graphics power and a much better port selection.

The Dell XPS 9350 is a fantastic choice if your world is spreadsheets, streaming, and a million browser tabs, and you value a gorgeous screen and compact design above all else. It's a terrible choice for gamers or anyone who needs more than two ports. Buy it for the screen and the RAM, but go in with your eyes open about the reliability risks and the dongle life you're signing up for.