Dell 14 Premium vs. Dell XPS 14 — How the 'new XPS' compares, and why I still recommend the older model

Dell announced a near-full rebrand of its PC portfolio at CES 2025, getting rid of recognized names like XPS, Precision, Latitude, and more. While many of those PCs, including the XPS 14 (9440), are still available, so are many of Dell's new laptops.

More specifically, the larger Dell XPS replacements — now named "Dell 14/16 Premium" — launched in June 2025 with the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) CPUs and optional RTX 40- and 50-series Laptop GPUs.

There's not a huge difference between the XPS 14 and the new Dell 14 Premium, and as you'll see from my comparison, you can save a lot of money on one of the best Windows laptops of recent years as long as you don't mind working with a slightly older CPU.

Dell 14 Premium vs. XPS 14: Specs and pricing

Here's a look at the specs that make up the new Dell 14 Premium (DA14250) and the older Dell XPS 14 (9440) laptops.

The Dell 14 Premium starts at $1,649.99 at Dell, with the introductory model containing a Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, integrated Intel Arc Graphics, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a 14.5-inch FHD+ display.

Custom config orders allow you to easily push the price up to about $2,649.99 for a model with an RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, 2TB SSD, and that sweet 3.2K OLED display.

The XPS 14 (9440) debuted with a $1,699.99 price tag, $50 more than the Dell 14 Premium. However, now that it's aging out in favor of its replacement, it seems that Dell has applied a permanent $500 discount for all models.

That drops an XPS 14 model with Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and FHD+ IPS display down to $1,499.99 at Dell.

A similar XPS 14 model with 32GB of RAM and a 3.2K OLED display only costs about $1,899.99 at Dell, making it, by far, the better deal.

XPS 14 stock won't last forever, though, and we'll eventually arrive at a time when the Dell 14 Premium has completely taken over.

How much has actually changed with Dell's new 14 Premium?

If I placed the new Dell 14 Premium next to an older XPS 14 (9440) and mixed them up, I'd have a hard time telling them apart.

Despite Dell's massive initiative to completely overhaul its branding, the new Dell 14 Premium arrives with the exact same design and dimensions as its XPS 14 predecessor.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. As Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino remarks in his Dell XPS 14 (9440) review:

"One look at the XPS 14 and, like its smaller sibling, you think it's a prototype or laptop concept of what could be someday instead of shipping right now. Dell has made some bold choices with these new XPS laptops."

Those changes, which include a zero-lattice keyboard with large keycaps and 1mm key travel, a touch function row, and a seamless glass haptic touchpad, are the same in both laptops.

If you love the futuristic design, great. If not, you'll probably want to continue to steer away from Dell's high-end PCs altogether.

There are some smaller changes under the hood that I must note before getting into a closer look at performance.

The new Dell 14 Premium has been upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, whereas the XPS 14 Plus is on Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3.

That's not a difference that the vast majority of users will notice, although the rare few with Wi-Fi 7 routers will benefit from higher speeds and improved efficiency.

The UHS-II microSD card readers are also slightly different, with the Dell 14 Premium picking up the newer v7.1 standard compared to v6.0 in the XPS 14.

Once again, this change isn't going to be noticed by most users, with v7.1 supporting microSD cards up to 128TB and slightly faster transfer speeds.

Ports otherwise remain the same across both PCs. It's unfortunate that the Dell 14 Premium didn't pick up Thunderbolt 5 support, but I expect that will arrive with the next generation.

The three Thunderbolt 4 ports on both laptops will nevertheless perform well, but a modern Thunderbolt docking station will be required for heavier workflows.

The two 14.5-inch displays available in each of these Dell laptops are the same, and the decision will come down to whether you want an FHD+ IPS panel or a 3.2K OLED panel.

The more affordable option has a 1920x1200 resolution, non-touch panel, 120Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits maximum brightness, 100% sRGB coverage, anti-glare finish, and Dolby Vision.

You can also opt for an OLED touch display with 3200x2000 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, 400 nits max brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color, Dolby Vision, and anti-reflective finish.

Again, quoting our Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino from his XPS 14 review:

"The only downsides to having a 3.2K OLED touch screen are increased price, weight, and decreased battery life. Dell's full HD option is better for those who value longer-lasting battery over visual acuity. But if you're a content creator, going 3.2K OLED is the only choice. You won't be disappointed."

The biggest changes are in the performance hardware

The Dell 14 Premium arrived sporting Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H CPUs, an upgrade from the XPS 14's older Core Ultra 7 155H chip.

The newer Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) hardware has a higher 2.0GHz base clock (compared to 1.4GHz), a faster 5.1GHz Turbo clock (compared to 4.8GHz), and otherwise similar specs, including a 28W TDP.

What does that mean for real-world performance? Intel's newer chips are more efficient and more powerful, and I'd say you can roughly expect about 15-30% better performance from the Dell 14 Premium's CPU, depending on single-core and multi-core workloads.

The integrated Intel Arc 140T GPU in the Core Ultra 7 255H is also faster than the 155H chip's GPU. For reference, I tried gaming on the Yoga Book 9i (Gen 10) with the same Arc 140T GPU (albeit in a Core Ultra 9 285H CPU), and I was able to run Forza Horizon 5 at about 48 FPS with a High preset and ray tracing enabled.

Of course, Dell offers an RTX 4050 Laptop GPU in both PCs, and anyone with aims to game or handle more demanding tasks should make the upgrade for best results.

Battery capacities are the same in both Dell laptops, so don't expect any massive changes there. Intel's newer CPUs are more efficient, but you'll see a bigger difference based on your screen choice and whether or not your model has a discrete NVIDIA GPU.

And while these PCs are both considered high-end AI laptops, neither has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with enough power to run Copilot+ tools built into Windows 11.

My recommendation — buy the discounted XPS 14 while it lasts

With no changes to the overall design, single-generation improvements to the CPU, and no differences to the displays or discrete GPUs, I recommend that most people take advantage of the discounted XPS 14 (9440) pricing.

A model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and 3.2K OLED display currently costs $1,939.99 after a massive $500 discount at Dell.

Compare those specs with a Dell 14 Premium model, and you're looking at paying about 2,449.99.

Even better, XPS 14 models start at $1,499.99 with the same $500 discount, and you get the NVIDIA RTX 4050 discrete GPU. That's about $250 less than a Dell 14 Premium model with integrated Arc graphics and half as much storage space.