Summary
Among the most notable new laptops unveiled at CES 2024 are the HP Spectre x360 14 and the Dell XPS 14.
Whether it was on purpose or not, just as Intel’s Core Ultra Meteor Lake chipset was released, HP and Dell released major updates to their top-tier laptops. The latter boasts a number of new features that should enhance performance, battery life, and AI performance, in addition to a new manufacturing process and design.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14
Both the XPS 14 from Dell and the Spectre x360 14 from HP have been on and off our best laptops list for years, so any improvement over the previous models is much appreciated. Is there a clear winner among these new laptops? Yeah, that’s a far more difficult decision to make.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14: Details and setup
The Spectre x360 14 is available in a single configuration, with a 14.0-inch 2.8K OLED display, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H chipset, and the base price is $1,450 (now $1,150). For an extra $100, you can get a Core Ultra 7 155H. A fully-configured Spectre with the speedier chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD costs $1,870 (or $1,570 on sale). Every setup makes advantage of Intel’s built-in Intel Arc graphics.
Laptops don’t come much cheaper than the XPS 14. Intel Arc graphics, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD, Core Ultra 7, and a 14.5-inch FHD+ IPS display start at $1,499 for the base model. An extra $300 will get you a 3.2K OLED screen and an upgrade to the entry-level discrete GPU from Nvidia, the GeForce RTX 4050. You can get 64 GB of RAM for $900 and a 4 TB solid-state drive for $700 if you want to boost the storage. That brings the price of the high-end XPS 14 to $3,399, making it a very costly laptop.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14: Design
The XPS 14 is an updated model that sits between two other new machines: a 16-inch model and a 13-inch device that was once called the XPS 13 Plus. It takes the design cues from the XPS 13 Plus and supersedes the old, discontinued 15-inch variant. The XPS 14 is a sleek, contemporary laptop that comes in both light and dark color options. Its exterior has anodized chrome accents, an edge-to-edge keyboard, a concealed haptic touchpad atop a glass-covered palm rest, and LED function keys that enhance its futuristic appearance when the lid is opened. As is typical for 14-inch laptops, the XPS 14 has the narrowest bezels.
The Spectre x360 14 improves upon the Spectre x360 13.5 by adding a half-inch bigger screen and a somewhat broader chassis. Retaining the convertible 2-in-1 chassis’s appealing design, it streamlines the edges and eliminates the colored chrome accents for a sleeker, more refined appearance. It keeps the two slots on the base of the screen that hold a Thunderbolt 4 connector and a 3.5mm audio jack, and it comes in three colors: Nightfall black, Slate blue, and Sahara silver. To make room for the 2-in-1 hinge mechanism and tablet format, the Spectre’s bezels aren’t as narrow as the XPS 14’s, giving it a less contemporary appearance. Regardless, the laptop is stunning.
Comparing the Spectre x360 14 to the XPS 14, we can see that it is smaller, lighter, and somewhat deeper than the former. It shares the XPS 14’s sturdy build and CNC-machined aluminum material. At least as excellent is the XPS 14. Thus, both laptops are very sturdy devices.
The XPS 14 takes design cues from the XPS 13 Plus’s edge-to-edge keyboard, which has a zero-lattice layout and big keycaps. Once you get over the first learning curve, you’ll find that it’s rather comfy. Additionally, there is a row of LED function buttons that stand in for physical ones, and a concealed haptic touchpad—which is disappointing—that lacks tactile sensation. The Spectre x360 14’s island keyboard is more conventional, including huge keycaps, plenty of space between keys, and decent, if not exceptional, switches. The haptic touchpad is top-notch, with sensitive surfaces and clicks that feel quite natural. In addition to supporting an active pen, the Spectre comes standard with a touch screen, whereas the XPS 14 offers it as an optional extra.
A 1080p camera is already standard on Dell’s new XPS series, but HP has stepped it up a notch with a 9MP model that features lowlight settings enabled by hardware. Both have fingerprint scanners built into the power buttons and infrared cameras for Windows Hello face recognition. Additionally, both devices are equipped with technology that detects when a user is present, allowing them to be locked and put to sleep when the user departs, and then woken up and logged back in when the user returns.
Both laptops are compatible with Meteor Lake’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which enables a range of AI-enabled functions.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14: Results in
A number of novel innovations that improve speed and efficiency are introduced by the new Intel Meteor Lake chipsets, which are the foundation of both laptops. Each of the Core Ultra 7 155H and 165H, which utilize 28 watts of power, are 22-thread CPUs with 16 cores (six Performance, eight Efficient, and two Low Power Efficient) and 4.8GHz or 5.0GHz of clock speed, respectively, and power the XPS 14. With a maximum clock speed of 4.5GHz, the Spectre x360 14’s Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 5 125H use 14 cores—2 LP Efficient, 8 Efficient, and 4 Performance—and 18 threads.
Spectre x360 14 users will see lesser performance with Core Ultra 5, while all laptops will be equally fast when equipped with Core Ultra 7. The XPS 14 comes with the entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 discrete GPU in addition to using the new Intel Arc integrated graphics, yet both use the same technology. As a result, the XPS 14 will outperform its competitors in graphics processing unit (GPU)-intensive programs and games.
Compared to Intel’s 28-watt CPUs from the previous generation, the Spectre x360 14 with the Core Ultra 7 155H gave a little performance boost in our tests. Results were somewhere in the middle, between those of the RTX 4050 and the earlier Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics. Using the RTX 4050 and the Core Ultra 7 165H, which are somewhat quicker, we benchmarked the XPS 14. We found it to be somewhat quicker in benchmarks, but for gamers and content developers, the RTX 4050 would be a huge improvement.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14: Display
A 3.2K OLED 120Hz screen or a 14.5-inch 16:10 Full HD+ IPS screen are also available as configuration options for the XPS 14. A 2.8K OLED panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz is the only available display option for the Spectre x360 14.
As expected, both OLED screens looked amazing. If you’re a maker, you should choose the Spectre display since the XPS 14’s had narrower colors but more accurate colors. If you’re not concerned with the greater resolution, OLED’s vibrant colors, or deep blacks, you may want to look at Dell’s display instead since it’s crisper and uses less power than its competitors’ IPS displays.
With two woofers and two upward-firing speakers per keyboard, the audio systems of both laptops are quad-speaker setups. Compared to the XPS 14, the Spectre’s audio was more detailed and bass-heavy, bringing it much closer to the six-speaker system of the MacBook Pro 14, which has the greatest audio for a 14-inch laptop.
Dell XPS 14 vs. HP Spectre x360 14: Portability
The Spectre x360 14 differs mostly in its weight, which is almost half a pound less, although it is also thinner and somewhat smaller. Both laptops will be more spacious than 13-inch models and will be easy to transport.
In our testing, the battery life of the Spectre x360 14 was average to above-average, and in our web surfing test, the XPS 14 was almost identical. In our video looping test, the Spectre outperformed the competition, lasting almost twice as long. The Spectre’s supposedly more efficient Core Ultra 5 option would be a welcome addition, and the IPS XPS 14’s battery life will be much improved.
In terms of style, the XPS 14 is more contemporary than the Spectre x360 14.
Despite its more versatile convertible 2-in-1 form size, the Spectre x360 14 has a more conventional design compared to the XPS 14. The Spectre has a more easily accessible haptic touchpad and hardware function keys, which purists will love. The XPS 14 is a great laptop for those who enjoy modern design.
The Spectre x360 14’s superior battery life and more vibrant screen make it the clear winner. Plus, compared to the XPS 14, it’s a lot cheaper.
