Hardware should get better over time, but that isn’t always the case, and Dell just proved that.
With Dell’s first new laptops under the rebranded “Dell Plus” moniker, we can’t help but notice that the Inspiron 14 Plus laptops are the better choice.
We reviewed the Intel-powered Inspiron 14 Plus (7440) and the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) last year, giving both laptops 4 out of 5 stars with an Editor’s Choice award. The Dell 14 Plus and Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 both fell to 3.5 stars due to their poor displays, hollow audio, mediocre touchpads, and comparatively high price tags.
At a glance, if you’re looking for a new Dell laptop, the old Inspiron seems like a better choice, but does the Dell 14 Plus offer something that its predecessor doesn’t? Let’s break it down.
The final Inspiron Plus models have better displays
We also dinged both Inspiron Plus models for their poor displays. However, they at least reached 69% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with over 350 nits of brightness. While not particularly vibrant or bright, the Inspirons offered perfectly serviceable displays that didn’t detract from the laptop’s overall quality.
Meanwhile, the Dell 14 Plus and Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 clocked in with 300-nit displays that appeared dull and lifeless. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is the bigger offender, covering just 47% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average brightness of just 295 nits.
While you can work with either Dell 14 Plus model, a 2-in-1 with a dull display just feels wrong. One of the benefits of the 2-in-1 format is using tent mode for movie nights or TV show binges, and that doesn’t work if the laptop’s display looks like it was built without a soul.
Click here to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (Intel) | Dell 14 Plus | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7440) | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Display brightness (Higher is better) | 295 | 308 | 470 | 367 |
sRGB color gamut (Higher is better) | 67.5% | 111.4% | 97.6% | 97.9% |
DCI-P3 color gamut (Higher is better) | 47.8% | 78.9% | 69.1% | 69.4% |
Color accuracy (Lower is better) | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.29 | 0.2 |
The Inspiron hardware may be older, but they have better performance
It isn’t just the displays that are worse on the new Dells. Both the Qualcomm and Intel Inspiron 14 Plus laptops offered better performance from a CPU and SSD speed standpoint. The Intel Meteor Lake Inspiron 14 Plus also offered comparable graphics performance on the 3DMark benchmarks, and similar battery life.
While the Qualcomm-powered Inspiron had poor graphics performance, it had the best battery life of the four Dell laptops, lasting an astounding 18 hours and 20 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. And since the Inspiron and Dell Plus laptops aren’t designed for gaming, that battery life means far more than the poor graphics performance.
In just about all of our performance testing, the Inspiron 14 Plus models either meet the same standards as the Dell 14 Plus laptops or exceed them. So, despite the change in hardware, the older option really is better.
Click here to view chart data in table format
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (Intel) | Dell 14 Plus | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7440) | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Geekbench 6 (Higher is better) | 10,880 | 10,890 | 12,729 | 13,281 |
Handbrake conversion (Lower is better) | 07:25 | 07:59 | 5;06 | 07:02 |
25GB File Transfer Test (Lower is better) | 27.9 | 28.15 | 16.59 | 17.78 |
25GB File Transfer Test (SSD speed) | 962 | 954 | 1,618 | 1,510 |
Heat (Degrees Fahrenheit) | 97.8 | 95.2 | 108 | 100 |
Battery life (Higher is better) | 15:14 | 13:25 | 15:06 | 18:20 |
3DMark Fire Strike (Higher is better) | 8,462 | 8,244 | 8,082 | 5,965 |
3DMark Time Spy (Higher is better) | 3,896 | 3,819 | 3,840 | 1,903 |
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, fps) | 53.22 | 52.12 | 33.64 | 20.79 |
Why you might want to go for the Dell 14 Plus anyway
Look, even though the Inspiron 14 Plus Intel and Snapdragon laptops performed better than the Dell 14 Plus models, there are a few reasons why you might still want to grab the newer laptops instead.
Sure, if you want a better display, more robust performance, and better battery life, the Inspiron models are far superior. But stock is running low on the older models, and the Inspiron 14 Plus you want may not be available at most retailers.
It’s sometimes worth going the refurbished route, but you do need to be careful about online resellers. And a refurbished laptop won’t have a warranty, so if anything goes wrong with the Inspiron 14 Plus, you’re on the hook for the cost.
To avoid all that hassle and ensure you get the Dell you want with full warranty coverage, you may be better off going with the Dell 14 Plus. But if you can get your hands on the Inspiron 14 Plus, it’s a better deal. Especially if it’s an unused model.
Alternatively, you could always ditch Dell and go for one of our best laptops or best 2-in-1 laptops instead.
