Dell Doubles Down on Cheap Student Laptops With Lower-End Dell 14S Configs

Dell seemingly isn’t content with taking on Apple’s MacBook Neo with just the XPS 13 for student dollars and attention. On Wednesday the company brought in budget laptop reinforcements with new lower-end, more colorful versions of its mainstream Dell 14S laptop. Dell is playing coy and won’t reveal pricing until we get closer to seeing these new laptops later this fall, which is understandable given the volatility around the ongoing component shortages .

While we await pricing details, here’s what we do know about these new machines. They’ll come in four fun Neo-esque colors, offer Intel Wildcat Lake processors and start with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The Dell 14S isn’t new. Dell released the 14S series along with its larger 16S sibling back in May . These mainstream laptops are based on Intel Panther Lake processors and were priced north of $1,000. Currently, the cheapest Panther Lake Dell 14S model costs $1,350 (and that’s after a $50 discount).

The new Dell 14S models feature Wildcat Lake processors, which are less powerful, more efficient versions of Panther Lake. You’ll have a choice of either a Core 5 320 or Core 7 350, each of which is a six-core processor made up of two performance cores and four efficient cores. The popular Panther Lake chip, the Core Ultra 7 355, that Dell offers on the inaugural 14S is an eight-core chip with four performance and four efficiency cores. Wildcat Lake processors run at 15 watts with a turbo power limit of 35 watts, while Panther Lake operates at 25 watts with a max turbo power of 55 watts.

So while you are giving up two performance cores in dropping down to Wildcat Lake, you are getting greater efficiency, which should result in longer battery life and quieter operation. Dell says you can expect all-day battery life from the relatively modest three-cell, 61-watt-hour battery.

Along with a choice between Core 5 and Core 7 Wildcat Lake processors, the Dell 14S offers a pair of 14-inch display options. Both are IPS panels, but one has a 2K resolution (1,920 by 1200 pixels), 60Hz refresh rate and 300-nit brightness rating, while the other has a finer 2.8K resolution (2,880 by 1,800 pixels), smoother 120Hz refresh rate and brighter 450-nit rating.

Like the XPS 13, the Dell 14S comes with 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Unless you plan to use your laptop for the lightest, most basic of tasks, you are probably better off spending more for 16GB of RAM. I tested both 8GB and 16GB versions of the XPS 13 and concluded that the 16GB model is worth Dell’s steep $200 upcharge for most people. Unlike the XPS 13, the Dell 14S starts off with an undersized 256GB SSD. That’ll fill up fast. Dell offers 512GB and 1TB storage upgrades.

The Dell 14S has a larger display than the 13.4-inch XPS 13 and weighs a bit more because of it. It weighs 2.5 pounds, and the trim XPS 13 is just 2.2 pounds. The 13-inch MacBook Neo is the heaviest of the three at 2.7 pounds. All three laptops offer all-metal designs, which is not a given among the budget class where all-plastic or partially plastic constructions aren’t uncommon.

The Dell 14S has a better port selection than the XPS 13.