Dell 14 Plus DB14250

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's review unit with the Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB of RAM and the 2560x1600 90Hz IPS screen.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V has 8 cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency), boosting to 4.8 GHz. It is a low-power chip tuned for battery life: fast for office work, browsing and photo edits, slower than 45W H-series chips in long renders. Its NPU is rated at 47 TOPS for on-device AI features.

NotebookCheck measured about 20W of sustained CPU power in this chassis. The chassis limit, not the chip rating, is what decides long render times. Across the 8 systems NotebookCheck has tested with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, it averages 566 points in Cinebench 2024 multi-core (range 435 to 649) and 119.5 single-core. Where this laptop lands in that range depends on how much power it lets the chip draw. Under a full stress load the processor holds its short burst for only about half a minute before dropping to its sustained level, so Turbo Boost staying power is limited.

Graphics come from the integrated Intel Arc Graphics 140V. It handles video playback, photo edits and lighter or older games at modest settings.

Gaming (average across systems). These are NotebookCheck's average frame rates for the Intel Arc Graphics 140V across every system it has tested with this GPU, not this laptop alone. Power limits differ between laptops, so this one can land above or below the average.

Memory: fixed. 16GB of LPDDR5X-8533 is soldered to the board, so buy the amount you will need for the life of the laptop; configurations go up to 32GB.

Storage: replaceable. One M.2 slot, already in use (M.2 2280), M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4.

Memory sits on the Lunar Lake package and cannot be upgraded, but the SSD is a standard M.2 2280 drive in the only storage slot.

The 14-inch IPS panel runs at 2560x1600 (216 pixels per inch) and 90Hz. It is rated at 300 nits. NotebookCheck measured 354 nits and 1,686:1 contrast. Color coverage is 99.9% sRGB and 71.7% P3, good enough for photo and video work. Response time is slow at 25.2 ms, so fast motion smears.

The panel ships well calibrated with TUV certification, though its matte coating looks slightly grainy and there is some uneven backlight bleed in the corners.

NotebookCheck measured 45.2 dB(A) under load and 23.8 dB(A) at idle. You will hear it, but it is not intrusive. The hottest surface reached 43 °C.

The fan stays quiet through light and medium work and is slow to ramp up under heavy loads, while the palm rests stay cool to the touch.

The battery is 64Wh, smaller than 50% of the thin and light laptops we list. NotebookCheck got 14 hours 18 minutes of Wi-Fi browsing.

Materials: Aluminum lid and base, plastic bezel and palm rest. At 1.55 kg it is heavier than 69% of the thin and light laptops we list. It measures 314x226.15x16.95 mm. The lid opens a full 180 degrees.

The chassis is essentially the Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 under a new name, sharing its materials, colors and footprint, with the biggest change being a lid that now folds flat instead of stopping near 150 degrees.

The chiclet keyboard carries over from the Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 almost unchanged, with the only visible difference being a Copilot key where the right Ctrl key used to be.

The Mylar clickpad is roomy and tracks reliably, but its click feels weak and shallow. Sign-in: Fingerprint reader in the power button; IR webcam for Windows Hello.

It has 1x Thunderbolt 4, which runs docks, fast external drives and displays over one cable. It charges over USB-C.

Full list: 1x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack. Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Dell dropped the barrel charging jack of older Inspirons, so the laptop charges only over USB-C, and only one of its two USB-C ports is a full Thunderbolt 4 port.

Webcam: 1080p (2MP) with IR and a physical privacy shutter. Speakers: Stereo 2x 2.5W with Waves MaxxAudio.

The stereo speakers get fairly loud for a 14-inch laptop and have reasonably good bass for the size.

The Dell 14 Plus DB14250 name covers several builds. Processors: Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and Intel Core Ultra 9 288V. Memory: 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5X on-package, not upgradeable. Check the exact configuration on the listing before you buy.

Still current as far as this search found: Dell continues to sell the DB14250 on dell.com with Lunar Lake chips, and no Panther Lake successor to the 14 Plus clamshell turned up (Dell's 2026 Panther Lake launch seen was the XPS 14).

• Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 16GB, 512GB): Apple M5, a similar 1.55 kg, a bigger 72.4Wh battery and a 14.2-inch screen.
• Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14 (Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB, 512GB): Core Ultra 5 125H, lighter at 1.32 kg.
• ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED UX3405 (Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB, 1TB): Core Ultra 7 155H, lighter at 1.20 kg and a bigger 75Wh battery.

Measurements come from NotebookCheck's review unit with the Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB of RAM and the 2560x1600 90Hz IPS screen.

• NotebookCheck: Dell 14 Plus laptop review: New name with a familiar feel
• Dell 14 Plus Laptop (DB14250) product page and tech specs, Dell USA
• NotebookCheck: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V Processor, Benchmarks and Specs