Dell XPS 13 review: The first budget laptop to rival Neo raises the bar for all PCs

Dell XPS 13 (2026)

4 / 5

Very good

pros and cons

Pros

• Gorgeous build.
• Excellent battery.
• Display punches above its price point.
• Very thin and light.

Cons

• 8GB of RAM is limiting.
• Only two USB-C ports.

 on Google.

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Dell’s new XPS 13

Its origin story might begin, then, with Dell’s veritable mea culpa ahead of CES this year, when company execs got on stage and admitted their questionable Pro/Plus/Premium branding decisions didn’t actually pay off financially, pledging to bring back the XPS and committing to making more accessible (read: cheaper) products. 

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The XPS 13 is a direct result of that approach: an affordable laptop that adheres to Dell’s ethos to “make no sacrifices” in build or construction. And it comes pretty close. The 13.4-inch IPS display looks great at 120Hz refresh and 500 nits of brightness. It runs a 2.5K (2560 x 1600) resolution and has a matte finish that resists glare. The display is also sufficiently vibrant, covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, and even supports touch.

For comparison, the screen on the XPS is nearly half an inch bigger than the Neo’s, which is saying something, since the XPS 13 is both lighter than the Neo (2.2 pounds compared to 2.7 pounds) and has a slightly smaller overall footprint. 

Here’s where things start to get interesting. Up until now, I’ve had nothing but praise for the XPS 13, but the processor and hardware are where the trade-offs become evident. The computer features an Intel Core 5 or 7 processor (Series 3) from Intel’s Wildcat Lake line of chips, designed specifically for low-cost, battery-efficient devices with limited performance. The XPS 13 is limited in raw performance (particularly with the low-end memory configuration): either 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM.

Unfortunately, 8GB of RAM on a PC just isn’t the same as 8GB of RAM on a Mac. We took a closer look at this provision earlier this year, and concluded that 16GB of RAM is the ideal amount for most people. So, does 8GB of RAM in Windows 11 work? Yes, but just barely.

Also: MacBook Neo review: My biggest concern with Apple’s near-perfect budget laptop

It’s not that things are (always) bogged down and slow; it’s that Windows tends to get… funny when it’s at its limits. UI components glitch or act strangely, apps close randomly, don’t open at all, or there’s just a few seconds of delay between input and execution. All of these issues are, essentially, just normal Windows behavior at 8GB, and no critique of Dell’s machine.

On the other hand, the computer is fine for what it’s designed: working in the browser, hopping between different tabs and Microsoft 365 docs — even hitting some (let me stress: casual) games in your downtime. This is a laptop (like the Neo) designed for basic tasks, and as long as the user understands that focus, it’s all good. I used the XPS 13 as my main driver for over a week doing these sorts of things and had no problems other than occasional patience issues while multitasking in Windows. 

So, what’s the limit? I opened a bunch of tabs on Google Chrome, and once I got above 30, things started to become noticeably restrictive. This point is when you start to see significant delays in actions: navigating the UI, clicking the Start menu, or alt + tabbing between apps. My advice? Keep it lean. You probably don’t need 38 tabs open anyway. Instead, use reading lists and favorites; they’re incredibly useful in Chrome. 

The XPS 13 with 8GB of RAM is just not as snappy as the Neo with the same amount of memory, because it’s ultimately hamstrung by Windows. The Neo is higher-performing on the low end, but the XPS goes up to 16GB — bringing with it a potentially significant jump up in power (and running you $899