Dell 16 Plus Blue

The Dell 16 Plus is a big, AI-branded 2-in-1 with a strong CPU and weak graphics. It's a good value at $945 for productivity and light creative work. Skip it if you want to game or need a bright, color-accurate display.

The Core Ultra 7 256V sits at the 80th percentile for CPUs in our database, which is genuinely strong for everyday work. Multitasking, spreadsheets, coding, and browser tab hoarding all feel snappy thanks to 16GB of fast DDR5 and a 1TB SSD. The AI Boost NPU is there if you want to play with Copilot or local AI tasks, but don't expect miracles. The weak spot is graphics. Integrated Intel Arc is fine for video playback and light photo edits, but it's in the 14th percentile overall. You won't be rendering 3D scenes or playing anything beyond casual titles.

Stacked against the MacBook Pro M4 Pro, the Dell gets smoked on graphics, display quality, and build. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion 5i both crush it for gaming and creative work, though they cost more. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is a closer match on price but offers better graphics. The MSI Prestige is the most direct competitor, and it trades blows on CPU but typically has a brighter screen. The Dell's main edge is that big 16-inch touchscreen at a sub-$1,000 price.

At $945, the Dell 16 Plus is a decent deal if you need a big touchscreen and solid CPU performance without spending MacBook money. You're getting a lot of modern connectivity and a capable processor. But the reliability percentile is concerning, and the display brightness won't win any awards. If you can live with those trade-offs, the price is fair. If you want better build quality or graphics, you'll need to spend more.

The Dell 16 Plus is a 2-in-1 that leans hard into the AI hype train. You get a Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB of DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and a 16-inch touchscreen for around $945. That's a lot of laptop for under a grand, especially with Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 4 in the mix.

But it's not a powerhouse. The integrated Intel Arc graphics land in the 14th percentile for this category, so gaming is basically off the table. This is a productivity and light creative machine, not a do-everything rig.

Gamers and creative pros should look elsewhere. The integrated graphics can't handle modern titles or GPU-heavy workloads, and the 300-nit display won't cut it for color-critical work. If you need a dedicated GPU or a brighter, more accurate panel, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or MacBook Pro M4 Pro are better fits, though pricier.

This is a solid pick for students, office workers, and developers who want a large touchscreen 2-in-1 and don't care about gaming. The CPU is genuinely good, and the connectivity is forward-looking. Just know that the graphics are weak, the screen is dim, and reliability data isn't reassuring. If those things matter to you, keep shopping.