Dell Pro 16 Plus PB16250 16" Black 2025

The Dell Pro 16 Plus is a 16-inch business laptop with fantastic port selection and a capable Core Ultra 5 chip, but the dull 300-nit display and cramped 512GB SSD hold it back. It's a great choice for desk-bound office workers who need Thunderbolt 4 and Ethernet without dongles, but anyone who values screen quality should look elsewhere.

The Core Ultra 5 235U is a middle-of-the-pack performer in our database, landing in the 57th percentile for CPU performance. That's not a knock, it's just reality for a 15W U-series chip designed for efficiency over raw power. For everyday office work, web browsing, and even some light coding, it handles things smoothly. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM helps keep things snappy when you've got a dozen browser tabs and a few apps open. The integrated Intel Arc graphics sit right around the 52nd percentile, which means they're fine for driving the display and handling basic photo editing, but don't expect to do any real gaming on this thing. Our gaming score for this config is a rough 17.2 out of 100, so stick to Solitaire and cloud streaming if you need a gaming fix.

The 512GB SSD is a bit of a weak spot, landing in the 40th percentile for storage. It's fast enough for booting and loading apps, but 512GB fills up quicker than you'd think, especially if you're storing large project files or a local media library. The NPU is a nice addition for AI-accelerated tasks in Windows Studio Effects or select apps, but the software ecosystem for local AI is still young. For now, it's more of a future-proofing checkbox than a daily necessity. Battery life is rated at up to 12.6 hours, which is solid for a 55Wh battery paired with an efficient chip, though real-world use with the screen at a comfortable brightness will likely land closer to 8-9 hours.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro, the Dell gets absolutely demolished on display quality, performance, and battery life. The MacBook's mini-LED screen and M4 Pro chip are in a different league, but you're also paying a lot more. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a completely different animal, a compact gaming powerhouse with a gorgeous OLED panel and dedicated GPU, but it's smaller and runs hotter. For pure business use, the Dell's port selection and 16-inch screen give it an edge over the G14 for desk work.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and HP OMEN Transcend 14 are both gaming-focused machines that outclass the Dell in raw performance, but they're heavier and have worse battery life. The MSI Prestige 13 Evo is probably the closest spiritual competitor, another business-oriented laptop with a focus on portability and connectivity. The MSI is lighter and more compact, but you give up the 16-inch screen and some port variety. If you need a big screen and lots of ports for a desk setup, the Dell is the better pick. If you travel constantly, the MSI's smaller footprint wins.

Pricing on the Dell Pro 16 Plus is all over the map. We've seen it listed anywhere from $1,449 to an absurd $222,231 across different vendors, so you'll want to shop carefully. The sweet spot seems to be around that $1,449 mark, which is competitive for a 16-inch business laptop with Thunderbolt 4 and a Core Ultra chip. But at that price, you're also brushing up against machines like the MacBook Air 15 with an M3 chip, which offers a much better display and longer real-world battery life. The 512GB SSD feels tight at this price point, and the mediocre screen holds it back from being a no-brainer. If you can find it closer to $1,200, it starts to make a lot more sense.

The Dell Pro 16 Plus PB16250 is a business laptop that tries to do a little bit of everything. It's got a big 16-inch screen, Intel's new Core Ultra 5 chip with a dedicated AI engine, and a port selection that would make most ultrabooks jealous. At around 4 pounds, it's not the lightest machine out there, but Dell is clearly aiming this at office workers and developers who want a larger display without lugging around a full workstation. The aluminum lid and palm rest give it a more premium feel than your average corporate fleet laptop, and the 16:10 aspect ratio on that 1920x1200 panel means you get a bit more vertical space for spreadsheets and code.

Under the hood, you're getting 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD, which is a solid baseline for multitasking and quick boot times. The Core Ultra 5 235U is a 12-core chip with Intel's new Arc integrated graphics and an NPU that can push 12 TOPS for local AI tasks. That's not going to blow anyone's hair back for gaming or heavy creative work, but for the kind of productivity and light development this machine is built for, it's more than capable. Windows 11 Pro comes standard, which is what you'd expect on a Pro-branded Dell.

Connectivity is where this thing really shines. You get Thunderbolt 4, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, full-size HDMI 2.1, and even an Ethernet jack. That's a 96th percentile port selection in our database, which means you can dock this at your desk and connect to pretty much anything without a dongle. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 round out the wireless side. If you've been hunting for a 16-inch business laptop that won't force you into dongle life, the Pro 16 Plus makes a strong case.

Skip the Dell Pro 16 Plus if you do any creative work that demands color accuracy, like photo editing or design. The 45% NTSC display just won't cut it. Gamers should also steer clear, the integrated graphics can't drive modern games at playable frame rates. If you travel a lot and need something lighter, this 4-pound machine isn't the most portable option. Look at the MacBook Air 15 for a better screen and longer battery life, or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 if you need gaming power in a compact package.

The Dell Pro 16 Plus is a solid business laptop for the right person. If you're a developer or office worker who docks at a desk most of the time and just needs a big, comfortable screen with all the ports you could ask for, this machine delivers. The Core Ultra 5 chip is efficient, the keyboard is backlit, and the aluminum build feels nice enough that you won't hate pulling it out in a meeting. But the display is a letdown. 300 nits and 45% NTSC color coverage is just not good enough in 2025, especially on a laptop that can cost over $1,400. Colors look dull, and it's hard to use near a window.

Should you buy it? If you can snag it at a discount and you don't care about a vibrant screen, it's a practical choice with killer connectivity. But if you do any creative work or just appreciate a nice display, look elsewhere. The MacBook Air 15 or even a last-gen Dell XPS 16 will give you a much better panel for similar money. This is a laptop built for IT departments and corporate fleets, and it shows in both its strengths and its compromises.