Dell Pro 14 Plus PFX0J 2025, Core Ultra 5 235U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Gray/Silver

Great ports and solid business performance in a light package. Just don't expect a pretty screen or any gaming chops.

The Core Ultra 5 235U surprised us with how snappy it feels for everyday work. 12 cores and a boost up to 4.9 GHz means Chrome with 40 tabs, Slack, and a few Office apps won't make it flinch. The 16GB of DDR5 running at 5600 MT/s is solid, though it's single-channel, which leaves a little bandwidth on the table. The integrated Intel Graphics are exactly what you'd expect: fine for video and light photo editing, but don't even think about gaming. Our gaming score of 17.4 out of 100 puts it near the bottom for that use case. The 512GB NVMe SSD is adequate but not generous, and it lands right around average for storage.

The obvious comparison is the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max, but that's a different beast entirely with a much higher price tag and dramatically better performance. For a business user, the real question is whether you need Windows and those ports. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and HP OMEN Transcend 14 are gaming laptops that crush this Dell in graphics but weigh more and cost more. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a desktop replacement, not a travel companion. Honestly, the Dell's real competition is other business ultrabooks, and against those, the port selection and vPro support give it a legitimate edge.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US you're looking at USD 1,636 to 1,680, but in Canada the spread is wild, from CAD 2,260 to CAD 2,693 across three listings. That's a CAD 433 difference for what appears to be the same machine. If you're buying in Canada, shop around and don't pay the high end. At the lower end of that range, this is a reasonable deal for a business laptop with this port selection and build quality. At the top end, you're getting into MacBook Air territory, and that's a much better screen and battery for the money.

The Dell Pro 14 Plus PFX0J is a business laptop that knows exactly what it is: a portable workhorse that won't win any beauty contests or gaming benchmarks. The headline here is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235U with 12 cores and a 12 TOPS NPU, which means this thing handles everyday productivity and light AI tasks without breaking a sweat. At 1.40kg with a 14" 1920x1200 display, it's built to slip into a bag and disappear until you need it.

But let's be real about the display. 300 nits and 45% NTSC color coverage is fine for spreadsheets and email, but it's not going to make your Netflix binges pop. The port selection is where this thing shines, sitting in the 90th percentile with Thunderbolt, dual USB-C, dual USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and even Ethernet. That's rare in a laptop this thin.

If you're looking for a laptop with a vibrant display or any gaming ability, this isn't it. Go get a MacBook Air if you want a great screen and battery life, or an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 if you need graphics power. This Dell is for spreadsheets, email, and portability, nothing more.

The Dell Pro 14 Plus PFX0J is a solid choice for business users who need a light, well-connected Windows laptop and don't care about gaming or color-accurate displays. The port selection is genuinely excellent, the CPU handles real work, and the build feels durable. But if you're a student or anyone who wants to watch movies or play games on this thing, look elsewhere. The dim, washed-out screen is the biggest letdown here.