Dell DC16255 16 inch, Ryzen 7 250, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black

The Ryzen 7 250 CPU is the real deal at the 79th percentile, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM keeps things smooth. But the integrated Radeon Graphics scores just 9.7 out of 100 for gaming, and the 41Wh battery is small for a 16-inch laptop. At $800 it's a decent CPU-focused workhorse; at $1,000 it's a tough sell.

The Ryzen 7 250 is the star here, and it's a legitimate one. At the 79th percentile, this CPU is well above average and handles multitasking, spreadsheets, and photo editing without breaking a sweat. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM helps too, giving you the bandwidth for heavier workloads. But that's where the good news ends. The integrated Radeon Graphics is a weak spot, sitting at the 14th percentile. Our gaming score of 9.7 out of 100 tells you everything: this thing will struggle with anything beyond solitaire or very light indie titles. The 512GB NVMe SSD is solid but unremarkable, right around the 52nd percentile. Load times will be snappy, but you're not getting class-leading storage speed.

The 16-inch 1920x1200 IPS panel is a bit better than average at the 57th percentile. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you extra vertical space for documents and web browsing, which is nice. But it's not a high-refresh or high-brightness panel, so don't expect it to wow you. For a laptop aimed at developers and office workers, the performance profile makes sense: strong CPU, adequate RAM, forgettable everything else.

Stacked against the competition, the DC16255 is a one-trick pony. The Apple MacBook Pro M5 will crush it in battery life, display quality, and GPU performance, though you'll pay a lot more. The Lenovo Legion 5i and ASUS ROG Zephyrus are gaming machines with dedicated GPUs that make the Dell's 9.7 gaming score look embarrassing. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 offers a smaller footprint and far better graphics. Even the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition beats it on portability and build quality. Where the Dell wins is raw CPU value: that Ryzen 7 250 at the 79th percentile is genuinely competitive with pricier machines. But one strong component doesn't make a well-rounded laptop.

Pricing is a bit of a moving target here. US listings range from $800 to $1,000, a $200 spread across two vendors. At the low end, you're getting a 79th percentile CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM for under a grand, which isn't bad. At the high end, you're paying a premium for a laptop with a weak GPU, a small battery, and no track record. Staples is the retailer to watch, with free next-day delivery on orders over $35. If you can snag this at $800, the CPU alone makes it a reasonable buy for office work. At $1,000, you're better off looking elsewhere.

The Dell DC16255 is a workhorse with a surprisingly strong CPU for the money. That AMD Ryzen 7 250 sits at the 79th percentile in our database, which means it outpaces most laptops we've tested. You get 8 cores, a 3.3GHz base clock, and a 5.0GHz turbo, paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM. For everyday productivity, that's a genuinely solid combo. But the rest of the package tells a different story. The integrated Radeon Graphics lands at the 14th percentile, which is rough. Gaming is basically off the table, scoring 9.7 out of 100 in our testing. The 512GB NVMe SSD is fine, right around average at the 52nd percentile, and the 1920x1200 IPS display is a small step above middle of the pack at the 57th percentile. So you're getting a fast processor in a laptop that's otherwise pretty ordinary.

The real head-scratcher is the battery. A 41Wh cell in a 16-inch laptop is small, and while Dell touts ExpressCharge (80% in 60 minutes), that's a band-aid on a capacity problem. The 2.14kg weight also puts it at the 17th percentile for compactness, so this isn't a grab-and-go machine. Port selection is mediocre too, at the 31st percentile, with three USB-A ports and an HDMI but no USB-C listed. And there's zero customer feedback out there, which lands it at the 2nd percentile for social proof. You'd be buying this one on specs alone.

Gamers should absolutely skip this one. The integrated Radeon Graphics at the 14th percentile and a gaming score of 9.7 out of 100 mean you'll be staring at slideshows in anything demanding. Frequent travelers should also look elsewhere: at 2.14kg and the 17th percentile for compactness, this is a desk-bound machine. And if you need all-day battery life, the 41Wh cell will leave you hunting for outlets by mid-afternoon. Anyone who values port selection will find the 31st percentile connectivity limiting, especially with no USB-C listed.

The Dell DC16255 is a CPU in search of a better laptop. The Ryzen 7 250 is genuinely impressive at the 79th percentile, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM means this thing will chew through productivity tasks without complaint. But the integrated graphics are a real letdown, the 41Wh battery is undersized for a 16-inch machine, and the 2.14kg weight makes it a chore to carry. If your work is CPU-bound, like coding, data analysis, or heavy multitasking, and you can find it at the $800 end of the price range, it's worth a look. For anything involving graphics, gaming, or all-day portability, keep scrolling.