Top 10 Best Dell Laptops 2017: Compare, Buy & Save

Dell computers are known for their reliability, performance and affordable prices. These Dell laptops vary in specs, but they all bring with them Dell’s quality in terms of construction and high quality parts.

Below each model we have detailed its processor, Passmark score (an objective measure of speed as tested by this website), the RAM (helps with multitasking and general speed), the graphics card (for gaming and video editing), its hard drive capacity and type, weight, and some characteristics about its display.

Regarding home or office use and basic applications like document creation, web browsing, and Photoshop, every PC on this list is great. That said, having a more powerful PC makes every task faster and often more enjoyable. If you want a fast PC, it is worth spending the money even if you don’t need it for gaming or editing videos.

Here’s the 10 best Dell laptops from lowest to highest price. Be sure to notice the “Editor’s Choice” which offers the most value at the best price.

1. Dell Orchid/Pink Laptop

Dell

This snazzy laptop boasts decent specs and a chic exterior. For those who want a nice PC with plenty of storage capacity (one terabyte) for student or office use, this is a great choice. Boasting a 1080P display, decently fast i3 processor, and enough RAM for basic multitasking, this laptop is great for those who like its look and don’t mind hauling around 5.12lbs (a bit on the heavy side).

While this PC should work for most, it’s not recommended for those who will be editing videos or photos, or those who need a snappy and fast workstation; it’s all a bit on the slow side. This is a very basic, barebones computer for office or student use.

Price: $549

Buy the Dell Orchid/Pink Laptop here.

Dell

Pros:

One year premium support warranty from Dell (with on-site service)
Great price for basic student and office computer
Attractive pink design
SD card reader
Processor could be better

Cons:

Heavy with slow specs

Find more Dell Orchid/Pink Laptop information and reviews here.

2. Dell Inspiron i5

Dell

For those who are willing to spend a bit more, this model adds in some great features compared to the pink model above. Boasting a touch screen display, and faster i5 processor, it’s a noticeable increase in specs and features. It’s about the same weight, a hefty 5.13lbs, but for the money, it’s a reasonable deal. It’s loved for its reliability, solid construction, and attractive display. Compared to the pink model, this unit has a much more subdued aesthetic that may be more suitable for the workplace environment.

This is a great PC for people who want a basic office or student use computer. It’s great for browsing the web, editing documents, and includes a DVD/CD writer, which for some people comes in handy.

Price: $629.99

Buy the Dell Inspiron i5 here.

Dell

Pros:

DVD/CD writer
Backlit keyboard
Reliable
Track pad has solid quality
Attractive appearance
Relatively slim form factor

Cons:

Only for student or office use
Hard drive is on the slow side

Find more Dell Inspiron i5 information and reviews here.

3. Dell Business Inspiron

Dell

This Dell means business. Boasting a more powerful i5-7200U processor and a 256GB SSD, this is a much better computer for general use. With 8GB of DDR4 RAM, it’s also snappy for multitasking. The only drawbacks for this PC at this price point are that it is a bit on the heavy side at over 6lbs, and the screen is relatively low resolution. That said, most people won’t notice the display resolution, and having an SSD makes things much quicker.

This is a great way to go if you want an affordable computer for business and student use that runs fast. It’s not ideal for watching movies or having multiple applications on the screen at once, however, with its low resolution.

Price: $638

Buy the Dell Business Inspiron here.

Dell

Pros:

DVD-RW drive
Backlit keyboard
Multimedia card slot
Solid performance for the price

Cons:

Screen resolution is on the low side
Heavy

Find more Dell Business Inspiron information and reviews here.

4. Dell Inspiron Pseudo 4K, 15.6″

Dell

This laptop has an interesting set of features. Best among them is its blazing fast i7 processor and attractive display. The display isn’t true 4K but it boasts plenty of resolution. Plus, this PC has a GTX 960M, meaning it is capable of playing modern games at low to medium settings. While it is on the heavy side at 6.07lbs, it’s worth lugging around if you want a PC that can do it all. Plus, it has a one terabyte hard drive for plenty of storage.

The biggest downside with this PC is this slow hard drive which is only 5400RPM, but with everything so fast around it, it will perform well for most applications and can even be used to edit video and photos.

While it’s not the fastest in every department, for most people, it will be more than fast enough for things like document creation, web browsing, and editing photos and videos. That said, the GTX 960M while much better than integrated graphics isn’t exactly cutting edge, so it’s not fair to say it’s a great gaming laptop, just a decent one.

Price: $826.99 (25 percent off MSRP)

Buy the Dell Inspiron Pseudo 4K, 15.6″ here.

Dell

Pros:

Solid all around performer
High quality screen with solid resolution (better than 1080P)
Solid processor
Card reader built in
Touch screen
Three USB 3.0 ports

Cons:

No optical drive
Hard drive is 5400 RPM
Heavy
Average battery life

Find more Dell Inspiron Pseudo 4K, 15.6″ information and reviews here.

5. Dell XPS 9350 (Editor’s Choice)

This is a real Macbook killer. At half the price of Cupertino’s offering, this XPS’ biggest unique feature is its “InfinityEdge” display, meaning it barely has a bezel at all. Boasting a fast hard drive (an SSD), and a low weight of only 2.8lbs, this is a great little fast computer, perfect for business or student use.

It has a fast processor and enough RAM to work well for most applications including multitasking. It’s attractive and small, so it’s counter-indicated if you have big hands or need a larger screen to see, but if not, this is a PC that with looks that match its solid performance. This is a great middle of the road option for users who don’t need to game, but want a snappy and small laptop.

It’s the Editor’s Choice because it’s not too pricey, and is fast and efficient for people who just need their PC to work for basic uses like editing documents and web browsing. While it’s not great for gaming, video, or photo editing, it will be fine for just about anything else, and in a pinch, can work fine editing photos; editing videos will be a bit chunky, however. Gaming is off the table, totally. Still, it’s a great looking PC that will fulfill most users’ needs.

Price: $829

Buy the Dell XPS 9350 here.

Pros:

Light weight
Attractive and small laptop
Great alternative to a Macbook
Solid performance for student or office use
Unique design has less bezzle on display

Cons:

Trackpad can be spotty

Find more Dell XPS 9350 information and reviews here.

6. Dell Latitude Ultrabook

With a 256GB SSD, plenty of RAM, and a light weight, this is a very nice UltraBook. It’s even smaller than the above model at 13.3″ and while it boasts a less cool look, the screen is much stronger as it’s made with Corning Gorilla Glass. It also boasts a fingerprint and card reader.

This is a great PC for student or office use. Unfortunately, its trackpad is only OK, and as with the above model, its specs are only good enough for basic uses; no video games or editing here.

Price: $849.99

Buy the Dell Latitude Ultrabook here.

Pros:

Includes Windows 10 professional
High quality 1080P touchscreen display
Display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass
Acceptable specs for student or office use
Light weight
Finger print and card reader

Cons:

No graphics card
Trackpad is mediocre

Find more Dell Latitude Ultrabook information and reviews here.

7. Dell 17.3″ – R7

Dell

This 17.3″ Dell is a great choice for those who want a decent processor, plenty of space on their data drive, and a lot of RAM. It has decent specs, but its biggest selling point is its large high quality display. It is much easier to work with two documents at once, for instance, on a screen of this size. This PC also has a graphics card, though it’s not very powerful; it’s better for editing 1080P video and outputting to displays than it is for gaming, which it will hardly handle.

The best part of this PC is its ample RAM and great display. The biggest shortcoming, however, is its hefty weight. It’s a great option if you demand a 17″ screen and decent specs, otherwise, it’s probably not the best way to go.

Price: $999

Buy the Dell 17.3″ – R7 here.

Dell

Pros:

Excellent, large display
Backlit keyboard
Graphics card for basic gaming use
Great for office or student applications
Easier to multi-task with large screen
Plenty of RAM

Cons:

Speakers are poor
Price to performance is mediocre

Find more Dell 17.3″ – R7 information and reviews here.

8. Dell Inspiron Gaming

Dell

This Inspiron gaming laptop packs a ton of value in at a relatively low price. Boasting a fast SSD for the OS, lots of RAM, and a very competent graphics card, this is a great all-around PC that will work for any use. While it will only play modern video games at medium to high settings, there is no task it will struggle to complete.

It has a fast processor, plenty of resolution, and a decent weight considering its performance (but 6lbs is still admittedly pretty heavy). For those who want to game on the go, but don’t want to spend too much more money, this is a great Dell option.

Price: $1169

Buy the Dell Inspiron Gaming here.

Dell

Pros:

Great mix of features for gaming, photo editing, and video editing
Bright and attractive IPS display
Solid quality Wi-Fi
Price to performance is good

Cons:

Heavy

Find more Dell Inspiron Gaming information and reviews here.

9. Dell XPS 9360

Dell

This XPS 9360 is a great upgrade to the Editor’s Choice on our list. Its biggest advantage is its hard drive (an SSD) is almost twice as big. Plus, the processor is about 20% faster. While these are noticeable improvements, there’s a reason the lower model is the Editor’s Choice: it will make sense for most users. However, if you need more hard drive space and want a faster processor, it may be worth your cash to upgrade to this machine. It does come with excellent battery life and an extra bright display, but for most that won’t be worth $350.

Still, if you’re planning on using this laptop for years, then it might be worth investing the extra money. Fort most people, purchasing an external hard drive will solve the capacity problem and opting for the lower priced model is a better deal.

Price: $1218.99 (6 percent off MSRP)

Buy the Dell XPS 9360 here.

Dell

Pros:

Unique infinity edge display; almost bezzle-less
Stunning display panel offers 400 nits of brights
Includes fingerprint reader
Excellent Wi-Fi
Battery lasts all day

Cons:

No dedicated graphics card
Fancy, but specs could be better for the price

Find more Dell XPS 9360 information and reviews here.

10. Alienware 17″

Dell

Processor i7-7700HQ | Processor Passmark 8943 | RAM 16GB DDR4 | Graphics Card / Passmark GTX 1070 / 10952 | Hard Drive 1TB (7200RPM) | Weight 9.7lbs | Display 17″, 1080P, 300 nits |

For those who need a monster of a PC on every level, this Alienware has it all, including a lot of weight. While it may clock in at 9.7lbs, it’s no surprise considering it has a top of the line graphics card, the GTX 1070, a blazing fast i7 processor, and 16GB of RAM. This PC truly pulls no punches. It also offers one terabyte of storage for plenty of space for things like video games, and raw footage.

This is a great all around laptop, capable of pleasing any user, but at this weight, it’s more of a portable desktop than a laptop. Still, for those who need the utmost in speed and performance, Alienware (now Dell’s brand) is a legendary name for a reason.

Price: $1717.98

Buy the Alienware 17″ here.

Dell

Pros:

Extremely high performance on every level
Powerful graphics card capable of playing modern games at high to ultra settings
Large drive
Plenty of RAM for multitasking
Bright & large display

Cons:

Extremely heavy
Overkill for most users

Find more Alienware 17″ information and reviews here.

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