Dell Dell 13.3" Pro 13 Premium Multi-Touch Laptop Review

This Dell Pro 13 is a weird one. It's a super-light 13-inch laptop that somehow has 32GB of RAM and a 16GB Intel Arc GPU, but then pairs it with a basic 60Hz screen and a CPU that's just okay. The one thing to know? It's built for one very specific person who needs a ton of RAM and a decent integrated GPU in a tiny package, and doesn't care much about anything else. For everyone else, it's a confusing mismatch of specs.

The performance story is all about that 32GB of RAM and the 16GB Arc GPU. For a 13-inch ultraportable, that's wild. It lands in the 81st percentile for RAM, which means you can have a hundred Chrome tabs open while running a virtual machine and it won't blink. The GPU is in the 59th percentile, which is solid for integrated graphics and means you can do some light photo editing or even play older games at low settings. But the CPU is only in the 58th percentile, so don't expect it to blaze through heavy number-crunching tasks. It's fast for office work, but that's about it.

At $2478, this is a tough sell. You're paying a premium for the ultra-compact form factor and the massive RAM/VRAM combo, but you're making big compromises on the screen, storage, and reliability. For most people, this price is unjustified.

The most direct competitor is the ASUS Zenbook Duo. It's also a compact, touchscreen laptop, but its dual-screen design is far more innovative for multitasking, and it likely offers better value. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip will run circles around this Dell in CPU performance, battery life, and build quality, though you'll get less RAM for the money. For pure power in a portable size, the MacBook is the smarter buy. The gaming laptops like the MSI Vector are in a completely different category, but they highlight how poor this Dell is for games.

I can only recommend the Dell Pro 13 to a very niche user. You need to absolutely require 32GB of RAM in a sub-2.5-pound body for work, and your workflow can actually use that Intel Arc VRAM. For 99% of students, professionals, or anyone else, this laptop's high price and odd spec balance don't make sense. Look at the ASUS Zenbook Duo for a better touchscreen experience or a MacBook Pro for sheer performance.