Dell Pro Plus PB14255 14" Clamshell Review

The Dell Pro 14 Plus is a weird one. It's got a monster CPU that crushes everything, but it's wrapped in a package that feels a bit confused. The one thing you need to know? This laptop is a CPU powerhouse in a thin-and-light body, but you're making some serious compromises on the screen, storage, and reliability to get there. It's built for someone who needs raw processing muscle on the go, and is willing to overlook a lot of other stuff.

That AMD 350 50-core CPU is the star of the show, sitting in the 99th percentile. It's an absolute beast for compiling code, running VMs, or heavy multitasking. The surprise is how average everything else feels. The discrete Radeon 860 GPU is only in the 55th percentile, so gaming is just okay, and that 512GB SSD is pretty skimpy for a $2,000 machine. The performance story is all about that one incredible chip.

At just over $2,000, the value proposition is tough. You're paying a premium for that insane CPU and the 32GB of RAM, but you're getting a mediocre screen, small storage, and questionable reliability. If your work lives and dies by CPU cores, it might be justifiable. For everyone else, it's a hard sell.

For a similar compact pro machine, the Apple MacBook Pro 14" with M4 Max is the obvious rival. You'll pay more, but you get a stunning screen, insane battery life, and a cohesive, reliable package, though you're locked into macOS. If you need Windows and more balance, the ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a revolutionary dual-screen setup for creative work, though its CPU isn't as powerful. The gaming-focused laptops like the MSI Vector 16 offer way better GPUs and screens for less money, but they're much heavier.

This is a niche pick. I can only recommend the Dell Pro 14 Plus if your primary, non-negotiable need is the highest possible multi-core CPU performance in a sub-4-pound laptop, and you don't care much about screen quality, storage space, or long-term reliability. For 95% of people, the MacBook Pro 14" or a more balanced Windows ultrabook is a smarter, more enjoyable purchase.