Dell XPS 13 review: The first budget laptop to rival Neo raises the bar for all PCs

https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/d2748a90b75d099ca3f8e1b0ab2204141ba2b183/2026/08/14/c8a96333-f1fc-4259-a667-15a8ba8800fb/dell-xps-13-1.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=675&width=1200

Dell XPS 13 (2026)4 / 5Very good

pros and cons

  • Gorgeous build.
  • Excellent battery.
  • Display punches above its price point.
  • Very thin and light.
  • 8GB of RAM is limiting.
  • Only two USB-C ports.

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Dell's new XPS 13 dropped with a singular purpose in mind: compete with (and take down) the MacBook Neo. Does it do that? It depends. But it absolutely does raise the bar for "budget" Windows laptops -- something PC makers realized they could no longer avoid post-Neo.

Perhaps, then, the question is not so much about the Dell XPS 13's relationship to Apple's most affordable MacBook and more about how it relates to other inexpensive Windows devices. Seen in that light, the XPS 13 is the best budget Windows laptop on the market right now.

Also: Dell's new XPS 13 is a MacBook Neo...

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