HP vs Dell Laptops: Which Should You Buy?

In the market for a new laptop? Choosing the best laptop for you can be arduous, with a large range of laptop brands available. Whether you’re a gamer or looking for a new business laptop, there’s a laptop out there to suit your needs.

This article will give you the ultimate Dell vs HP laptop comparison to determine which brand makes the best laptop for you.

Dell vs HP Laptop Specs

Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell Computers are two of the largest laptop manufacturers in the world. Both brands originate in the US, with Dell founded in Texas and HP in California. Each brand has an extensive line of high-quality products with popular laptops from each brand such as the HP Pavilion and Dell Vostro and Dell Inspiron range.

Performance

Both Dell and HP laptops are capable of delivering high performance.

That said, most of these laptops use integrated Intel HD graphics to accommodate their thin and light build, so probably won’t make for the best gaming laptop. Integrated graphics cards won’t offer the performance that a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU) in a gaming laptop can.

If you’re looking for a Dell or HP laptop with maximum performance, Dell’s Alienware laptops have dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX graphics cards, but they’re not as slim or light as other Dell laptop lines.

Memory

Most HP and Dell laptops come with 8 or 16GB of RAM memory. Memory upgrades are available up to 32 GB on Dell laptops such as the Dell XPS 13, while upgrades up to 16GB are available on the HP Envy x360 and HP Spectre x360.

Battery Life

While it varies from laptop to laptop, both HP and Dell Laptop batteries generally last at least 10 hours on a charge. Typically, the greater the screen size and the higher the performance of the hardware (primarily GPU and CPU) the shorter the battery life.

Dell prefers using 2-cell and 3-cell batteries in their laptops, while HP tends toward 3-cell and 4-cell batteries.

Processors

Depending on the model, Dell and HP laptops use AMD or Intel processors.

Newer models from brands utilize the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processors or Intel Core i7 processors. For AMD Ryzen models, newer laptops include the Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 counterparts.

Budget laptops usually feature either the Intel Core i3 dual-core processor or Ryzen 3.

Storage

Dell and HP laptops use solid-state drives (SSDs). These are very fast to write, read, and copy files. HP offers 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB capacities while Dell offers 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and even a 2 TB laptop in the form of the Alienware x17 R2 gaming laptop. Some laptops offer USB-C ports that allow you to add an external hard drive for extra storage if required.

Operating System

All Dell laptops operate on Microsoft Windows, most on Windows 11 Home. While this is the case for most HP laptops, HP Chromebooks operate on the Google Chrome OS.

Dell vs HP Laptop Design

It’s relatively hard to compare design factors between two laptop brands since they have so many different models available for purchase. However, there are some design features unique to each brand that we’ll discuss below.

Display

HP and Dell use thin LED touch and non-touch displays that cover most of the screen bezel, making their laptops look sleek and high-tech. Their displays are generally crisp and bright with high resolution, but you’ll need to buy certain models to watch high dynamic range (HDR) content.

Both full HD and 4K displays, as well as touch screens, are available on their 2-in-1 laptop models. Dell also uses Corning Gorilla Glass which promises 100% Adobe RGB color accuracy.

Build Quality and Durability

The build quality of the Dell and HP laptops is very good overall. Both have machined aluminum cases that are strong, lightweight, and generally stay cool under heavy use. Additionally, Dell XPS series laptops feature carbon fiber on the base.

Dell vs HP Customer Experience

An often overlooked factor in deciding on a laptop or PC brand is the customer experience. Prices can differ drastically; if something goes wrong, you must know that you’re covered (or can easily get help).

Price

Overall, HP laptops are more affordable than Dell laptops. HP Laptops start at less than $300 (the Chromebook 11a) and go up to over $2000 with the HP OMEN line. The cheapest Dell laptop is the Inspiron 15 at $300, with the most expensive HP laptop, the precision 7770 Workstation costing almost $7,500.

That said, when similarly equipped in the mid-to-high-end laptop range, both companies offer competitively priced laptops. Both brands tend to be cheaper than Lenovo laptops and Apple Macbooks.

Warranties

Dell and HP offer a one-year limited warranty as standard for all laptop purchases. Extended warranties and on-site customer support are available with certain models or as extra-cost options.

Retailers

Both brands let you purchase through authorized retailers, such as Amazon, and their own websites. If you are buying a laptop that you want to customize you will need to purchase it through the company website. This will also make claiming any warranty issues much easier.

The Bottom Line: Dell vs HP Comparison

Ultimately, which brand is right for you will depend on your wants, needs, and budget. When it comes to Dell vs HP, both have dozens of models that meet different needs. When choosing a laptop, it’s best to find a handful of models within your price range and then compare them one by one.

But from a bird’s eye view, we’d say that Dell takes the cake. With a bigger range of models at (generally) more reasonable prices, you’re more likely to find something perfect for you.