Dell vs HP: Which laptop brand is right for you?

Dell and HP are two well-known brands that offer a variety of laptops for students, business employees, and everyday users. 

You’ll find great workstations, 2-in-1 laptops, and premium options from both brands, but is one brand better than the other? If you’re looking for a new laptop and trying to decide between Dell vs HP, here’s what you need to know.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy HP Spectre 2-in-1 SEE ALSO: The best 2-in-1 laptops heading into 2024

A laptop’s specs are more important than the brand 

When searching for your next laptop, it’s more important to compare laptops by specs rather than by brand. Figure out how powerful your processor needs to be, whether you want a discrete GPU for a better gaming experience, how much RAM and storage you need, and whether you want a top-tier, vivid display or the standard option.

If you know which specs you’re looking for in a laptop, find similar options from Dell and HP and compare the two in terms of customization and overall value.

Dell vs HP: Price, customization, and customer service

When you search for laptops by specs on each brand’s website, you’ll find similarly priced devices with identical processors, amount of RAM, and so on. Of course, Dell or HP might run special deals that make a laptop significantly less than its twin on the other brand’s site, so it’s always worth checking for a similar laptop on both sites when you’re ready to buy.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Dell XPS 13 Plus

You can customize your desired processor, amount of RAM and storage, display specs, and more through both Dell and HP, but there are typically more customization options through Dell. More laptops on Dell’s site are customizable before purchase, whereas HP offers a lot of pre-built laptops with a set array of specs.

HP often allows you to customize the color of your laptop. With Dell, on the other hand, laptop color options are more limited. That said, you’ll typically find more customizable categories through Dell than HP, letting you choose between multiple CPU and GPU options, different displays, or a standard versus premium webcam.

Dell is widely regarded for having great customer service, but HP is slightly more hit-and-miss. Often, your customer support experience can depend on where you’re located, but Dell seems to be the fan-favorite brand among most online users for laptop customer service. 

Both brands offer a wide range of great laptops

Whether you’re in need of a laptop to write papers for school, draw up presentations for work, or play games for fun, both Dell and HP have plenty of unique options. The key to finding your next laptop is to research the perfect configuration of specs rather than choosing a brand first. 

Once you know what you’re looking for, find a laptop from each brand and check out reviews for that specific laptop. Keep an eye out for the new Dell XPS series as well as the HP Spectre x360 14.