Dell XPS 14 (9440) vs HP Victus 16
The Verdict
Dell's XPS 14 targets professionals seeking ultrabook elegance with premium materials, exceptional build quality at 1.74kg, and a sharp 500-nit display perfect for creative work. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with 16 cores delivers superior single-threaded performance and efficiency, while 12-hour battery life suits all-day productivity. HP's Victus 16 pivots toward gaming and content creation with a larger 16.1-inch screen, higher 144Hz refresh rate, and DDR5 RAM, though its plastic construction and 7-hour battery feel budget-oriented. The Victus excels for gaming and multitasking on a bigger canvas, but weighs 570g more and lacks Thunderbolt. For professionals demanding portability, display quality, and longevity, the XPS 14 justifies its $900 premium through superior engineering and battery endurance. Gaming enthusiasts on tighter budgets should choose the Victus despite its compromises.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Dell XPS 14 (9440) if…
- →Striking minimalist CNC aluminum design
- →Optional 3.2K OLED touch display
- →Optional discrete RTX 4050 GPU
Buy the HP Victus 16 if…
- →RTX 4050 Laptop GPU handles 1080p gaming at high settings
- →144Hz display is smooth for competitive gaming
- →70 Wh battery is larger than most gaming laptops at this price
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Dell XPS 14 (9440)
Pros
- Striking minimalist CNC aluminum design
- Optional 3.2K OLED touch display
- Optional discrete RTX 4050 GPU
- Three Thunderbolt 4 ports plus microSD
- Excellent quad speaker setup
Cons
- No USB-A or HDMI ports
- Capacitive function row lacks tactile feedback
- Seamless haptic touchpad has no visible borders
- Battery life below class-leading ultrabooks
- Premium price for the base configuration
HP Victus 16
Pros
- RTX 4050 Laptop GPU handles 1080p gaming at high settings
- 144Hz display is smooth for competitive gaming
- 70 Wh battery is larger than most gaming laptops at this price
- Expandable storage with a second M.2 slot
- Understated design doesn't scream 'gaming laptop'
Cons
- FHD resolution on a 16-inch screen looks soft up close
- Heavy at 5.09 lbs with a bulky charger
- 300-nit display is dim for daytime use
- Plastic build feels budget compared to Legion or ROG rivals
Full Specifications
| Spec | Dell XPS 14 (9440) | HP Victus 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 1.74 kg | 5.09 lbs (2.31 kg) |
| Material | CNC aluminum and carbon fiber | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 320.0 x 215.5 x 18.0 mm | 14.09 x 10.2 x 0.92 inches |
| Ports | ||
| SD card | ||
| Thunderbolt ports | 3 | — |
| HDMI | — | |
| USB-A ports | — | 2 |
| USB-C ports | — | 1 |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours mixed use | Up to 7 hours |
| Capacity | 69.5 Wh | 70 Wh |
| Display | ||
| Size | 14.5 inches | 16.1 inches |
| Type | InfinityEdge IPS non-touch | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 144Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 500 | 300 |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 512 GB NVMe | 512 GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe |
| Expandable storage | ||
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | ||
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5x | 16 GB DDR5 |
| Cores | 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) | 12 cores (4P + 8E) |
| Chipset | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel Core i5-13500H |
Related Comparisons
This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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