Dell vs HP – Which Brand is Better and Why?

Buying a new laptop can be an incredibly overwhelming experience, especially if you don’t have a preferred brand. However as you have stumbled across this page discussing just two (HP and Dell), you’re already on the right track and miles ahead of most other consumers.

In fair to say that Dell and HP are the two of the most well regarded and long standing brands on the market, and for most are considered to be leaders in producing products a divers range and high quality.

So, Dell vs. HP: Which brand is better?

Dell vs. HP

Before making a decision, we should compare some central features of the laptops from both of these brands. Both of them produce models that take leading positions and stand out from the crowd, thanks to their characteristics and innovations.

And thanks to their extensive product ranges, everyone can find a machine that can cope with the needed tasks. Whether you are a journalist, student, web designer, or professional gamer, HP and Dell have something to offer you.

For those looking for a quick recommendation, broadly speaking the best laptops from both ranges can be summarized in the below 6 laptops

Dell – Best overall

With a virtually borderless display, Dell’s XPS range of laptops speaks volumes for their commitment to innovation and design. This notebook has been made even better with a powerful 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, over 12 hours of battery life, a comfy keyboard and surprisingly good audio.

Dell – Best mid-range

It’s thin, light, study magnesium-alloy chassis makes the Dell Inspiron range just as attractive as their flagship XPS models. With a mix of portability and power combined with a 14 inch display, this laptop is an excellent choice for both work and leisure, and those who cant quite justify the more powerful XPS model.

Dell – Best for those on a budget

The Dell Insprion 14 5000 does not have the design appeal and robustness of the above 14 7000 model, but it does just sit firmly above many of the other household and mainstream laptops in the same category. For this reason its best suited to those looking for a relatively inexpensive laptop that can be transported around without too much trouble.

HP – Best overall

HP have boosted their premium line further with the new Spectre x360 with an even more powerful and feature rich machine than last year models. With its discrete graphics card and powerful processor, this laptop contends against its peers without being overly heavy and bulky. …a portable power house.

HP – Best midrange

With an attractive slim chassis the high performing and compact HP Envy sits in the middle of HP’s range of laptops, and is more than capable of both leisure and work activities with a powerful processor, the option of AMD Ryzen chip, and an excellent battery life for those looking for portability.

HP – Best for those on a budget

Missing the build-quality of the above two laptops, the HP Pavilion is not the flashiest laptop in their range, but it’s fast enough for the money its costs and more than capable of handling every day use and even some light gaming.

Dell overview

Dell started its way as an electronics manufacturer in 1984. Now, the company offers us an extensive selection of services and products. However, PCs (Personal Computers) and laptops are still Dell’s principal domains.

From that time, Dell computers have been the workhorses of many offices and factories. But at the same time, numerous people preferred machines of this brand for home use.

Over time, Dell has joined several other companies. And today, this brand is a subsidiary of Dell Technologies, consisting of EMC and Dell.

Appearance

When it comes to appearance, we can see that Dell is not particularly keen on developing the design of their products. All of them have a uniform style, and the only exception is Alienware.

Dell focuses more on making its laptops reliable and convenient. So you can often find similar things in most Dell models. They can have the same shape or style.

Nevertheless, Dell has improved the design of its latest notebooks. Also, the company allows you to choose laptops in lovely vivid colors. If you like to be different, you will love it.

Besides, Dell offers customers beautiful gaming laptops. They have slim profiles, fancy logos, backlit keyboards, and smooth form factors. But still, the style and appearance of other laptops are somewhat limited.

Components

Components are an area of significant importance for Dell. The company uses high-quality and effective parts when building their products.

Dell produces notebooks ranging from budget laptops to high-end products. So the manufacturer uses different processors, including Intel and AMD. Most often, budget Dell laptops have dual-core processors inside. And for more expensive models, Dell favors quad-core processors.

You can choose a model with Intel HD integrated graphics card and Core i5 6th Gen processor for home use. But you can also find laptops with astonishing components like NVIDIA GTX 2080 video card and Intel Core i7 8th Gen processor.

In gaming laptops, Dell often uses the best NVIDIA and AMD components that guarantee its power. So it is all up to your preferences and needs.

Also, Dell has laptops of different screen sizes that range in size from 11 to 17 inches. Not all of the small budget laptops are full HD. But most of the larger and more expensive models are. And top Dell laptops have a 4k resolution.

The other thing that matters is the battery life of the laptop. Dell prefers using 2-cell and 3-cell batteries in their products. They are not so good as other types. So when you need a portable notebook, it can be a problem.

Performance

The performance of Dell’s high-end models, like Alienware, is unbelievable. The laptops of this series are one of the most powerful machines on the market.

They use Intel Core i9 10th Gen processors with the CPU up to 5.3 GHz and Turbo Boost 2.0. Alienware laptops have amazing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 video cards, 32 GB RAM, SSD disks, and 4k displays. So it will be hard to find a competitor for such a laptop.

Nevertheless, the performance of cheaper Dell notebooks is not so excellent. Many other brands can offer better laptops for the same price.

Innovation

Dell continually innovates its products, trying to make each model better and faster than the previous one. They improve their specifications and software to achieve higher performance.

One of the innovations is the possibility of enjoying a cinematic experience on your Dell XPS laptop using the Dell Cinema. It made a revolution in the quality of the laptop’s sound and color, so now you can get an improved cinematic performance from the Dell XPS notebook.

Besides, Dell developed innovations that make Dell Inspiron and Vostro laptops have superior performance, astonishing design, and high-quality construction materials. The company regularly innovates its products for better performance and user experience.

Customer support

Dell is one of the most reliable laptop manufacturers when it comes to customer support. The company sells each product with a warranty, and there are no problems with its return if something goes wrong.

Dell responds immediately, so you can call technical support and they will find you an assistant to fix your problem. He will explain to you what you should do and give you step-by-step instructions.

Also, there’s an option of a remote connection. So if you cannot fix something, an assistant can connect to your laptop and diagnose the problem.

And if it doesn’t help, you can visit the nearest Dell repair center. If the experts there cannot repair your machine, they will replace it without causing any inconvenience. That is why so many customers like Dell’s customer support.

Price

Dell laptops’ pricing is quite similar to that of other manufacturers. The company offers an extensive selection of products for various prices. But most of them are quite affordable. So if you have a limited budget, Dell will be the best choice for you.

Also, Dell sells its laptops through authorized retailers, and it allows for keeping prices down. As you already know, Dell produces models at different price categories, from cheap machines to high-end gaming laptops.

And even the lowest-priced laptop of this company can perform perfectly well. So it makes such an investment even more worth it.

Besides, Dell is one of those companies that allow you to build your laptop and customize its specifications. You can choose an operating system, keyboard, and many other features. Adding them will cost more, but it makes your laptop unique.

Where are Dell Laptops Manufactured?

Dell produces most of its laptops in Asian countries, particularly, Xiamen, China, and in Penang, Malaysia. Malaysian factory started its work in 1995, and the Chinese one in 1999. Also, Dell invests in a new factory in India and the South American one in Brazil. They help Dell to meet the demands of the market.

Dell had shut down several factories across the US due to high fees and rents. Nevertheless, they still produce their Alienware laptops in Austin, Texas. But they distributed most of the workload from the US plants between the Mexican and Asian factories.

What makes Dell stand out

An extensive range of laptops Dell has to offer its clients is one of the central things that sets this company apart from its rivals. The world of technology is highly competitive. But thanks to its innovations and perfect customer service, Dell remains at the top of the game.

Also, Dell’s pricing and high-end solutions help this brand to be one of the market leaders. And demanding consumers consider all of these factors when they choose a brand new laptop.

Recognitions

The above-mentioned factors have earned Dell a spot in the international awards scene. In 2018, Dell Mag laptop was the third best-selling laptop of the year. And Dell XPS 13 won the CES 2018 Innovation Award for its innovative solutions. And during the Trusted Reviews Awards 2018, Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 PC became the best PC of the year.

As you see, the laptops of this brand have created a hard-to-beat reputation in the computer technology market. And these awards and recognitions can prove it.

HP (Hewlett-Packard) overview

Hewlett-Packard is a direct competitor of Dell. Like many other computer technology giants, HP started in a car garage. And its founders are William Hewlett and David Packard. It is one of the most popular PC manufacturers among many users worldwide.

The company started by making cheap and not so pretty robust workstation laptops. Still, their first models had high-quality elements and durable form factors. It made them the most reliable laptops on the market.

Of course, Hewlett-Packard expanded its manufacturing and production campaigns to offer laptops for all users around the globe. Now they offer many other products. But computers remain their primary section.

HP’s products suit well both for office and home purposes. There are not so many different classes of its laptops, but customers still can find computers for their needs. And the best thing is that HP laptops are also quite affordable.

Appearance

As was mentioned above, design and appearance are quite significant for many customers. Many of those who do not care about the laptop’s specifications prefer buying a stylish laptop.

HP offers numerous beautiful laptops in its product range. However, you will face a limited choice of available colors. Also, you can find an all-metal casing laptop that looks chic and luxurious.

Most HP laptops feature sleek sophisticated designs that add aesthetical beauty to them and attract customers. HP Spectre Folio is an excellent example of this design.

Best designers have been working on creating this bold design with genuine chrome-tanned leather. As a result, everyone will love it. All HP laptops are rigid, reliable, and durable, as the manufacturer uses such high-quality materials and metals as Carbon fiber and Aluminium.

Components

Hewlett-Packard uses both AMD and Intel processors in its products, and their speeds are excellent. Of course, there is a difference in components used in budget laptops and the high-end ones.

HP uses Intel HD graphics processors in cheap models. And for more demanding gaming laptops, Hewlett-Packard uses NVIDIA graphics processors and the latest generation Intel processors. It allows for achieving maximum performance.

You can also choose laptops of different screen sizes. They vary from 13 to 17+ inches. The screen resolution also depends on the price. The more the laptop costs, the higher is screen resolution.

Customers like HP laptops for their battery life. It can last up to 12 hours. HP prefers using 3-cell and 4-cell batteries, and both of them work excellent.

Performance

If you need the best laptop in terms of performance, you should go for Hewlett-Packard models. All HP laptops are entertainment-oriented devices.

Most of HP products offer you more functions and better specifications than other brands’ laptops of the same price. As was mentioned above, they also have unique batteries that make them quite convenient to use.

Innovation

HP remains one of the leaders in hardware development, and the company continues producing unique and exciting products. We know HP for their innovations in laptops, desktop machines, scanners, and printers.

Although HP does not specifically direct its innovative efforts towards the notebooks’ development, they equip their latest laptops with improved features.

The company made the touchscreen technology the norm, and now HP produces the best 2-in-1 machines on the market. They attract many users, and their sophisticated design made them even more popular.

Customer Support

HP also cares about its customers. So there are several ways you can contact them if you need technical support. When purchasing a laptop, you will get 90-day free phone support and a one-year warranty against hardware problems.

Also, you can get in touch with them using the HP Support Assistant and via social media. Or you can call the Support Center. Moreover, they started a YouTube channel, so you can find a video explaining how to resolve some issues.

Nevertheless, customers often have to spend too much time on the line to address their problems. HP assistants often recommend you update your anti-virus software instead of fixing your problem.

Price

Usually, HP laptops are more expensive than the products of their competitors. However, there are reasons for that. HP often uses more costly components and materials, so the customers have to pay for it.

Also, you can buy HP laptops only from dedicated retailers. So there is no possibility of buying them from the company’s site. They also need to earn, so it increases the price of HP products.

Where are HP laptops Manufactured?

HP produces its best-selling laptops in the US. The company holds about 23% of the market share there.

Nevertheless, there are factories in Thailand, China, the Philippines, and Malaysia that supply different components for HP laptops. Notebooks assembled in the US have to meet the US market demands, and those assembled in China are for the Asian market.

Why HP stand out?

HP produces stylish products for everyone. You can buy a budget laptop or a 2-in-1 touchscreen one. Also, the manufacturer gives attention to every detail, like the number of ports or smooth touchpad. Also, buying HP laptops, customers get excellent sound quality.

Another thing that distinguishes HP laptops from others is their perfect design combined with sufficient technical resources. So they are suitable both for gamers and business users.

Dell vs HP: Comparision of two brands

Now you know all the details about both these brands. So let’s compare their central features.

• Appearance

Most HP laptops have a better design compared to Dell’s products, so they win this one in the Dell vs HP comparison. Nevertheless, Dell offers a big range of colors. And HP customers have to choose among standard colors.

• Characteristics

HP also has better characteristics. Their laptops can be more expensive, but they have more unique features.

• Performance

Comparing Dell laptops to HP ones, we see that HP models provide better performance. And there is the reason for that. HP produces laptops with improved multi-tasking, as they are quite popular among designers. And they use demanding software for work.

• Laptop options

However, Dell wins in a variety of manufactured laptops. The company offers an extensive product range. So they have models that meet any requirements.

• Ultrabooks

If you need to buy a stylish and powerful ultrabook, choose one of HP products. They are recognized experts in assembling such machines.

Is HP more expensive than Dell?

Yes, HP laptops are more expensive. And most of Dell products are cheaper than HP ones. So if you are short on the budget, most experts recommend choosing Dell laptops.

Is Dell or HP better for gaming?

Thanks to Dell’s Alienware gaming range of laptops, this brand defeats HP in the gaming category. Alienware models are the most powerful Dell laptops, and they are leaders of the market.

They use the best available components in these laptops. So you can enjoy playing even the most demanding games.

The Bottom Line

So, which brand is better? To answer this question, you should determine your needs and budget.

If you need an inexpensive but reliable laptop, you should choose Dell. Their laptops are usually cheaper, but the quality is still excellent. Also, choose this brand if you are looking for a gaming laptop. Dell’s Alienware offers you much better gaming performance than any HP laptop.

However, if you need a healthy combination of power and price, choose HP laptops. They offer you a beautiful design, excellent quality, and powerful hardware.