Dell has announced a lineup of new AI PCs, combining cutting-edge generative AI performance with a sleek, streamlined naming convention. Drawing inspiration from Apple’s playbook, Dell’s new tiers — Dell (basic version), Pro, and Pro Max — simplify choices while showcasing the company’s push for innovation and user-friendly design.
In addition to the name changes and new products, Dell solidified its partnership with AMD on Jan. 6 ahead of CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
“To make finding the right AI PC easy for customers, we’ve introduced three simple product categories to focus on core customer needs,” Kevin Terwilliger, VP and GM of the Latitude and Docking business within Dell’s client product group, wrote in a press release.
Introducing Dell, Pro, and Pro Max
One aspect of Dell’s branding that remains unchanged is how laptop sizes are indicated, with the new lineup including 13, 14, and 16-inch models. However, familiar brand names like XPS and Inspiron have been replaced — or streamlined, depending on perspective — into simplified categories: Dell, Pro, and Pro Max.
- Dell will include laptops and PCs for student, personal, or entry-level business use.
- Pro adds more powerful GPUs (from Intel or AMD), and NPUs for generative AI processes.
- Pro Max is intended for heavy-duty professional use and adds the option of AMD’s Threadripper processor. AI inference and training can run on Pro Max devices.
Time will tell whether these categories — along with the further divisions into base, Premium, and Plus options — make it easier to tell which laptop is right for particular use cases.
The first devices to use the new naming scheme are:
- The Dell Pro 13/14 Premium Copilot PC.
- The Dell Pro 13/14/16 Plus.
- The Dell Pro 14/16.
- Dell Pro desktops.
- Dell Pro Max 14/16.
- Dell 14/16 Plus & Dell 14/16 Plus 2-in-1.
- Dell Pro Max desktops.
The new laptops will be available throughout the winter, with staggered releases depending on the tier:
- Dell Pro 13, 14 Premium, Dell Pro 14 Plus, and Dell Pro 16 Plus became available on Jan. 6.
- Dell Plus will come out on Feb. 18.
- Dell Pro 13 Plus will be released on Feb. 25.
- Dell Pro Max and Dell Pro 13, 14, and 16 Plus will become available in March or April.
Two new 4K displays are coming in 2025
Dell announced two new displays at CES:
- Dell UltraSharp 32 and 27 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitors for professional use, available globally on Feb. 25.
- Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED Monitor for entertainment, including AI-enhanced sound, available globally on May 22.
SEE: AMD introduced new Ryzen chips for faster AI, plus a novel Radeon line for gaming and content creation, at CES 2025.
AMD and Dell enter commercial partnership
Dell became a commercial partner with AMD for the first time. This means corporate Dell PCs — specifically the Dell Pro tier — will use AMD Ryzen AI PRO processors.
“We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with Dell on the next generation of commercial PCs powered by the AMD Ryzen AI PRO processors,” said Jack Huynh, SVP and GM of the computing and graphics group at AMD, in a press release. “Ryzen AI PRO CPUs are built to handle today’s workflows and tomorrow’s AI demands, and when combined with the power of a Dell PC, they create the perfect combination for the enterprise.”
The partnership potentially comes at the expense of Intel, which has been relegated to Dell’s lower consumer tiers.
TechRepublic is covering CES 2025 remotely.
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