The Dell XPS 13 Laptop is on sale for $949.99 right now, which is $350 off the regular price, and that makes it a pretty strong deal if you want a small but fast laptop you can carry anywhere. You are getting an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with 8 cores that can go up to 4.8 GHz, so you can run a lot of browser tabs, coding tools, office work, light photo edits, or streaming without the system feeling slow. The 16GB of LPDDR5X memory is more than enough for daily use and even heavier multitasking, and the 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD gives you quick boot times and fast app launches with a good chunk of storage for files and media. If you have been fighting with an older laptop that takes forever to start or load apps, this will feel like a big upgrade.
You also get a 13.4-inch 2K display with a 30–120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, which is nice if you care about a clear picture and smooth scrolling. The InfinityEdge design keeps the bezels thin so the screen fills most of the lid, which makes the whole laptop feel more modern and lets you keep the footprint small without giving up screen space. At around 2.6–2.7 pounds and just over half an inch thick, this is the kind of laptop you can throw in a bag and not think about. The CNC‑machined aluminum chassis helps it feel solid, not flimsy plastic, which matters if you take it to class, the office, or coffee shops all the time.
This model runs Ubuntu Linux 24.04 LTS out of the box, so it makes the most sense for you if you are comfortable with Linux or want a machine for development, admin work, or just a clean, bloat‑free setup. Since it is not compatible with Windows for Microsoft Office on this config, you should plan on using web versions of Office, LibreOffice, or other Linux‑friendly apps. The Intel Arc graphics are fine for everyday tasks, streaming, and some light gaming or GPU‑assisted work, and the Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support give you fast wireless and solid connections to your mouse, headset, and phone. The quad‑speaker setup with Realtek audio, 8W total, is decent for watching shows or listening to music without external speakers.
For day‑to‑day use, the details round it out pretty well. You get a platinum backlit keyboard with a fingerprint reader for quick logins, a precision touchpad with multi‑touch support, and a 1080p FHD RGB camera with a separate IR camera, which helps with better video calls and secure sign‑ins where supported. There are two Thunderbolt 4 USB‑C ports that handle power, data, and DisplayPort, so you can plug in docks, external monitors, or fast storage, as long as you are fine living the USB‑C adapter life. The 55 Wh battery and 60W USB‑C adapter should be enough for a full work or school day with normal use, depending on what you run. You also get 1 year of ProSupport with next business day onsite service after remote diagnosis, which is nice peace of mind if you depend on your laptop for work or classes. If you are looking for a thin, light, premium‑feeling Linux laptop with strong specs for under a thousand dollars, this deal on the Dell XPS 13 is worth a serious look.
