- Virtual CIO
How to Create an IT Budget That Actually Works
11 Mar, 2026







£977.18 inc. VAT
AI-generated summary
If you want a dependable business laptop without getting sucked into “premium” pricing, this Dell Pro 14 Essential looks like a sensible buy around the £698 ex‑VAT mark. The Ryzen 5 + modern DDR5/SSD combo should feel responsive for everyday office work, Teams/Zoom, browser-heavy tasks, and light productivity stuff (docs, spreadsheets, a bit of reporting). Dell’s Pro line also tends to be serviceable in the real world—good build, sensible management features, and generally fewer headaches than cheaper off-brand options when you’re supporting multiple users.
Who it’s for: small businesses, growing teams, and anyone standardising on mainstream Windows laptops who values reliability over flashy performance. It’s especially a good fit if your users are mostly “knowledge worker” types and you don’t need heavy video editing, huge CAD loads, or constant multi-GPU workloads. Who should pause: if you’re buying for power users that benchmark well but can’t afford compromises (or if you need lots of upgradability/ports for specific workflows), you might find better value by stepping up or comparing against slightly higher-spec models in the same Dell/competition bracket. As always with this price tier, the key question is whether you’re paying for “just enough” or actually getting the storage/performance headroom your roles will grow into over the next couple of years.

Portable power
A slim, lightweight 14-inch laptop designed to move with you effortlessly-whether it's to a meeting or simply the next room. Powered by AMD Ryzen™ processors for great performance and long-lasting ...

Secure and reliable
Built to last, this laptop undergoes rigorous military-grade testing to ensure reliability as you put it through the rigors of everyday use. For added security, it includes the built-in Trusted Pla...

Reliability you can trust
Among Small and Medium-Business IT decision makers, Dell scored significantly higher than industry peers on perceptions of having the best quality products. Heat These devices withstand short-term...

Take your work anywhere
The Dell Pro 14 Essential is equipped with productivity features that ensure a seamless experience, no matter where you are.

Accelerate business success with Copilot and Windows 11 Pro
AI-powered multi-tasking mastery for a new way of working with Windows 11 Pro. With features like Copilot in Windows, get better answers, grow your skills, and effortlessly optimize workflows. Wind...

Committed to sustainability
This laptop is designed with responsible materials including recycled and low emissions aluminum and recycled steel. To reduce our environmental impact further, we've developed a new method for cre...

HP
HP ProBook 4 G1i Notebook AI - Intel Core Ultra 7 - 255H / up to 5.1 GHz - Win 11 Pro - Intel Arc Graphics - 24 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD NVMe - 16" IPS 1920 x 1200 - Gigabit Ethernet - Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth - pike silver aluminium - kbd: UK - with HP Wolf Pro Security Edition (1 year)

Dell
Dell Pro 16 PC16250 Intel? Core? Ultra 7 255U (12 TOPS NPU, 12 cores, up to 5.2 GHz) 16 GB: 1 x 16 GB, DDR5, 5600 MT/s (5200 MT/s with Intel? Core? processors) 512 GB, SSD 16", Non-Touch, FHD+, IPS, 300 nits, 45% NTSC, Anti-Glare, FHD Cam No Fingerprint Reader, No vPro FHD HDR RGB Camera, TNR, Camera Shutter, Microphone MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7920, 2x2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth? 5.4 wireless card English UK backlit Copilot key keyboard with numeric keypad 3-cell, 45 Wh, ExpressCharge? Capable, Express

Lenovo
Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 6 21S8 - AI PC - 180-degree hinge design - AMD Ryzen 7 Pro - 250 / up to 5.1 GHz - Win 11 Pro - Radeon 780M - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVMe - 14" IPS 1920 x 1200 - Gigabit Ethernet - Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth - black - kbd: UK - with 1 Year Lenovo Premier Support, CO2 Offset 0.5 ton (2nd Gen)

HP
HP EliteBook 6 G1a Notebook AI - AI PC - Intel Core Ultra 5 - 225U / up to 4.8 GHz - Win 11 Pro - Intel Graphics - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD NVMe - 14" IPS 1920 x 1200 - Gigabit Ethernet - Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth - pike silver aluminium - kbd: UK
Powered by industry-leading technologies including SolarWinds, Cloudflare, BitDefender, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Cisco Meraki to deliver secure, scalable, and reliable IT solutions.