Between the Pavilion Plus 14 and XPS 16 (9650), the Pavilion Plus 14 comes out ahead in weight, while the XPS 16 (9650) wins on ram and storage. Overall, the Pavilion Plus 14 scores 56 and the XPS 16 (9650) scores 76.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The XPS 16 (9650) is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 20.7 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Pavilion Plus 14 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
Pick the XPS 16 (9650) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are ram, storage, battery, among others.
Both ship with comparable panel type, backlit keyboard, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the XPS 16 (9650) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why HP - Pavilion Plus 14 wins
- ▲Weight — 0.74 kg less. 1.39 vs 2.13.
Why Dell - XPS 16 (9650) wins
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 32 GB vs 16 GB.
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 1024 GB vs 512 GB.
- ▲Battery — 95.10% more. 99.5 Wh vs 51 Wh.
- ▲Refresh rate — 33.33% more. 120 Hz vs 90 Hz.
- ▲Claimed battery life — 30.00% more. 13 h vs 10 h.
- ▲Screen size — 16.43% more. 16.3 " vs 14 ".
- ▲CPU cores — 14.29% more. 16 vs 14.
- ▲Thunderbolt ports — 2.00 more. 3 vs 1.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | HP - Pavilion Plus 14 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.39 kglead | 2.13 kg |
| Thickness | 18.5 mmlead | 18.7 mm |
| Build material | aluminum | aluminum |
| Backlit keyboard | true | true |
| Fingerprint reader | false | truelead |
Display
| Spec | HP - Pavilion Plus 14 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 14 " | 16.3 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 90 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Panel typeⓘ | OLED | OLED |
Performance
| Spec | HP - Pavilion Plus 14 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| CPU cores | 14 | 16lead |
| GPUⓘ | Intel Arc Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop |
| RAMⓘ | 16 GB | 32 GBlead |
| Storageⓘ | 512 GB | 1024 GBlead |
| Storage typeⓘ | SSD | SSD |
Battery & Ports
| Spec | HP - Pavilion Plus 14 | Dell - XPS 16 (9650) |
|---|---|---|
| Batteryⓘ | 51 Wh | 99.5 Whlead |
| Claimed battery life | 10 h | 13 hlead |
| USB-C ports | 1 | 3lead |
| Thunderbolt portsⓘ | 1 | 3lead |
| HDMI | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, Pavilion Plus 14 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) claims up to 13 hours — 10h vs 13h.
Which is lighter, Pavilion Plus 14 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Pavilion Plus 14 is lighter at 1.39 kg vs 2.13 kg.
Which has more RAM, Pavilion Plus 14 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
XPS 16 (9650) offers 32GB of RAM.
Which has an OLED display, Pavilion Plus 14 or XPS 16 (9650)?+
Both have OLED displays.
Spec-level deep dives
More from the same brands
vsMars is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.