Dell has subtly changed the entry-level XPS 13, lowering storage and memory options for the same price, reflecting industry-wide inflation and chip shortages which threaten to reshape affordable premium laptops.
Dell has quietly altered the entry-level XPS 13 in a way that reduces value for some buyers while keeping the headline price unchanged. According to Dell’s own product pages, the base configuration now sells for $699.99 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, while a separate 512GB model is listed at $799.99. That means the starting price remains the same on paper, but the specification attached to it is leaner than the version many shoppers may have seen only weeks earlier.
The change matters because the XPS 13 was recently positioned as a relatively affordable premium ultraportable. PCMag reported that the model it reviewed last month cost $699 with 512GB of storage, which made the machine stand out in a market where premium laptops often ask more for less. Dell’s current configuration page now places the lower-storage version at the entry point, while the 512GB variant sits higher up the range. In practical terms, buyers now have to pay more to get the storage capacity that was previously bundled into the cheapest option.
Dell’s specifications show that the base machine still includes an Intel Core i5-320 processor and a 13.4-inch 2.5K touch display, so the core design remains the same. The trade-off is in memory and storage, and that is where the value equation has shifted. For customers who store photos, creative files or larger software packages locally, 256GB can disappear quickly once the operating system and pre-installed software are accounted for. The 8GB RAM limit may also be restrictive for people who keep many browser tabs, cloud apps and local programmes open at once.
The move also fits a wider pattern across the PC industry. Dell has already pointed to the AI-driven memory squeeze in earnings calls, and TechRadar has reported that DDR5 prices have risen sharply, with costs in some markets moving several times above pre-crisis levels. That pressure is not confined to laptops: component inflation is also affecting graphics cards and other consumer hardware. PCMag noted that Dell did not immediately comment on the pricing shift, although a company spokesperson previously confirmed a related increase to Mashable, where the 16GB-and-512GB version was said to have risen from $899 to $999. Gartner has separately warned that the sub-$500 entry-level PC segment could vanish by 2028, underscoring how persistent cost pressure may reshape the market well beyond this one model.
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