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There's no doubt that Dell offers a lot of laptops in its lineup. At the top is the XPS, for work there is the Latitude series and then there are gaming laptops from the Alienware series. But if you're a student, a parent, or someone who just wants a simple laptop that has a little bit of all three lines, but doesn't go overboard, then the Inspiron series is what you want to look at.
Inspiron laptops are designed with budgets and experience in mind.the new Inspiron 14 2-in-1it is not different. With an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor under the hood and a slim bezel display, this laptop is perfect as a regular everyday machine for web browsing, light photo editing and your daily Teams or Zoom calls. We were given one to review, and after using it, here's why we think it's a good performing laptop for students or anyone else.
Specifications and price
Our review unit was configured with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also has a 14-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Our particular configuration is one of the higher-end models.It retails for $1,059. Without our upgrades, you can get the base model with a Ryzen 5 5500U, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $860. When it's on sale, the upgrade difference is only $100, making it an interesting buy.
All AMD Ryzen units also come in "Mist Blue" color. Dell uses a sustainable water-based dye to achieve this color and help make the device environmentally responsible.
To draw
Any laptop intended for school and long-term use needs to be durable, and the Inspiron does not disappoint. This device has an aluminum and plastic design, which gives the impression of premium quality. The cover barely flexes and the keyboard is very solid. Combined with the 'Misty Blue' color, it is also very attractive in appearance, standing out from the gray or black 2-in-1s that dominate the market. Note that there is an Intel version of this as well, but it comes in silver.
Since this is a 2 in 1, I'll also mention the hinges. Going through opening, closing, and moving the Inspiron through its four modes, it stayed strong with my every move. The hinges hold the laptop in place at all the angles I tested it at. Like most other devices in this category, the laptop's base will also lift up when the lid is opened, raising the keyboard to a comfortable angle.
This stand has lots of vents and there are hidden holes on the back of the keyboard (that's the side facing the screen). Dell also told me that they tested the hinges by opening and closing the device. up to 20,000 times. This is a device that is sure to last.
When it comes to weight, the Inspiron is manageable. It weighs about 3 pounds and is just under half an inch thick. This is common for laptops in this price range, as is the "beveled" design, where the laptop is thick at the back and thin at the front. However, Dell has rounded the corners of the laptop to make it look a little more luxurious. He says this can help you move the device more easily.
ports and security
Today, laptop manufacturers seem to be removing ports rather than adding them. But in the Inspiron series, Dell doesn't. This Inspiron 14 2-in-1 has all the ports you could need as a student, parent or worker. Ports include an HDMI port, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There's even a microSD card reader.
Since this is an AMD system. no support for Thunderbolt. But the USB-C port can be used to charge the laptop with the original charger. It's nice to see this feature, as most other laptop manufacturers might include a barrel charger instead of USB-C. Note that the USB-C port can also be used for external displays if you prefer that over HDMI.
When it comes to security, the Inspiron is inspired (pun intended) by Lenovo. You can slide the lid over the webcam to cover it when not in use. It's a neat little trick that should come in handy for students who always use sticky notes to cover their webcam. There's also a fingerprint reader built into the power button so you can protect your account and be password-free in Windows 10.
screen and web camera
As for the screen, for general web browsing and multimedia, the Inspiron is up to the job. Brightness can reach up to 270 nits in our tests. It also comes with 63% sRGB gamut and 44% Adobe RGB coverage. Compared to the XPS, these aren't great numbers, but you have to remember that this is a budget laptop. Yes, the screen could be brighter and more vibrant, but for basic everyday use it's fine. Again, the numbers are close to what you get on other budget laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5.
On one occasion, I used my Inspiron to watch YouTube tutorials for a game.Night in the forest.This game looks dark, but at 70% brightness, the Inspiron did a good job of showing the red of Mae's eyes and the black of her fur. In the meantime, I've stacked my browser windows side by side for work.
The Inspiron has thin side bezels, which means you have a bit more vertical space. This is inspired by the XPS series, but note that it's not a true bezel-less experience, as you'll still have thick bezels at the bottom. But these bezels help you use the device in tablet mode, where you might need some space to grab something.
And in this, my review unit works with a stylus! I used the Dell Active Pen on my XPS 13 2-in-1 and the screen recorded it well. Dell tells me that it lists stylus support on the Inspiron 14 product page, so if you need it, you can buy it as an accessory.
I'll finish this section by touching on the webcam. The webcam is 720p, which is fine for most situations. However, with most laptop manufacturers moving to 1080p in 2021, I'm hoping this could change in next year's model. 720p is fine for my internet calls, and my colleagues didn't say I looked like a potato when using the Inspiron's webcam, but 1080p adds extra detail that makes all the difference.
implementation
We've talked about the competition between AMD and Intel before, and since this is an AMD system, you should expect incredible performance from the Inspiron 14 2-in-1. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is no joke. And the Ryzen 5 option isn't either. With 8 cores and 16 threads, this Ryzen 7 can take the Inspiron pretty far.
In our tests, the Inspiron came home with1139 single core score and 5985 multi core score. I also used the Inspiron to do some light video editing and compose my "Windows 11 tour" video, and I finished encoding a 10-minute 1080p movie in Filmora in about 8 minutes, which isn't bad considering the integrated graphics.
In terms of gameplay, Fortnite performed well on the system at low settings, reaching around 30fps and closer to 20 at medium settings. Meanwhile, GTA V ran close to 23 on high settings and 30 on medium settings. You could enjoy light gaming with this device, but I wouldn't bet too much on it. It would be necessary to adjust the settings. This is more of a productivity laptop.
Aside from these demanding tasks, the Inspiron is suitable for web browsing and everyday work. The usual 10+ tab workflow in Edge didn't make the device cough and tabs didn't freeze or reload. This is a very good performance laptop for the basics.
Keyboard and touchpad
Since this laptop will be used by students or parents at home, a powerful keyboard and trackpad are essential and this is where the Inspiron excels. Dell says this new Inspiron offers a full-size keyboard with 9% larger keys than the previous generation.
I like the larger keys because they give my fingers more room to slide while typing quickly. I also liked how quiet the keyboard was, as it was one of the smoothest and quietest I've ever typed on. As for the trackpad, it seems quite thin but quite smooth. It's also a good size and supports all the gestures of Windows 10. I wish it felt a little sturdier, but that's just me.
Battery life
I like laptops where the battery can last all day, and this can be added to the mix. Since my working day is from 8 a.m. At 4 p.m. Latitude went from 100% to 30% battery with brightness set to medium and recommended battery wipe. In the video streaming test, where I cut the same video, it lasted about 11 hours at the same settings. Regardless, you can easily expect 8-11 hours of battery life from the Latitude.
softver dell
Dell Inspiron laptops come pre-installed with additional Dell software. You'll get pre-installed Dell Mobile Connect and Dell Cinema Color (to name a few). Dell Mobile Connect can help you connect your phone to your computer so you can receive text photos and more on your computer. Meanwhile, Cinema Color modifies the screen for various multimedia. I like this add-on because it adds value to your computer.
worth the price
Priced at just under $1,000, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is a good all-around laptop. With AMD Ryzen chips under the hood, it works great as a regular everyday machine for web browsing, light photo editing and daily Teams or Zoom calls.