If Dell's XPS notebooks are the thoroughbreds of ultrabooks, then the Inspiron series are the less glamourous workhorses. Take the latest Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Series for example. It's thicker, heavier, and generally less sexy than the Dell XPS 13. But the Inspiron is also much more affordable. My Intel-based Inspiron 14 (5410) review set costs S$1,349 and you can get it down to S$1,199 if you choose the AMD model. It won't attract envious glances at the cafe, but the Inspiron 14 will get the job done. Show
Quick specs
Its 14-inch full-HD display is probably the Inspiron 14's weakest link. It's not bright enough — 250 nits according to Dell — to be used outdoors. In fact, I ended up using it with the brightness set to at least 80 percent all the time. Even indoors, there's plenty of reflections that diminish the viewing angles despite its matte finish. Colours, too, look dull and a tad washed out. Dell probably opted for such a middling display in order to meet the Inspiron's affordable price tag. The bezels, though, are slim enough, while the 720p web camera above the screen has a mechanical shutter for privacy. This webcam cannot do facial recognition, but it doesn't need to because the Dell's power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor.  The rest of the Inspiron 14 is surprisingly good given its price. The build quality is particularly impressive. Dell uses aluminium for the chassis and lid, which gives the notebook a certain solidity. The lid also raises the laptop base slightly when opened. This design helps with the airflow and tilts the keyboard slightly to improve the typing experience. There is some flex in the keyboard and the key travel could be better, but the notebook's overall build quality is definitely better than expected. The Inspiron 14 also has a decent selection of ports. You'll get two USB-A ports, a USB-C port and a HDMI port, along with a microSD card slot. You can charge the notebook using the USB-C port or the dedicated charging port. The laptop bottom becomes fairly warm while running an intensive program like PCMark 10. I'm glad that the lid was slightly raised. The fan sounded faint even during benchmarking and I could barely hear it. The Inspiron 14 scored 4,766, which is comparable to the HP Spectre x360 14 (4,720). The presence of an entry-level Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics chip means that you can run casual games or AAA games (at low settings). Hades, for example, ran at around 200fps at 1080p. However, the notebook gets very warm during gaming — definitely don't place it on your lap. The Dell Inspiron 14 also excelled in our video-loop battery test, lasting 9hr 22min. Its relatively dim display probably helps with the battery life here. My review set comes with Windows 10 Pro, but you can also select Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro (prices will vary slightly). Overall, the Inspiron 14 is a portable mainstream notebook with excellent battery life. It is a good fit for less demanding users such as students and office workers. You can get it from Dell or from Shopee. Note: Review unit provided by Dell. Any purchase you make through our links may generate a commission. It supports our work, but does not dictate our editorial reviews. See our FAQ . Dell’s new Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) 2-in-1 comes with Intel’s latest 8th Gen Whiskey Lake CPUs under the hood and the option to include its snappy Optane Memory technology. While Intel’s Whiskey Lake CPUs are all present and correct here, but note that, there’ll be versions with different Wi-Fi modules available to buy, so if this is something you’re planning on taking advantage of, check the specs before you hand over your money. We’re currently unsure how much choice you’ll have over this when it comes to buying, but you will have a wealth of SSD and HDD storage options at your disposal. Optane’s main claim to fame is that it can greatly increase the speed at which files are retrieved from HDDs, thanks to a system which sees commonly-accessed files cached. For larger files, you’ll probably be better off with an SSD option. Depending on your working methods and requirements, Optane may or may not be useful to you. Related: Intel Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) – DesignAt around 1.7kg, the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) isn’t the lightest laptop out there by any stretch, which just goes to show how many airy devices have been unveiled this year. That said, I could easily pick the Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) up in one hand and don’t think that carting this around a trade show between briefings would be a big deal – it feels entirely luggable. The keyboard was nice to type on, and while it doesn’t have the ultra responsiveness of the maglev type keys we’ve seen in higher-end XPS machines, it felt up to the standard we’d expect from one of the more premium Inspiron machines. Related: Best laptops Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) – SpecificationsDell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) Display 14-inch Full HD LED with IPS CPU Core i7-8565U, Core i5-8265U, Core i3-8145U Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce MX130 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM Memory 4GB, 8GB, 12GB (8GB + 4GB),16GB, 32GB DDR4 2666MHz, 24GB (8GB 2666MHz DDR4 DRAM + 16GB Intel Optane Memory) Storage 128GB m.2 PCIe Solid Slate Drive, 256GB m.2 PCIe Solid Slate Drive, 500GB 5400rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 1TB 5400rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 2TB 5400rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 128GB m.2 PCIe Solid State Drive + 1TB 5400 rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 256GB m.2 PCIe Solid State Drive + 1TB 5400 rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 128GB m.2 PCIe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400 rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive, 256GB m.2 PCIe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400 rpm 2.5-inch SATA Hard Drive. Wireless Connectivity 802.11ac 1×1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 / 802.11ac 1×1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 / 802.11ac 2×2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 Ports 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB Type-C (FF), USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4b, 3.5mm headphone jack, SD card reader Battery 3-Cell 42WHr Battery (estimated battery life not specified) Dimensions 328x233x19.95mm Weight 1.757kg Dell’s spec sheet notes that if you go for Optane RAM, this will see you sacrificing the M.2 slot, meaning those SSD options won’t be available to you. Related: Dell Inspiron 2018 update Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) – PriceDell says that the Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) range starts at £599/$599.99. Given the many different storage and memory options available to you, expect prices to fluctuate vastly between configurations. Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) – Release dateThe Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) goes on sale in the UK on September 6 and in the US on October 2. Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) – First impressionsSolid and reliable-feeling, the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 (5482) could be a winner with people who want a decent workhorse laptop that they can customise to meet their specific storage and memory needs. If you want something primarily for writing or video work, then the cheaper Optane-enhanced HDD option might benefit you, and there’s a dedicated GPU offering there which might be especially useful for editing work – though we don’t have an idea about colour space coverage or temperature, so that’s a little harder to call right now. How we test laptopsUnlike other sites, we test every laptop we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product. How good is Dell i3 laptop?Ultimately, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 has quality specs, a good design, and a very affordable price, making it our favorite laptop to configure with a Core i3 processor. When was Dell Inspiron 14 5000 released?Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5490 Full Specifications. How long does the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 battery last?The Dell Inspiron 14 also excelled in our video-loop battery test, lasting 9hr 22min. Its relatively dim display probably helps with the battery life here. Does Inspiron 14 5000 have touch screen?2022 Newest Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5406 2 in 1 Laptop 14" HD Touchscreen 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor 8GB RAM 256GB SSD Webcam HDMI Backlit Keyboard Windows 10 S Silver. |
