Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (7415) review: an affordable home machine


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Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 key specs

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

(Image credit: Dell)

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U

Graphics: Integrated Radeon graphics

RAM: 16 GB DDR4

Screen: Full HD LCD (1920 x 1080)

Storage: 512 GB PC SN530 NVMe

Ports: 1 HDMI 1.4, 2 USB-A 3.1,1 USB-C 3.2 with Power Delivery, Micro SD, Kensington lock slot

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (2×2), Bluetooth 5.1

Weight: 3.43 lbs

Size: 0.71 by 12.66 by 8.32

The Dell Inspiron line has been the cornerstone of the affordable laptop market popular with students and budget travelers for some time. That’s why the Inspiron 14 standard is one of T3’s best laptops for students.

Hybrid laptops or 2-in-1 machines cover a wide range of models, from basic Chromebooks to ultrabooks. They not only offer a classic laptop experience, but also, by completely flipping the screen, a tablet format with the keyboard hidden. The hinge also allows you to place it in a tent-like position or (with the keyboard flat against the desk) a stand-alone monitor.

This adaptability makes them popular options for the home and office. This combination of a 360-degree hinge and touchscreen means these models cost a bit more than their standard laptop version.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 in tablet mode

(Image credit: Dell)

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7415 is available now from £ 679 / $ 799.99. My test model, with the Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, is priced at £ 898 / $ 999.99. The machine is also now available with the all new 11th Gen Intel Core processors starting at just £ 763 / $ 649. This unit ships with Windows 10 Home Edition, but Dell will offer a free upgrade to Windows 11 when it becomes available later this year.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

Using the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 in Monitor Mode

(Image credit: Dell)

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: SCREEN AND DESIGN

The Inspiron 14’s display is a bit of a letdown. It has decent colors and videos look good on the 14in Full HD touchscreen with thin edges, but it lacks brightness. We measured it at a maximum brightness of 200 Cd / M2, which is the base level that we consider acceptable. Working outside on a sunny day, it was just visible in the shade, but there wasn’t much that could be done in direct sunlight. This is disappointing, especially for a 2-in-1 system designed to be carried around and used as a tablet.

Above the screen is a small webcam with a sliding shutter. Slide the small switch and a piece of plastic slides over the webcam. Everything is contained within the bezel of the screen, so it’s not going to break. It’s a good idea for educational users or those who just want to keep things private.

No stylus is included, but the touchscreen is compatible with the Dell Active Pen PN350M. This attaches to the top lip of the cover with magnets, so you don’t risk losing it.

The case is well built, and the hinge that allows the screen to rotate in tablet mode is quite strong – it should withstand bumps and knocks without a problem. The keyboard isn’t great, however, with a flat, limp, and a bit more flexible feel that I like. If you’re a keyboard drummer like me, the entire keyboard flexes slightly as you get hit by the inspiration and start hammering on it. I don’t expect laptop keyboards to be as rugged as the mechanical keyboard I use every day, but the Inspiron 14’s more expensive cousins ​​feel better and more rugged. They don’t feel like they’re going to crack when the muse is with me and I’m having a blast in a poetic frenzy.

A nice touch is the inclusion of a combined sleep button and fingerprint reader at the top right of the keyboard, which is becoming standard fare on mid-range laptops. For those with kids or curious coworkers, this is a definite advantage as an easy way to control who can log on. Just press the button to put the device into sleep mode when you step away to brew a cup of tea, then press the button to turn it on and connect when you return.

The touchpad is large and responsive, with a nice mechanical click when you press it. It supports up to 10 keys, so you get all the standard multi-key features like two-finger scroll, three-finger touch, and swipe up to see all running programs, etc. mistaking this for a finger click when I rested my palm on the edge of the touchpad.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

(Image credit: Dell)

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

My test model of the Inspiron 14 was built around a Ryzen 7 5700U, the faster of the two options on offer. This processor includes 8 cores running at 1.8 GHz, although some of them can reach 4.3 GHz if needed. Paired with 16GB of RAM, I found this combination to be capable of a decent job, although it lags behind its faster cousins.

I tested the laptop using the PC Mark 10 benchmark, which simulates a number of common office tasks such as video conferencing, calculating spreadsheets, etc. It got a score of 5323, which is a bit slower than laptops like the Dell XPS 15 (with a score of 6030) but is a bit faster than the cheaper Asus Aspire 5, which ran 4007. I certainly found the Inspiron 15 adequate for general use – it went through spreadsheets and a few light photo edits without a problem. However, it started to choke when I applied more complex filters in Photoshop, and editing HD videos in Premiere was a stopping affair as the system struggled to create previews.

The same goes for games: The Inspiron 14 scored a rather poor score of 1182 on 3D Mark’s Time Spy test. Most 3D shooter games weren’t really playable, with frame rates in Doom Eternal ranging from 10 to 25 frames per second (fps) at Full HD resolution. It used to get 50-60fps more playable resolution if you lowered the resolution to something like 640 by 480, but we’re not in the 1990s anymore, and that’s not really enough these days.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

(Image credit: Dell)

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: battery life

The Inspiron 14 has decent battery life, lasting just over 11.5 hours in my testing with the PC Mark 10 Video benchmark. It should be remembered, however, that the computer only plays video in this test. Start playing games or doing serious work and it will be a lot less. However, it will still be more than enough for most uses and should get you through a day of college work or note taking.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1

(Image credit: Dell)

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: VERDICT

There’s a lot of competition for the Inspiron 14 – £ 900 / $ 1000 gets you a lot of computers these days. Overall, however, the Inspiron 14 is a decent choice for this budget, with decent performance and build quality. It’s not a gaming machine, however, and the tradeoffs that keep the price low are evident in the flimsy keyboard and screen that just can’t handle the brightness levels that squeeze games and videos out. the screen.

DELL INSPIRON 14 2-IN-1 7415 REVIEW: ALSO CONSIDER

The Acer aspire 5 shares many of the same features as the Inspiron 15, but costs a lot less. Starting at $ 500, it has a Full HD display and decent battery life, but the processor is a quad-core model and only comes with 8GB of RAM, while the Inspiron has a full-size processor. eight cores faster and double the memory.

The Dell XPS 13 is a big improvement over the Inspiron 14, but it adds up to the cost. The XPS includes a 4K OLED display option that puts the Inspiron 14 to shame, but it costs a lot more. The set is more refined and sturdy, however, with a superior keyboard, magnesium alloy casing, and better overall build quality. Is it almost double the price? It’s up to you, but we recommend that you keep this in mind if you want to handle heavy workloads on the go, or want to watch movies on the go on the beautiful OLED display.

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