The Dell Inspiron 15 has stood the test of time well enough to become a household name in the world of consumer friendly, low to mid range laptops. Suitable for a host of applications, the notebooks belonging to the 7000 series offer a good combination of performance and functionality.
Review
The Dell Inspiron 15 I7548-2129SLV has been a people’s favorite since its launch earlier this year. It has a dual core Intel Core i5-5200U with 3 megabytes of available cache, enough computing power for serious multitasking. The 6 gigabytes of factory installed system memory are dubious at first, but since this is a bridge device between an affordable home laptop and a more expensive versatile machine, it makes sense for Dell to install not 4, not 8, but 6 GB of RAM. However, should you need more memory, the Inspiron can handle 2 sticks up to a total of 16 gigabytes of RAM.
Learn more about the Dell and check prices on Amazon.com
Storage space is big enough to stash entire music, movie and photo collections, with 1 terabyte available on a mechanical hard disk drive. One drawback this laptop has is the lack of a dedicated video card. I would have loved to see discrete graphics on the Inspiron to compensate for not having an SSD and to take full advantage of the brilliant display it’s equipped with. Therefore, you won’t be able to play new game releases and even older ones will likely have to be played at medium to low settings to preserve framerates.
As I said earlier, the screen is great on the Dell Inspiron 15 7000: a 15.6 inch LED backlit touchscreen with IPS technology and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It really stands out on its own and makes the laptop come to life, offering great picture quality regardless of the viewing angle.
It’s worth mentioning that the finishing quality and build materials (full aluminum body) make us compare this mid ranger to more expensive ultrabooks. It really is well made and sturdy enough to withhold some punishment from accidental drops or spills. Also, extra features offer a good boost in value: backlit keyboard, HDMI over WiFi via Intel Wireless Display technology and one USB 3.0 port with Sleep and Charge.
Technical Specifications
[table width =”100%” style =”table-simple table-hover” responsive =”true” class=”customtable”]
[table_head]
[th_column]Product[/th_column]
[th_column]Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series I7548-2129SLV[/th_column]
[/table_head]
[table_body]
[table_row]
[row_column]Details[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]PROCESSOR[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Name[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel Core i5-5200U[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Dual Core[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Speed[/row_column]
[row_column]2.2 GHz up to 2.7 GHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]CPU Cache[/row_column]
[row_column]3 MB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]SYSTEM MEMORY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Installed Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]6 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]16 GB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Memory Type[/row_column]
[row_column]DDR3L SDRAM @ 1600 MHz[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Total Memory Slots[/row_column]
[row_column]2 slots[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]STORAGE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]1 TB[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Type[/row_column]
[row_column]HDD[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Storage Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]SATA, 5400 rpm[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]DISPLAY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Size[/row_column]
[row_column]15.6″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Truelife Touchscreen[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]LED Backlit, IPS[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Screen Resolution[/row_column]
[row_column]1920 x 1080[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Aspect Ratio[/row_column]
[row_column]16:9[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touchscreen[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]GRAPHICS[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Processing Unit[/row_column]
[row_column]Intel HD Graphics 5500[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphic Card Type[/row_column]
[row_column]Integrated[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Graphics Memory[/row_column]
[row_column]Shared[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]AUDIO & VIDEO[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Audio Technology[/row_column]
[row_column]HD Audio[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Speakers[/row_column]
[row_column]2 speakers[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Webcam[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, 720p[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]NETWORK AND COMMUNICATION[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Wireless LAN[/row_column]
[row_column]802.11ac, Dual Band, 1×1[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Bluetooth[/row_column]
[row_column]Bluetooth 4.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Ethernet[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INTERFACE[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]USB Ports[/row_column]
[row_column]2 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]HDMI[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes, HDMI v1.4a[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]VGA[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Headphone/Mic[/row_column]
[row_column]Audio Combo Jack[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Multi Card Slot[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes (SD/HC/XC)[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]LAN (RJ45)[/row_column]
[row_column]No[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]INPUT DEVICES[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Touch Pad / Track Pad[/row_column]
[row_column]Precision Touch Pad[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Standard notebook (84 keys)[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Backlit Keyboard[/row_column]
[row_column]Yes[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]BATTERY[/row_column]
[row_column][/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Type[/row_column]
[row_column]3-Cell Li-Ion[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Battery Capacity[/row_column]
[row_column]43 Whr[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Maximum Battery Life[/row_column]
[row_column]Up to 8 hours[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Other Features[/row_column]
[row_column]Full Aluminum Body[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Operating System[/row_column]
[row_column]Windows 8.1[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Dimensions (W x D x H)[/row_column]
[row_column]14.87″ x 10.28″ x 0.78″[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[table_row]
[row_column]Weight[/row_column]
[row_column]4.53 lbs[/row_column]
[/table_row]
[/table_body]
[/table]
Scores, Pros and Cons
[row]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”85″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Performance: 8.5/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”85″ bartype=”progress-bar-info” label=”Functionality: 8.5/10″]
[/column]
[column lg=”4″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
[progressbar value=”95″ bartype=”progress-bar-success” label=”Price: 9.5/10″]
[/column]
[/row]
[list]
[li]Pros[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Great Full HD display[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Good processor[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Sufficient storage space[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Full aluminum body[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Impressive 8 hour battery life[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Fairly lightweight for its purpose[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-plus”]Nice added features[/li]
[li]Cons[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]No discrete graphics[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-minus”]No SSD[/li]
[/list]
Final Thoughts
I think Dell managed to pull off a very good transitional laptop for users who need extra power, functionality and battery life, but don’t want to spend a fortune. Few compromises were made with the Dell Inspirton 15 I7548-2129SLV, while leaving enough space for the user to upgrade the laptop to better suit his needs (like replacing the hard drive with an SSD or adding more system memory). Also, 8 hours of battery life is a pretty good figure for a laptop with these specs.
