Dell Inspiron 15R Special edition (7520)

PM sent. We have you covered. Just need the requested detail sent to me in email so I can forward along. Thanks for your patience.

Your English is a lot better than my Spanish.
Not sure of the NITS for the 15", but the color gamut rating is 12% higher for the 17" than the 15". My guess is the 17 has the better screen. Just a guess, though.
Battery life is noticeably better on the 15. Same size battery in both systems.
How to spend your CPU money is a personal decision. For me, if I don't have a specific usage pattern in mind that requires Quad Core and i7 power, I stick with the i5 and spend my money elsewhere on SSD or more RAM.
I never use Bluray or any optical drive, so I don't know if it's worth it to you or not.
mSATA is working well, and yes you can install the OS on it and use the regular HDD for everything else.
Both systems have one HDD bay and an mSATA port.
I have not tested either one for heat issues yet, but I'm pretty sure there shouldn't be any problems.
Sound is subjective, but it has the same class of speaker as the previous generation.

Why not get one 15" and one 17" instead?

EDIT:
corrections and additions- oops
The screen on the 15" is 200 nits. The screens on the 17" are 400 nits except for the 3D version, which is 200 nits. FHD (1080p) options are available on both in the US. There may be different offerings in different regions, and that applies to every component. I generally speak in US terms.
There are 2 HDD bays on the 17" and one on the 15". Both have mSATA ports.

 

all sorted as per your Pm and replies, just waiting contact etc now,

and just wanted it mention on the thread you are indeed a God

if ever you make it over to the UK theres a cold beer waiting for you

 

Hi everyone!

Do you guys know if the Dell Inspiron 15R SE will soon have the option of a 7200rpm HDD? Right now it is 5400rpm and from my point of view it is the weak point of the laptop.

Another question, in which countries so far do you have the option of backlit keyboard? In Spain (where I'm from) we don't have that option yet.

Dell commercials in Spain don't now the answer to this question, or at least they don't want to give this kind of information.

I'm just waiting for these 2 things to buy my Dell Inspiron 15R SE.

Cheers!

 

@Dell-Bill_B... MANY TAHNKS!!!!!.

Well, after speaking all day with my comercial of Dell in Spain I am very frustrated.

First of all, The computers send to home in about ten day (I need urgent for a projetct!!!).

Second, My comercial don´t want to applicate any disccount...Time ago always doing it.

Well, sum all... I decided for two of this in a local shop (I´ll receive tomorrow)... for 799€. I like the offer and I think is a very well computer too.

What do you think?... Is 2nd generation but it´s a core i7, blu-ray, Fhd with more than 200 nits, very good sound..etc,etc.

ASUS - Notebooks- ASUS N55SF

Mine is 2630QM, FHD, Blu-ray, 750GB 7200rpm, 1x4GB 1333, GT 555m 2GB...

And come with free update to W8 , mice, subwoofer and a carry case.

I think is a good deal for me. What do you think?.

I´ll expect in near future have Dell... I change the systems very often due to my job.

Thanks, Regards.

 

Although I imagine that's not the best idea and that it comes configured as SRT (caching), right? Having 28GB or 29GB of free space before installing Win7 x64 will certainly work, but Win's system directories have a healthy appetite and grow over time. Even if you're religious about putting all new apps on the data drive, free space can get tight quickly, especially on an 8GB RAM system with hibernation enabled.

I've read quite good things about the speed boost with SRT, particularly when the Intel software is set on the most aggressive setting. Even 20GB drives yield results.

 

Bill, It seems weird to me that the 3D version of 17'' only has 200 nits while the non-3D version has 400. Does this imply that the non-3D version has a better screen (except that it can not handle 3D)? I already ordered the 17'' 3D version.. So getting a bit worried...

Thanks.

The delivery of the 17R SE is scheduled for tomorrow - If you guys want I will post a short review here during the weekend.

 

Welp, I am in the same boat :/

 

Something is wrong with Dell laptop prices in the UK. Full spec Inspiron 15 SE cost £960 but the same spec in Germany cost £760 without any vouchers or deals. Usually the prices were very similar, but not anymore.

Even backlit keyboard was £55 at the beginning and now changed to £30 as it used to be.

I did not hear about any tax increases so it looks like someone at Dell UK has made a mistake.

I strongly advise anyone not to buy anything from Dell and wait till the prices will be corrected.

You should be mate, you overpaid £230. Well done!

 

I actually booked from the NL site - where price is listed as EUR1349 (before coupon). Indeed DE site has it for EUR 1199. SO EUR 150 diff.

Better move to Germany!
Might even stand a good chance to win EURO 2012 then.

 

best you move to the UK then

lol

its anybodys game i think, although the Jerrys def have thier A game with them, and like the way they are playing, hope we(UK) up our game tonight

 

Just the information I was looking for!
(Especially nice to know living in Germany once has its advantages )

I was confused since I saw the advertising on the Dell HP (Backlit and FHD as standard) and then read in the technical specifications of the offered models the opposite... I also find strange that it's almost impossible to change anything, usually they let you choose between several CPU's, HDD's etc, but not with the Inspiron R SE series...

Now, I'll obviously wait a while until everything looks a bit clearer, as the online support also doesn't really know what they're selling!

But I gotta decide between the 15R and the 17R. Up to know, I actually planned to buy an MSI GE60, which has almost the same specs as the 17R, but a 15" display (which I'd prefer). On the other hand, I don't like the MSI design. the Inspirons look far better.
I'm just not sure whether an "ATI Radeon HD 7730M" is enough for me, the nVidia GT650 seems to be a lot better.
But, as a current netbook user, I already find 15" quite big. and as the 17R has the same battery as the 15"-version, it obviously won't last very long.
On the other hand, Bill says the 17R has the better display...

so, does anyone have an advice for me? which compromise would you make:
1. ugly design (MSI GE60),
2. bad GPU (15R SE),
3. huge, heavy thing with poor battery life (17R SE)?

thanks in advance!


edit: does anyone of you know if Dell offers foreign keyboard designs?
I'm currently very happy with my Spanish keyboard, and would prefer to have any QWERTY-keyboard before buying the German QWERTZ-version...

 

If you place your order over the phone they have more options available and you can order different keyboard.

 

I assure you I am a mere mortal, but I'm exceedingly pleased to hear it all worked out. However, as a mortal, I cannot turn down free beer. I've had quite a few beers in the UK in my past, most of which I paid for. So a free one will be quite nice someday.

It means the 400 NIT screen will be brighter than the 200 NIT screen. Quality would be a different set of measurements.

Oh, I just came back from a week and a half vacation in Germany. There are a lot of advantages to living there. I absolutely loved the place.

As far as your decision goes, I can't comment on the MSI, as I'm not real familiar with it. But in comparing any 15" to a 17", I personally usually lean toward a 17. Neither would I consider very portable, so the extra size is a non-differentiator for me. If the comparison were between a 14" and a 15/17", that's much easier. I tend to prefer portability in anything but a full on gaming or workstation laptop, so I'd take the 14 all day long.

 

Dell-Bill_B

Inspiron SE has mSATA port and according to the user guide it can handle up to 32GB. Is it hardware limited to 32GB or it's a standard mSATA port and 240/256GB is possible?

 

Ok.. I've got my Inspiron 17R SE today.
Specs:
Intel® Core™ i7-3610M
44 cm (17.3") 3D High Definition+(1920 x 1080) LED with TrueLife
8GB1 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
2 x 750 Gb 7200 rpm hd
32Gb mSata
2 GB nVidia GeForce GT 650M (3D)

*disclaimer*
Note that I am not a laptop expert so below is from my limited own personal experience

This notebook really is a desktop replacement. It's big, heavy and only runs on its battery for 2 hours.
Looks are subjective, but if you are looking for a sleek, modern design I suggest you look elsewhere. The colors are not bad (black and gray) and the front cover is actually quite nice with the black "dotted" design. Still, the frame around the screen and the rounded corners, combined with the laptop size mean it does not have the modern look you find in some other laptop designs.

Pros:
- Screen. Wow - it's amazing. Nice vibrant colours (glossy screen), good resolution. I've never had a 3D laptop before and really selected the screen for the fact that it is glossy (better colours) instead of for the 3D. But I have to say - that nVidia 3D is amazing! Played Fallout 3 and it automatically started 3D so I thought I would give it a try and WOW! Maybe you get a headache after 30 mins, but still amazing technology. Can't wait to get a racing game with 3D capabilities. 3D glasses are included.
- Keyboard and touchpad: comfortable and responsive. Thinking of getting rid of my wireless keyboard that I use when i have to type alot.
- Sound: I know the skullcandy brand is a lot about marketing so I was a bit sceptical. But that idea quickly changed after turning on some music - it sounds really good and I can finally get rid of the soundbar (Philips) I was using on my previous laptop.

Cons:
- It's heavy, big and well - not particularly hiplooking
- Noise - not only the fan noise but also the 2 harddisks working produces noise and vibration. The vibration even makes the a resonating sound on my desk. I guess it's the downside of having a powerful desktop replacement.
- No backlit keyboard. The NL site of dell mentions this as standard but it's not!! It's not even an option... Kind of misleading advertising, Dell should really look into this and change the advertising or deliver backlit.

Undecided:
Speed/Power - To early to tell. But given the specs I don't think it can go wrong.

That's it.

Stef

 

does anybody know what the max ram is for the 15R SE, mines coming with 8192MB (2x4096) 1600MHz DDR3 just wondering if these would take
16GB 1600MHz DDR3?

 

I've been asking different people from Dell on-line and they keep telling me that the max ram is 8GB... at least that is what they say in Spain.

 

I'm going to de-lurk to review my 17R SE 7720 I got on Monday. So far I have been very impressed:

Specs:
Intel® Core™ i7-3610M
44 cm (17.3") 1080p screen (not 3D)
6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
750 Gb 7200 rpm hd
2 GB DDR5 nVidia GeForce GT 650M

Pros:

Screen - The screen is very bright (apparently 400 nit), there are no broken pixels and everything looks very crisp.

Sound - Speakers are absolutely brilliant: Output is clear, stereo and fairly loud. Base sounds suitably 'rumbling'. They sound particularly good on classical music for some reason. At full volume a small amount of resonance can be heard.

Speed - This laptop is fast! I've benchmarked it using 3DMark Vantage and 3D Mark11 and results are consistent (see notebookcheck.net) with other 650M laptops:
3DMark Vantage: Overall P9952, GPU P8481, CPU P20897
3DMark11: Overall P2310, GPU P2091, Physics P7334

It's able to play Diablo 3 at 60-70FPS at 1080p on max settings (without AA). Likewise it will smoothly play Napoleon: Total War at 1080p, max settings.

Stress Test - It coped well with an afternoon of Diablo 3 while running Folding@Home simultaneously, running 8-threaded Folding@home at roughly half it's pre-Diablo speed and still running the game at full framerate. Heat during this time was noticeably higher but still very acceptable.

Noise - relatively quiet for a desktop replacement. The fan is 'off' at idle and turns on when the 650M is being used. Even under load (and the stress test), it is surprisingly quiet. I've had no issues with hard drive noise (possibly due to just having the single drive?).

Optimus - Seems to be working well, keeps laptop cool when not running games, while games definitely use the GPU.

Connectivity - 4 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, VGA etc it's got everything I want.

Reliability - No faults so far (fingers crossed).

Neutral:

Heat - The laptop gets warm but not particularly hot. The fan appears to be quite effective. Most heat comes from the GPU rather than the CPU (fully loaded), so heat is very gaming dependent.

Touchpad - Haven't really used this so can't comment.

Keyboard - Seems OK, but this review is the most typing I've done it. There is however a bit of 'flex' in it. Having the numpad is a definite plus. It is not backlit, but that isn't something I am concerned about.

Design - While it won't win any design awards, I quite like it, particularly the honeycombs!

Cons:

Weight/Mobility - It's not a complete brick and it's no heavier than expected, but you certainly won't want to carry it very far or use it too much as a 'lap'top. For a desktop replacement this should not be a major problem.

Sound controls - This is minor, but I miss dedicated sound up and down buttons - I dislike having to use Fn+key for this. The separate mute button is nice however.

Overall:

Ordering this before anywhere had properly reviewed it was a bit of a risk, but it had the spec I wanted and it was as cheap or cheaper than anything in its class after discount.

As it turns out I shouldn't have worried as this is a brilliant laptop that I would thoroughly recommend. The screen and speakers are top class, it performs very well with no throttling issues detected, it has decent build quality, and emissions seem surprisingly low.

Very good performance, high quality and excellent value for money. I'll try and answer any questions people have about it...

 

Hi everyone!

I'm new here. I ordered a DELL Inspiron 15 R SE when it was available as a replacement for my Studio 15 and it arrived after six days. So far I'm quite contented, although I would have preferred a NVidia graphic card (Optimus) and a brighter screen. But I love the materials, design and the performance of it.

After I read Bill's post, that the laptop has a mSATA port I ordered a 32 GB SSD card, but as far as I can see there is no guide on the German Dell Website, that can show me how to install one. Can anybody help me out? I did not open the backside of the laptop yet, as I prefer to inform myself before messing things up.

Thanks!

 

The slot should be next to the HDD. It's visible in German user guide on page 27. If it's not there it will be difficult to access.

 

the UK site doesnt either, although if you check out the manual for the Inspiron 17R SE it gives you instructions in there, but not sure if its in the same place, but Msata cards being what they are i would expect you probably would need to take the back off to install it

maybe our resident friend Dell-Bill_B could shed some light on it,

this and WIDI are the two things im most looking forward to trying out

 

bananam8nuk, max RAM, if it is only 8GB is a dealbreaker for me too. The processor can support upto 32GB as per Intel's website. The question is regarding the motherboard. Any thoughts on how one can find out the motherboard model on the 15R SE? thx.

 

i would say not easily unless someone who already has the 15R comes forward or dell are willing to spill the beans! does seem a bit short sighted given as you say with the 3rd gen proccessor supproting up to 32Gb of ram

its not a deal breaker for me, 8GB of dual channel 1600mhz ddr3 ram should be plenty for now?

 

It should be more than enough for normal purposes. I need the option to add extra, since I'm an IT guy and I need a high performance laptop to run multiple computationally (and more importantly, memory) intensive tasks. The 3612QM being cooler than other i7s is a major advantage in my use case. Unfortunately, RAM limitation is holding me back.

 

Thanks. Maybe I should have looked closer. I ordered the mSATA Drive via Amazon, so it should be here on Tuesday... As soon as it's built in and is working I will post it.

 

does anybody know what the hieght restrictions are for the sata bay, i.e is it 9mm(low helight) or the normal 12mm (think thats right,) as gonna order a 256 SSD and dont want to get the wrong size

 

I would also like to know the answer to this?

I am yet to purchase the 15R SE but my plan is to get a 60GB mSATA SSD and put it in there as my OS drive, while the 1TB HDD will be for storage.

Also the one I'm looking at already comes with 32GB mSATA SSD.

 

I think it would use a normal 2.5" Hard Drive so a 2.5" SSD... however some laptops do use 1.8" HDD's, but usually the 12.1" ones.

QUESTIONS:

1)
32bit Windows 7 drivers?????
Also a bit concerned about the software drivers for the 15R SE..... I plan to at first put my SSD into this laptop which is running Win7 Pro 32bit... yet Dell only provides 64bit drivers for this laptop.

2)
Additional power adaptors? I need at least 1 extra power adaptor as I travel between home and office.
I cannot find a power adaptor to buy on the Dell website, not under the 7520 parts list or under the adapters list.

Thanks,

 

hi all,
I was looking for review on Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition and I found this website, would like to thank you all for the feedbacks. It help me a lot, but i still got a few question to ask.

1. since this is using ivybridge, it should have the integrated intel hd graphics 4000, correct? (or it is disabled?)

2. does it support auto switching between AMD Radeon™ HD 7730M DDR3 2GB? (eg: intel hd4000 when normal usage, kick start ATI Radeon when playing games?)

3. how does the wireless display (widi) works for this model? seems like I can't find any widi compatible router at my place (I'm based in Malaysia)

 

Hi there!

The integrated graphic is not automatically disabled. It must be configured for every program individually (You can choose between economic and performance or so (don't know the English terms, my system speaks German)).
That's the reason I would have preferred Optimus. It seemed to work more seamlessly. And yes HD 4000 is integrated.
My power adapter of my old Studio 15 works fine with my Inspiron 15 R SE, as it's the only DELL power adapter at my workplace. So far everything seems fine, nothing's burned.
Concerning 32 bit: The Laptop has more than 4GB of RAM, so I don't think that DELL will provide 32bit drivers for this laptop. But you may find the drivers you need on the individual parts manufacturers homepage?

 

Hi guys,
Stumbled across this forum whilst researching for a new laptop.
The 15r se seems to fit my needs, and am planning on ordering tonight.
I was stuck between this and the xps15z, but I think I can sacrifice the looks to get better performance.
I see on here that the keyboard is not back lit, I'm not fussed either way, but it still says that its standard on the UK site, odd.
I was a little confused about the mSATA, there's no option to have it included, is this something I'll have to purchase and fit myself?
Anyway, just wanted to post and say hi really, will let you know how I get on.

 

Hi and welcome
mine is due to be delivered this week, i just checked this morning and despite the backlit keyboard being available as a £30 extra last week its now back to not being available as was the case when i ordered, my advise would be to call them before ordering as they might be able to offer it ..

re the msata att yes you order it as an extra which for a 32GB one is about £30-40 i think, soneone did ask if the system would take abigger one but no one has the answer yet

 

It's still available but only on top spec model.

 

Thank you very much for the informative answer

Hope my Inspirion 6400 power adapter works, but I doubt it as its 5 years old.... pretty sure they would have changed the plug / voltage by now?

True about the 8GB of memory.... however I'm not ready to get 64bit just now so will have to see how it goes until I'm ready to install the 64bit version of Windows.

 

hey Nugi@bavaria,
as you seem to already have the laptop: how long does it run on battery only?
and which panel did you order, the HD or the FHD one? what do movies look and sound like?
how about emissions: does it get hot when you play games for example? is it loud?

I hope you got some time to answer, thanks in advance!

 

i see. thanks for sharing... this would be my first notebook purchase.

too bad this one dont have nvidia/optimus option, guess dell keep it for the coming XPS.

i'm not sure about 32bit driver, but can i know why you prefer win7 32 bit?
i'm lucky that i can still use my current photoshop CS3 on win7 64 bit. else it would cost me an arm and a leg to get latest version.

 

Glad to help....
@Qbasix: My Studio power adapter is a 90W - AC Adapter with a DC 19.5 V 4.62 A Output.
@ Ambicja: It ran for 1.5 hours during which I surfed in the internet and watched some Youtube videos via Wi-Fi and after that it still got about 28% of battery power left, so I guess it should be able to run about 2 hours on battery with WLAN and screen at normal brightness.
I got the FHD screen, and I really like it. It's not that bright, but the anti-glare is a big pro. I watched Spartacus on BluRay, and the picture quality was much better than with my living room equipment (only HD ready there). The sound is okay, not great but much better than my old Studio. But I had a 17.3 inch Toshiba Laptop with Harman Kardon speakers once, which were better.
I didn't spent much time playing yet, as I had some problems with the official Catalyst drivers. Even Diablo III crashed. I installed the DELL drivers yesterday, and didn't have time to test them yet. Did I mention that I prefer NVidea drivers? (I liked ATI much as a graphic card producer, nbut the drivers were never the best.)
Emissions are good. The laptop doesn't get hot, but sometimes the fan gets louder for no apparent reason. It doesn't disturb me, but it's noticeable. I prefer cool and noisy over silent and burnt out anyway.
@ aba9785: I don't prefer the 32bit drivers. I got a 64bit OS and use the drivers from the DELL website, which are costum made for my system (at least I hope they are...)

One additional info after one week spent with my SE: Buy a sleeve for it. I already got some scratches after just dumping it in my backpack.

 

im glad the blu rays seem good to watch, as thats prob the main one for me, and would be interested to see how diablo plays, i would be happy playing the likes of MW2/3 in medium settings or any as long as its playable,
re the whole Nvidea/ATI THING, i know nvidea seem to win when it comes to laptops especailly with driver support etc, but i like that dell use either,i like to have achoose, if i was that bothered about it and gaming i would have gone for the 17R SE,

as for the sleeve good advise, when i ordered i seised the opportunity to order a dell sleeve as i know getting the right one to fit afterwards is a pain,

 

Thanks for the info, what is the 15R SE adapter rated at?

My Inspirion 6400 one is 65W - AC Adapter with a DC 19.5 V 3.34 A Output.

So its not as powerful as your studio, wonder what the SE is like?

 

I can have a look at it, when I get home after work. But as far as I remember most of it was written in Chinese...

 

I'm seriously considering the Inspiron 15r special edition (cause it has the backlit keyboard) - I am in Australia.

CPU is good, RAM is good, Screen seems good enough, weight...well could be better but for $1098AU delivered it's still damned good.

My ONLY issue is the video card.

My original requirements for a new laptop were:

1. Approx $1500
2. GTX650/AMD equivalent (not sure what that is) or better (latest model AMD or Nvidia) to play Diablo 3 very well??
3. Quad core CPU
4. Backlit keyboard
5. USB 3.0
6. 14inch or 15inch
7. Lighter than 3kgs
8. Some battery life
9. 1920x1080 screen

The 15r meets them all I think...

Is an AMD Radeon HD 7730M going to cut it though?

I currently have a Dell Vostro 3300M and I love the weight (2.1kgs with the big battery for about 6 hours) but the Nvidia 310M is very very poor for playing Diablo 3.

Hard disk I can upgrade to a momentus XT so that's easy fixed.

Can anyone comment on how it's performing with games?

This website seems to suggest it will be good

Game-Debate PC game system requirements, social network and system specs

I was about to pull the trigger on a Clevo P150EM - stunning piece of hardware with a 7970M for $2000AU BUT it's 3.1kgs...

Every 100 gms is a big difference in my experience.

Plus for $900 less...well I could buy a Macbook air to have one of those to stuff around on as well.

So...gaming thoughts chaps?

 

I had Crysis 2 running at very high settings in Full HD, just before the display driver crashed.

 

its been a while since i used a laptop to play games, but when i had my XPS M1530

i seemed to remember that u had to use specially adapted drivers if you where not using the dell ones! usually found on these sort of forums, ATI may be different? but just thought i would throw that in the mix, but its good that it would seem with the correct drivers it'll play crisis

 

The dell drivers are almost 500MB in size??? thats crazy....

If you go to the AMD website there is no option to download generic drivers from AMD... this is not a good sign as Dell NEVER releases updated video drivers...

The biggest problem with 15R SE is the graphics card and driver support, which at the moment is non existent.

Can you give any feedback on the dell drivers?

I dont play any games on my laptop so its not really an issue for me, I bet the 7730M wont even get used in my laptop as the HD4000 (Intel gfx) will be enough for all I need.

But I can see it being a concern for some, need more feedback from those who have purchased.

We have only 1 day left, offer ends 21st.

 

What do you mean it's not that bright? How is the contrast? How are the colors? It's a matt screen, right?

 

I'm just a normal user, so I don't have any equipment to measure the nits, color gamut or contrast.

My subjective opinion is, that the Asus G75 had a slightly brighter screen. The contrast of the SE is imo good. Black turns out to be black and not greyish. The other colors are quite good to, but I'm no professional user.

To sum it all up: I'm much more satisfied with the screen then with the one of my old Studio 15.

I hope that helped to clarify matters.

 

Thanks Nugi.

We'll see what the reviews say about the screen quality.

Do you like built quality? Is it sturdy?

 

Nugi@bavaria, what video card drivers are u using?

Did you try using non dell ones?

 

I#m using the DELL drivers at the moment. As far as I can tell , they are basically Catalyst drivers without any special features concerning user interface.
I'm still at work, so I can't start any games, just to see how they work. I downloaded the drivers yesterday, after all the crashes I had with the "normal" Catalyst 12.4 drivers.

The built quality is good, only the removable lid is susceptible to scratches. I can't complain about the base unit.

 

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I am very interested in the new Inspiron 17R SE but I'm really confused about some question:

1 has two slots for hard drives?because in the manual I see two slots for HDD and one mSata, but in a chat a Dell operetor, told me that it only has one slot for HDD and one for mSata

2 there is a backlit keyboard for the 17R? because in Italy and in many other countries do not find it as an option

3 If possible I would like to know the temperatures of CPU and GPU at full load

Thanks to all! and sorry for bad English