Dell Inspiron 15 Review

by Kevin O'Brien

The Inspiron 15 is the back-to-basics mainstream 15" notebook from Dell, offering good performance at a value price. Consumers can configure this notebook with basic lid configurations, or go all out with the customized lids from the Dell Design Studio for an additional cost. If you are just looking for a basic system to meet your needs at school or home, read our full review of the Dell Inspiron 15.

Our Dell Inspiron 15 Configuration:

• Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 2.00GHz Processor (1MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic (32-bit)
• 15.6" 1366x768 16:9 Glossy Display
• Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
• 3GB DDR2 800MHz RAM (2GB + 1GB)
• 320GB 5400RPM HDD
• 8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
• Intel 5100AGN WiFi and 10/100 Ethernet
• 6-Cell 48WHr Battery
• Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty with in-home service
• Dimensions: 14.7 x 9.6" x 1.02"
• Weight: 5.8lbs
• Price as configured: $549

Build and Design
The design of the of the Inspiron 15 is pretty good for a value notebook, offering a smooth rounded profile and clean lines. While our model doesn't offer one of the most expensive custom lid designs, it gives you an idea of what you would get if you chose the current "FastTrack" shipping option on this model. The only design element of the notebook that doesn't blend well with the stock matte lid finish is the fully glossy interior. The screen, screen bezel, keyboard trim, and palmrest are all glossy black inside the notebook, which doesn't always play well with reflections or smudges. If you keep it clean it looks great, but at times it did get annoying if you were sitting with your back to bright windows where the entire notebook turned into a mirror. Overall, if you don't mind the glossy surface the design of the Inspiron 15 is pretty nice compared to other budget models on the market.

The Dell Inspiron 15 has average build quality compared to other value-oriented models we have reviewed. The plastics used held up well in our tests, but did show signs of flexing and creaking in spots. The screen lid and palmrest were the two main areas which exhibited flex, with the palmrest giving off creaking sounds if you squeezed it in the right spot. The screen lid on the Inspiron 15 uses a latch-less hinge design which keeps it held down using friction and gravity. You need two hands to open it up with it placed horizontally on your desk, but if you were carrying it around under your arm it did have a tendency to open up about a centimeter or so. In most latch-less designs we like to see a secondary holding method, such as a magnet or spring loaded hinge to keep it shut when held in any direction. The plastics used in the construction of the chassis feel pretty durable and should hold up well over time, but the glossy finish around the keyboard and palmrest did have a tendency to show fine scratches.

Dell gives you easy access to all internal components of the notebook. This includes the system memory, hard drive, and wireless card, as well as the processor if you are so inclined. Underneath the main access panel (which includes handy circlips around each screw so they don't go flying) is the RAM, wireless card, and processor with heatsink. The hard drive and optical drive are removable through individual sections with their own retaining screws. Oddly enough Dell doesn't have any "warranty void if removed" stickers anywhere, including the screws around the processor.

Screen and Speakers
The glossy 1366x768 display on the Inspiron 15 is average compared to other panels we have seen. Colors and contrast are excellent thanks to the glossy surface, which tends to scatter less light than the equivalent matte surface. Backlight levels could be better on the high-end of the spectrum, but we found it adequate for most conditions, including a bright off setting, underneath shop lighting, and or just sitting on your couch enjoying a show. Viewing angles could have been better, with color distortion found in both the vertical and horizontal extremes. Colors started to shift when titling the screen 20 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles were better, only showing color shifting past 45 degrees.

The included speakers were good compared to other budget models, with clear high-range audio, but little low or midrange coming through. Peak volume levels were enough to fill a small room, but if you plan on sharing a movie inside a dorm room, it might be wise to connect the laptop to a set of external surround speakers. For enjoying music or movies by yourself, headphones are still a must-have accessory.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The Inspiron 15 keyboard is very comfortable to type on, offering excellent support and a very good layout. The keys are of normal size with a light matte finish for excellent traction. Spacing is spot on compared to my ThinkPad keyboard, so no adjusting was necessary. Support underneath the keyboard is excellent, with no flex anywhere, even under very strong pressure. Individual key action is smooth with a very quiet "click" emitted when a key is fully pressed. It might not be the quietest keyboard I have used, but it still ranks up there. The function key layout is interesting compared to other notebook models, with use of the function keys backwards. Normally to adjust the brightness or volume, or toggle the WiFi settings you press the FN-key, then the appropriate function key. Dell went with a setup where the secondary command is now primary. To put it another way, if you want to hit F5 to refresh a webpage, you now need to press FN+ the brightness up key. For normal uses this might be more intuitive, but for advanced users who love using commands like window close, page refresh, full screen, and other function key commands, it is more confusing and complex.

The touchpad is a large Dell-specific model, with a nicely textured matte finish that gives excellent traction. Speed and accuracy were pretty good, with barely any lag noticed in our tests. We did encounter one situation where a quick tap and select movement wouldn't release the selection box, but that situation didn't come up frequently. The touchpad might not have been as nice to use as a Synaptics model, but for the notebook's intended market it should be fine. The touchpad buttons were a big surprise to see on a budget model. They provide excellent feedback and have a deep throw, instead of standard "clicky" touchpad buttons.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the Dell Inspiron 15 is lacking compared to notebooks of the same size, including only three USB ports, VGA, LAN, and an ExpressCard/34 slot. HDMI would have been greatly appreciated, since it would allow a user to hook the notebook up to a home theater to play movies, whereas now you would need to have a TV that supports VGA in, and still be limited to analog audio out. For quickly copying images off a memory card, there is a spring loaded SDHC-compatible memory slot on the front of the notebook. eSATA would have been another nice touch, but it is hard enough to find it on some high-end notebooks.

Front: Audio jacks, SDHC-card slot

Rear: Battery, CPU exhaust vent

Left: Kensington lock slot, 2 USB, VGA, LAN

Right: ExpressCard/34, optical drive, 1 USB

Performance
System performance was below average when compared to other consumer notebooks, but that was heaviliy dependant on the low-end T4200 Intel Dual-Core Pentium our configuration included. While it might not be able to play the latest games, users will not have any problems typing documents, watching HD movies, ripping music through iTunes, or editing photos. Boot times were still quick, only taking about 35 seconds to get to a ready desktop screen from a full shutdown. The included 320GB hard drive offered plenty of storage space for movies, music, and photos, and even though it is only 5400RPM, it is still quick for daily use. Overall this system falls toward the bottom of our list in terms of performance, but if you were to upgrade the processor, speeds across the board would get a nice boost.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

Dell Studio 15 (1555) (Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.4GHz)	32.995 seconds
Toshiba Satellite A355 (Core 2 Duo P7450 @ 2.16GHz)	35.848 seconds
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (Core 2 Duo P7350 @ 2.0GHz)	38.455 seconds
Lenovo G530 (Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400 @ 2.16GHz)	38.470 seconds
Dell Inspiron 15 (Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 @ 2.00GHz)	38.768 seconds
HP Pavilion dv5z (Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80 @ 2.1GHz)	39.745 seconds
Dell Studio 15 (1535) (Core 2 Duo T5750 @ 2.0GHz)	41.246 seconds

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

Toshiba Satellite A355 (2.16GHz Intel P7450, ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB)	5,842 PCMarks
Dell Studio 15 (1555) (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Radeon HD 4570 256MB)	5,731 PCMarks
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (2.0GHz Intel P7350, Nvidia 9300M 256MB)	4,844 PCMarks
Lenovo G530 (2.16GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400, Intel Intel 4500MHD)	4,110 PCMarks
Dell Inspiron 15 (2.00GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200, Intel X4500)	4,068 PCMarks
Dell Studio 15 (1535) (2.0GHz Intel T5750, Intel X3100)	3,998 PCMarks
HP Pavilion dv5z (2.1GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80, ATI Radeon HD 3200)	3,994 PCMarks

3DMark06 measures video and gaming performance (higher scores mean better performance):

Dell Studio 15 (1555) (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Radeon HD 4570 256MB)	4,189 3DMarks
Toshiba Satellite A355 (2.16GHz Intel P7450, ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB)	4,084 3DMarks
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (2.0GHz Intel P7350, Nvidia 9300M 256MB)	1,833 3DMarks
HP Pavilion dv5z (2.1GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80, ATI Radeon HD 3200)	1,599 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 15 (2.00GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200, Intel X4500)	784 3DMarks
Lenovo G530 (2.16GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400, Intel Intel 4500MHD)	730 3DMarks
Dell Studio 15 (1535) (2.0GHz Intel T5750, Intel X3100)	493 3DMarks

All of the 3DMark06 scores for all of the systems listed above were run at 1280 x 800 (for screens with a 16:10 ratio) or 1280 x 768 resolution (for screens with 16:9).

HDTune storage drive performance results:

Heat and Noise
System temperatures stayed well within our "lap-friendly" range, with only one hot spot being the touchpad. On battery power with nothing significant running in the background the system barely climbed above room temp. Noise levels remained low during our tests, with only a few blips of higher fan speeds, before the fan resumed its silent/off fan state. After the notebook had been running for the good part of a day plugged in and being stressed moments earlier, the system still showed no signs of running abnormally hot in our temperature readings shown below in degrees Fahrenheit.

Battery
Battery life was below average compared to other notebooks, and we had expected slightly better results from the 48Wh battery Dell included with it. In our tests with screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Vista set to the Balanced profile the Inspiron stayed on for 2 hours and 38 minutes. Power consumption varied between 12 and 16 watts during our battery test. A more efficient processor and power management system could have yielded much better results. To put this in perspective, the ThinkPad T400 with an Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor and X4500 graphics consumed as little as 8.5 watts of power.

Conclusion
The Dell Inspiron 15 is a decent mid-size budget notebook with good looks and average build quality. The keyboard is very comfortable to type on with excellent support, but has a weird function key layout that may annoy more advanced users. The touchpad offers an excellent surface texture with buttons that have great feedback and throw distance. Basic configurations start as low as $379, making it a reasonable choice if you are working on a budget. Overall it might not be the best notebook on the market, but it still offers great value and a reasonably attractive design.

Pros:

• Good looks
• Easy to upgrade all components
• Good cooling system
• Great touchpad buttons

Cons:

• Screen lid doesn't stay closed with the notebook held vertically
• Battery life could be better

Related Articles:

• Dell Inspiron 14 First Look
• Dell Studio 14z First Look
• Dell Studio 15 (1555) Review

 

It looks to be a nice student notebook, but I have to say it looks made for the price point.

 

Nice review. Can you guys also put up a first-look for the newly announced Inspiron 13 too please? Not sure if you guys got a pre-production build like you did for the Inspiron 14 and Studio 14z. Cheers.

 

I just bought one of these last week from Dell Outlet as a gift for my sister. I paid $356 total and it has the 2.0GHz T6400, LED display upgrade and Intel 5100AGN wireless card. Personally, I liked the look/design of the Inspiron 1525 better (with matte silver keyboard/palm rest/trim), but for the price I'm pretty happy with the 1545. My only point of contention is the glossy black inside.

Did the review unit have the standard CCFL display or the upgrade to the LED?

 

Nice price on the outlet model!

Pretty sure our unit had the most basic screen possible. This is on our order sheet: "Glossy, widescreen 15.6 inch display (1366x768)"

 

The upgrade from the CCFL to LED-backlit (1366x768) display is only $25 on configurable models. Most/all retail models have the base CCFL-backlit display.

Recently, Dell also added a 900p LED (1600x900) option for only $40 over the base display (and only $15 more than the 720p LED)! If I was configuring one to order, the 900p display would definitely be on my list. I'm surprised, and pleased, to see higher resolution displays offered on entry-level models like the Inspiron 15. Even the Inspiron 14 can be ordered with a 900p LED display...

 

Great review, Kevin.

Yikes, that's a real turn-off for someone like me, who uses any and all keyboard shortcut keys possible to get around Windows/programs. Is it possible to change that, and are they doing this on any other models or just the 15 for now?

 

The Inspiron 13 has been out for some time now, you mean the Inspiron 17?

Review of the Inspiron 13 from last year:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4566

 

In the BIOS you can disable it through the "Function Key Behavior" setting.

 

Could you possibly provide some information as to the noise level of the laptop? I looked under the "Heat and Noise" section but it mostly describes the temperature and heat levels.

 

There is a refresh coming up on the Inspiron 13. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10288866-1.html

Is it possible you might have a pre-model? A thread about first impressions, hands on or the like would be greatly appreciated.

 

It was pretty quiet. I noticed a few surges in fan noise levels right before the machine would drop into a sleep state, but other than that you never knew if it was on of the screen turned off.

 

Kevin, is it possible that you could post some review or first impressions on the newer Inspiron 13? It looks rather promising...

 

In my limited experience (with the Inspiron 1545 that I purchased for my sister), it's very quiet during routine use. Only when running a virus scan simultaneously with Firefox and Outlook did the fan become audible. And as soon as the virus scan finished, it went silent again. With the T6400 and LED-backlit display, I managed to get 3:02 out of the 6-cell battery before it shut down with 5% battery life remaining.

 

As always, we'll publish first look or review coverage of all notebooks as soon as the manufacturers send us review units or (in the rare case that review units aren't available) as soon as we can purchase a unit of our own to review.

Unfortunately, we don't have a time estimate on the new Inspiron 13 ... but we'll get to it as soon as we can get our hands on it.

 

Good review here

I like the rounded lines myself though I agree with the poster who said it looks built for the price point. The fact it's got decent CPU (P8600) and screen (1600x900) upgrades makes it a fair competitor IMO.

 

Thanks a lot Jerry! I am really looking up to this review.

And again, great review (as always) on the Inspiron 15!

 

The upgrades add up rather quickly (esp. the high-end processors and dedicated graphics card). While the Inspiron 15 is a very good $500-$600 system, it loses much of its appeal when configured to $900+.

 

WOW is it really just an inch thick!!!
thats great in a $380 laptop thats not a netbook!!

 

The Mouse pad is not as smooth as last Inspiron. It "sticks" once in awhile. The key they don't respond well

 

That's a value for money laptop. good review!!!

 

They just need to make one tiny change- get rid of the freakin' glossy black palm rest/touchpad and trim!!! It's silver on the Inspiron 14 and 17- looks great and not a fingerprint magnet! Let's go for a family resemblance and make the 15 look the same!

 

I agree 100%. Its a shame they go for the "shiny is better for the home user" philosophy.

 

I dont agree with shiny is better. Shiny=fingerprint-market

Some matte finishes are way better! IMHO they hold better than shiny ones, unless you really dont care about the grease spots everywhere...and please, oh god, make the 16:10 return! (ok...just being idealistic...lol)

 

Great review - however I have a problem with the heat factor. I need to keep the computer on a notebook fan or it will overheat - and that doesn't always help. The concentration of the heat seems to be at the back by the fan and on the mousepad. I usually get shut down once a day for overheating.

 

Have you tried undervolting? (guide in hardware section) It's a great way to reduce heat, increase battery life, at no cost! And it is perfectly safe. As for heat on the mouse pad, that would most likely be the wifi card or ram.

 

Mine won't overheat even if I run it on my bed so that it can't suck in air very well. What processor are you running, and are you at full load? Maybe try to replace the goop on the heatsink with some good thermal paste.

 

+1. i really dread shiny surfaces that attract fingerprints.

 

The Vostro 1520 is an excellent alternative to the Inspiron 15 with a 15.4" 16:10 display....for now, at least!

 

Even the flat black exterior is a fingerprint magnet. It is super annoying and I'll have to paint the laptop sometime.

 

Quoted for truth.

One of my friends just got this laptop, and was asking me why Alt+F4 doesn't work. I assumed it must be a Dell QuickSet thing, since of course Dell wouldn't be stupid enough to change the hardware configuration... but I was wrong. I had to tell him that Alt+F4 is now Alt+Fn+F4.

Does Dell even realize what an idiotic, moronic move this is? They're bucking 10+ years of cross-platform standard. Not smart, Dell. Seriously, I use F4 and F5 in their *normal* functions constantly. What a turn-off.

 

Lol, its Dell you gotta come them some slack it is always a hit and miss with them. Like that crappy E1505 i use to own (Shivers)

 

That is very true. I love my Vostro 1400, but...

*shudders at memory of Inspiron 2200*

 

You can also change this via Windows Mobility Centre (windows key + X) when you have quickset installed; so if you are watching a movie you can easily change it so that media keys are primary or vice versa.

 

Very good laptop for the insane price! One thing I hate with this laptop is the keyboard. I don't find it very appealing.