Dell Inspiron 15 5578 Review

The Dell Inspiron 15 5578 is a 15.6-inch convertible laptop. This is the sister model of the structurally identical Inspiron 15 5568 that we have recently reviewed. One of the differences between the devices is their processors: While the 5578-1777 is equipped with a Kaby Lake processor, the sister model has a Skylake CPU on board. The Inspiron's competition consists of laptops such as the HP Pavilion x360 15 and the Lenovo Yoga 510-15ISK.

Since the two Inspiron models are structurally identical, we will not cover the case, connectivity options, input devices or speakers in this article.

Specifications

Processor

Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5 GHz

Graphics adapter

Intel HD Graphics 620, Core: 300-1000 MHz, Single-channel, 21.20.4526

Memory

8192 MB  , DDR4-2400, Single-channel, two memory banks (one bank occupied)

Display

15.6 inch 16:9, 1920x1080 pixel 141 PPI, Capacietive, 10 touch points, Active stylus support, pressure-sensitive, LG Philips (Dell 156WF7), IPS, glossy: yes

Mainboard

Intel Kaby Lake-U Premium PCH

Storage

SanDisk X400 256GB, SATA (SD8SB8U-256G), 256 GB  , 200 GB free

Weight

2.82 kg ( = 99.47 oz / 6.22 pounds), Power Supply: 288 g ( = 10.16 oz / 0.63 pounds)

Price

$799

Dell Inspiron 5000 series

Display

Pixel grid

The Inspiron's  display has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The screen offers a good contrast ratio (976:1). The brightness, on the other hand, is too low (242.3 cd/m²). A laptop in this price range should provide at least 300 cd/m² of luminance. On a positive note, we never experienced any PWM backlight flickering with this display.

In factory default setting, the display's DeltaE 2000 color difference is 4.94 - not bad. Manufacturers should strive for a difference of less than 3. The screen does not suffer from a blue cast.
The combination of a  solid-state disk and powerfuld processor produce a fast system. The Inspiron's good score in the PC Mark benchmark demonstrates strong overall performance. The computer also achieved good scores when we ran more demeanding applications than simple office and internet-related programs. A slight improvement in the device's overall performance would be possible if the user were to install a second RAM module - then the active dual-channel mode would increase the system's graphics performance.

 The Inspiron does not irritate its users with a relentless fan, or an antiquated whizzing hard drive. In idle mode, the machine generally goes about its business in perfect silence; even under load the fan is not an overachiever. The computer also remains cool no matter the circumstance.

A fast solid-state disk enables the system to run with speed. It is possible to switch out the SSD, as the base plate is removable. 

Dell Precision m5520 mobile workstation review – the new mobile workstation from Dell Precision 5000 series

Released in January 2017, it is latest Dell can offer. Dell Precision 5000-series will offer You a reasonable performance and a stylish outlook. It is a mobile workstation for those who are looking for a 15.6" display. Now available in the U.S. and in Canada. Unlike other models, this has one configuration and this configuration is the best one can expect. This configuration includes a CPU that is one of the best available.

m5520 is very light and the the quality of the case is good, the case is not fragile 

Specifications

CPU

• Intel Core i5-7300HQ (Quad Core 2.50GHz, 3.50GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630)
• Intel Core i5-7440HQ (Quad Core 2.80GHz, 3.80GHz Turbo, 6MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630)
• Intel Core i7-7820HQ (Quad Core 2.90GHz, 3.90GHz Turbo, 8MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630)
• Intel Core Xeon E3-1505M v6 (Quad Core Xeon 3.00GHz, 4.00GHz Turbo, 8MB 45W, w/Intel HD Graphics 630

Memory

• 8GB, DDR4-2400MHz SDRAM, 1 DIMMS
• 16GB, DDR4-2400MHz SDRAM, 1 DIMMS
• 32GB, DDR4-2400MHz SDRAM, 2 DIMMS

The selection of memory is great. It is well worth to option for 16GB.

Persistent storage

• 500GB 2.5" 7mm SATA (7200 RPM) Hard Drive
• 2TB 2.5" 7mm SATA (5400 RPM) Hard Drive
• 256GB 2.5" 7mm SATA Solid State Drive Class 20
• M.2 PCIe 256GB SSD Class 40
• 512GB 2.5" 7mm SATA Solid State Drive Class 20 20
• 512GB 2.5" 7mm SATA SED Solid State Drive Class 20

Graphics Card

• Intel HD Graphics
• Nvidia Quadro M1200 w/4GB GDDR5

Display

• 15.6" UltraSharp™ FHD IPS (1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED-backlit with Premium Panel Guarantee
• 15.6" UltraSharp™ UHD IGZO (3840x2160) Touch Wide View LED-backlit with Premium Panel Guarantee

Wireless

• Dell Wireless 1820 Card (802.11AC Dual-Band Wi-Fi + BT 4.2), 2x2
• Intel WiFi Link 8265 Card (802.11ac + BT 4.2)

The all new m5520 excels in many aspects. One of the most visible features is it's look. This is the world’s thinnest, lightest, smallest 15" mobile workstation with 7th Gen Intel® processors and a superb display.

Visual Appearance

m5520 is rated as the best looking portable PC from all mobile workstation and best build quality. The case is made of hard plastic that will look good over time and will not wear over time. The shape of the rectangle (perimeter) is quite straight – the angles are rather straight. The bottom of the perimeter has a bit more rounded angle of the rectangle, but the angle of the rectangle is quite straight which is rather good. The increase from bottom in the area of the angle is low pitched which will mean that it is comfortable to hold and easy to position to surface.

Price

Starting at $1399, this is an affordable price for market's segment. The price $1399 is in the U.S. Users will get a customized mobile workstation from a trusted manufacturer. The price is applicable with the i5-7440HQ CPU, which is quite good. Also, m5520 comes with a discount. There would be $599.57 instant savings for this product. It is possible to save additional 70 bucks by getting the configuration with i5-7300HQ CPU which is sligy less, but similar characteristics actually.

The resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels on the 15.6-inch screen is suitable for the majority of applications. The sharpness is satisfying, and you can easily ignore a scaled view for symbols and fonts, so scaling issues are no problem, either. It is interesting that Dell selects a scaling factor of 125% by default. We recommend 100% and therefore the native setting. The optional 4K screen could be a nice option for professional graphics designer in particular who need a good representation of the AdobeRGB08 gamut – when the measurements of the previous version also apply for the new model. Programmers and professional users in the office sector (large data series in Excel, ...) could also benefit from the high resolution since texts stay sharp even at very small font sizes. We can notice backlight bleeding in the peripheral areas on dark contents and dark environments. However, this was no problem during everyday tasks.

Battery

The battery cannot be accessed from the outside and there are no maintenance hatches, either. You can only gain access to the components when you remove the whole bottom panel, but more on that later.

Connectivity. Ports.

There are four standard USB ports, and three of them support the fast 3.0 standard. That there is one USB 2.0 port is no problem in our opinion, because both sides have a fast connector. A modern USB Type-C port, however, is not available. The transfer rates of the USB ports are just mediocre at around 200 MB/s; our external Samsung SSD T3 would support higher speeds (>400 MB/s). Video output is either possible via HDMI (4K @30 Hz) or the slightly outdated VGA port. There is also an SD-card reader as well as a fold-out Gigabit Ethernet jack. Dell does not offer a SmartCard reader or a docking port, so you will have to use USB docking stations.

The new m5520 mobile workstation is the world’s thinnest, lightest, smallest 15" mobile workstation, combines stylish outlook and performance, features outstanding selection of Central Processing Units and Wireless adapters.

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