Dell Inspiron 7000 14 And 15 Inches Gaming Laptops

Dell has worked on an important upgrade of the Inspiron line of laptops, which is typically aimed at the enthusiast users, rather than “hardcore gaming” ones. Yet, the Dell Inspiron 7000 can truly be called a gaming laptop which comes in 14” and 15” displays versions.

The Dell Inspiron 7000 15-inch is the most interesting one, and overall, the 14” version is a more affordable, less performant and reduced subset of the Inspiron 7000 capabilities. Both models share the same design spirit and many critical features that will define the usage model and justify their eventual purchase.

Both can be ordered with a fast Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor (4-core, 3.8GHz max, 6MB cache). Buyers can opt for 4GB to 32GB of RAM, which is extremely comfortable for a laptop. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 is available to the 14” model, while the 15” has one more option with the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti – Ti stands for “Titanium” and typically designates an NVIDIA GPU that has the best sweet spot between price and performance (or “perf per dollar”).

The 14” model has a 1080p LCD display, while the 15” gets that option plus an IPS LCD upgrade, and a UHD 4K IPS LCD upgrade. The jump from LCD to IPS LCD yields better color and view angle, while the jump to 4K brings a higher reading comfort and HD images (and games) rendering. Note that 4K gaming does have a huge impact on graphics performance.

The battery capacity difference is huge between the two. While the 14” comes with a 56 WHr battery size, the 15” has a 74 WHr battery built-in. Their chargers are 90W and 130W, respectively. If you care about battery life, the 15-inch seems much better. If mobility isn’t such an issue, you can probably save quite a bit by sticking with the 14”.

Storage capacity is also more limited in the Dell Inspiron 7000 14” with 128GB SDD+500GB HDD (5400rpm) being the most you can get. In contrast, the 15” Dell Inspiron 7000 can top 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD (5400rpm) or 512GB PCIe SSD, and all the options in between.

Because these computers are not built as thin and light, there is ample room for ports: HDMI 2.0, (3) USB 3.0 including (1) with PowerShare, Kensington lock slot, 2-in-1 SD (UHS50) / MMC, RJ-45 (Gig-E), Headphone/Mic. Unfortunately, Thunderbolt isn’t listed here, in case you’re a multi-screen fan, but HDMI 2.0 should be enough for most people.

Dell has not yet revealed prices, so it’s hard at the moment to judge which computer is the better deal, but the Dell Inspiron 7000 has the potential to reach a very wide range and a variety of users.

Hubert Nguyen
Categories: Cellphones, Computers
Tags: CES, CES 2017, Gaming Laptops, Laptops