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Dell Inspiron 11 3162 Subnotebook Review

Enduring. Dell's little netbook adds color to the desk and can offer a very good battery life. At around 250 Euros (~$284), the laptop is on the same price level as its rivals.

For the original German review, see here.

Dell also still caters to the market of small 11.6-inch netbooks and launches a new model dubbed Inspiron 11-3162. The laptop does not reveal any surprises. A Braswell processor by Intel also clocks inside this device. There is no lack of rivals. We would name Acer's Aspire One Cloudbook 11, Asus' EeeBook X205TA, and Lenovo's IdeaPad 100S. Chromebooks, such as Dell's Chromebook 11-3120, also belong to the opponents.

Dell Inspiron 11 3162 (Inspiron 11 Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N3050 2 x 1.6 - 2.2 GHz, Braswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Core: 600 MHz, single-channel, 20.19.15.4300
Memory
2048 MB 
, DDR3-1600, single-channel, no memory bank, soldered memory
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 135 PPI, AU Optronics B116XTN, TN LED, glossy: no
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 10 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: MicroSD, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19 x 292 x 196 ( = 0.75 x 11.5 x 7.72 in)
Battery
32 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee LiveSafe Internet Security (12 month license), MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.18 kg ( = 41.62 oz / 2.6 pounds), Power Supply: 270 g ( = 9.52 oz / 0.6 pounds)
Price
249 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The Inspiron's plastic casing is available in three colors: Bali Blue, Alpine White and Tango Red. We were provided with the red model. The lid's back and the base unit's sides are made of glossy plastic. The other parts have matte surfaces. The little laptop does not exhibit any manufacturing flaws. It is similar in terms of stiffness. Only the base unit could be a bit stiffer for our taste. The laptop does not have a maintenance hatch. That is, however, tolerable since neither the working memory nor the hard drive can be replaced; both components are soldered. The battery is not removable.

The Inspiron only sports a limited variety of interfaces. The most necessary ports are installed at the rear on both sides. Thus, cables do not obstruct the wrist rest.

Windows 10 Home (64-bit) operating system is preloaded. A recovery DVD is not included. Laptop buyers additionally get a one-year license for McAfee LiveSafe Internet Security.

Left: power-in, HDMI, USB 3.0, memory-card reader (micro-SD)
Left: power-in, HDMI, USB 3.0, memory-card reader (micro-SD)
Right: combo audio, USB 2.0, cable lock slot
Right: combo audio, USB 2.0, cable lock slot

Input Devices

The Inspiron is furnished with an unlit chiclet keyboard. The flat, lightly roughened keys have a medium drop and clear pressure point. The keyboard yielded slightly when typing on it, but that was not annoying. Dell delivers an overall decent keyboard here. The laptop's multi-touch ClickPad has a surface area of approximately 10 x 5.5 cm, which provides plenty of room for gesture control. The pad's very lightly roughened surface does not stop the fingers from gliding. The pad has a short drop and clear pressure point.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The Inspiron is configured with a matte, 11.6-inch panel that has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The screen's brightness (235.7 cd/m²) and contrast (398:1) are both acceptable in view of the price. The panel does not display PWM flickering at any brightness level.

238
cd/m²
253
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
248
cd/m²
192
cd/m²
226
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B116XTN tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 255 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 235.7 cd/m² Minimum: 15 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 75 %
Center on Battery: 211 cd/m²
Contrast: 398:1 (Black: 0.64 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.91 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.87 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
58% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.98% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.26

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The screen has a DeltaE 2000 color shift of 8.91 in delivery state - a normal rate in the low-cost sector. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. The panel also displays a bluish tint.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 19 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 59 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Dell's laptop is furnished with a viewing-angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. The Inspiron is at most conditionally outdoor suitable. Barely anything can be recognized on the screen in bright sunlight. The device can be primarily used in a shaded environment and cloudy conditions. The maximum possible screen brightness decreases in battery mode.

The Inspiron outdoors
The Inspiron outdoors

Performance

The Inspiron 11-3162 is an 11.6-inch Windows netbook. Its computing power is enough for basic applications from the office and Internet fields. Our review sample is priced at around 250 Euros (~$284). Dell's shop did not list any other configurations at test time. However, there are indications of models with 4 GB of working memory and/or a 500 GB hard drive.

Processor

One of the weakest dual-cores that Intel currently has to offer is inside the Inspiron in the form of the Celeron N3050 (Braswell). Consequently, the little laptop's application field as a browsing machine and typewriter is foreordained. The processor's computing power is enough for simple office and Internet applications. With its TDP of 6 watts, the CPU is one of the frugal models and can be cooled passively. The Celeron clocks at a base speed of 1.6 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.16 GHz. The maximum speed is achieved in both AC and battery modes.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1099
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2064
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2284
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
34 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
64 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
12.87 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
64 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
64 Points 0%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
62 Points -3%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
60 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
56 Points -12%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
66 Points +3%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
71 Points +11%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
134 Points +109%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
48 Points -25%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
34 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
35 Points +3%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
34 Points 0%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
29 Points -15%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
30 Points -12%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
35 Points +3%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
38 Points +12%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
36 Points +6%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
35 Points +3%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2064 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2156 Points +4%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2105 Points +2%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2783 Points +35%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1999 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1941 Points -6%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2147 Points +4%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2316 Points +12%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2867 Points +39%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3054 Points +48%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
1876 Points -9%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1099 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1125 Points +2%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1106 Points +1%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
848 Points -23%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1068 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1046 Points -5%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1130 Points +3%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1169 Points +6%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
813 Points -26%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1087 Points -1%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
779 Points -29%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
869 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
865 Points 0%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
847 Points -3%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
853 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
833 Points -4%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
874 Points +1%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
960 Points +10%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
868 Points 0%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1588 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1583 Points 0%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1488 Points -6%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1619 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1531 Points -4%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1604 Points +1%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3212 Points +102%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
1550 Points -2%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
395.8 ms *
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
405.2 ms * -2%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
396.6 ms * -0%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
418.3 ms * -6%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
554 ms * -40%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
411.3 ms * -4%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
378.8 ms * +4%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
319 ms * +19%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
548 ms * -38%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
535 ms * -35%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
488 ms * -23%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
343.6 ms * +13%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
387.9 ms * +2%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
48.82 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
50.2 Points +3%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45.5 Points -7%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
47.17 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
46.17 Points -5%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
5352 ms *
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4965 ms * +7%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4928 ms * +8%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
5164 ms * +4%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3843 ms * +28%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5211 ms * +3%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7633 ms * -43%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4234 ms * +21%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
4115 ms * +23%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
9362 ms * -75%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7384 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7545 Points +2%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7291 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
7132 Points -3%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
8229 Points +11%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6463 Points -12%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4059 Points -45%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7397 Points 0%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
7486 Points +1%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3483 Points -53%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
692 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
726 Points +5%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
683 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
612 Points -12%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1571 Points +127%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
653 Points -6%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
651 Points -6%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1593 Points +130%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
1637 Points +137%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system runs smoothly; we did not encounter problems. The PCMark benchmark scores correspond to the installed SoC's performance capability. The Inspiron scores better than comparable Bay Trail devices thanks to the much stronger graphics unit of the Braswell generation. The Inspiron's overall performance cannot be increased via upgrading the hardware since it does not offer the option of installing/replacing hardware. The working memory and eMMC modules are soldered.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1632 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1613 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1321 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1632 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1602 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1029 Points -37%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1633 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1511 Points -7%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1694 Points +4%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1142 Points -30%

Storage Device

The system drive is an eMMC storage module with a capacity of 32 GB. The user has approximately 10 GB of that available in delivery state. The transfer rates are on a normal level for this kind of storage. The storage can be expanded via a micro-SD card.

32 GB eMMC Flash
Sequential Read: 158.4 MB/s
Sequential Write: 20.58 MB/s
512K Read: 158.8 MB/s
512K Write: 30.91 MB/s
4K Read: 11.74 MB/s
4K Write: 10.66 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 31.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 10.2 MB/s

Graphics Card

The HD Graphics unit supports DirectX 12 and clocks at speeds of up to 600 MHz. The GPU scores considerably better than its Bay Trail predecessor in the 3DMark benchmarks. Intel relies on a new GPU architecture for its Braswell models.

Graphics units have come with decoders that unload the processors when rendering videos for years. Even relatively weak devices can render modern video formats. Like Intel's Skylake graphics cores, the Braswell models also feature a decoder that can play the H.265 format (successor of H.264; allows rendering smaller files in the same image quality) in addition to the common video formats. The CPU's capacity was at approximately 10% when we played our test video. We use the Movie & TV app in Windows 10 for rendering since it supports hardware accelerated playback of H.265 material.

3DMark 11 Performance
436 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
18302 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1540 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
238 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
436 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
437 Points 0%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
192 Points -56%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
434 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
414 Points -5%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
443 Points +2%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
226 Points -48%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
212 Points -51%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
447 Points +3%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
435 Points 0%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18302 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18329 Points 0%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15880 Points -13%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
14470 Points -21%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
14342 Points -22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
16825 Points -8%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
17593 Points -4%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
14576 Points -20%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15265 Points -17%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
23867 Points +30%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
17227 Points -6%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1540 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1529 Points -1%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1476 Points -4%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1133 Points -26%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1327 Points -14%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1418 Points -8%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1539 Points 0%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1186 Points -23%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2134 Points +39%
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
1523 Points -1%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1034 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1031 Points 0%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1006 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
939 Points -9%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1001 Points -3%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
238 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
241 Points +1%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
239 Points 0%
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
256 Points +8%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
214 Points -10%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
204 Points -14%
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
256 Points +8%

Gaming Performance

The installed hardware cannot cope with the majority of games. Only a handful of games achieve a sufficiently high frame rate. Beyond that, the laptop does not have enough storage for many games. A much larger selection of playable games can be found in the casual games available in the Windows Store. Casual games available in the Windows Store offer a much larger selection of playable games.

low med. high ultra
F1 2014 (2014) 13 12.5

Emissions & Energy Management

The Inspiron in the stress test
The Inspiron in the stress test

Temperature

The Inspiron processed our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) in the same manner in both AC and battery modes. The CPU and GPU stably clocked at their full speeds. Consequently, the laptop heats up a bit more in total than comparable netbooks that throttle the processor and graphics unit's speeds. 40 °C is surpassed on some measuring points.

Max. Load
 37.2 °C
99 F
36.6 °C
98 F
28.8 °C
84 F
 
 37.4 °C
99 F
36.9 °C
98 F
28 °C
82 F
 
 28.1 °C
83 F
26.2 °C
79 F
23.2 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
26.3 °C
79 F
42.8 °C
109 F
45.6 °C
114 F
26.2 °C
79 F
43.3 °C
110 F
42.3 °C
108 F
23 °C
73 F
29 °C
84 F
29.8 °C
86 F
Maximum: 45.6 °C = 114 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.4 °C = 89 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.4 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.6 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.9 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.1 °C / 82.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+0.2 °C / 0.3 F).

Speakers

The stereo speakers are situated above the keyboard behind a perforated cover. They produce a relatively decent sound that lacks bass. Speech is well-intelligible. Headphones or external speakers are recommended for a better sound experience.

Power Consumption

That a small, low-performance device such as the Inspiron does not demand much power is not surprising. The maximum idle power consumption is 5.2 watts. The requirement climbed to 11.2 watts in the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour). The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.33 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.7 / 4.6 / 5.2 Watt
Load midlight 11.6 / 11.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load needed for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Inspiron achieves a runtime of 8:40 hours - a very good rate.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 25.10586.0.0)
8h 40min
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3 (sort by value)
Dell Inspiron 11 3162
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
520 min
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
445 min
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
406 min
Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
308 min
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
566 min
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
315 min
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
554 min
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
285 min
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11 L10W-C-108
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3700, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
222 min
Acer Aspire R11 R3-131T-C122
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, HBG3e 32G eMMC
680 min
WiFi (sort by value)
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
532 min
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
568 min
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
545 min

Pros

+ matte screen
+ noiseless operation
+ very good battery life

Cons

- cannot be upgraded
- tight storage capacity

Verdict

In review: Dell Inspiron 11-3162. Test model courtesy of Dell.
In review: Dell Inspiron 11-3162. Test model courtesy of Dell.

The installed processor allows using basic office and Internet applications. The decoder integrated in the graphics unit additionally makes the Inspiron a mobile video player. The laptop runs noiselessly and barely heats up. The battery life is good. Although the screen is not the best, it is acceptable in view of the price.

Dell delivers an enduring typewriter and browsing machine with its Inspiron 11-3162.

With the Inspiron 11-3162, Dell has a little 11.6-inch netbook that can be seen as an opponent for netbooks of other manufacturers and Chromebooks. While Chromebooks can only be used in conjunction with an Internet connection, this is not needed for Windows laptops like the Inspiron. The software is preloaded on the laptop. It is also possible to install desktop applications. However, the available storage capacity is soon a limiting factor here.

Dell Inspiron 11 3162 - 04/27/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
71 /  98 → 73%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
40 / 80 → 51%
Weight
73 / 35-78 → 88%
Battery
91%
Display
75%
Games Performance
38 / 68 → 56%
Application Performance
41 / 87 → 47%
Temperature
92 / 91 → 100%
Noise
100%
Audio
44 / 91 → 48%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
66%
80%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Inspiron 11 3162 Subnotebook Review
Sascha Mölck, 2016-04-28 (Update: 2018-05-15)