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Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (i7-8565U, MX150) Convertible Review

Premium Inspiron. The Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition’s sleek metal construction and attractive display bring the Inspiron machines ever closer to the XPS line. With its Core i7 CPU, GeForce MX150 dedicated graphics, solid-state drive, and UHD screen, can this $1,333 configuration redefine the brand?

Historically, the Inspiron brand has been synonymous with mainstream, more affordable laptops that are thoroughly outclassed by premium options such as Dell’s top-end XPS lineup. However, with each new revision, the Dell Inspiron 7000 series machines inch ever closer to the quality we’d expect to see from something bearing the XPS name. And with the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition, Dell brings us the closest thing to an XPS we’ve seen from the manufacturer outside of derivative business equivalents (such as the Precision 5520). Fully adorned in dark aluminum from head to toe and flaunting a screen that approaches the level of quality of its XPS cousins, this new Inspiron is a different sort of laptop entirely.

The internal components of our review unit are also perfectly respectable: an Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 dedicated GPU, 16 GB RAM, and a 256 GB NVMe SSD. Finally, the aforementioned display is a glossy UHD touchscreen with narrow bezels. This configuration will set you back some $1,333 currently, which certainly is also closer to XPS territory than the average Inspiron of yore.

How does the new 7000 series withstand our exhaustive barrage of tests and measurements? Let’s get started!

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (Inspiron 15 7000 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1469 MHz, Memory: 1502 MHz, GDDR5, 24.21.13.9836 (NVIDIA 398.36)
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, 10-point multitouch, native pen support, AUO34EB, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Point-LP
Storage
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cannon Point-LP PCH - cAVS (Audio, Video, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo audio, Card Reader: SDXC, yes, integrated into power button Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17 x 360 x 242 ( = 0.67 x 14.17 x 9.53 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 1 MPix 4-element lens webcam w/ Temporal Noise Reduction
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, bottom-mounted, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.074 kg ( = 73.16 oz / 4.57 pounds), Power Supply: 286 g ( = 10.09 oz / 0.63 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The new Inspiron 7000 case isn’t necessarily flashy, but it is sleek. The dark grey brushed aluminum body is no longer forced to share the spotlight with any plastic. The edges are softly rounded for a comfortable feel yet sophisticated appearance. It’s also unmistakably sturdier than what we’ve come to expect from the brand, thanks largely in part to the shift in construction materials; there’s still a bit of flex in the center of the base unit, and the display lid seems moderately vulnerable to twisting, though it resists pressure from the rear quite well. Besides this aforementioned shift, shrunken display bezels around the perimeter of the panel—measuring some 8 mm in width—also contribute to a more upscale look.

The dual hinges aren’t as tightly tuned as we’d hope; while they normally keep the large glossy display reasonably stationary without too many irritating bounces and vibrations, while in transit (such as in a car or on a train), the screen does bounce more than is ideal. The exhaust has been moved to the hinge cavity now as well, which is better for both port organization and lap-based use. Plus, the rear rubber feet on the bottom of the machine are arranged to prevent reabsorption of exhaust (they block the airflow between the hinge cavity and the intake fan vent when resting on a flat surface). As suggested by the name, of course, the Inspiron 15 2-in-1 features 360-degree hinges and thus convertible functionality, usable in any of the typical four modes (Laptop, Tablet, Stand, and Tent).

The Inspiron’s weight of just 4.57 pounds is nearly identical to that of the HP Spectre x360 15, which is to say that, while substantial, it’s definitely on the portable side for its screen size. It’s still a bit big and bulky for a practically usable tablet, but seeing as we’ve been preaching this for years and it hasn’t seemed to deter such designs (or their popularity for that matter), we’ll digress on this point. Besides, even if the user never decides to leverage the tablet mode, Tent and Stand modes can occasionally prove convenient—and regardless, the device is just fine as a laptop and nothing else, too. The Inspiron is also one of the smaller machines in today’s lineup; at just 17 mm, it’s roughly the same thickness as the XPS 15, and the footprint is only marginally larger (at 360 mm x 242 mm).

383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs363.4 mm / 14.3 inch 243.5 mm / 9.59 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.8 kg3.97 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 19.3 mm / 0.76 inch 2.1 kg4.59 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 242 mm / 9.53 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2.1 kg4.57 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2 kg4.44 lbs348 mm / 13.7 inch 229.4 mm / 9.03 inch 15.5 mm / 0.61 inch 1.3 kg2.82 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port selection is a bit thin for a 15-inch machine, with just three total USB ports (one of which is Type-C Gen 3.1 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery) alongside an HDMI port for video output. At least a full-sized SD card reader is included. The two USB Type-A ports are a bit crowded near the back of the right edge, but most connectors should fit.

Front: no connections
Front: no connections
Rear: No connections
Rear: No connections
Left: Charging port, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Combo audio
Left: Charging port, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Combo audio
Right: SD Card reader, USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2
Right: SD Card reader, USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2

SD Card Reader

While it’s nice that one was included, the integrated SD card reader is slow, so frequent users will want to invest in a USB adapter instead. The full length of the card is accommodated, however.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
163.8 MB/s +476%
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 205, n=61, last 2 years)
93 MB/s +227%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
76.9 MB/s +170%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
70.4 MB/s +147%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.45 MB/s
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s -9%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
212.4 MB/s +616%
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=57, last 2 years)
122.4 MB/s +312%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
90.2 MB/s +204%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
83 MB/s +180%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.68 MB/s
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.5 MB/s -7%

Communication

The Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560 adapter provides wireless connectivity with theoretical transfer rates up to 1.73 Gbps. Our current testing setup only supports speeds up to 1 Gbps, but the Inspiron still manages solid speeds of 580 Mb/s transmit and 621 Mb/s receive. This isn’t far from the other laptops in our tests.

The new 4-element lens webcam offers improved performance plus Temporal (multi-frame analysis) Noise Reduction to reduce the incidence of noise in low light (high ISO) situations. Dell also champions the precise focus across the breadth of the image, something which did seem subjectively better than the average webcam during our time testing the machine.

The touch fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button, and we had absolutely no problems during our testing period with its performance. Authentication typically takes mere milliseconds and we never once had to revert to typing a PIN or password as an alternative.

The Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WLAN adapter
The Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WLAN adapter
The power button with integrated touch fingerprint reader
The power button with integrated touch fingerprint reader
The picture quality from the tiny webcam is better than expected.
The picture quality from the tiny webcam is better than expected.
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +36%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
647 (534min - 664max) MBit/s +12%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
580 MBit/s
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
497 MBit/s -14%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
479 MBit/s -17%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
193 MBit/s -67%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +81%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
668 MBit/s +8%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
656 MBit/s +6%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
621 MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
618 (446min - 680max) MBit/s 0%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
312 MBit/s -50%

Accessories

Dell’s Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 normally ships with only an AC adapter, but our review unit also included a Dell Premium Active Pen (model #PN579X, $100 MSRP), which is a Wacom AES 2.0 device that is also backward compatible with Wacom AES 1.0 and MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) 1.51. It supports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity with a 240 Hz report rate, and it links to the computer using the Bluetooth 4.2 protocol. There are three total buttons (customizable using Windows Ink Workspace); like most, the pen is powered by a single AAAA battery and Dell reports a 12 month battery life.

While we do like the pen, the tips aren’t quite as natural-feeling as the rubbery ones of the Surface Pen, and some users report that they can break rather easily. Dell does cover this under their 1-year warranty period, however, so if that becomes a problem, users can contact the manufacturer to have a replacement provided. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The Dell Premium Active Pen
The Dell Premium Active Pen
The tip isn't as natural-feeling as that of the Surface Pen.
The tip isn't as natural-feeling as that of the Surface Pen.

Maintenance

The Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 makes maintenance relatively straightforward, with 9 removable Phillips-head screws and a series of perimeter clips holding the bottom cover onto the machine. Once inside, both RAM slots, the battery and CMOS battery, SSD, WLAN adapter, and heatsink/fan assembly are all readily accessible.

Beneath the cover practically every FRU is easily accessible
Beneath the cover practically every FRU is easily accessible

Warranty

The Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 ships with a standard 1-year depot warranty from Dell.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The island-style keyboard features a short stroke with medium feedback and actuation force, and after a short adjustment period, it’s comfortable to type with. The keys stop with a bit of softness, which does make the initial adjustment a little harder when coming from something like a Latitude or ThinkPad (both with their arguably class-leading keyboards). It’s definitely a step down from something like an XPS, which (while comparable in terms of key travel and layout) seems to lend itself to quicker and more accurate typing. We have few criticisms about the fairly traditional layout, by the way, apart from the (as often is the case) small arrow keys. The keys are backlit with two levels of adjustable brightness.

The keyboard is merely average overall.
The keyboard is merely average overall.
Backlighting is available in two stages.
Backlighting is available in two stages.
The touchpad is large and works well apart from the sometimes-frustrating integrated buttons.
The touchpad is large and works well apart from the sometimes-frustrating integrated buttons.

Touchpad

The oversized 104 x 79 mm Microsoft Precision (Elan) touchpad provides plenty of real estate and a comfortable surface for easy finger gliding. It’s also as fluid and responsive as we’ve come to expect from pads with Precision drivers, with almost no lag between finger and pointer movement. The integrated buttons, however, leave a lot to be desired; they’re a bit difficult to click and somewhat indecisive in their feedback. Again, in this regard, the Inspiron is a far cry from the XPS. The 10-point multitouch display, meanwhile, is perfectly functional and does not disappoint; as we’d expect, everything from general pointing to gestures works as expected.

Display

Unlike the less expensive flavors, the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition doesn’t even grant the option of a mere FHD display. Instead, the only choice is a glossy 15.6-inch UHD (3840x2160) IPS display with a very slim 8 mm bezel on the left/ridge sides. Fortunately, at first appearances, the panel seems better than expected; colors are vivid and brightness and contrast seem good enough. Backlight bleed, on the other hand, is quite conspicuous all around the perimeter on any dark screen.

The subpixel array
The subpixel array
Backlight bleed is prevalent on black screens around the perimeter
Backlight bleed is prevalent on black screens around the perimeter
305.8
cd/m²
320.1
cd/m²
308.4
cd/m²
313.4
cd/m²
321.1
cd/m²
316.6
cd/m²
315.6
cd/m²
319.3
cd/m²
312.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO34EB tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 321.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 314.8 cd/m² Minimum: 19.49 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 321.1 cd/m²
Contrast: 892:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.45 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.08
ΔE Greyscale 8.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
75.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
75.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.207
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
AUO34EB, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
BOE0730, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
ID: BOE06E8, Name: BOE HF NV150FHB-N31, IPS, 15.00, 1920x1080
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Chi Mei CMN15D6, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-45%
-10%
-9%
8%
Display P3 Coverage
75.7
39.85
-47%
68.5
-10%
65.2
-14%
85.4
13%
sRGB Coverage
99.3
58.7
-41%
90.7
-9%
97.4
-2%
99.6
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
75.7
41.17
-46%
66.3
-12%
66.8
-12%
82.9
10%
Response Times
-9%
12%
0%
30%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
48 ?(25.2, 22.8)
45 ?(24, 21)
6%
38 ?(20.4, 17.6)
21%
46 ?(25.2, 20.8)
4%
44 ?(23, 21)
8%
Response Time Black / White *
28.4 ?(12.8, 15.6)
35 ?(19, 16)
-23%
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
3%
29.6 ?(16.4, 13.2)
-4%
14 ?(10, 4)
51%
PWM Frequency
20000 ?(90)
943 ?(99)
2976 ?(91)
250 ?(20)
Screen
-4%
-4%
19%
-38%
Brightness middle
321.1
296
-8%
329.3
3%
558.2
74%
227
-29%
Brightness
315
268
-15%
316
0%
528
68%
200
-37%
Brightness Distribution
95
81
-15%
84
-12%
92
-3%
82
-14%
Black Level *
0.36
0.3
17%
0.31
14%
0.46
-28%
0.46
-28%
Contrast
892
987
11%
1062
19%
1213
36%
493
-45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.45
4.01
26%
4.78
12%
4.41
19%
10.88
-100%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.6
8.7
31%
11.75
7%
10.91
13%
18.36
-46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.08
4
-92%
3.51
-69%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.1
0.98
88%
7.9
2%
6.6
19%
12.18
-50%
Gamma
2.207 100%
2.35 94%
2.24 98%
2.19 100%
2.58 85%
CCT
6845 95%
6408 101%
8323 78%
7615 85%
14446 45%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.3
38
-44%
58.8
-13%
61.3
-9%
74
10%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.3
58
-42%
90.4
-9%
97.2
-2%
63
-37%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-19% / -12%
-1% / -3%
3% / 11%
0% / -20%

* ... smaller is better

Turning to our measurements, we record 315 cd/m² brightness with a contrast ratio of 892:1. Neither of these numbers is in any way remarkable, but both are perfectly acceptable nonetheless. The brightness actually bests most machines in our comparison table (apart from the wildly luminous Samsung Notebook 9), but the contrast is on the lower end of the competitors.

Our color space rendering measurements explain our positive subjective impressions: with effectively 100% of the sRGB gamut covered and some 67.3% of AdobeRGB, the Inspiron 15 7000 tops all of today’s competitors and even outperforms the Samsung Notebook 9’s 61.3%. Obviously better panels exist in pricier machines, but this is quite good in context with its class.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. HP Spectre x360 15
vs. HP Spectre x360 15
vs. Acer Aspire 5
vs. Acer Aspire 5
vs. MSI PL62
vs. MSI PL62
vs. Samsung Notebook 9
vs. Samsung Notebook 9

Color accuracy is a slightly different story, with DeltaE Colorchecker and Greyscale readings of 5.45 and 8.1 (thanks to a particularly deviant white). Still, that isn’t awful, and the Total Gamma measurement of 2.207 and CCT average of 6845 are within a few percentage points of their ideal values.

Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)

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
28.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12.8 ms rise
↘ 15.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 71 % 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
48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.2 ms rise
↘ 22.8 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. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

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.

Response times are too slow for any sort of competitive gaming, though that’s not what this particular machine is intended for at any rate. The display happily does not employ any sort of PWM at any brightness, unlike the competitors.

Outdoors, the glossy screen makes operation difficult. In the sun, it’s practically unusable, and even in shaded areas it requires careful planning and positioning. Viewing angles are as wide as expected for an IPS display.

In the sun
In the sun
In the shade
In the shade
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

1 of 2 RAM slots on our review unit is available
1 of 2 RAM slots on our review unit is available

Although a range of processor and memory options exists for the less expensive Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 series, the Black Edition condenses everything down to a fairly consistent configuration. This includes an Intel Core i7-8565U quad-core CPU, 16 GB DDR4 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 dedicated graphics adapter (with 2 GB GDDR5 VRAM), and a choice between 256 GB or 512 GB NVMe storage. There’s an open RAM slot in the Black Edition (the 16 GB DDR4 configuration is single-channel using just one SoDIMM), so the machine should be able to support 32 GB of total memory should the need arise for an easy aftermarket upgrade.

Dell’s included CinemaStream (powered by SmartByte) video traffic prioritization software (essentially client-side QoS) helps to promote smooth video streaming traffic over other data streams. LatencyMon, however, did detect some latency spikes in our review unit, probably related to the WLAN adapter, as they seemed to improve after it was temporarily disabled.

CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z RAM SPD
CPU-Z RAM SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
Octane v2
Octane v2
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15

The Intel Core i7-8565U CPU is the only option for the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint on paper. Boasting a base clock rate of 1.8 GHz and capable of turbo frequencies reaching 4.6 GHz (single-core) and 4.1 GHz (multi-core), this Whiskey Lake CPU should be more than fast enough for just about any general usage. Plus, with a TDP of just 15 W (technically it can range between 7.5 W and 25 W using cTDP Down/Up), it should be more than efficient enough to provide good battery runtimes.

In terms of real-world performance, our Inspiron 15 7000 manages scores slightly above the current average for the Core i7-8565U, with 186 points / 638 points in Cinebench R15 single/multi CPU. This is also above the rest of the pack of competitors against which we’re comparing today, with the exception of the XPS 15 9570, which manages 2% higher in CB R15 single CPU and a whopping 82% higher in multi CPU (which is to be expected given the Core i9’s hexacore design and much higher 45 W TDP limit).

Sustained performance, on the other hand, shows initially good performance on the first two runs of our Cinebench R15 multi CPU loop test (653 and 564), but thereafter, performance actually drops to a level below most other competitors (483 – 499 range). As a result, the Core i7-8550U actually comes out ahead here over the long haul, with performance closer to the 535 range in the Samsung Notebook 9 (for instance). Anyone looking for top-end sustained performance should probably consider this, or even possibly look into undervolting the CPU if possible.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø496 (482.61-653.29)
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø487 (482.49-523.51)
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø519 (509.07-542.3)
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø538 (506.14-563.52)
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø512 (506.14-515.23)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +34%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
190 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U
186 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
159 Points -15%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
155 Points -17%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U
149 Points -20%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
142 Points -24%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +257%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1230 Points +93%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U
638 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points -4%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
564 Points -12%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U
542 Points -15%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
524 Points -18%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
511 Points -20%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (2.6 - 3.21, n=3, last 2 years)
2.85 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.95 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
1.87 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (0.65 - 2.16, n=11)
1.811 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 31.6, n=3, last 2 years)
24 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (4.09 - 7.4, n=11)
6.31 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.03 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
5.52 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (34412 - 61674, n=3, last 2 years)
43500 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (13806 - 23118, n=16)
17608 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
17215 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
16632 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (5791 - 10476, n=3, last 2 years)
7475 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (2682 - 8906, n=16)
6571 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
6478 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
6165 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Multimedia
  (103.6 - 1259, n=2, last 2 years)
681 s *
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U
433.3 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (263 - 420, n=7)
353 s *
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U
292.5 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
103.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
638 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
186 Points
Help

System Performance

During our time with the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1, most operations were quick and painless, but installation of programs did take longer than we would have expected given the hardware. Further investigation will reveal (as we’ll see in the next section) that this is due to weak write performance of the particular internal NVMe SSD we received. Nonetheless, PCMark scores are hardly bad: PCMark 10 yields 3719 points (versus a category average of 3820 points), a few percentage points below most rivals and 36% below the XPS 15. Results are a bit more lopsided in PCMark 8’s suite of tests, with the Samsung Notebook 9 actually taking top spot there—but that may be due to its lower FHD screen resolution (PCMark 8’s scores seem to be much more heavily influenced by such discrepancies).

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +76%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5059 Points +36%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4106 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3704 - 4344, n=6)
4022 Points +8%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3960 Points +6%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3938 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
3719 Points
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
3157 Points -15%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +54%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8951 Points +32%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
8412 Points +24%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (6763 - 8382, n=6)
7798 Points +15%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
7659 Points +13%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7348 Points +9%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
6763 Points
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
5513 Points -18%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +45%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7244 Points +21%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7212 Points +20%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
6469 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (5994 - 7281, n=6)
6467 Points +8%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
6152 Points +3%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
5994 Points
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
5241 Points -13%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +149%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5444 Points +58%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3548 Points +3%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3518 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3194 - 3722, n=6)
3508 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
3446 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3085 Points -10%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
2957 Points -14%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +62%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4130 Points +31%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3840 Points +22%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3725 Points +19%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3141 - 4092, n=6)
3688 Points +17%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
3482 Points +11%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
3424 Points +9%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
3141 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +24%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5228 Points +23%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4924 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (4240 - 5254, n=6)
4897 Points +15%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4620 Points +9%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
4323 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
4240 Points
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5325 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (4805 - 5840, n=2)
5323 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4506 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3141 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4240 points
PCMark 10 Score
3719 points
Help

Storage Devices

The OEM-provided Toshiba NVMe SSD in our review unit is certainly tiny; it’s one of the newer M.2 2230 NVMe SSDs, and it therefore requires an adapter to span the entirety of the internal M.2 port (the port supports M.2 2280 drive sizes, by the way). But the physical size of the DRAM-less SSD isn’t the only thing that’s smaller than expected here: in our tests, so are the write speed values, falling far short of what’s expected of a typical NVMe SSD (or, for that matter, even a conventional SATA drive).

Our tests with AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark show sequential write speeds of just 209 MB/s and 172 MB/s, respectively, with even lower values in 4K-64 tests. Read speeds are a bit on the low side, but they’re acceptable: we show 1123 MB/s and 924 MB/s in those same tests. So if you’re expecting true NVMe performance, we’d suggest going with the smaller of the two drives and swapping it out first thing for something better aftermarket (such as perhaps a Samsung 970 EVO).

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5.2
CrystalDiskMark 5.2
The internal (tiny) M.2 2230 NVMe SSD
The internal (tiny) M.2 2230 NVMe SSD
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
AS SSD
Seq Read
1123
490.6
-56%
1739
55%
2337
108%
1320
18%
Seq Write
208.9
390.2
87%
1189
469%
1206
477%
1500
618%
4K Read
27.36
19.47
-29%
38.76
42%
48.71
78%
30.73
12%
4K Write
65
72.2
11%
93.2
43%
115
77%
94.4
45%
4K-64 Read
313.2
236.2
-25%
646
106%
1085
246%
1453
364%
4K-64 Write
111.2
276.7
149%
545
390%
392.6
253%
1815
1532%
Access Time Read *
0.684
0.054
92%
0.054
92%
0.061
91%
Access Time Write *
0.344
0.063
82%
0.051
85%
0.032
91%
0.044
87%
Score Read
453
305
-33%
859
90%
1367
202%
1616
257%
Score Write
197
388
97%
757
284%
628
219%
2059
945%
Score Total
844
850
1%
2037
141%
2646
214%
4507
434%
Copy ISO MB/s
927
321.3
-65%
1668
80%
1751
89%
2577
178%
Copy Program MB/s
206.4
141.7
-31%
486.8
136%
479.5
132%
515
150%
Copy Game MB/s
360.4
239.4
-34%
1042
189%
1058
194%
1120
211%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
Write 4K
83.4
78.4
-6%
108.5
30%
162.7
95%
103
24%
Read 4K
32.22
25.99
-19%
37.67
17%
47.06
46%
52.6
63%
Write Seq
171.7
390.9
128%
1120
552%
1075
526%
2216
1191%
Read Seq
924
482.6
-48%
1300
41%
1023
11%
1599
73%
Write 4K Q32T1
161.5
205.5
27%
243.9
51%
435.4
170%
603
273%
Read 4K Q32T1
301.1
227.9
-24%
311.6
3%
517
72%
321.4
7%
Write Seq Q32T1
222.3
502
126%
1395
528%
1276
474%
2395
977%
Read Seq Q32T1
1300
526
-60%
2667
105%
3418
163%
2251
73%

* ... smaller is better

Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1300 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 222.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 301.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 161.5 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 924 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 171.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 32.22 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 83.4 MB/s

GPU Performance

Like the rest of the specifications, lower-end varieties of the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 provide a choice between integrated and dedicated GPUs, but the Black Edition goes all in on NVIDIA’s GeForce MX150 dedicated graphics. This entry-level mobile solution based on the GP108 chip with Pascal architecture includes 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM and a power consumption rating of around 25 W TDP.

For those curious, the Inspiron 15 7000 features the fully-powered “1D10” variant of the MX150, not the lower-powered “1D12” label which essentially correlates with a Max-Q derivative of the popular entry-level GPU.

We’ve tossed in a couple different competitors for our GPU comparison for a bit of variety here: the Lenovo Flex 5 15 and the LG Gram, both which feature lower-grade GPUs than the MX150 (which most of the comparison field leverages). As expected, both of these models line the bottom of the charts, some 38% and 63% below the Inspiron in 3DMark Fire Strike. However, the Inspiron does manage to beat the average for this GPU in our database in that same test, and it’s in the middle of the pack of the four other machines sharing this GPU in today’s comparisons with a score of 3465 (as expected, the XPS 15, powered by a GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, tops the chart here with 7374 points). It’s mostly the same story in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU, where we record a score of 4319 points—a bit more distant from the MSI PL62’s 4876 points, but still above the average for this adapter by around 4 percentage points.

3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=87, last 2 years)
18296 Points +324%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK
9032 Points +109%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
4876 Points +13%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4708 Points +9%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8265U
4558 Points +6%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4369 Points +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4319 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2796 - 4905, n=47)
4191 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2592 Points -40%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Multimedia
  (2018 - 24900, n=87, last 2 years)
12567 Points +227%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK
8450 Points +120%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
4374 Points +14%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4296 Points +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8265U
4198 Points +9%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3965 Points +3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2820 - 4421, n=46)
3957 Points +3%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3849 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2831 Points -26%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=61, last 2 years)
57744 Points +210%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK
42202 Points +127%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8265U
21120 Points +13%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
19900 Points +7%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
19884 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (16227 - 22183, n=43)
19512 Points +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
18611 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
12942 Points -30%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
10131 Points -46%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=87, last 2 years)
13540 Points +291%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK
7374 Points +113%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3622 Points +5%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8265U
3613 Points +4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3465 Points
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3391 Points -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2323 - 3739, n=44)
3310 Points -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2149 Points -38%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1284 Points -63%
3DMark 11 Performance
4567 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
13170 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3102 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Even though the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition isn’t intended as a gaming notebook, most games can be smoothly enjoyed at low to medium settings (and in turn reduced resolutions).

BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
71.8 fps +111%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
35.2 fps +4%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
34 fps 0%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
34 fps
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
33.7 fps -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (27.8 - 35.2, n=33)
31.8 fps -6%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
30.9 fps -9%
1366x768 High Preset
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
181.3 fps +95%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
98 fps +5%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
96 fps +3%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
93 fps
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
89.8 fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (59.7 - 98, n=33)
83.5 fps -10%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
59.7 fps -36%
1366x768 Medium Preset
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
208.7 fps +91%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
115 fps +6%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
114.2 fps +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
109 fps
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
105.9 fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (60 - 115, n=33)
98.1 fps -10%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
60 fps -45%
1280x720 Very Low Preset
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q
298.2 fps +70%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
197.4 fps +13%
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
Intel Core i5-7300HQ, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
194 fps +11%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
183.9 fps +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
175 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (98.1 - 203, n=33)
163.3 fps -7%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
132.2 fps -24%
Thief
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
19.4 fps
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
18.8 fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (16 - 23.2, n=6)
18.5 fps -5%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (30.2 - 44.1, n=6)
33.8 fps +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
33.6 fps
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
31.1 fps -7%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (32.5 - 51.9, n=6)
39.5 fps +4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
38 fps
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
32.5 fps -14%
1024x768 Very Low Preset
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (41.5 - 79.2, n=6)
59.5 fps +43%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
58 fps +40%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
41.5 fps
Batman: Arkham Knight
3840x2160 High / On (Interactive Smoke & Paper Debris Off) AA:SM AF:8x
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
5 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
 
5 fps 0%
1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
23 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (8 - 23, n=3)
16 fps -30%
1920x1080 High / On (Interactive Smoke & Paper Debris Off) AA:SM AF:8x
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
23 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (16 - 23, n=7)
20.3 fps -12%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
20 fps -13%
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
20 fps -13%
1366x768 Normal / Off AF:4x
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
51 fps +13%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
45 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (36 - 51, n=7)
43 fps -4%
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
36 fps -20%
1280x720 Low / Off AF:Trilinear
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
60 fps +25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (41 - 60, n=7)
49.1 fps +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
48 fps
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
41 fps -15%

We note (mostly) consistent performance while running Witcher 3 for one hour, with GPU temperatures averaging 69 degrees C and stable clock rates of around 1533 MHz.

012345678910111213Tooltip
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G: Ø11.7 (2-13)
low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 175 109 93 34
Metro: Last Light (2013) 86
Thief (2014) 41.5 38 33.6 19.4
The Witcher 3 (2015) 12
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 48 45 23 23 5

Emissions

System Noise

The Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 is basically silent while idling (only electrical noise can be heard—more on that in a moment). However, under load, the fans immediately kick into high gear, producing an average of 48.6 dB(A)—very noticeable indeed—and remain at this level until core temperatures drop below 60 or so degrees C.

That electrical noise we referred to, however, will definitely prove bothersome to those with good hearing. It’s a sort of static buzz coming from the upper left quadrant of the case (near the charging port), and it persists regardless of power state.

The internal cooling fan kicks into high gear quickly under stress.
The internal cooling fan kicks into high gear quickly under stress.
The fan noise profile
The fan noise profile
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
GeForce MX150, i5-8265U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
GeForce MX150, i5-7300HQ
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Noise
-1%
8%
4%
-5%
3%
off / environment *
28
30.5
-9%
28.6
-2%
29.6
-6%
30.4
-9%
28.2
-1%
Idle Minimum *
28
30.5
-9%
29.2
-4%
29.6
-6%
32
-14%
28.5
-2%
Idle Average *
28
30.5
-9%
29.2
-4%
29.6
-6%
32
-14%
28.6
-2%
Idle Maximum *
28.4
30.9
-9%
29.2
-3%
30.3
-7%
32
-13%
28.8
-1%
Load Average *
48.6
41.2
15%
29.2
40%
40
18%
38.7
20%
36.2
26%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47.9
38.4
20%
40
16%
47.6
1%
Load Maximum *
49.2
41.9
15%
45.7
7%
40
19%
48.7
1%
47.6
3%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28 / 28 / 28.4 dB(A)
Load
48.6 / 49.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28 dB(A)

Temperature

Turning to our temperature readings, values while idle of just 20.1 °C and 22.4 °C on top/bottom are very good indeed against an ambient temperature reading of 20 °C. Under max synthetic load, the machine obviously wouldn’t be very comfortable on the lap, with averages of 32 °C / 35.4 °C top/bottom and hotspots near the rear center of the machine of 43.4 °C / 47.4 °C—but, adjacent periphery temperatures are at least better at 40.2 °C and below on the underside. The WASD keys remain merely warm under heavy stress, and the touchpad and palmrests hardly heat up at all. Witcher 3 stress—again, more representative of real world heavy usage—evokes averages of 31.4 °C / 32.7 °C on top/bottom. Overall, these are good results apart from some higher hot spots under load as compared to class peers.

Max. Load
 35.6 °C
96 F
43.4 °C
110 F
34.4 °C
94 F
 
 31.4 °C
89 F
41.4 °C
107 F
25.6 °C
78 F
 
 27 °C
81 F
25.4 °C
78 F
23.8 °C
75 F
 
Maximum: 43.4 °C = 110 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
36.4 °C
98 F
47.4 °C
117 F
40.2 °C
104 F
29 °C
84 F
40.4 °C
105 F
37 °C
99 F
26.6 °C
80 F
30.8 °C
87 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 47.4 °C = 117 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.4 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 47.4 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 20.1 °C / 68 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27 °C / 80.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+1.8 °C / 3.2 F).
Thermal profile, top of base unit (idle)
Thermal profile, top of base unit (idle)
Thermal profile, underside (idle)
Thermal profile, underside (idle)
Thermal profile, top of base unit (Witcher 3)
Thermal profile, top of base unit (Witcher 3)
Thermal profile, underside (Witcher 3)
Thermal profile, underside (Witcher 3)
Thermal profile, top of base unit (max load)
Thermal profile, top of base unit (max load)
Thermal profile, side profile (max load)
Thermal profile, side profile (max load)
Thermal profile, underside (max load)
Thermal profile, underside (max load)

Stress Test

We employ intensive benchmarks to stress each machine and test its limits of performance under extreme conditions. Under full CPU load using Prime95, the Inspiron 15 7000 initially manages a 4.1 GHz clock rate across all four cores, but after around 15 seconds it drops to around 3.0 GHz before eventually settling at 2.3 GHz for the duration of the test. Temperatures peak at 91 °C before dropping eventually to 57 °C once clock rates subside. Stressing both CPU and GPU simultaneously using Prime95 and FurMark results in even lower CPU clock rates of just 1.6 GHz, technically a bit below the base clock rate (and thus qualifying as throttling). GPU frequencies are clearly prioritized here, as they still remain stable even under these conditions at around 1266 MHz.

Running Witcher 3 provides a clearer picture of what one might expect during real-world gaming usage. Here, CPU frequencies of 3.7 GHz and temperatures of 66 °C are fairly consistent. The GPU, meanwhile, averages roughly 1533 MHz overall with a stable temperature of 69 °C.

Our review unit maintains its performance regardless of power state; while operating unplugged, we recorded a 3DMark 11 overall score of 4347.

Full CPU stress
Full CPU stress
Full GPU stress
Full GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.3 - 57 -
FurMark Stress - 1290 - 69
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.6 1266 67 69
Witcher 3 Stress 3.7 1533 66 69

Speakers

The internal speakers are better than average.
The internal speakers are better than average.

The two bottom-mounted stereo speakers sound decent when positioned over a hard surface. A bit of tuning with the included Waves MaxxAudio software can improve things a little further, though as usual, low frequencies are lost mostly thanks to the lack of a dedicated subwoofer. Our measurements corroborate the lack of low-frequency reproduction, but the rest of the spectrum looks mostly good. For extended use or any sort of serious multimedia consumption, we’d recommend a good pair of headphones. For everyday occasional audio, however, you could do much worse.

For the record, Dell’s advertised “CinemaSound” is really just a reference to Waves MaxxAudio Pro, which is good in its own right and has been a positive addition for post-processing of audio on PCs for years now.

Sound profile, Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
Sound profile, Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.336.236.32535.532.735.53134.932.734.94033.633.433.65032.832.732.86333.930.133.98031.329.931.310031.430.631.412533.728.133.716044.628.244.620056.326.456.325063.826.163.831562.625.862.640063.725.163.750066.824.966.863069.124.769.180070.924.270.910007224.172125067.523.567.5160065.923.465.9200069.723.469.7250061.723.161.7315056.123.256.1400063.523.163.5500062.223.162.2630061.522.861.5800061.522.961.51000068.222.868.21250065.222.965.2160006523.265SPL78.735.778.7N45.32.545.3median 63.7median 23.5median 63.7Delta4.91.14.940.437.936.135.934.633.533.732.332.632.731.834.830.930.93031.529.533.128.644.427.952.427.359.326.662.62667.925.667.22569.724.475247223.769.523.674.823.671.723.370.223.169.123.372.123.170.723.175.422.979.922.876.422.768.422.768.935.985.42.666median 23.7median 69.51.26hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black EditionHP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 44% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 30% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

We’re impressed with the low power consumption of the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition, which was bested only (and only slightly) by the Acer Aspire 5 in today’s comparison field. With an average idle power consumption of just 7.8 W, the machine should show decent runtimes even in spite of its fairly small 56 Wh battery. Under average load, the machine pulls 57 W of power, which is nearly identical to the Witcher 3 measurement of 57.3 W. This is below nearly all competitors by a fairly wide margin, with the exception of the Samsung Notebook 9, which was subject to some pretty serious throttling under stress (thus explaining the “advantage” it shows here in our power measurements).

Power consumption analysis, Witcher 3
Power consumption analysis, Witcher 3
Power consumption analysis, Prime95 load
Power consumption analysis, Prime95 load
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.39 / 0.63 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.2 / 7.8 / 8.5 Watt
Load midlight 57 / 68 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.
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
i5-8265U, GeForce MX150, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SK hynix PC401 NVMe 500 GB, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.00
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
i5-7300HQ, GeForce MX150, , TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Power Consumption
3%
-27%
-10%
-62%
-77%
Idle Minimum *
4.2
3.8
10%
5.3
-26%
3.5
17%
9.2
-119%
7.1
-69%
Idle Average *
7.8
6.3
19%
9.8
-26%
11.3
-45%
13.6
-74%
13.6
-74%
Idle Maximum *
8.5
9.6
-13%
12.6
-48%
14.2
-67%
14.7
-73%
14.1
-66%
Load Average *
57
59.5
-4%
73
-28%
53.3
6%
64
-12%
103.9
-82%
Witcher 3 ultra *
57.3
67.6
-18%
50.6
12%
103
-80%
Load Maximum *
68
64.4
5%
80
-18%
56.2
17%
89.2
-31%
130.9
-93%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The internal 56 Wh battery could stand to be a bit bigger
The internal 56 Wh battery could stand to be a bit bigger

The small-ish 56 Wh internal battery equipping the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 is nearly half the size of that which powers the XPS 15, which is appropriate given that power consumption is also nearly half of the XPS. But many other competitors with similar CPU/GPU to the Inspiron also include a much larger battery: for instance, the HP Spectre x360 15’s is 84 Wh, while the Samsung Notebook 9’s is 75 Wh.

How does this lack of capacity translate to battery runtimes? Roughly as we’d expect it to. Our review unit lasts some 6 hours and 37 minutes in our standardized Wi-Fi Web Surfing benchmark, which is a bit on the low side for a machine of this class, and hours short of the HP Spectre x360, Samsung Notebook 9, and Dell XPS 15 9570. It’s not positively awful, but it is something that should be taken into account if the Inspiron is intended as a truly portable machine; it likely will not last an entire day on a single charge under heavy use.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
6h 37min
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 56 Wh
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-53PU
i5-8265U, GeForce MX150, 48 Wh
HP Spectre x360 15-ch011nr
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 84 Wh
Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 75 Wh
MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ
i5-7300HQ, GeForce MX150, 41.4 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
i9-8950HK, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, 97 Wh
Battery Runtime
13%
57%
60%
-34%
29%
WiFi v1.3
397
450
13%
625
57%
635
60%
262
-34%
514
29%
Reader / Idle
846
927
1810
899
Load
101
135
127
62

Verdict

Pros

+ very attractive and sophisticated aluminum case design
+ relatively stable thanks to metal construction
+ dedicated GPU can handle many games on lower settings
+ vivid and subjectively pleasant display
+ above-average speakers
+ good webcam for its tiny size

Cons

- integrated touchpad buttons pale in comparison to industry leaders
- CPU falls far short of ideal performance after a short period
- highly disappointing performance from the NVMe SSD
- loud fans under load
- subtle but annoying electrical noise regardless of power state
- price approaches that of high-end models such as XPS 15 and Spectre x360
In review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition. Test model provided by Dell US
In review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition. Test model provided by Dell US

A little bit Inspiron, a little bit XPS, the Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition steps slightly closer toward its higher-end peers than what we’d have normally expected to see from the brand. This is largely a triumph: in terms of general design, both aesthetically and practically, the upgraded all-metal aluminum casing—while not in the same league as the XPS—really makes a difference. The laptop also boasts a fairly capable set of specs, powered by a high-end Core i7-8565U CPU, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 entry-level dedicated GPU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and an SSD. It’s a bit large for a convertible that’s intended for occasional tablet use, but it works well enough as a standard laptop, so it never hurts to have the option. It’s easy to maintain and upgrade, too.

As luxurious as it appears to be, however, digging a bit deeper and spending some more time with the machine does reveal some obvious divergences from its higher-end brethren. For starters, the input devices can’t compare to those of the Dell XPS 15 or HP Spectre x360; the keyboard is merely passable, and the touchpad—while comfortable for pointing—is saddled by somewhat irritating integrated buttons. CPU performance is fine for general use, but over sustained loads, the Core i7-8565U in today’s review unit drops to performance levels below even that of less expensive chips. GPU performance is slightly above average for the MX150, but of course, it’s incomparable with the likes of, say, the XPS 15, which packs in a much more capable GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q. The NVMe SSD really isn’t in the same league with most other NVMe drives, hamstrung mostly by weak write speeds. Battery life is relatively short, thanks mostly to an undersized battery. And finally, though it certainly isn’t limited to the Inspirons, electrical noise is definitely noticeable in a quiet room.

Yes, at $1,333, the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition is a bit pricey for a mainstream entertainment PC—but while the price has risen, so has the level of quality, indisputably and tangibly.

Elsewhere, the machine is commendably balanced. Power consumption is surprisingly low for a laptop with these components, temperatures are mostly manageable, the speakers are pretty decent, and the display—even though brightness and contrast are merely average—is colorful and attractive. At this price, it might also be worth considering high-end consumer grade fare, such as the Dell XPS 15 or HP Spectre x360—so have a look at both of those models before you make a commitment. But for the most part, forgiving some rough edges with regard to input devices, battery life, and optimal performance expectations, the Inspiron is a fine choice for an everyday home PC.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition - 12/05/2018 v6(old)
Steve Schardein

Chassis
82 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
50 / 81 → 61%
Weight
63 / 20-67 → 90%
Battery
89%
Display
81%
Games Performance
78 / 85 → 91%
Application Performance
82 / 92 → 89%
Temperature
90%
Noise
75 / 95 → 79%
Audio
70%
Camera
79 / 85 → 93%
Average
77%
83%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition (i7-8565U, MX150) Convertible Review
Steve Schardein, 2018-12- 7 (Update: 2019-02-25)