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Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 (i7-8565U) Convertible Review

Affordable convertible. The 14-inch Inspiron convertible starts pretty cheap at under $600 USD for both a 1080p touchscreen and a modern Whiskey Lake-U CPU. We go more in-depth on the system to find out what else it may be hiding when compared to the competition.

The refreshed Inspiron 5000 series was unveiled at IFA 2018 and, as promised, Dell has already begun shipping the new affordable models just in time for the Holiday shopping season. The system we have here today is the 14-inch Inspiron 14 5482 2-in-1 equipped with a brand new Whiskey Lake-U CPU. The model can be configured for as low as $580 USD with a Core i3-8145U CPU, 1 TB HDD, and 4 GB of RAM or as high as $1080 USD with a Core i7-8565U CPU, 512 GB NVMe SSD, and 16 GB of RAM. All current SKUs are otherwise identical when it comes to the 1080p display.

The Inspiron 14 5482 convertible competes directly against other budget-mainstream convertibles like the Lenovo Yoga 530, Asus VivoBook Flip 14, HP Pavilion x360 14, or the Acer Spin series. We'll be seeing how the Dell convertible compares against these alternatives and the kinds of performance benefits users can expect from Intel's new line of Whiskey Lake-U CPUs.

More Dell Inspiron reviews:

Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 (Inspiron 14 5000 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 300 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, 24.20.100.6292
Memory
8 GB 
, 1333.3 MHz, DDR4-2666, PC4-21300, 10-10-10-28, Single-Channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, 10-point capacitive, NV14N4H, IPS, BOE0799, Dell P/N: RHRX0, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader, Sensors: Accelerometer
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.95 x 328 x 232.8 ( = 0.79 x 12.91 x 9.17 in)
Battery
42 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 3-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Dell Update, Mobile Connect, Power Manager, Digital Delivery, Customer Connect, CinemaColor, My Dell, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.75 kg ( = 61.73 oz / 3.86 pounds), Power Supply: 252 g ( = 8.89 oz / 0.56 pounds)
Price
900 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The smooth matte silver chassis is a combination of plastic and aluminum in contrast to the magnesium and carbon fiber materials of the higher-end XPS series. As a result, the system is certainly reflective of its budget-mainstream category in terms of looks and feel. While we can't knock the system for what it is, we're a bit disappointed that the hinges tend to creak when opening or closing the lid. This gives a poorer impression of the notebook especially since the 360-degree hinges define the capabilities of the model. The creaking is strange because the hinges are otherwise taut and uniform with almost no teetering.

Beyond the hinges, the lid is actually quite rigid for its category and resistant to side-to-side twisting. The base flexes a bit more when attempting to warp its surfaces which is not uncommon on slim budget laptops. In Dell's defense, the chassis is no better or worse than the competing Yoga 530 or VivoBook Flip 14 where creaking and/or weaker hinges are present.

Construction quality is imperfect on our test unit as the plastic cover for one of the hinges appears to be loose. It's not severe enough to impact day-to-day use, but it's undesirable nonetheless.

The Dell is larger and a few hundred grams heavier than some of its closest competitors. This may be attributed to its thicker and sturdier lid and the secondary internal 2.5-inch SATA III bay.

Aluminum palm rests
Aluminum palm rests
The matte silver surfaces are great at hiding fingerprints
The matte silver surfaces are great at hiding fingerprints
Bezels are narrower, but they are still quite thick especially along the bottom edge
Bezels are narrower, but they are still quite thick especially along the bottom edge
Hinges are stiff and uniform up to the maximum
Hinges are stiff and uniform up to the maximum
328 mm / 12.9 inch 232.8 mm / 9.17 inch 19.95 mm / 0.785 inch 1.8 kg3.86 lbs328 mm / 12.9 inch 229 mm / 9.02 inch 17.6 mm / 0.693 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs327.4 mm / 12.9 inch 224.8 mm / 8.85 inch 17.6 mm / 0.693 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.1 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 200 mm / 7.87 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 1.2 kg2.65 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 217 mm / 8.54 inch 14.6 mm / 0.575 inch 1.3 kg2.93 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Available ports are plentiful and easy to reach with almost identical options to the competing Yoga 530 and VivoBook Flip 14. Thunderbolt 3 is missing which is to be expected at this price point. A volume rocker would have been convenient for multimedia use.

While there is a proprietary AC charging port, the system can still charge via its USB Type-C port. We tested this with a generic third-party USB-C charger and the system will indeed recognize it as a charging source. A pop-up message will warn users to connect a 27 W or higher adapter and we still suggest using the included proprietary AC charger for more reliable charging.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD card reader, USB 2.0, Noble Lock
Right: SD card reader, USB 2.0, Noble Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, USB Type-C Gen. 1 (w/ DisplayPort and Power Delivery), HDMI 1.4b, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, USB Type-C Gen. 1 (w/ DisplayPort and Power Delivery), HDMI 1.4b, 2x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo audio

SD Card Reader

Transfer rates are slow at only about 30 MB/s. Moving 1 GB worth of photos from our test card to desktop takes about 34 seconds compared to less than 10 seconds on the XPS 13.

A fully inserted SD card still protrudes by over half its length and so we recommend removing the card before transporting.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II)
156.4 MB/s +432%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.4 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.2 MB/s -7%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25.3 MB/s -14%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II)
207.2 MB/s +556%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.6 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29 MB/s -8%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.87 MB/s -12%

Communication

It's surprising to see an Intel 9560 module in the system as most pricier Ultrabooks carry the same module. Theoretical transfer rates are up to 1.73 Gbps compared to only half that or less on the Intel 8265 or 3165. We experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
597 MBit/s
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
506 MBit/s -15%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
317 MBit/s -47%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
142 MBit/s -76%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
661 MBit/s
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
613 MBit/s -7%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
312 MBit/s -53%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
208 MBit/s -69%

Maintenance

The bottom panel can be removed with a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. Users get direct access to all major components without additional disassembly.

Direct access to all important components
Direct access to all important components

Accessories and Warranty

There are no included extras, adapters, or pens outside of the AC adapter and warranty card.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies with options to extend up to four years. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard is a weak point of the Inspiron. Travel is very shallow, feedback is soft, and the keys are very light. It's definitely inferior to what the pricier XPS or Latitude series have to offer. Perhaps the only positive attributes are its three-level white backlight and relatively quiet clatter whilst typing.

Touchpad

The slightly textured trackpad (10.1 x 6.5 cm) offers nearly the same surface area as the trackpad on the smaller XPS 13 2-in-1. Gliding and responsiveness are excellent for slow or fast cursor control as one would expect. The integrated mouse keys are shallow and slightly spongy in travel despite the auditory click when pressed. Firmer feedback would have improved accuracy and user experience.

Standard layout with no special auxiliary keys
Standard layout with no special auxiliary keys
Key feedback and travel could have been firmer
Key feedback and travel could have been firmer

Display

All current SKUs carry a WACOM-compatible 1080p IPS touchscreen with no other options. Our test unit uses a BOE NV14N4H IPS panel found on no other laptop in our database. Most of its core attributes like response times and gamut are otherwise similar to other budget IPS panels. A bright spot is its contrast ratio of over 1000:1, but this is held back by the average color space and color accuracy.

Texts and images are slightly grainy for a glossy panel. This is most noticeable when displaying black text against a white background such as on a NotePad file.

Maximum brightness is poor at under 200 nits. The competing Yoga 530 and VivoBook Flip 14 are each about 50 nits brighter. Additionally, pulse-width modulation is present on almost all brightness levels which may affect a small subset of users sensitive to onscreen flickering.

Backlight bleeding is present but minimal on our test unit. We are able to detect pulse-width modulation on all brightness levels up to 98 percent and so users sensitive to onscreen flickering may want to avoid this model.

178.2
cd/m²
195.2
cd/m²
201.8
cd/m²
170.2
cd/m²
193.6
cd/m²
187.5
cd/m²
157.2
cd/m²
179.2
cd/m²
168.3
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
NV14N4H tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 201.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 181.2 cd/m² Minimum: 11.03 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 78 %
Center on Battery: 193.6 cd/m²
Contrast: 1139:1 (Black: 0.17 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.99 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.86
ΔE Greyscale 5.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
58.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
37.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.91% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.57% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
NV14N4H, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
InfoVision M140NWF5 R2, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
AUO B140HAN04.0, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Sharp LQ133Z1, IPS, 13.30, 3200x1800
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Tianma XM, IPS, 13.90, 3000x2000
Display
3%
-2%
59%
59%
62%
Display P3 Coverage
40.57
41.52
2%
39.42
-3%
64.4
59%
64.3
58%
65.9
62%
sRGB Coverage
58.6
62.1
6%
59.2
1%
92.9
59%
94.6
61%
95.2
62%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.91
42.92
2%
40.73
-3%
66.1
58%
66.2
58%
67.6
61%
Response Times
65%
21%
17%
24%
27%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
58.8 ?(25.6, 33.2)
45 ?(20, 25)
23%
38 ?(19.6, 18.4)
35%
48 ?(26, 22)
18%
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
31%
40.4 ?(19.2, 21.2)
31%
Response Time Black / White *
33.2 ?(20, 13.2)
30 ?(14, 16)
10%
30.8 ?(17.2, 13.6)
7%
28 ?(16, 12)
16%
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
17%
25.6 ?(11.6, 14)
23%
PWM Frequency
198.4 ?(98)
520 ?(90)
162%
Screen
36%
13%
47%
14%
43%
Brightness middle
193.6
240
24%
255.5
32%
348
80%
316
63%
442.7
129%
Brightness
181
234
29%
242
34%
306
69%
291
61%
428
136%
Brightness Distribution
78
93
19%
87
12%
78
0%
83
6%
84
8%
Black Level *
0.17
0.11
35%
0.29
-71%
0.2
-18%
0.36
-112%
0.31
-82%
Contrast
1139
2182
92%
881
-23%
1740
53%
878
-23%
1428
25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.99
4.98
29%
4.18
40%
2.79
60%
5.9
16%
2.24
68%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
23.58
10.75
54%
19.15
19%
5.53
77%
12.9
45%
7.19
70%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.86
3.33
31%
3.8
22%
1.3
73%
1.11
77%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.7
3.51
38%
2.2
61%
3.47
39%
8.6
-51%
9.7
-70%
Gamma
2.12 104%
2.2 100%
2.05 107%
2.54 87%
2.1 105%
1.42 155%
CCT
5845 111%
6606 98%
6599 98%
6564 99%
6854 95%
6227 104%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37.6
40
6%
37.5
0%
60
60%
60.7
61%
61.6
64%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62
59.1
93
94.5
95
Total Average (Program / Settings)
35% / 35%
11% / 11%
41% / 45%
32% / 24%
44% / 44%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is limited to only 38 percent and 58 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively, to be indicative of a budget panel. Results are comparable to other budget convertibles. Users who may want deeper colors should consider the Yoga C930 or Asus Zenbook Flip 14.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Colors are inaccurate out of the box with grayscale being a bit too warm against the sRGB standard. Calibration improves colors and grayscale by significant margins and so we recommend it if possible. Pure blue, unfortunately, still appears more blue-violet than normal.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after 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
33.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 13.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 88 % 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
58.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.6 ms rise
↘ 33.2 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. » 94 % 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 detected 198.4 Hz ≤ 98 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 198.4 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 98 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 198.4 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

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.

Outdoor visibility is poor because of the glossy display and below average backlight brightness. Glare becomes inevitable even if under shade. Viewing angles are thankfully wide for no color shifting when adjusting the lid angle or when in tablet mode..

Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Wide IPS viewing angles. Apparent brightness drops if viewing from steep angles
Wide IPS viewing angles. Apparent brightness drops if viewing from steep angles

Performance

The new Inspiron system utilizes the latest Intel Whiskey Lake-U CPU to succeed the Kaby Lake-R series. The Core i7-8565U on our unit can also be found on pricier Ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook UX433. There are currently no dedicated GPU options even though there appears to be space for one on the motherboard.

Up to 16 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz RAM is supported with optional Intel Optane.

Processor

Processor performance is a bit slower than the average i7-8565U in our database since throttling kicks in quickly. As shown by our CineBench R15 Multi-Thread loop test graph below, its initial score of 594 points drops to 555 points after the first loop. Nonetheless, the performance drop is very small and essentially unnoticeable by the end-user during regular day-to-day loads. Overall performance is in between than of the last generation Core i5-8250U and i7-8550U.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8565U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø557 (543.67-594.64)
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø591 (579.19-624.27)
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø597 (581.49-636.79)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points +9%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
168 Points +6%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
165 Points +4%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
158 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
154 Points -3%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points -9%
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel Core i7-7500U
142 Points -10%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
132 Points -16%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
131 Points -17%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7Y54
119 Points -25%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
91 Points -42%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
831 Points +40%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
639 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points +3%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
595 Points
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
535 Points -10%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
514 Points -14%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
397 (337min - 397max) Points -33%
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel Core i7-7500U
337 Points -43%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
271 Points -54%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7Y54
257 Points -57%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
172 Points -71%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
1.93 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.9 Points -2%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
1.84 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (0.65 - 2.16, n=11)
1.811 Points -6%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
1.52 Points -21%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
1.43 Points -26%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
1.04 Points -46%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.35 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (4.09 - 7.4, n=11)
6.31 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
5.94 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5.92 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
4.39 Points -26%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
2.45 Points -59%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
1.94 Points -67%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
20666 Points +20%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
17971 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (13806 - 23118, n=16)
17608 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
17276 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
13779 Points -20%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7Y54
8946 Points -48%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
8493 Points -51%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
6194 Points -64%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
6648 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (2682 - 8906, n=16)
6571 Points -1%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
6345 Points -5%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
6126 Points -8%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5433 Points -18%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
4898 Points -26%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel Core i5-7Y54
4838 Points -27%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
3422 Points -49%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel Core i7-8500Y
673 s * -143%
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel Core i7-7500U
485.8 s * -75%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Core i7-7660U
433 s * -56%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
372.4 s * -34%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (263 - 420, n=7)
353 s * -27%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
331.1 s * -19%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel Core i7-8565U
277.4 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
9293
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
17276
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6648
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
38.45 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
5.94 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.93 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
47.24 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
595 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
158 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are comparable to other convertible laptops if not slightly higher. We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit unlike on our recent Core i9 XPS 15 from the same OEM.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
4069 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2486 - 4178, n=21)
3906 Points -4%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3564 Points -12%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3515 Points -14%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3445 Points -15%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2603 Points -36%
Essentials
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
8355 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
8354 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5450 - 9029, n=21)
8273 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
7837 Points -6%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7731 Points -7%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7083 Points -15%
Productivity
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
7045 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3381 - 7588, n=21)
6707 Points -5%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5727 Points -19%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5722 Points -19%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
5715 Points -19%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
5583 Points -21%
Digital Content Creation
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3108 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2264 - 3370, n=21)
2926 Points -6%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2795 Points -10%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
2779 Points -11%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2735 Points -12%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2695 Points -13%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3774 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2577 - 4179, n=20)
3539 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3537 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3478 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
2986 Points -16%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
HD Graphics 615, i5-7Y54, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
2706 Points -23%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
5032 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4854 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3596 - 5189, n=19)
4762 Points -5%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4339 Points -14%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3537 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5032 points
PCMark 10 Score
4069 points
Help

Storage Devices

Impressively, Dell offers two accessible storage bays (M.2 2280 NVMe + 2.5-inch SATA III) which is uncommon for a budget 14-inch convertible. The 512 GB SK Hynix BC501 SSD in our test unit is slow for a NVMe drive especially when compared to the Samsung NVMe drives on pricier alternatives. Budget laptops in this category tend to use slower SSDs from SK Hynix or Micron as opposed to Samsung or Lite-On. The target audience is unlikely to notice this sly cut corner.

See our table of SSDs and HDDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Empty 2.5-inch SATA III bay
Empty 2.5-inch SATA III bay
M.2 slot accepts 2280 or shorter NVMe drives
M.2 slot accepts 2280 or shorter NVMe drives
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
AS SSD
13%
-41%
-22%
-5%
51%
Seq Read
576
2071
260%
437.9
-24%
1342
133%
1850
221%
2416
319%
Seq Write
471.6
721
53%
350.3
-26%
543
15%
661
40%
1170
148%
4K Read
39.48
34.44
-13%
23.31
-41%
34.77
-12%
38.04
-4%
48.33
22%
4K Write
112.4
91
-19%
64.7
-42%
85.8
-24%
95
-15%
103.1
-8%
4K-64 Read
522
448.2
-14%
234.3
-55%
512
-2%
434.3
-17%
1039
99%
4K-64 Write
416.5
268.9
-35%
279.4
-33%
249.4
-40%
266.3
-36%
399.6
-4%
Access Time Read *
0.046
0.046
-0%
0.079
-72%
0.169
-267%
0.069
-50%
0.058
-26%
Access Time Write *
0.032
0.054
-69%
0.056
-75%
0.041
-28%
0.056
-75%
0.036
-13%
Score Read
619
690
11%
301
-51%
681
10%
657
6%
1329
115%
Score Write
576
432
-25%
379
-34%
389
-32%
427
-26%
620
8%
Score Total
1520
1416
-7%
839
-45%
1388
-9%
1373
-10%
2575
69%
Copy ISO MB/s
773
414.4
-46%
714
-8%
539
-30%
739
-4%
Copy Program MB/s
344.4
364.3
6%
264.7
-23%
209.7
-39%
312.3
-9%
Copy Game MB/s
536
354
-34%
457.8
-15%
340
-37%
486.3
-9%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
12%
-48%
1%
19%
Write 4K
111.8
123.1
10%
66.5
-41%
94.5
-15%
116.5
4%
Read 4K
42.6
43.24
2%
24.65
-42%
39.95
-6%
42.18
-1%
Write Seq
716
763
7%
413.2
-42%
531
-26%
1079
51%
Read Seq
1107
1632
47%
465.2
-58%
1499
35%
1030
-7%
Write 4K Q32T1
451.5
268.6
-41%
227
-50%
315.3
-30%
225.7
-50%
Read 4K Q32T1
316.8
345.2
9%
188.4
-41%
279.8
-12%
302.9
-4%
Write Seq Q32T1
809
800
-1%
439.9
-46%
829
2%
1174
45%
Read Seq Q32T1
1610
2620
63%
533
-67%
2570
60%
3394
111%
Write 4K Q8T8
332
Read 4K Q8T8
488.6
Total Average (Program / Settings)
13% / 13%
-45% / -44%
-22% / -22%
-2% / -3%
35% / 39%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1610 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 809 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 316.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 451.5 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1107 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 716 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 42.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 111.8 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Intel UHD Graphics series has evolved little over the years and this remains true for the Whiskey Lake-U series. The UHD Graphics 620 on the Inspiron is performing exactly where we expect it to be. Users upgrading from Atom-based or passively-cooled laptops will still see a boost in GPU power by about 60 percent. Users who want more graphics potential should consider systems with the GeForce MX150 or the AMD RX Vega 10 instead.

See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7658 Points +340%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
3483 Points +100%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2907 Points +67%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
2794 Points +60%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
2401 Points +38%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1980 Points +14%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1915 Points +10%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1741 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1631 Points -6%
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel HD Graphics 615, i5-7Y54
1175 Points -33%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel UHD Graphics 615, i7-8500Y
1088 Points -38%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
730 Points -58%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7598 Points +419%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
3538 Points +142%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1968 Points +35%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1800 Points +23%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
1915 Points +31%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1872 Points +28%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1755 Points +20%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points +8%
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1548 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1463 Points
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
Intel HD Graphics 615, i5-7Y54
1024 Points -30%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel UHD Graphics 615, i7-8500Y
872 Points -40%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
716 Points -51%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
39385 Points +341%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
16553 Points +85%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
10486 Points +17%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
10370 Points +16%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
9904 Points +11%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
9533 Points +7%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +4%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
8937 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
8826 Points -1%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel UHD Graphics 615, i7-8500Y
6692 Points -25%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
3982 Points -55%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6183 Points +456%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
2740 Points +146%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
1757 Points +58%
HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1740 Points +56%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1315 Points +18%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1283 Points +15%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +4%
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1112 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360-4764
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1035 Points -7%
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel UHD Graphics 615, i7-8500Y
733 Points -34%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel HD Graphics 515, 6Y30
494 Points -56%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
47091 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26409 - 59483, n=71)
42924 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
30503 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
420 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points
HP Spectre Folio 13t-ak000
Intel UHD Graphics 615, i7-8500Y
226 Points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
10342 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1911 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8073 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1025 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 51.1 30.3 24.5 7.6
Rocket League (2017) 50.6 24.3 15.7
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 12

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of a single ~45 mm fan and a heat pipe. The fan is idle during very low processing loads, but we are still able to record a noise of 29.4 dB(A) against a background of 28.2 dB(A) due to some electronic noise from our test unit. Gaming loads or higher will induce a fan noise of almost 36 dB(A) to be much quieter than the Surface Laptop when under similar conditions. Fan noise is generally steady and mostly unnoticeable when streaming video or browsing the web.

Empty space underneath the heat pipe for a potential dedicated GPU
Empty space underneath the heat pipe for a potential dedicated GPU
Single ~45 mm system
Single ~45 mm system
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U, Samsung PM971 KUS040202M
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Noise
-3%
-2%
-3%
-10%
2%
off / environment *
28.2
30.3
-7%
28.4
-1%
27.9
1%
30.5
-8%
29.3
-4%
Idle Minimum *
28.2
30.3
-7%
28.4
-1%
27.9
1%
30.9
-10%
29.3
-4%
Idle Average *
28.2
30.3
-7%
28.4
-1%
27.9
1%
30.9
-10%
29.3
-4%
Idle Maximum *
29.4
30.3
-3%
28.4
3%
27.9
5%
30.9
-5%
29.6
-1%
Load Average *
35.8
36.1
-1%
35.7
-0%
36.2
-1%
40.2
-12%
31.6
12%
Load Maximum *
35.8
33.9
5%
39
-9%
45.2
-26%
40.2
-12%
31.6
12%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.2 / 28.2 / 29.4 dB(A)
Load
35.8 / 35.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.2 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures when idling are warmer than expected towards the rear of the system where it can reach 31 C compared to just 21 C on the palm rests. When under maximum load, the hot spot on the bottom of the system can reach over 42 C. Thankfully, the keyboard and palm rests experience almost no temperature change and so the hands or fingers never become uncomfortably warm. Nonetheless, the left half of the system will always be warmer than the right due to the positioning of the processor underneath.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

We stress the convertible with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running only Prime95, the CPU can be observed running at 4.0 GHz for the first few seconds before reaching a core temperature of 97 C. Clock rates then fall and stabilize at about 2.5 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 70 C. If running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously, clock rates throttle to just 1.0 GHz.

Running on battery power will impact performance just slightly. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 5781 and 1689 points, respectively, compared to 6277 and 1741 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 42
Prime95 Stress 2.5 -- 70
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.0 800 63
Max. Load
 33.2 °C
92 F
31.2 °C
88 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
 32 °C
90 F
31 °C
88 F
24.4 °C
76 F
 
 24.2 °C
76 F
22 °C
72 F
22 °C
72 F
 
Maximum: 33.2 °C = 92 F
Average: 27.5 °C = 82 F
27.2 °C
81 F
37.8 °C
100 F
42.6 °C
109 F
22.6 °C
73 F
31.6 °C
89 F
38.8 °C
102 F
21.8 °C
71 F
23.4 °C
74 F
23.8 °C
75 F
Maximum: 42.6 °C = 109 F
Average: 30 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.8 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 27.5 °C / 82 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.6 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.9 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.2 °C / 75.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+3.9 °C / 7 F).

Speakers

The integrated stereo speakers are lacking in bass as one would expect. Frequencies above 1k Hz are represented evenly while frequencies below 1k trail off quickly for a treble-heavy audio experience. Louder volume settings will reverberate the palm rests slightly.

Speakers near the two front corners
Speakers near the two front corners
Pink noise
Pink noise
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.736.92534.234.23131.932.54031.231.15030.328.76329.830.68029.132.410029.238.412526.941.516026.844.620026.846.12502650.631525.152.940024.657.750024.859.4630245980023.866.6100023.768.2125023.764.7160023.766.3200023.767.5250023.663.6315023.364.6400023.558.8500023.264.2630023.467.4800023.465.51000023.467.31250023.362.11600023.561.4SPL35.877.3N2.540.7median 23.7median 62.1Delta0.67.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (68.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 46% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop demands between 3 W and 8 W depending on the brightness setting and power profile to be similar to its competitors.

We are able to record a maximum load of 49 W from the small (~9.5 x 3.8 x 2.6 cm) 45 W AC adapter. The laptop is unable to sustain this high of a load for extended periods and so consumption eventually falls and stabilizes as shown by the graph below.

Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the spike in consumption before eventually falling and stabilizing at about 34 W
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the spike in consumption before eventually falling and stabilizing at about 34 W
Power consumption is higher during the first few seconds of running 3DMark 06
Power consumption is higher during the first few seconds of running 3DMark 06
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.33 / 0.47 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 6.4 / 7.8 Watt
Load midlight 36.7 / 49.3 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 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
i5-7Y54, HD Graphics 615, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPUK, IPS, 3200x1800, 13.30
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Power Consumption
13%
18%
-37%
-10%
-31%
Idle Minimum *
3.4
3.3
3%
3.3
3%
8.2
-141%
3.3
3%
3.5
-3%
Idle Average *
6.4
5.8
9%
5.2
19%
10.8
-69%
6.8
-6%
8.9
-39%
Idle Maximum *
7.8
8
-3%
5.6
28%
12.7
-63%
9.5
-22%
12.3
-58%
Load Average *
36.7
29.2
20%
32.9
10%
22.6
38%
40.8
-11%
54.2
-48%
Load Maximum *
49.3
31.1
37%
35.2
29%
24.6
50%
57
-16%
52.1
-6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42.4

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are long if not average for its category. Expect a real-world WLAN battery life of around 7 hours to be comparable to the Lenovo Yoga 530 and even the XPS 13 2-in-1.

Charging from empty to full capacity with the included AC adapter is extraordinarily slow. Be prepared to wait between 3 to 3.5 hours for a full charge compared to just 1.5 to 2 hours on most other laptops.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 22min
WiFi Websurfing
7h 9min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 27min
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9365-4537 2-in-1
i5-7Y54, HD Graphics 615, 46 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 57.4 Wh
Battery Runtime
14%
35%
-4%
55%
50%
Reader / Idle
742
918
24%
1432
93%
1243
68%
WiFi v1.3
429
417
-3%
578
35%
410
-4%
550
28%
557
30%
Load
87
105
21%
124
43%
133
53%

Verdict

Pros

+ integrated fingerprint reader/power button
+ USB Type-C w/ DP and Power Delivery
+ dual storage bays w/ Optane support
+ Intel 9560 wireless comes standard
+ versatile 2-in-1 mode
+ rigid lid for the price
+ relatively quiet
+ inexpensive

Cons

- heavier and larger than the competition
- slight-moderate creaking of the chassis
- weak keyboard feedback
- display could be brighter
- creaking on our unit
- narrow color gamut
- very slow charging
In review: Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1. Test model provided by Dell US
In review: Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1. Test model provided by Dell US

The latest Inspiron convertible is well-rounded if not middle-of-the-road. It doesn't go the extra mile to offer anything more compelling than its competitors to coax potential buyers. Small advantages like a brighter display, free WACOM pen, or faster charging could have boosted the appeal of the system or given it the slight edge to stand out from the crowd.

Because of its very affordable starting price and 1080p touchscreen, the Inspiron 14 5482 2-in-1 is best suited for student use, home multimedia playback, or the occasional car trip. Alternatives like the Yoga 530 and VivoBook Flip 14 are indeed smaller and lighter but for slightly higher retail prices.

A well-rounded entry-level convertible for beginner users. It's an affordable back-to-school option even if it doesn't offer anything extraordinary for its category.

Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 - 12/07/2018 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
66 / 98 → 67%
Keyboard
71%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
54 / 80 → 68%
Weight
66 / 35-78 → 72%
Battery
89%
Display
75%
Games Performance
58 / 68 → 85%
Application Performance
91 / 87 → 100%
Temperature
94%
Noise
96%
Audio
40 / 91 → 44%
Camera
47 / 85 → 56%
Average
71%
78%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Inspiron 14 5000 5482 2-in-1 (i7-8565U) Convertible Review
Allen Ngo, 2018-12- 9 (Update: 2019-02-25)