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Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060 Max-Q, 4K UHD) Laptop Review

4K overkill. We check out the popular 15.6-inch mainstream gaming notebook from Dell for a third time in yet another configuration. As impressive as the GTX 1060 Max-Q may be, it just isn't the best GPU for 4K gaming.
Gaming Geforce Laptop

Take a step outside of Dell's Alienware series and gamers will start to venture into the budget-mainstream category of notebooks like the Inspiron 15 7577. The system promises a lot for under $1000 USD including GTX 1060 Max-Q graphics and Thunderbolt 3 while higher-end SKUs throw in 4K UHD with more RAM and storage for an additional $500 USD. Our test unit today is the latter with its Core i7-7700HQ CPU and 4K UHD panel instead of the i5-7300HQ CPU and FHD panel, respectively. Is the hefty investment in 4K worth the steep price of entry?

We recommend checking out our existing reviews on the Inspiron 15 7577 as more details on the chassis and its features can be found on these pages. For this particular review update, we will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the 4K UHD panel and what games pair best with the GTX 1060 Max-Q at this demanding resolution. The Inspiron 15 gaming series competes directly against mainstream gaming notebooks like the Gigabyte Sabre 15, Acer Aspire Nitro, MSI GP62, and the Asus FX553.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K (Inspiron 15 7000 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1063 MHz, Memory: 8008 MHz, GDDR5, 388.16, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4, PC4-19200, Dual-Channel, 17-17-17-39, 1300 MHz
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, Name: AU Optronics B156ZAN, IPS, ID: AUO20EB, Dell P/N: F2TW2, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
SK hynix SC311 M.2, 128 GB 
, Secondary: 1 TB Seagate ST1000LM035
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24.95 x 389 x 274.7 ( = 0.98 x 15.31 x 10.81 in)
Battery
56 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Quick Start guide, McAfee LiveSafe, Dell Update, Waves MaxxAudio Pro, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.858 kg ( = 100.81 oz / 6.3 pounds), Power Supply: 726 g ( = 25.61 oz / 1.6 pounds)
Price
1200 USD
Links
Dell homepage
Dell notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The base continues to be relatively strong for the price with light flexing and creaking when attempting to twist or bend it. The lid could have been more rigid and the inner bezel of the screen is not completely flat yet again for a second time in a row, so this is definitely an area where the manufacturer can improve upon for future revisions of the model.

The Dell unit is still quite the heavyweight even for a gaming notebook due in part to its thick skeleton. Other 15-inch notebooks with similar-performing GPU options like the Lenovo Legion Y520 or MSI GF62VR are several hundred grams lighter and slightly smaller in footprint.

❌
389 mm / 15.3 inch 274.7 mm / 10.8 inch 24.95 mm / 0.982 inch 2.9 kg6.3 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 262 mm / 10.3 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.2 kg4.91 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.5 kg5.56 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs365 mm / 14.4 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.9 kg4.09 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The Thunderbolt 3 port is the highlight of the system's connectivity options. Such a feature is typically reserved for higher-end gaming systems that can easily cost hundreds more whereas the Inspiron 15 7577 can start for under $1000 USD.

SD Card Reader

The card reader is where Dell had to cut some corners. A fully inserted SD card protrudes about half its length and transfer rates are just a fraction of most Ultrabooks and other gaming notebooks.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (48.5 - 209, n=93, last 2 years)
105.3 MB/s ∼100% +254%
Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
75.2 MB/s ∼71% +153%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.77 MB/s ∼28%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.2 MB/s ∼25% -12%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (72 - 269, n=84, last 2 years)
130.1 MB/s ∼100% +320%
Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
94 MB/s ∼72% +204%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
30.97 MB/s ∼24%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.6 MB/s ∼20% -14%

Communication

We can record no recurring WiFi issues when connected to our Linksys EA8500 test router.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1580, n=69, last 2 years)
1136 MBit/s ∼100% +114%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
559 MBit/s ∼49% +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
532 MBit/s ∼47%
Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
453 MBit/s ∼40% -15%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (90 - 1700, n=69, last 2 years)
1184 MBit/s ∼100% +83%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
657 MBit/s ∼55% +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
648 MBit/s ∼55%
Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
630 MBit/s ∼53% -3%

Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Chiclet keyboard come standard with a red backlight of two intensity levels. The dark red letters contrast poorly with the black key caps and so the backlight is recommended even if under well-lit conditions. Key feedback is both softer and lighter than the same keys found on the MSI GS or GF series or the XPS 15 series.

The trackpad is slightly textured with reliable cursor control and multi-point inputs. Its integrated mouse keys are shallow in travel, spongy in feedback, and generally less impressive than the trackpads on MSI systems.

Display

Right off the bat, our measurements show that the 4K UHD panel is brighter and with a wider color gamut than the lower-end FHD SKU while retaining relatively equal black-to-white response times in the process. In short, videos are texts are not only crisper, but also brighter and more vivid for a superior video playback experience. The screen is slightly grainy as is common on most matte panels, but it is thankfully not significant enough to be distracting during use. Likewise, uneven backlight bleeding is present and only noticeable if on high brightness settings and with black borders.

This particular 4K UHD AU Optronics B156ZAN panel is found on no other notebook in our database.

Minimal uneven backlight bleeding around the corners
Minimal uneven backlight bleeding around the corners
Subpixel array (282 PPI)
Subpixel array (282 PPI)
299.5
cd/m²		314.5
cd/m²		319.7
cd/m²
305.2
cd/m²		322.9
cd/m²		315.4
cd/m²
295.2
cd/m²		315.9
cd/m²		290.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Name: AU Optronics B156ZAN
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 322.9 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 308.7 cd/m² Minimum: 24.02 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 322.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 897:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.99 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 5.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
96.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.041
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Name: AU Optronics B156ZAN, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160		Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
N156HCE-EN1 (CMN15E8), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080		MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Chi Mei N156HGA-EAL, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080		Asus GL503VD-DB74
LG Philips LP156WF6, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080		Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
APPA031, IPS, 15.40, 2880x1800		Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
ID: LG Philips LGD053F, Name: 156WF6, Dell P/N: 4XK13, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-6%
16%
-10%
23%
-40%
Display P3 Coverage
68.4
64.3
-6%
85.6
25%
64.3
-6%
97.9
43%
40.4
-41%
sRGB Coverage
97.1
90.4
-7%
99.9
3%
84.4
-13%
99.9
3%
60.5
-38%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
69.6
65.3
-6%
83.9
21%
61.7
-11%
85.9
23%
41.77
-40%
Response Times
-19%
-14%
3%
-28%
-8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
35.2 ?(17.2, 18)
43.2 ?(20.4, 22.8)
-23%
49.6 ?(24.8, 24.8)
-41%
36.4 ?(16.4, 20)
-3%
48 ?(23.6, 24.4)
-36%
41 ?(20, 21)
-16%
Response Time Black / White *
28.4 ?(16, 12.4)
32.8 ?(18, 14.8)
-15%
24.4 ?(20, 4.4)
14%
26.2 ?(14, 12.4)
8%
33.8 ?(19.6, 14.2)
-19%
28 ?(15, 13)
1%
PWM Frequency
25510 ?(29)
25510 ?(20)
21010 ?(99)
119000 ?(80, 210)
Screen
-15%
-56%
-4%
42%
-5%
Brightness middle
322.9
288.2
-11%
223.9
-31%
315.9
-2%
545
69%
257
-20%
Brightness
309
266
-14%
208
-33%
304
-2%
523
69%
229
-26%
Brightness Distribution
90
75
-17%
88
-2%
88
-2%
86
-4%
84
-7%
Black Level *
0.36
0.3
17%
0.56
-56%
0.37
-3%
0.44
-22%
0.17
53%
Contrast
897
961
7%
400
-55%
854
-5%
1239
38%
1512
69%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.99
5.5
-38%
9.7
-143%
4.9
-23%
1.6
60%
5.34
-34%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.97
11.3
-26%
19.7
-120%
9.7
-8%
3.8
58%
9.99
-11%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.3
7.9
-49%
12.9
-143%
3.8
28%
1.9
64%
4.82
9%
Gamma
2.041 108%
2.09 105%
2.18 101%
2.24 98%
2.26 97%
2.46 89%
CCT
6941 94%
6559 99%
15225 43%
6847 95%
6834 95%
6587 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62.9
58.5
-7%
75
19%
55
-13%
38
-40%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96.8
90
-7%
100
3%
84
-13%
60
-38%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-13% / -13%
-18% / -36%
-4% / -5%
12% / 27%
-18% / -12%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers nearly the entire sRGB spectrum and approximately 63 percent of the AdobeRGB standard. Graphics artists are more likely to appreciate the wider range of colors offered by the 4K UHD option over the FHD option. Other notebooks with 4K UHD panels like the XPS 15 or Razer Blade Pro tend to cover sRGB in its entirety.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Inspiron 15 7577 FHD
vs. Inspiron 15 7577 FHD

Calman measurements reveal a generally inaccurate grayscale out of the box. Our calibration attempts noticeably improve both grayscale and colors on all tested saturation levels and we recommend applying our ICM color profile above to get the most out of the 4K UHD panel. Blue, unfortunately, is represented more inaccurately than other colors even after calibration.

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

ℹ
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↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 12.4 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. » 70 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.2 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17.2 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 39 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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 19210 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is better than the FHD model since the 4K UHD panel is brighter and able to reproduce deeper colors. However, text scaling should be enabled or else the denser PPI will prove disadvantageous in terms of readability. Viewing angles are still wide and with no major color shifting even if at extreme angles.

Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Outdoors under direct sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The Core i7-7700HQ is common across most newer gaming notebooks from models as small as the Razer Blade up to the large MSI GT75VR. The GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU is much rarer and is currently the highest option for the Inspiron 15 7577. Older Inspiron 15 7567 SKUs were limited to the GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti only.

Processor

Multi-thread CPU performance is approximately 44 percent faster than the i5-7300HQ in the lower-end Inspiron 15 7577 SKU. Running CineBench R15 in a loop results in steady scores over time to suggest no processor throttling over long periods.

See our Core i7-7700HQ CPU page 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
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15 | Cinebench R11.5 | Cinebench R10 | wPrime 2.10
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 312, n=244, last 2 years)
251 Points ∼77% +67%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
192 Points ∼59% +28%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (120 - 162, n=110)
155.4 Points ∼47% +4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
150 Points ∼46%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
149 Points ∼45% -1%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
144 Points ∼44% -4%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
143 Points ∼44% -5%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
142 Points ∼43% -5%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
140 Points ∼43% -7%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
134 Points ∼41% -11%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
131 Points ∼40% -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=243, last 2 years)
2608 Points ∼27% +258%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
1359 Points ∼14% +87%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
734 Points ∼8% +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
728 Points ∼8%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (603 - 747, n=111)
727 Points ∼7% 0%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
724 Points ∼7% -1%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
678 Points ∼7% -7%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
641 Points ∼7% -12%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
636 Points ∼7% -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
589 (499min - 552max) Points ∼6% -19%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
507 Points ∼5% -30%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.1 - 31.5, n=24, last 2 years)
4.26 Points ∼14% +148%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
2.16 Points ∼7% +26%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (1.36 - 1.84, n=80)
1.766 Points ∼6% +3%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.73 Points ∼5% +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.72 Points ∼5%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.68 Points ∼5% -2%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.67 Points ∼5% -3%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.64 Points ∼5% -5%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1.6 Points ∼5% -7%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
1.53 Points ∼5% -11%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
1.49 Points ∼5% -13%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
1.49 Points ∼5% -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (11 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
32.2 Points ∼45% +298%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
14.98 Points ∼21% +85%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.1 Points ∼11%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.08 Points ∼11% 0%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (6.67 - 8.23, n=81)
8 Points ∼11% -1%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.94 Points ∼11% -2%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.49 Points ∼11% -8%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
7.17 Points ∼10% -11%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
6.94 Points ∼10% -14%
Asus G750JS-T4064H
Intel Core i7-4700HQ
6.94 Points ∼10% -14%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5.85 Points ∼8% -28%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
5.71 Points ∼8% -30%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (30491 - 85088, n=24, last 2 years)
52989 Points ∼38% +141%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
38810 Points ∼28% +77%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (19409 - 29209, n=51)
22507 Points ∼16% +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21986 Points ∼16%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21839 Points ∼16% -1%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
21755 Points ∼16% -1%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
20773 Points ∼15% -6%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
20639 Points ∼15% -6%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
17806 Points ∼13% -19%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
15307 Points ∼11% -30%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 11940, n=24, last 2 years)
8368 Points ∼51% +46%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
7243 Points ∼44% +27%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (5426 - 7647, n=50)
5918 Points ∼36% +4%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5716 Points ∼35%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5550 Points ∼34% -3%
Razer Blade (2016) FHD
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5550 Points ∼34% -3%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5528 Points ∼33% -3%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
5523 Points ∼33% -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5147 Points ∼31% -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4418 Points ∼27% -23%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=9, last 2 years)
340 s * ∼4% -60%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  (210 - 379, n=48)
257 s * ∼3% -21%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD
Intel Core i5-8250U
243.3 s * ∼3% -15%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
213 s * ∼3% -0%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
212 s * ∼3%
Eurocom Sky X4C
Intel Core i7-8700K
120.9 s * ∼1% +43%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6824
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
21986
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5716
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
59.6 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.1 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.72 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
88.5 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
728 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
150 Points
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System Performance

PCMark 10 benchmarks rank the Dell within single-digit percentage points from the average gaming notebook and even the lower-end Inspiron 15 7577 SKU with the slower Core i5-7300HQ. As long as the system is equipped with a primary SSD, the Inspiron will feel snappy for everyday loads regardless of the CPU or GPU option.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9331, n=196, last 2 years)
7265 Points ∼72% +69%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4644 Points ∼46% +8%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4406 Points ∼43% +2%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (3969 - 4861, n=3)
4379 Points ∼43% +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4306 Points ∼42%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
2501 Points ∼25% -42%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=42, last 2 years)
5109 Points ∼77% +51%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (3385 - 4858, n=3)
4189 Points ∼63% +24%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4069 Points ∼61% +20%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3759 Points ∼56% +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3450 Points ∼52% +2%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
3385 Points ∼51%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=41, last 2 years)
5991 Points ∼84% +46%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5090 Points ∼72% +24%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4856 Points ∼68% +18%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4102 Points ∼58%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (2484 - 5348, n=3)
3978 Points ∼56% -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3797 Points ∼53% -7%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (5206 - 10574, n=25, last 2 years)
6927 Points ∼59% +44%
Average Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (4806 - 6901, n=2)
5854 Points ∼50% +22%
MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5136 Points ∼44% +7%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4806 Points ∼41%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i5-7300HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4723 Points ∼41% -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3577 Points ∼31% -26%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3385 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4806 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4102 points
PCMark 10 Score
4306 points
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Storage Devices

Our configuration utilizes a primary SK Hynix 128 GB M.2 SSD and a secondary Seagate 1 TB HDD. This particular SSD is limited to SATA III speeds unlike the NVMe SSDs on higher-end configurations of the Dell. Transfer rates from the SK Hynix drive are below average for a SATA III HDD as sequential write rates are about half of what some competing SATA III SSDs have to offer.

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

CDM 5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5 (Secondary HDD)
CDM 5 (Secondary HDD)
AS SSD
AS SSD
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
 
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
SK hynix SC311 M.2		Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP		MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7		Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP		Average SK hynix SC311 M.2
 
AS SSD
337%
114%
207%
1%
Copy Game MB/s
185.4
477.1
157%
471.7
154%
382.5
106%
164.3 ?(130.9 - 210, n=4)
-11%
Copy Program MB/s
142.2
294.6
107%
286.5
101%
274.8
93%
138.6 ?(95.7 - 209, n=4)
-3%
Copy ISO MB/s
363.6
1269
249%
1069
194%
814
124%
246 ?(146.6 - 364, n=4)
-32%
Score Total
578
3721
544%
1324
129%
2405
316%
639 ?(509 - 912, n=4)
11%
Score Write
227
1421
526%
693
205%
594
162%
228 ?(160 - 326, n=4)
0%
Score Read
234
1541
559%
448
91%
1241
430%
273 ?(234 - 385, n=4)
17%
Access Time Write *
0.058
0.034
41%
0.03
48%
0.037
36%
0.058 ?(0.047 - 0.066, n=4)
-0%
Access Time Read *
0.126
0.054
57%
0.09
29%
0.058
54%
0.1233 ?(0.111 - 0.128, n=4)
2%
4K-64 Write
127.2
1160
812%
551
333%
375.8
195%
131.4 ?(73.4 - 213, n=4)
3%
4K-64 Read
156.6
1269
710%
280.1
79%
929
493%
196.5 ?(156.6 - 306, n=4)
25%
4K Write
74
112.8
52%
118.3
60%
100.2
35%
69.6 ?(62.2 - 74, n=4)
-6%
4K Read
26.24
51
94%
31.27
19%
46.95
79%
26.3 ?(24.4 - 29, n=4)
0%
Seq Write
259.9
1475
468%
234.9
-10%
1181
354%
270 ?(182.1 - 393, n=4)
4%
Seq Read
508
2208
335%
1371
170%
2652
422%
504 ?(492 - 511, n=4)
-1%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
hddimg
SK hynix SC311 M.2
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 549 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 243.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 199.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 162.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 480.9 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 246.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 28.77 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 89 MB/s

GPU Performance

The GTX 1060 Max-Q is about 10 percent slower than the standard GTX 1060 for laptops according to 3DMark benchmarks. Choosing the Max-Q option over the GTX 1050 Ti configuration will net users a rough 25 to 30 percent boost in GPU power while the jump from the GTX 1050 would be even larger at 70 to 115 percent depending on the resolution.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=242, last 2 years)
27061 Points ∼31% +166%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
20909 Points ∼24% +105%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18219 Points ∼21% +79%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
17793 Points ∼20% +75%
MSI GS63VR 7RG-005
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
14394 Points ∼16% +41%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
10715 Points ∼12% +5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (9992 - 11366, n=10)
10659 Points ∼12% +5%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
10180 Points ∼11%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN 80WK0042GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
7795 Points ∼9% -23%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
6375 Points ∼7% -37%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4133 Points ∼5% -59%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (6845 - 27183, n=23, last 2 years)
15645 Points ∼33% +227%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
9996 Points ∼21% +109%
MSI GS63VR 7RG-005
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
6679 Points ∼14% +40%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
5166 Points ∼11% +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (4672 - 5106, n=4)
4854 Points ∼10% +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
4785 Points ∼10%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN 80WK0042GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
3670 Points ∼8% -23%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
2705 Points ∼6% -43%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
1988 Points ∼4% -58%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (2910 - 14184, n=99, last 2 years)
7266 Points ∼28% +222%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
4938 Points ∼19% +118%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
4048 Points ∼16% +79%
MSI GS63VR 7RG-005
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
3210 Points ∼12% +42%
Razer Blade (2017) UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
2501 Points ∼10% +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (2210 - 2424, n=4)
2287 Points ∼9% +1%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
2260 Points ∼9%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN 80WK0042GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
1807 Points ∼7% -20%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
1053 Points ∼4% -53%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=235, last 2 years)
36582 Points ∼31% +178%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
26912 Points ∼23% +104%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
23540 Points ∼20% +79%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
23246 Points ∼20% +76%
MSI GS63VR 7RG-005
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
18205 Points ∼16% +38%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (12970 - 14487, n=10)
13581 Points ∼12% +3%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
13180 Points ∼11%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN 80WK0042GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
9904 Points ∼9% -25%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
8047 Points ∼7% -39%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4826 Points ∼4% -63%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Gaming
  (1251 - 26358, n=234, last 2 years)
18176 Points ∼59% +102%
Eurocom Sky X4C
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8700K
13928 Points ∼45% +54%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
9019 Points ∼29%
MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8937 Points ∼29% -1%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
8935 Points ∼29% -1%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q
  (6212 - 11735, n=10)
8931 Points ∼29% -1%
MSI GS63VR 7RG-005
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
7573 Points ∼25% -16%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN 80WK0042GE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
6406 Points ∼21% -29%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ
6265 Points ∼20% -31%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4466 Points ∼15% -50%
3DMark 11 Performance
11855 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
84441 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
24667 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
8861 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
4610 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The additional horsepower provided by the GTX 1060 Max-Q over the GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti allows users to play modern titles at 1080p60 at Medium to High settings. Less intensive titles like Overwatch or DOTA 2 will perform even better and have more impressive results at the native 4K UHD resolution. Unfortunately, most titles perform poorly at native 4K UHD including Rise of the Tomb Raider and Destiny 2. The GTX 1060 Max-Q pairs best with FHD panels much like on the original GTX 1060.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
102 (95min - 107max) fps ∼100% +125%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
66.9 fps ∼66% +48%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
66.5 fps ∼65% +47%
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
51.6 fps ∼51% +14%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
45.3 fps ∼44%
MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
40.7 (37min - 45max) fps ∼40% -10%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
36.9 (34min - 40max) fps ∼36% -19%
3840x2160 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x
MSI Gaming Z GeForce GTX 1070 OC Bios Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1070 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
43 (39min - 47max) fps ∼100% +89%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
29.3 fps ∼68% +29%
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition 6 GB
GeForce GTX 1060 (Desktop), 6700K
27 fps ∼63% +18%
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2
22.8 fps ∼53%
Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 2GB
GeForce GTX 1050 (Desktop), 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
15.6 (14min - 18max) fps ∼36% -32%
low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 100.4
Metro: Last Light (2013) 74
Thief (2014) 70.4
The Witcher 3 (2015) 70.1 36.8 24.4
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 129 81 53 26
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60 60 42
Fallout 4 (2015) 78.4 64.6 25.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 45.3 22.8
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 59.8 52.9 21
Overwatch (2016) 165.8 102 50.3
Prey (2017) 120 101 34.6
Dirt 4 (2017) 119.5 84.9 48.3 28.8
F1 2017 (2017) 98 60 26
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 82 60 46 17
Destiny 2 (2017) 94.7 85.4 71.4 17.6
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 73 47.2 33.9 14.6

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to identify for any throttling or stability issues. When subjected to Prime95 loads, we can observe a steady CPU clock rate and temperature of 3.2 GHz and 67 C, respectively. Running both Prime95 and FurMark will impressively result in a steady CPU temperature of 83 C without affecting clock rate. Core CPU and GPU temperatures are quite low at under 70 C when gaming for extended periods.

Much like our other Inspiron 15 7577 configurations, running on battery power will limit CPU and GPU performance and so AC power is recommended when gaming.

Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
Prime95 stress (>20 minutes)
Prime95 stress (>20 minutes)
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
System idle
System idle
0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172Tooltip
The Witcher 3 high
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.2 -- 67 45
FurMark Stress -- 937 68 56
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.3 899 83 62
Witcher 3 Stress 3.4 1405 69 56

Emissions

System Noise

Fan behavior is not dissimilar to the lower-end Inspiron 15 7577 SKUs despite our system carrying a faster GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU. Both system fans remain idle during low processing loads for near-silent operation save for the barely audible HDD. Gaming loads will bump fan noise up to 40 dB(A) as defined by Nvidia's stringent Max-Q specifications. Gaming for longer periods, however, may induce faster RPMs. For example, running Witcher 3 for just 10 to 15 minutes resulted in a noticeably louder fan noise of 44 dB(A). Although not as loud as most thin-and-light gaming notebooks where 50 dB(A) is attainable, we would've preferred an option for slightly warmer core temperatures if it had meant quieter fan noise since the processors have some thermal headroom as our Stress Test section shows.

Our specific unit suffers from no coil whine or electronic noise.

Noise Level

Idle
28.8 / 29.2 / 29.2 dB(A)
Load
34.6 / 49.3 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: 28.5 dB(A)
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, SK hynix SC311 M.2		Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP		Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7		Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172		Asus Zephyrus GX501
GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH		MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
Noise
-6%
-1%
-5%
-7%
-20%
off / environment *
28.5
28.3
1%
31.8
-12%
31
-9%
31
-9%
30
-5%
Idle Minimum *
28.8
30.4
-6%
31.8
-10%
32.7
-14%
32
-11%
33
-15%
Idle Average *
29.2
31
-6%
32.1
-10%
32.7
-12%
33
-13%
35
-20%
Idle Maximum *
29.2
31.2
-7%
32.1
-10%
32.7
-12%
34
-16%
40
-37%
Load Average *
34.6
43.3
-25%
33
5%
38.7
-12%
39
-13%
48
-39%
Witcher 3 ultra *
44.1
46.2
-5%
39
12%
42
5%
50
-13%
Load Maximum *
49.3
46.2
6%
34.8
29%
44.6
10%
46
7%
55
-12%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Dual rear exhaust (max load)
Dual rear exhaust (max load)

Surface temperatures around the palm rests, NumPad, and WASD keys remain relatively cool no matter the onscreen load due to the positioning of the cooling solution underneath. The hot spots are generally away from where users are more likely to touch.

Surfaces never become uncomfortably warm when gaming so long as the rear third of the notebook is properly set on a table and not one's lap. Be sure to leave ample space behind the notebook for ventilation.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 33.4 °C
92 F		42.6 °C
109 F		35.6 °C
96 F		 
 27.8 °C
82 F		39.6 °C
103 F		28.2 °C
83 F		 
 23.6 °C
74 F		22 °C
72 F		27.2 °C
81 F		 
Maximum: 42.6 °C = 109 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
46.2 °C
115 F		42.8 °C
109 F		44 °C
111 F
27 °C
81 F		35.6 °C
96 F		25 °C
77 F
26.8 °C
80 F		23.6 °C
74 F		23.6 °C
74 F
Maximum: 46.2 °C = 115 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.4 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.1 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.6 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.2 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.2 °C / 81 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.7 °C / 3 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

When gaming, the Dell consumes just a few percentage Watts more than the GTX 1050 version of the same model and even competing systems with the GTX 1050 Ti like the Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE. Considering that the GTX 1060 Max-Q offers a significantly larger boost in graphics performance than either of these GPUs, the very slight increase in power consumption seems to be a very fair trade off.

Running extreme loads at 100 percent CPU and GPU utilization will demand 130 W from a medium-sized AC adapter (~15 x 8 x 3 cm) rated for up to 180 W. This maximum sits comfortably between the GTX 1050 and GTX 1060 when all are subjected to similarly extreme loads.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.28 / 0.48 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.5 / 10.5 / 10.9 Watt
Load midlight 72 / 130.4 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 7577 4K
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, SK hynix SC311 M.2, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60		Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60		Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60		MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60		Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60		Asus Zephyrus GX501
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
7%
14%
-68%
3%
-107%
Idle Minimum *
5.5
6.3
-15%
7.3
-33%
16.2
-195%
5.3
4%
18
-227%
Idle Average *
10.5
7.9
25%
9.7
8%
18.2
-73%
8.8
16%
23
-119%
Idle Maximum *
10.9
8.1
26%
13
-19%
18.9
-73%
9.7
11%
31
-184%
Load Average *
72
84.9
-18%
40.4
44%
82.7
-15%
100
-39%
79
-10%
Witcher 3 ultra *
97.4
96.3
1%
125.7
-29%
87
11%
148
-52%
Load Maximum *
130.4
102.4
21%
42.2
68%
162.3
-24%
109
16%
196
-50%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are shorter on the higher-end 4K UHD GTX 1060 Max-Q SKU compared to the lower-end FHD GTX 1050 SKU by about an hour when subjected to similar WLAN conditions. Users can expect about 5.5 hours of real-world WLAN use out of this configuration to be respectable for a gaming notebook.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
9h 59min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 22min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 30min
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, 56 Wh		Asus Zenbook Pro UX550VE-DB71T
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 73 Wh		Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh		MSI GF62VR 7RF-877
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 41 Wh		Asus GL503VD-DB74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 64 Wh		Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 56 Wh
Battery Runtime
38%
3%
-63%
-1%
19%
Reader / Idle
599
1023
71%
730
22%
166
-72%
647
8%
665
11%
WiFi v1.3
322
532
65%
310
-4%
115
-64%
348
8%
405
26%
Load
90
70
-22%
81
-10%
41
-54%
73
-19%
108
20%

Pros

+ brighter display and more accurate colors than FHD SKU
+ no CPU or GPU throttling when gaming
+ relatively cool running temperatures
+ fingerprint-enabled Power button
+ quiet under low processing loads
+ strong base chassis
+ easy serviceability
+ Thunderbolt 3

Cons

- 4K UHD gaming demands more powerful hardware than the GTX 1060 Max-Q
- keyboard keys and trackpad have weak feedback
- lid could be more rigid
- heavy for the size

Verdict

In review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K UHD
In review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K UHD

For gaming purposes, a native 4K UHD panel is not the perfect fit for a system powered by the GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU. Unless if the notebook will be used exclusively for large spreadsheet work or undemanding games like Rocket League, LoL, Overwatch, or DOTA 2, then it becomes difficult to justify the exorbitant price premium of the 4K UHD panel over the standard FHD model. Users will need a much more powerful GPU to better exploit what 4K UHD has to offer.

If the above is not concerning, then potential buyers will be pleased to find that the 4K UHD panel is indeed brighter than the FHD model and with more accurate colors to boot. The same advantages and disadvantages of our existing Inspiron 15 7577 pages continue to apply here including the strong but heavy base, soft but quiet keyboard keys, and accessible internals.

The 4K UHD version of the Inspiron 15 7577 is superior to the FHD SKUs on paper, but gamers will be better off playing most titles at 1080p for which the GTX 1060 Max-Q was designed for.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 4K - 02/19/2018 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
84 / 98 → 85%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
59 / 81 → 73%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 85%
Battery
84%
Display
86%
Games Performance
92%
Application Performance
89%
Temperature
90 / 95 → 95%
Noise
87 / 90 → 97%
Audio
56%
Camera
42 / 85 → 50%
Average
76%
84%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7577 (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060 Max-Q, 4K UHD) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2018-02-22 (Update: 2018-02-22)