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Dell Inspiron 17 3000 3780 (i7-8565U, Radeon 520) Laptop Review

Outdated GPU. You know something's wrong when even an integrated Vega 8 can outperform your dedicated Radeon GPU. The Inspiron 17 3780 may sport the newest Intel Whiskey Lake-U CPU, but the decision to pair it with an outdated Radeon 520 is a head scratcher.

Users who don't want to spend a fortune on a high-end XPS system can opt for Dell's budget Inspiron series. The Inspiron 17 3780 is a low-end 17.3-inch offering for those who just need a basic laptop for browsing and video streaming.

SKUs range from $480 USD with an AMD Ryzen 3 2300U with Vega 6 graphics or Intel Core i3-7020U with UHD Graphics 620 up to $800 USD with the Core i7-8565U and discrete Radeon 520 graphics. All configurations come standard with a 1080p IPS display.

Direct competitors in this space include other 17.3-inch entry-level multimedia laptops like the HP 17, Acer Aspire ES 17, Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB, and the Asus VivoBook 17. We recommend checking out our existing review on the Inspiron 17 5770 as the Inspiron 17 3780 shares the same chassis design.

More Dell Inspiron reviews:

Dell Inspiron 17 3780 (Inspiron 17 3000 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon 520 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1030 MHz, Memory: 1000 MHz, GDDR5, Adrenalin 17.12
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, Single-Channel, 2x SODIMM,
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics B173HAN01.3, IPS, AUO139D, Dell P/N: W27J0, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB, 256 GB 
, Secondary: 2 TB Seagate ST2000LM007
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
RealTek Semiconductor RTL8101/2/3 Family Fast Ethernet NIC (10/100MBit/s), Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
PLDS DVD+/-RW DU-8A5LH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 415.4 x 279.2 ( = 0.98 x 16.35 x 10.99 in)
Battery
42 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Dell Update, Dell Mobile Connect, Power Manager, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.79 kg ( = 98.41 oz / 6.15 pounds), Power Supply: 340 g ( = 11.99 oz / 0.75 pounds)
Price
900 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Our chassis comments on the Inspiron 17 5770 apply here on the Inspiron 17 3780. The heavy plastic base is firm and resistant to twists while the lid is free of any teetering issues while typing. Weak points include the center of the keyboard and outer lid where surfaces are more susceptible to warping when applying pressure. These drawbacks are noticeable for a cheap impression, but they don't impact everyday usability.

Construction quality is excellent from top to bottom with no unintended defects or uneven gaps between materials. While the outer matte gray surfaces hide fingerprints quite well, expect grease to accumulate quickly on the black keycaps and trackpad. The inexpensive plastic materials here contrast the magnesium and carbon fiber makeup of Dell's pricier XPS lineup.

Chassis dimensions are nearly identical to the HP 17 even though the Dell system is noticeably heavier by about 300 g. Narrow bezel designs have yet to arrive on budget 17.3-inch laptops and so the Dell still feel unwieldy to carry.

Bottom panel curves upwards around the corners and edges
Bottom panel curves upwards around the corners and edges
Plastic from top to bottom
Plastic from top to bottom
Textured base to avoid the flat plastic feel
Textured base to avoid the flat plastic feel
Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
418 mm / 16.5 inch 293 mm / 11.5 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs415.4 mm / 16.4 inch 279.2 mm / 11 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.8 kg6.15 lbs415.4 mm / 16.4 inch 279.2 mm / 11 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.7 kg5.98 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 278 mm / 10.9 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.5 kg5.41 lbs411 mm / 16.2 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 22.6 mm / 0.89 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs412.5 mm / 16.2 inch 274 mm / 10.8 inch 16.09 mm / 0.633 inch 2.8 kg6.21 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The Inspiron 17 3780 is one of the few remaining consumer laptops sporting a Whiskey Lake-U CPU and a removable optical drive. Port selection, however, is limited and exactly the same as on the HP 17. The RJ-45 port maxes out at just 100 Mbps and the chassis lacks a USB Type-C port. We believe USB Type-C has become common enough to be on all laptops regardless of price range.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, HDMI 1.4b, RJ-45, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo audio
Left: AC adapter, HDMI 1.4b, RJ-45, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen. 1, 3.5 mm combo audio
Right: SD reader, USB 2.0, Optical bay, Noble Lock
Right: SD reader, USB 2.0, Optical bay, Noble Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity

SD Card Reader

Remove the card first before transporting
Remove the card first before transporting

Transfer rates from the integrated SD card reader are slow at just under 33 MB/s. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 37 seconds compared to just 7 seconds on the XPS 15.

The card reader is not spring-loaded and a fully inserted SD card will protrude by about half its length.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
 
156 MB/s +458%
HP ProBook 470 G5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
74.7 MB/s +167%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.95 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s -7%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
17.8 MB/s -36%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
 
216 MB/s +532%
HP ProBook 470 G5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.3 MB/s +155%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.17 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.6 MB/s -5%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.7 MB/s -22%

Communication

All SKUs ship with the same 1x1 Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 budget WLAN card with integrated Bluetooth 4.1. Transfer rates are limited to 433 Mbps which is about four times slower than the newer 2x2 WLAN cards as found on the latest Ultrabooks. Even so, we didn't experience any connectivity issues and transfer rates are more than ough for home or streaming use.

Uncommon 802.11ac M.2 1630 WLAN module
Uncommon 802.11ac M.2 1630 WLAN module
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP ProBook 470 G5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
666 MBit/s +98%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
658 (642min - 669max) MBit/s +96%
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
512 MBit/s +52%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
336 MBit/s
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
224 (194min - 260max) MBit/s -33%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
667 MBit/s +116%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
553 (463min - 618max) MBit/s +79%
HP ProBook 470 G5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
496 MBit/s +61%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
309 MBit/s
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
227 (156min - 255max) MBit/s -27%

Maintenance

The bottom panel is relatively easy to remove with just a Philips screwdriver. Remember to slide out the optical bay and unscrew the remaining two screws underneath before prying apart the laptop. Owners get direct access to both SODIMM slots, both storage bays, and the WLAN module.

Accessories and Warranty

There are no included extras in the retail box other than the AC adapter and usual paperwork.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Dell offers a much wider range of extended warranty options and protection when compared to smaller brands.

Upgrade internal components without breaching warranty
Upgrade internal components without breaching warranty

Input Devices

Keyboard

Key feedback is identical to the Inspiron 15 5770. We find the main QWERTY and Space keys to be short in travel with moderate clatter and satisfactory pressure akin to many Ultrabooks. They are slightly louder than the keys of the XPS 15 but thankfully not noticeably softer.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the keyboard is that both the individual NumPad keys and Arrow keys are smaller than the main QWERTY keys. These keys are spongier as a result and so users who rely on them for number-crunching or Excel work may be disappointed by the softer tactile feedback. We're hopeful that future models will increase the size of these keys especially since the 17.3-inch form factor is wide enough to support it.

Touchpad

The trackpad (10.5 x 8 cm) is slightly smaller than the trackpad on the XPS 15 (10.5 x 8.5 cm) despite the fact that the Inspiron 17 chassis is much larger. Cursor control is smooth with no jumping even if gliding slowly across the smooth surface. There is some minor sticking if moving slowly across the trackpad surface, but we don't find this to be impactful to everyday use.

The integrated mouse keys are very shallow in travel with weak and quiet feedback when pressed. A firmer and more clicky feel would have made the clickpad easier to use. Perhaps a set of dedicated mouse keys would have been better given the ample space available on the large chassis.

Keyboard backlight is not available on the lowest-end configuration. All SKUs lack a fingerprint reader unlike on the Inspiron 17 5770
Keyboard backlight is not available on the lowest-end configuration. All SKUs lack a fingerprint reader unlike on the Inspiron 17 5770
Key feedback is both satisfactory and quiet. The NumPad and Arrow keys, however, are softer and could have been larger
Key feedback is both satisfactory and quiet. The NumPad and Arrow keys, however, are softer and could have been larger

Display

Subpixel array (127 PPI). Note the grainy matte overlay obscuring the clarity of the pixels
Subpixel array (127 PPI). Note the grainy matte overlay obscuring the clarity of the pixels

The system ships with the same AU Optronics B173HAN01.3 IPS panel as found on a number of other 17.3-inch Dell laptops including the Precision 7730 and G3 17. Thus, these laptops share similar qualities including the respectable contrast ratio and color space. Other aspects like response times and backlight brightness are merely average for the budget category. A notable disadvantage of the matte display display is its graininess and so image quality is not as crisp as a glossy panel.

Our test unit suffers from heavy backlight bleeding as shown by our image below. While not noticeble when browsing the web or word processing, it becomes painfully obvious during video playback or during the initial BIOS boot up screen.

Very wide bezels by today's standards
Very wide bezels by today's standards
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the corners
Heavy uneven backlight bleeding along the corners
340.6
cd/m²
343.3
cd/m²
343.2
cd/m²
287.5
cd/m²
322.9
cd/m²
296
cd/m²
312.3
cd/m²
325.9
cd/m²
322.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B173HAN01.3 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 343.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 321.6 cd/m² Minimum: 20.12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 322.9 cd/m²
Contrast: 1242:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.19 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.55
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
88.4% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
57.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
88.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.97
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AU Optronics B173HAN01.3, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
LG Philips, 173W4F, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
HP ProBook 470 G5
LG Philips, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
AUO109D (AU Optronics), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
HP 17-ca0013ng
LG Philips LGD059E, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-5%
-4%
-2%
0%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
63.7
64.8
2%
65.4
3%
66.1
4%
63.9
0%
67
5%
sRGB Coverage
88.9
81.6
-8%
82
-8%
84.4
-5%
88.7
0%
86.4
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.6
59.7
-8%
60
-7%
61.8
-4%
64.8
0%
63.2
-2%
Response Times
20%
24%
21%
23%
30%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
46 ?(24.4, 21.6)
38 ?(19, 19)
17%
33 ?(15, 18)
28%
36 ?(18, 18)
22%
38 ?(20, 18)
17%
33 ?(16, 17)
28%
Response Time Black / White *
35.2 ?(22, 13.2)
27 ?(16, 11)
23%
28 ?(17, 11)
20%
28 ?(16, 12)
20%
25 ?(14, 11)
29%
24 ?(14, 10)
32%
PWM Frequency
119000 ?(90)
Screen
-12%
-8%
-16%
9%
-14%
Brightness middle
322.9
343
6%
414
28%
400
24%
279
-14%
394
22%
Brightness
322
313
-3%
375
16%
374
16%
262
-19%
352
9%
Brightness Distribution
84
82
-2%
82
-2%
87
4%
85
1%
83
-1%
Black Level *
0.26
0.37
-42%
0.41
-58%
0.63
-142%
0.18
31%
0.35
-35%
Contrast
1242
927
-25%
1010
-19%
635
-49%
1550
25%
1126
-9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.19
4.8
-15%
4.5
-7%
4.34
-4%
3.58
15%
6.08
-45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.04
10.35
-47%
9.59
-36%
8.29
-18%
5.98
15%
10.88
-55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.55
4.57
-29%
2.8
21%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.5
3.51
22%
3.13
30%
3.51
22%
2.75
39%
7.22
-60%
Gamma
1.97 112%
2.19 100%
2.41 91%
2.45 90%
2.57 86%
2.48 89%
CCT
7041 92%
6188 105%
6198 105%
6570 99%
6836 95%
7997 81%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
57.6
54
-6%
54
-6%
55
-5%
58
1%
57
-1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
88.4
81
-8%
82
-7%
84
-5%
88
0%
86
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
1% / -6%
4% / -3%
1% / -8%
11% / 9%
5% / -6%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers approximately 88 percent of sRGB to be in between most flagship Ultrabooks where full sRGB coverage is expected and cheaper budget alternatives where 60 percent is common. Subjectively, colors appear deep albeit not deep enough to recommend for serious graphic artists.

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

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal just average colors and grayscale. Our calibration attempt improves both by noticeable margins for final average grayscale and color deltaE values of 1.8 and 3.55, respectively. We recommend an end-user calibration for the best possible colors out of the Inspiron 17 3780.

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
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 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. » 92 % 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
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.4 ms rise
↘ 21.6 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. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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

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

Outdoor visibility is below average as the backlight was not designed to overcome direct sunlight. Expect glare and washed out colors if not working under shade. Viewing angles are excellent as expected from an IPS panel to help minimize glare, but the dim backlight is still a hindrance.

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
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

All SKUs are limited to ULV CPUs with either integrated UHD Graphics 620, integrated Vega 6/8, or a discrete Radeon 520 GPU. Users who want more horsepower should consider the Dell G3 17 family which supports H-class CPUs and dedicated Nvidia GeForce GPUs. Interestingly, the Inspiron 17 3780 also comes in AMD-only configurations with Ryzen 3 2300U and Ryzen 5 2500U options. These less expensive SKUs can actually run faster than the Intel SKUs as our benchmarks below with show.

 

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

CPU performance is only within a few percentage points from the last generation Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U. Thus, users will get almost no performance benefits from the newer Whiskey Lake-U processor on this particular laptop model. Even the Ryzen 7 2700U in the smaller Latitude 14 5495 is able to outperform our Core i7-8565U by 20 percent according to CineBench R15 due to the very short-lived Turbo Boost performance on the Inspiron 17 3780. By running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can see that performance hits a thermal wall after just the first loop.

Users who upgrade from the base SKU with the Core i3-7020U will still see a substantial 150 percent increase in multi-thread performance. Upgrading from the two-generations old Core i5-7200U or i7-7500U will get a 60 percent performance boost.

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

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Dell Inspiron 17 3780 Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø554 (548.32-600.91)
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø614 (574.66-670.36)
Dell Inspiron 17-7773-0043 GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk X400 M.2 2280 128GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø516 (503.63-652.06)
Dell Inspiron 15 5579-9672 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø503 (479.16-561.5)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell G7 15-7588
Intel Core i7-8750H
176 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points +6%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
168 Points +3%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U
163 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
Intel Core i7-8550U
161 Points -1%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Core i7-7560U
153 Points -6%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel Core i5-8265U
148 Points -9%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
Intel Core i7-7500U
147 Points -10%
Dell Inspiron 15 5579-9672
Intel Core i5-8250U
140 Points -14%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
135 Points -17%
HP 250 G6 4BD30ES
Intel Core i3-7020U
93 Points -43%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell G7 15-7588
Intel Core i7-8750H
1113 Points +85%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
831 Points +38%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel Core i5-8265U
666 Points +11%
HP ProBook 445 G6
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
612 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points +2%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U
601 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
Intel Core i7-8550U
588 Points -2%
Dell Inspiron 15 5579-9672
Intel Core i5-8250U
562 Points -6%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
Intel Core i7-7500U
342 Points -43%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Core i7-7560U
336 Points -44%
HP 250 G6 4BD30ES
Intel Core i3-7020U
227 Points -62%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
163 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
601 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
41.13 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark 10 benchmarks rank our system consistently higher than competing systems with integrated graphics including the Lenovo V320 and Inspiron 17 5770. Results are also better than the HP ProBook 470 G5 with GeForce 930MX graphics even though 3DMark benchmarks show the Radeon 520 to be roughly equal. We're a bit surprised by the good PCMark numbers from the Inspiron 17 3780 as a result.

We experienced no software or hardware hiccups during our time with the test unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
Score
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
4594 Points
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
4175 Points -9%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
3827 Points -17%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3372 Points -27%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
2465 Points -46%
Essentials
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
9023 Points
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
8190 Points -9%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
7971 Points -12%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
7836 Points -13%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
7470 Points -17%
Productivity
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
7862 Points
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
6483 Points -18%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
6299 Points -20%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
5917 Points -25%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5389 Points -31%
Digital Content Creation
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
3722 Points 0%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3710 Points
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
3030 Points -18%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
2842 Points -23%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
2586 Points -30%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
4092 Points +17%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
4057 Points +16%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3844 Points +10%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
3722 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
3509 Points
HP 17-ca0013ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3449 Points -2%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
5260 Points
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
5254 Points 0%
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4922 Points -6%
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
4920 Points -6%
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
4804 Points -9%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3509 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5260 points
PCMark 10 Score
4594 points
Help

Storage Devices

Internal storage options include a 2.5-inch SATA III bay and an M.2 2280 slot. Our test unit is equipped with a 2 TB Seagate ST2000LM007 HDD and an uncommon M.2 2230 256 GB SK Hynix BC501 NVMe SSD. Sequential read and write rates from this budget SSD show are two to three times slower than the pricier Samsung PM961 as found on the ThinkPad P71. Even so, average sequential read rate is still two times faster than a standard SATA III SSD.

HD Tune reveals an average transfer rate of 106 MB/s from the 5400 RPM Seagate HDD which is actually comparable to many 7200 RPM drives. 

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

2.5-inch SATA III bay
2.5-inch SATA III bay
M.2 2280 PCIe x4 NVMe slot
M.2 2280 PCIe x4 NVMe slot
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
Liteonit CV3-DE256
HP ProBook 470 G5
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
SK hynix SC311 M.2
HP 17-ca0013ng
Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
AS SSD
-53%
-23%
-68%
-42%
Seq Read
1061
520
-51%
1257
18%
492.1
-54%
1334
26%
Seq Write
491.4
259.4
-47%
461.8
-6%
182.1
-63%
760
55%
4K Read
39.13
21.59
-45%
26.95
-31%
25.6
-35%
37.67
-4%
4K Write
104
53.6
-48%
90.6
-13%
68.8
-34%
72
-31%
4K-64 Read
505
329.4
-35%
279.4
-45%
159.1
-68%
629
25%
4K-64 Write
314.8
215.4
-32%
429.4
36%
73.4
-77%
259
-18%
Access Time Read *
0.063
0.084
-33%
0.109
-73%
0.128
-103%
0.085
-35%
Access Time Write *
0.034
0.072
-112%
0.039
-15%
0.061
-79%
0.204
-500%
Score Read
650
403
-38%
432
-34%
234
-64%
800
23%
Score Write
468
295
-37%
566
21%
160
-66%
407
-13%
Score Total
1434
897
-37%
1188
-17%
509
-65%
1596
11%
Copy ISO MB/s
876
305
-65%
549
-37%
162.8
-81%
574
-34%
Copy Program MB/s
653
99.2
-85%
209.2
-68%
107.8
-83%
219.2
-66%
Copy Game MB/s
512
147.8
-71%
248.6
-51%
130.9
-74%
374
-27%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1616 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 812 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 398.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 492.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1119 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 619 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 41.81 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 120.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Radeon 520 performs poorly by today's standards. 3DMark results are about 10 to 20 percent slower than the two-generations old GeForce 940MX and over 50 percent slower than the significantly more efficient GeForce MX150. Even the base UHD Graphics 620 option is just 15 to 20 percent slower than the discrete AMD option. It's definitely strange to see such an old Radeon GPU paired with the latest ULV CPU from Intel.

See our dedicated page on the Radeon 520 for more technical details and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
14487 Points +572%
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7820HQ
11162 Points +418%
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7658 Points +255%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4823 Points +124%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3080 Points +43%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
2654 Points +23%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2583 Points +20%
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
2376 Points +10%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AMD Radeon 520, i7-8565U
2156 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
2124 Points -1%
Average AMD Radeon 520
  (1877 - 2156, n=2)
2017 Points -6%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1815 Points -16%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
10798 Points +402%
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7820HQ
9490 Points +342%
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7598 Points +254%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4311 Points +101%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
2816 Points +31%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2518 Points +17%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AMD Radeon 520, i7-8565U
2149 Points
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1945 Points -9%
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
1888 Points -12%
Average AMD Radeon 520
  (1605 - 2149, n=2)
1877 Points -13%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
1838 Points -14%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1795 Points -16%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
81015 Points +659%
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7820HQ
61574 Points +477%
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
39385 Points +269%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
22070 Points +107%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
11406 Points +7%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
11232 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
10773 Points +1%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AMD Radeon 520, i7-8565U
10669 Points
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
10126 Points -5%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
9466 Points -11%
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
9050 Points -15%
Average AMD Radeon 520
  (6156 - 10669, n=2)
8413 Points -21%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell G7 15-7588
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H
11309 Points +600%
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7820HQ
9022 Points +458%
Dell G3 15 3579
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6183 Points +283%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3571 Points +121%
Dell Vostro 15-5568
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2085 Points +29%
Dell Latitude 15 3590-K8JP
AMD Radeon 530, i5-8550U
1990 Points +23%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1835 Points +14%
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
1660 Points +3%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AMD Radeon 520, i7-8565U
1616 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
1369 Points -15%
Average AMD Radeon 520
  (1022 - 1616, n=2)
1319 Points -18%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
66363 Points
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
59831 Points
Average AMD Radeon 520
 
34545 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7820HQ
2864 Points +524%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
1045 Points +128%
HP ProBook 470 G5
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U
493 Points +7%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
AMD Radeon 520, i7-8565U
459 Points
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
413 Points -10%
Average AMD Radeon 520
  (335 - 459, n=2)
397 Points -14%
3DMark 11 Performance
2409 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8971 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1511 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
526 points
Help
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Multimedia
  (36 - 428, n=63, last 2 years)
198.8 fps +569%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon 520
29.7 fps
Average AMD Radeon 520
 
29.7 fps 0%
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Multimedia
  (23 - 316, n=62, last 2 years)
135 fps +622%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon 520
18.7 fps
Average AMD Radeon 520
 
18.7 fps 0%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Multimedia
  (11.2 - 290, n=89, last 2 years)
90.1 fps +783%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon 520
10.2 fps
Average AMD Radeon 520
 
10.2 fps 0%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Multimedia
  (8 - 143.2, n=94, last 2 years)
50 fps +762%
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Intel Core i7-8565U, AMD Radeon 520
5.8 fps
Average AMD Radeon 520
 
5.8 fps 0%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 82.4 43.7 36.3 11.7
The Witcher 3 (2015) 29.7 18.7 10.2 5.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 36 20.8 9.8 7.4

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of just one 40 mm fan and a short heat pipe across both the CPU and GPU. The system fan is always active no matter the onscreen load at 31.8 dB(A) against a silent background of 28.1 dB(A). Disabling the spinning HDD when it's not needed will reduce the idling fan noise. In a typical home or office environment, however, this low of a fan noise is easy to ignore and never bothersome.

Running higher loads like gaming will steadily bump fan noise to 38.7 dB(A) up to 48.5 dB(A) if on maximum load. This is louder than the Dell Inspiron 17 7786 even though the latter sports a more powerful GPU.

We can notice no coil whine on our test unit.

The two GDDR5 VRAM modules can be spotted next to the Radeon GPU
The two GDDR5 VRAM modules can be spotted next to the Radeon GPU
Single 40 mm fan
Single 40 mm fan
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
Radeon 520, i7-8565U, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Liteonit CV3-DE256
HP ProBook 470 G5
GeForce 930MX, i5-8250U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 M.2
HP 17-ca0013ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
Noise
6%
7%
7%
-0%
3%
off / environment *
28.1
30.3
-8%
30.4
-8%
30.5
-9%
30.1
-7%
30.6
-9%
Idle Minimum *
31.7
30.7
3%
30.4
4%
30.5
4%
31.1
2%
32.8
-3%
Idle Average *
31.8
30.7
3%
30
6%
30.5
4%
31.1
2%
32.8
-3%
Idle Maximum *
31.8
30.7
3%
31.4
1%
30.5
4%
31.1
2%
32.8
-3%
Load Average *
38.7
33.4
14%
34.1
12%
33
15%
44.4
-15%
34.2
12%
Load Maximum *
48.5
38.7
20%
36.4
25%
38
22%
41.7
14%
36.4
25%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
31.7 / 31.8 / 31.8 dB(A)
Load
38.7 / 48.5 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: 28.1 dB(A)

Temperature

Rear exhaust (maximum load)
Rear exhaust (maximum load)

Like all other laptops with optical drives, the Inspiron 17 3780 will always be warmer on one side than the other for an asymmetric temperature development. In this case, the left side of the keyboard can become as warm as 49 C when under high loads compared to just 25 C on the NumPad as shown by our temperature maps below. The warm keys are noticeable when typing but we don't find them to be uncomfortable. The competing 17.3-inch Lenovo V320 is much cooler at 37 C when subjected to the same stressful loads albeit it is limited to slower integrated UHD Graphics.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU can be observed running at up to 3.9 GHz for the first few seconds until reaching 97 C. Thereafter, clock rates steadily drop to stabilize at 2.5 GHz for a cooler and more manageable core temperature of 78 C. The stable Turbo Boost clock rate is a respectable 700 MHz faster than the base clock rate of the Core i7-8565U. When running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously, CPU and GPU temperatures plateau at 87 C and 81 C, respectively.

Running on battery power will limit GPU performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics of 7233 and 867 points, respectively, compared to 7280 and 2156 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) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 46 --
Prime95 Stress 2.5 -- 77 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.2 800 87 81
Max. Load
 38.8 °C
102 F
44.8 °C
113 F
25.2 °C
77 F
 
 39.8 °C
104 F
49 °C
120 F
24.8 °C
77 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
24.8 °C
77 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 49 °C = 120 F
Average: 33.4 °C = 92 F
25.4 °C
78 F
39.6 °C
103 F
26.4 °C
80 F
25 °C
77 F
33.6 °C
92 F
39 °C
102 F
26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
26.8 °C
80 F
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  46.2 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49 °C / 120 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.4 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+1.4 °C / 2.5 F).

Speakers

The stereo speakers are pretty good as far as budget office laptops go. Audio is loud and clear with no static or heavy imbalances between bass and treble. The palm rests will vibrate slightly at louder volume settings. The WavesAudio Pro software is included much like on the XPS series.

Stereo speakers on front corners
Stereo speakers on front corners
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.335.12532.931.83131.8324036.535.15032.428.9633328.98036.328.810048.32712561.52716052.924.820060.92425062.822.731563.32240069.521.250067.82163074.82080075.919.4100072.718.912507117.7160070.117.820006917.6250071.817.6315068.117.6400071.417.6500073.717.6630070.417.5800071.617.61000071.617.61250069.617.41600059.717.5SPL83.630.6N62.51.5median 69.6median 17.8Delta4.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
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 5 W and 12 W depending on the Power profile and brightness setting to be similar to the Inspiron 17 7786. When under higher loads, however, the inefficiency of the Radeon 520 begins to show. The Inspiron 17 3780 demands 50 W when running 3DMark 06 compared to 56 W on the Inspiron 17 7786 with GeForce MX150 graphics even though the 7786 is able to offer roughly 130 percent faster graphics performance.

We're able to record a maximum draw of 67 W from the small (~18 x 4.8 x 2.8 cm) 65 W AC adapter. This high of a consumption is unsustainable as performance eventually throttles as exemplified in our Stress Test section above.

Consumption whilst running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Consumption whilst running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at the 20s mark. Consumption is highest during the first few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 41 W due to throttling
Prime95 initiated at the 20s mark. Consumption is highest during the first few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 41 W due to throttling
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.6 / 0.69 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5 / 10.9 / 12 Watt
Load midlight 49.6 / 66.9 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 17 3780
i7-8565U, Radeon 520, SK Hynix BC501 NVMe 256 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, KBG30ZMS128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Liteonit CV3-DE256, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
HP ProBook 470 G5
i5-8250U, GeForce 930MX, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix SC311 M.2, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
HP 17-ca0013ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
3%
20%
14%
23%
-12%
Idle Minimum *
5
4.2
16%
4.3
14%
3.4
32%
4.08
18%
7.6
-52%
Idle Average *
10.9
9.4
14%
10.2
6%
9.6
12%
8.45
22%
12.9
-18%
Idle Maximum *
12
12.9
-8%
10.5
12%
11.8
2%
9.6
20%
13.7
-14%
Load Average *
49.6
56
-13%
34
31%
43
13%
40.2
19%
44
11%
Load Maximum *
66.9
63.4
5%
42
37%
61
9%
41.4
38%
57.1
15%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity is small at just 42 Wh for an overall short battery life. Users can expect just over 4 hours of real-world WLAN use compared to twice that or more on the Dell Inspiron 17-7786 or HP ProBook 470 G5. Recharging still takes 1.5 to 2 hours despite the small capacity.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
9h 38min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 12min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 06min
Dell Inspiron 17 3780
i7-8565U, Radeon 520, 42 Wh
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 56 Wh
Lenovo V320-17IKB-81CN000MGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 30 Wh
HP ProBook 470 G5
i5-8250U, GeForce 930MX, 48 Wh
Dell Inspiron 17-5770-0357
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
HP 17-ca0013ng
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 40.6 Wh
Battery Runtime
104%
1%
99%
34%
-11%
Reader / Idle
578
997
72%
632
9%
1123
94%
702
21%
WiFi v1.3
252
540
114%
261
4%
485
92%
368
46%
225
-11%
Load
66
149
126%
60
-9%
140
112%
90
36%

Pros

+ upgradeable 2x SODIMM, 2x storage, and WLAN
+ 1080p IPS display comes standard
+ good contrast ratio
+ optical drive
+ inexpensive

Cons

- NumPad and Arrow keys could be larger and firmer
- small battery capacity; short battery life
- Clickpad could be larger and firmer
- major uneven backlight bleeding
- thick bezels; large footprint
- somewhat grainy display
- very old discrete GPU
- no USB Type-C
- heavy

Verdict

In review: Dell Inspiron 17 3000 3780
In review: Dell Inspiron 17 3000 3780

The most compelling features of the Inspiron 17 3780 are its standard 1080p IPS display and low price. Competing systems like the Asus VivoBook 17 may have lower resolution displays and will only offer 1080p at an unnecessary price premium.

If considering the Inspiron 17 3780, we recommend skipping the pricier dedicated Radeon 520 GPU option as it offers both very poor graphics performance and low performance-per-Watt. If GPU power is desired, then the Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB with GeForce MX150 graphics would be a worthwhile alternative. If your intention is mostly word processing, web browsing, and video streaming, then the base Core i5-8265U or Ryzen 5 2500U Inspiron 15 configurations would be sufficient.

We're hopeful that future revisions will address a few of the major disadvantages without needing to up the price. Namely, the thick bezels, soft clickpad, soft NumPad keys, and lack of USB Type-C all hinder the user experience and versatility of the system. 

Avoid the Radeon 520 configuration and the affordable Inspiron 17 3780 will be a decent at-home laptop for basic tasks and video streaming. Invest in a primary SSD instead of the Core i7 option for tangibly faster system performance.

Dell Inspiron 17 3780 - 05/11/2019 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
71 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
43 / 81 → 53%
Weight
58 / 20-67 → 81%
Battery
76%
Display
86%
Games Performance
63 / 85 → 74%
Application Performance
91 / 92 → 99%
Temperature
90%
Noise
82 / 95 → 86%
Audio
56%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
71%
79%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Inspiron 17 3000 3780 (i7-8565U, Radeon 520) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-05-13 (Update: 2019-05-13)