Dell Inspiron 17 7746 (2015) Notebook Review

For the original German review, see here.
Dell divides its Inspiron consumer models into three series, the 3000 (value), the 5000 (standard) and 7000 (performance) devices. The 17-inch Inspiron 17 7000 therefore has to fulfill a high claim. Based on low-voltage components, also found in slim 13-inch laptops, Intel's Core i5-5200U SoC seems a bit undersized. Perhaps the Boost can benefit from the massive cooling performance of the bulky aluminum chassis? Or does the manufacturer completely omit a fan? That would be a real sensation.
The competition is found in the 1000 Euros (~$1123) price range. A viewing angle stable IPS screen with a Full HD resolution is also a must at this price just like a mid-range or, even better, premium-line graphics card. Acer's Aspire V Nitro 7-791G steps into this breach with a GeForce GTX 960M and standard-voltage Core i5 (starts at 950 Euros/~$1067). Asus' N751JK is pricier, only has a GTX 850M but is shipped with an external subwoofer with the corresponding rich surround sound. We are presently testing the latest version of the N751JX-T4056H with a GeForce GTX 950M. Lenovo's IdeaPad Y70-70 Touch (starts at 1100 Euros/~$1235) sports a GTX 860M and looks like a gaming laptop. Buyers who prefer AMD GPUs will find the fitting model in Toshiba's Satellite S70-B-106 (Radeon R9 M265X).
We excluded HP's Envy 17-k203ng (Broadwell) right from the outset because the manufacturer only installs a viewing angle dependent TN screen, which is no longer contemporary.
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Details here
Case
"Never change a winning team?" - The manufacturer sticks to the design and looks of the Inspiron 7737 (2013). We are dealing with an identical chassis; interfaces, internal construction and materials have not changed since 2013. That seems strange at first, but Apple also follows this policy for its Air and MacBook Pro models. Unfortunately, Dell has not managed to eliminate the primary weak point, the stability of the base, which is not very impressive.
Both the lid and chassis are comprised of a solid piece of aluminum (underside and upper side). The edges have been beveled and polished to a high finish, which creates the high-quality impression. Dell opted for an end-to-end hinge that is also made of aluminum, but which is not solid (aluminum cover). It has a very firm grip on the lid and the display barely rocks. The fit of the hinge is so tight that we had to hold down the base when opening the laptop.
All silver anodized aluminum surfaces are sleek but fairly slip-proof. The advantage over a polished/brushed finish is the fingerprint resistance.
The stiffness of the 17-inch Inspiron does not correspond to the material quality. The chassis can be warped with only one hand. It obviously twists when both hands are used, and we noticed play in the gaps on the underside. That is different with the lid, which seems to be made of one piece. Even pressure on the center (Dell logo) has no effect.
None of the competitors is a match for the materials and looks of the 7000 lineup. Asus' N751JK comes very close with its silver aluminum B cover, but its quality is higher owing to the base's better stability.
Connectivity
The number of interfaces is limited for a laptop of this size. The distribution seems practical for desktop use, at least in most cases. Unwieldy cables, such as HDMI, Ethernet or USB 3.0, can be routed to the rear. Rear-sided ports would be more convenient under certain circumstances, but none of the competitors offer that, either. The spacing between the USB ports is very tight, and bigger flash drives or adapters (e.g. dongles) might collide.
Communication
Wireless connections are established via Intel's Wireless AC-7265 that is connected with two antennas. Unfortunately, the range issues of the N-7260 adapter in the precursor still exist. The laptop did not find a signal 15 meters (~49 feet) outside of the building. The other review samples did not have this problem; many models even found a limited connectivity at 45 meters (~148 feet, non-standardized test). The full signal was available at a distance of 3 and 10 meters (~10 and 33 feet) from the AC router. The poor wireless connection might be related to the Inspiron's aluminum casing. The antennas would be shielded if they were in the lid. Since this has not changed, the successor has also inherited this shortcoming. Realtek's RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN Controller and the Bluetooth 4.0 module finish off the bundle.
Accessories
Just a warranty booklet and quick start guide are in the box besides the 90-watt power supply. Of the preloaded software, only the 12-month trial version of McAfee LiveSafe is worth mentioning. Windows DVDs are not in the box. The user should therefore create recovery DVDs via Dell's Backup & Recovery tool to be on the safe side in case of a hard drive malfunction.
Maintenance
At first glance, accessing the hardware only seems possible from the underside. The battery, HDD and two RAM bars are under two covers. The keyboard has to be removed first to access the fan and Wi-Fi module. Only savvy tinkerers should attempt this since scratching is inevitable. The plastic underside can be removed after releasing the three screws under the keyboard.
Webcam
The HD camera is quite inappropriate for a laptop of this price range. The poor image quality does not even correspond to the average of our webcam samples taken with laptops. The photos with a maximum 1280x720 pixels are very noisy, the colors look pale and unnatural, and focus is only impeccable in the center area (fish-eye).
Warranty
The 12-month warranty (collect and return service) is typical for Dell. An upgrade to a two-year on-site service costs 129 Euros (~$145), for example. A two-year warranty is included in the price of competitors from Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer.
Input Devices
The keyboard with the isolated keys in the 17-inch device benefits from the generous layout with separated arrow keys and a standard-sized number pad. That is basically it. Prolific writers will not be happy with the keys because their drop is too short and is accompanied by an unclear pressure point and slight yielding in the center area. This rocking leads to a spongy stroke in the middle and a shaky stroke on the right over the optical drive.
The backlight helps prevent typos in low light or darkness. Unfortunately, the light shines through the transparent letters, and thus the lettering is difficult to see in bright daylight even when the light is disabled.
Touchpad
The ClickPad with its big, matte surface and medium drop appealed to us more. The pad does not have dedicated mouse keys, but it detects clicks according to where the finger presses the ClickPad's surface. Unfortunately, the pad has some play; it lowers marginally when a finger is placed on it, and the underlying button with a short pressure point is pressed beyond that point. The feedback is an audible click when triggered.
Touchscreen
The touchscreen, in an edge-to-edge design, has a homogeneous surface that reaches up to the edge. A rubber lip envelops this surface. A hard plastic panel covers the image-rendering screen with a visible gap (approx. 2 mm/~0.08 in). It protects the screen against pressure marks and detects the fingers' position. The surface implements inputs quickly, and fingers leave only a few marks on the sleek surface.
Display
The 17.3-inch screen's resolution of 1920x1080 pixels is not particularly high. That only equals 127 ppi in a 17-inch device. An eye can just barely see the single pixels with effort (0.2 mm). The multi-touch screen supports ten fingers, and comes from AUO (model: AUO119D B173HTN). It is an IPS display with a glossy surface, which is common for touchscreens.
|
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 233 cd/m²
Contrast: 685:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.99 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 11.09 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
94% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
68.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
93.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
71% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.14
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 GeForce 845M, 5200U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus N751JK-T4144H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q-128G | Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 Radeon R9 M265X, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | Lenovo Y70-70 Touch GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache | Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 6% | -2% | -8% | -5% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 71 | 77.5 9% | 66.3 -7% | 67.5 -5% | 70.1 -1% |
sRGB Coverage | 93.9 | 98.2 5% | 94.8 1% | 85.7 -9% | 87.5 -7% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 68.7 | 71.8 5% | 68 -1% | 62.8 -9% | 63.9 -7% |
Screen | 6% | 5% | 21% | 19% | |
Brightness middle | 233 | 347 49% | 312 34% | 344.8 48% | 347 49% |
Brightness | 217 | 306 41% | 293 35% | 332 53% | 326 50% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 76 -15% | 84 -6% | 84 -6% | 90 1% |
Black Level * | 0.34 | 0.68 -100% | 0.4 -18% | 0.4 -18% | 0.409 -20% |
Contrast | 685 | 510 -26% | 780 14% | 862 26% | 848 24% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.99 | 6.45 28% | 10.84 -21% | 6.81 24% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.09 | 3.39 69% | 11.2 -1% | 7.27 34% | |
Gamma | 2.14 103% | 2.3 96% | 2.68 82% | 2.4 92% | |
CCT | 8524 76% | 7038 92% | 14583 45% | 7546 86% | |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 61 | 64 5% | 61 0% | 57 -7% | |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 94 | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 6% /
6% | 2% /
3% | 7% /
10% | 7% /
13% |
* ... smaller is better
With an average contrast of 685:1 and a below-average brightness, the screen does not look very good compared with its competitors. However, we are talking about very slight differences here. Apart from the poor brightness, the differences to the other laptops are slight. The Aspire V Nitro as well as the Asus N751 both have a brighter IPS screen and have better, i.e. lower, DeltaE rates. The DeltaE indicates the accuracy of color reproduction, in this case in relation to the sRGB reference. Does turquoise look exactly as defined by the sRGB color palette? The DeltaE target is less than 3, and except for the N751 all review samples in the chart are more or less far from that.
IPS screens usually fail in the AdobeRGB space. However, sRGB is covered by 94%, which is a fairly good rate. CalMAN shows that the 7746 is not suitable for photo and image editing due to a heavy bluish cast, and the high DeltaE shift distorts colors. A bluish cast is rare in IPS screens, but not impossible. Calibration largely eliminates the bluish cast.
The 7746 is not as enjoyable outside of the building or office. That is due to the surface's intense reflections. Even when the Inspiron is used in the shade, the brightness and contrast are too low for adequate legibility.
Performance
Being the top model, the Inspiron 17 not only sports the processor-integrated HD Graphics 5500, but also a dedicated GeForce GT 845M. This accelerator is a member of the lower mid-range and should cope with most up-to-date games using reduced settings. The memory configuration is generous; the manufacturer installs 8 GB of RAM (two DIMMs, 2x 4 GB). However, a 1000 GB hard drive in the form of Seagate's Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM014 is installed and not an SSD.
Processor
Our review sample obviously is at a disadvantage with its 15-watt SoC. At first glance, the Cinebench scores look abysmal, especially when we keep in mind that it is a heavy, big 17-inch machine from which the buyer expects a certain amount of high performance. However, these scores were expected from a Broadwell 5200U. The dual-core chip has to compete with quad-core, 47-watt standard mobile processors, which is impossible for a 15-watt chip.
Compared with other notebooks sporting the same processor, the 5200U is on a normal level. It is disappointing that the Boost apparently cannot benefit at all from the aluminum chassis' high cooling capacities. The light, slim ZenBook UX303LA (premium, 13-inch) as well as HP's Pavilion 17-f217ng (budget, 17-inch) achieve exactly the same Cinebench scores.
Cinebench R15 multi CPU ran stably at 2.5 GHz, which is owed to the permanent utilization of the Turbo range. 2.7 GHz were possible in the single test (one core). 2.5 GHz are also reached in battery mode; the benchmark scores were identical.
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
HP Pavilion 17-f217ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX303LA-RO340H | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
HP Pavilion 17-f217ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX303LA-RO340H |
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
HP Pavilion 17-f217ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX303LA-RO340H | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
HP Pavilion 17-f217ng | |
Asus Zenbook UX303LA-RO340H |
System Performance
Does the weak ULV SoC have an impact on application performance? We find out with the PCMark benchmarks. Our review sample is in fact in the last place here. The differences, however, vary significantly depending on the device. The equally priced Asus N751JK only has an edge of 8 - 12% in PCMark 8, which is just due to the SanDisk SSD. PCMark 7, which responds more sensitively to SSDs, recorded differences of up to 200%. Comparisons are still best with the Satellite S70-B, which is based on a conventional hard drive like our review sample.
In total, the performance is practical for use as an office and entertainment machine as long as the user does not want to turn the Inspiron 17 into a workstation or gamer.
PCMark 8 | |
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 |
PCMark 7 Score | 3605 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2960 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4001 points | |
Help |
Storage Device
The read and write rates of Seagate's hard drive with a gross capacity of 1000 GB is on par with most other spinning HDDs, but its average is slightly worse than that of the norm. SSD-based systems are faster than hard disks in the benchmarks. However, we have to point out that the SSD models of every competitor that we have tested are considerably more expensive than the Inspiron 17. The Seagate ST1000LM014 is a so-called solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD) with a dedicated SSD cache (8 GB MLC-NAND) where the HDD can store frequently used file blocks for fast access. The system and programs load almost as fast as if an SSD were installed. Copying or installations do not benefit from it, though.
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 GeForce 845M, 5200U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus N751JK-T4144H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q-128G | Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 Radeon R9 M265X, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | Lenovo Y70-70 Touch GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache | Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | 13728% | 41% | 40% | 12666% | |
Read 4k | 0.371 | 31 8256% | 0.448 21% | 0.322 -13% | 24.72 6563% |
Write 4k | 0.699 | 74 10487% | 1.049 50% | 1.154 65% | 71.3 10100% |
Read Seq | 38.9 | 455 1070% | 93.4 140% | 100.1 157% | 498.1 1180% |
Write Seq | 117.6 | 253 115% | 95.3 -19% | 81.5 -31% | 351.2 199% |
Read 4k QD32 | 0.791 | 333 41999% | 0.85 7% | 1.014 28% | 179.9 22643% |
Write 4k QD32 | 0.706 | 145 20438% | 1.055 49% | 0.927 31% | 250 35311% |
Graphics Card
The GeForce GT 845M GPU is not installed often, and has 2048 MB of GDDR5 video memory in our case. The GTX 850M with twice as many pipelines (640) but a clock of only 876 MHz (specs by Nvidia) is more popular among manufacturers. The Maxwell architecture as well as the 128-bit memory interface is identical, though. All details about the GeForce 845M can be found in the data sheet.
Asus' N751JK makes clear why at least a GTX 850M is the better choice for performance fans or gamers. This mid-range graphics cards achieves 49 to 76% more in the 3DMark benchmarks. The GTX 960M in the Aspire Nitro lives up to its gaming label and doubles the scores (+105%).
Nvidia's GPU Boost 2.0 enables scaling the performance up to 1150 MHz in Dell's laptop - and that even under stress and in battery mode (energy-saving settings "off").
3DMark - 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW |
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW |
3DMark 11 Performance | 3019 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 36859 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 7519 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2113 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
Images are rendered smoothly on the screen, but high details are often not possible in the HD resolution (1366x768 pixels). Exceptions are Thief and Evolve. It seems as if the ULV CPU limits the game. We find significantly better frame rates in laptops based on an 840M (even DDR3) and an i5-4210 (TDP: 47 watts), e.g. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro VN7-791G-50MV. The 840M performs 12 to 33% better in CPU-driven games with the standard-voltage SoC. It is either a tiebreak or an evident plus for standard-voltage in more basic games, such as Tomb Raider. We faded in MSI's GP70-2PEi545 to illustrate how even an 840M calculates approximately 4% faster when fused with a 47-watt CPU.
Crysis 3 | |
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:2xSM AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 |
Dota 2 | |
1920x1080 High / On, Render Quality: 100 % (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1366x768 Medium / On, Render Quality: 70 % (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1024x768 Low / Off, Render Quality: 40 % (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 |
Battlefield 4 | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 | |
1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
MSI GP70-2PEi545 |
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset (HD Package) (sort by value) | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1344x756 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1280x720 Lowest Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX |
Alien: Isolation | |
1920x1080 Ultra, On, Shadow Map 2048, HDAO AA:2x SM AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
1920x1080 High, On, Shadow Map 1536, Standard SSAO AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
1366x768 Medium, On (AA & SSAO Off), Shadow Map 1024 AF:4x (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 |
F1 2014 | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX | |
1024x768 Ultra Low Preset (sort by value) | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro VN7-571G-56NX |
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | |
1920x1080 Extra / On (Cache Shadow Maps Off), 2x Supersampling AA:2x SM (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1920x1080 High / On (Cache Shadow Maps Off) AA:FX (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1366x768 Normal / On (Cache Shadow Maps Off) (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1024x768 Low / Off (Shader Preload On) (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H |
Dragon Age: Inquisition | |
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality AA:2x MS (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H |
Evolve | |
1920x1080 Very High Graphics Quality AA:1TX SM (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad S5 Yoga 15 20DQ0038GE | |
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro VN7-791G-50MV | |
1920x1080 High Graphics Quality AA:FX (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad S5 Yoga 15 20DQ0038GE | |
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro VN7-791G-50MV | |
1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad S5 Yoga 15 20DQ0038GE | |
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro VN7-791G-50MV | |
1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad S5 Yoga 15 20DQ0038GE | |
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro VN7-791G-50MV |
Battlefield Hardline | |
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality (DX11) AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
1366x768 Medium Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
1024x768 Low Graphics Quality (DX11) (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW |
low | med. | high | ultra | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Crysis 3 (2013) | 29.4 | 18.9 | 6.3 | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 47.3 | 36.7 | 14.8 | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 42.7 | 39.3 | 13.9 | |
Dota 2 (2013) | 61.5 | 28 | ||
Battlefield 4 (2013) | 56.4 | 37 | 27.1 | 10.9 |
Thief (2014) | 31.3 | 20.1 | 17.3 | 8.3 |
Sims 4 (2014) | 56.2 | 30.7 | 26.3 | |
Fifa 15 (2014) | 64.1 | 41.2 | ||
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 58.4 | 41.2 | 22.4 | |
Alien: Isolation (2014) | 68.5 | 33.8 | 27.4 | |
F1 2014 (2014) | 62 | 48 | ||
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) | 50.4 | 30.1 | 20.1 | 12.8 |
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) | 31.5 | 27 | 19 | 12.7 |
Evolve (2015) | 27.2 | 20 | 10.3 | 10.1 |
Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 50.7 | 32.2 | 14 | 9.3 |
Emissions
System Noise
The 15-watt Broadwell quad-core gives hope for low emissions. The chart with the competitors does not show the opposite, but the Inspiron 17 is not quieter than systems based on a 47-watt SoC, either. Asus' N751JK (SSD) remains even quieter in the stress test, and it has the lowest level while idling.
However: The powerful Aspire V Nitro 7-791G with a graphics card twice as fast is 19% louder during normal load, for example in computer games. The same is true for the Satellite S70-B-106 (14%).
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 GeForce 845M, 5200U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus N751JK-T4144H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q-128G | Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 Radeon R9 M265X, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | Lenovo Y70-70 Touch GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache | Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | 4% | -3% | 6% | -4% | |
Idle Minimum * | 31.6 | 31.6 -0% | 32 -1% | 31 2% | 29.6 6% |
Idle Average * | 33.3 | 31.8 5% | 32 4% | 31 7% | 32.1 4% |
Idle Maximum * | 33.3 | 31.8 5% | 33.8 -2% | 31 7% | 35.4 -6% |
Load Average * | 39.9 | 39 2% | 45.6 -14% | 39.1 2% | 47.3 -19% |
Load Maximum * | 45.4 | 42 7% | 46.3 -2% | 39.7 13% | 48.1 -6% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
Idle |
| 31.6 / 33.3 / 33.3 dB(A) |
HDD |
| 31.6 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 36.6 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 39.9 / 45.4 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Temperature
The temperatures are more in favor of the review sample. Our Inspiron 17 7746 did not even reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit, hot spot) in the stress test. Some competitors present as much as 52 degrees (125.6 Fahrenheit). The most powerful laptop, the Aspire V Nitro 7-791G, is again most affected here. The gaming machine also gets 3 to 6 degrees (~5 to 10 Fahrenheit) warmer in idle mode. However, overall, it cannot be said that the surfaces of any of the comparison devices get too warm. 17-inch devices are not made for use on the lap anyway, making waste heat fairly secondary.
The temperatures are on a very agreeable level when idle and during low load with a maximum average of 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit) on the upper side. A feature of aluminum bases is the very even distribution of heat over both the upper side and underside.
This looks different with the inner temperatures. The waste heat of the SoC and graphics card has a direct impact on the performance. The frequency of the CPU and GPU increases or decreases as soon as certain temperatures are reached according to how the manufacturer sets the temp-tables.
The CPU and GPU performed the stress test with almost stable performance. The 845M always clocked at 1150 MHz (stable), and the CPU remained at 2.5 GHz (multi-core load). That is clearly over the 2.2 GHz default clock rate, and we can thus speak of a full Turbo utilization at all times. That would be an important statement in a slim 13-inch device, but it is compulsory for the cooling system of a 17-inch, aluminum machine.
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 GeForce 845M, 5200U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus N751JK-T4144H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q-128G | Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 Radeon R9 M265X, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | Lenovo Y70-70 Touch GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache | Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 6% | -18% | -6% | -17% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 41.1 | 38.1 7% | 50 -22% | 46.8 -14% | 49.6 -21% |
Maximum Bottom * | 44.1 | 41.3 6% | 52.6 -19% | 43.7 1% | 51.7 -17% |
Idle Upper Side * | 26.9 | 26 3% | 30.5 -13% | 28.2 -5% | 29.5 -10% |
Idle Bottom * | 27.6 | 25 9% | 32 -16% | 29.3 -6% | 33 -20% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
Idle |
| 31.6 / 33.3 / 33.3 dB(A) |
HDD |
| 31.6 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 36.6 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 39.9 / 45.4 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.1 °C / 106 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 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.3 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.5 °C / 81.5 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 (+1.3 °C / 2.3 F).
Speakers

The speakers are found under the wrist rest, and they radiate their sound on the tabletop. The presets in Dell's Audio render the sound as if it were being played in a confined space. The presets in MaxxSense do not seem right for classic music. In any case, the MaxxAudioPro provides settings for bass, treble, stereo, volume and more. New setting or presets are very audible; we cannot deny that the speakers have an acceptable sound spectrum.
Despite MaxxBass, the low ranges are neglected. We would have expected more from a 17-inch laptop with a multimedia claim. The sound in games, movies or music is not bad, but we would have hoped for a bit more bang. The volume is relatively high, but not deafening. At least there is no scratching or distortions at maximum level.
Recordings made with the integrated dual-array microphone, located to the right and left of the webcam, sound hollow and tinny. The recordings were best at a distance of 50 centimeters (~20 in), but the hollow sound impression unfortunately remained at a slightly improved level no matter what microphone preset we used.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The Broadwell ULV platform shines with low consumption rates that might be record-breaking? Not quite. Some 47-watt competitors can undercut the idle power consumption. However, the differences are marginal, and are within the range of measurement tolerances. It is thus not always the case that devices based on standard-voltage provoke higher idle energy. Lenovo's Y70-70 Touch, using 37 watts when idle, is a big exception.
As expected, the power consumption under load markedly climbs with 55 to 71 watts. It, however, remains clearly below that of the 47-watt competitors (N751JK max. 90 watts, Satellite S70-B max. 82 watts, Aspire V Nitro max. 105 watts). That is not surprising since the review sample sports the weakest hardware.
The stress test involves multi-core load, and the 47-watt TDP of the competitors is just as important as the stronger GPU solutions, such as the GTX 960M that needs 60 watts by itself. The included 90-watt power supply has more than enough power reserves and does not get unduly warm reaching 49 degrees Celsius (120.2 Fahrenheit).
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 GeForce 845M, 5200U, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus N751JK-T4144H GeForce GTX 850M, 4710HQ, SanDisk X300s SD7SB3Q-128G | Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 Radeon R9 M265X, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | Lenovo Y70-70 Touch GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache | Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -21% | -5% | -52% | -23% | |
Idle Minimum * | 7.5 | 8.4 -12% | 7.4 1% | 6.5 13% | 5.8 23% |
Idle Average * | 12.8 | 13.3 -4% | 11.7 9% | 12.7 1% | 13.1 -2% |
Idle Maximum * | 13.4 | 13.8 -3% | 12 10% | 36.8 -175% | 14.5 -8% |
Load Average * | 55 | 86.7 -58% | 70.7 -29% | 88.2 -60% | 98 -78% |
Load Maximum * | 71.1 | 90 -27% | 81.7 -15% | 100.5 -41% | 104.9 -48% |
* ... smaller is better
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battery Runtime
Over six hours in the Wi-Fi test (v1.3) sounds awesome for a 17-inch laptop. The competitors do not achieve that. Asus' N751JK still fares the best with five hours, which is exactly the average of 17-inch multimedia laptops that we have tested in the past 12 months. A script simulates opening websites with and without multimedia content in the Wi-Fi test. The former Wi-Fi test is not totally comparable, but very similar in terms of the load scenario.
The Inspiron 17 can deliver ten hours in idle mode. None of the competitors manage that, either. Lenovo's Y70-70 Touch is most enduring, but shuts down two hours sooner than our review sample. The Inspiron needs a good 3.5 hours to fully recharge a depleted battery. That is a relatively short and appropriate time for the 58 Wh lithium-ion battery.
Battery Runtime | |
Reader / Idle (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
WiFi v1.3 (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro 7-791G-70TW | |
Load (sort by value) | |
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863 | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
WiFi (sort by value) | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 | |
Lenovo Y70-70 Touch | |
Gaming (sort by value) | |
Asus N751JK-T4144H | |
H.264 (sort by value) | |
Toshiba Satellite S70-B-106 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Buyers of all genders will gladly put this on their tabletop: A classy, pleasant-to-touch, high-quality, 17-inch laptop with a high-contrast, Full HD screen and generously sized input devices. The 7746 has apparently done everything right for a place on the desk. The cool and fingerprint-free casing looks good under the hands. Unfortunately, the input devices disappoint particularly in office use; the feedback is weak and the adjective "shaky" comes to mind.
Users with expectations of stability will also be disappointed. Dell does not achieve the rigidness of a MacBook or ZenBook aluminum unibody, although the chassis is made of one piece of metal (plastic underside with cover).
As to the FHD screen, the 7746 offers a middling contrast and wide viewing angles. Unfortunately, the brightness sets standards in the below average range. However, that is of no consequence in view of the reflective touchscreen's poor outdoor suitability. The competitors, some with a matte IPS screen, provide better equipment here.
A fly in the ointment is the SoC's low computing power compared with the 47-watt chips in similarly priced competitors. We particularly ascertained performance losses in some games, which were sometimes below the performance of an 840M alongside a standard-voltage CPU. The performance is more than satisfactory outside the gaming world. However, it is ultimately disappointing that a heavy, bulky 17-inch laptop does not have more power under its hood than a light, slim 13-inch device based on the same 15-watt SoC. Waiving performance would still have been tolerable had Dell at least implemented weighty advantages in other aspects. That is not the case apart from the battery life, load power consumption and low waste heat.
The competitors offer more performance for the money, in particular for games. Acer's Aspire V Nitro 7-791G pleases the gaming community with a GeForce GTX 960M, standard-voltage Core i5 and a brighter, higher contrast screen (starts at 950 Euros/~$1067). Asus' N751JK is pricier, but also has better gaming performance with its GTX 850M. Besides that, the external subwoofer adds surround sound. We are currently testing the newest N751JX-T4056H version with a GeForce GTX 950M.
Lenovo's IdeaPad Y70-70 Touch (starts at 1100 Euros/~$1235) with a GTX 860M is a genuine gaming laptop. However, the casing has some weak points, and the limited CPU Turbo utilization is not particularly attractive for gamers. A GPU alternative from AMD is found in Toshiba's Satellite S70-B-106 (Radeon R9 M265X). This 17-inch machine scored a lower rating in total, though.
We would recommend a configuration of Acer's Aspire V Nitro 7-791G to gaming fans, and multimedia fans should stick to Asus' N751JK or the latest N751JX.
Dell Inspiron 17 7746-3863
- 06/03/2015 v4 (old)
Sebastian Jentsch