Dell Inspiron 17 7773 (i7-8550U, 16 GB, 17" Touch) Convertible Review

The Intel Wireless-AC 3165 module, which has an antenna, handles the external communication. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the WLAN module reaches a maximum gross transfer rate of 433 MBit/s. In our measurements, the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 reached a transfer rate of 341 MBit/s when sending and 302 MBit/s when receiving. In addition, the WLAN module also supports Bluetooth 4.2 (driver update might be necessary). Dell does not offer an alternative WLAN module or LTE modem for the Inspiron 17 7773. However, the device can be expanded with a USB-to-Ethernet adapter in order to transfer data to the network at up to 1 GBit/s. We tested this alternative via the USB Type-C connection with positive results.

The so-called basic package is included in the sales price (Dell shop). Dell explains this as a one-year pick-up-and-repair hardware support. During the ordering process, you can extend the warranty for up to four years. If you do not buy the device directly from the manufacturer, you have to find out about the warranties provided by the seller. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Unfortunately, Dell did not listen to the complaints about the predecessor, so the current Dell Inspiron 17 7773 is only equipped with a mediocre keyboard. The size of the keys is okay, even if the keys of the number pad turn out slightly smaller, possibly causing some problems for users with large hands. The small stroke is suitable for the chiclet keyboard, but the pressure point is limited and the cushioned stroke makes for a spongy typing experience. The typing noise is comfortably quiet. Due to the keys sticking out of the keyboard, the risk of damage is much higher in the presentation mode. We liked the white labels that are easily readable, and the two-step backlight helps in bad light conditions. 

The ClickPad, which is visually emphasized by a polished edge, does a better job. At 10.5 x 8 cm (~4.1 x 3.15 in), the input surface is sufficiently large, but it could have been larger. The slightly roughened surface is touch sensitive up to the edges, and the full input surface is available for navigation. The gesture functions can be configured with the Windows-10 methods. The mouse keys at the lower edge have a short stroke and provide acoustic feedback when they are operated.

The display built into our test unit is a panel by Chi Mei with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. With a diagonal of 17.3 inches, this results in a pixel density of 127 ppi. Unfortunately, there is no alternative 4K panel. At 290 cd/m², the IPS panel of the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 does not achieve any top results in our comparison, but the low black value of 0.21 in combination with the average brightness result in the best contrast ratio (1538:1) among the comparison devices. With a brightness distribution of 77%, the display of our test unit remains considerably behind. Furthermore, clouding is clearly noticeable at the edges and corners. This has a negative effect when playing movies, since the brighter areas are interfering in dark scenes. This should not happen in a device that costs more than 1000 Euros (~$1160). We measured PWM at a high frequency of 1000 Hz with a display brightness of 90% or lower.

The display quality is good, but dark scenes are always impacted by the noticeable clouding. The measured DeltaE-2000 deviations are far from the target of around 3. Only the Acer Aspire Nitro BE comes near the target value. A calibration provides improvement, and we have provided a link of the ICC profile for download (see box above the comparison chart). At 92% (sRGB) and 60% (AdobeRGB), the color space coverage is mediocre and merely sufficient for amateur-level image processing.

If you consider that this is a convertible, the performance is more than sufficient, overall. The Intel Core i7-8550U provides a very good basis, and even the more affordable entry-model based on the Intel Core i5-8250U should be sufficient for most users. A good-sized working memory (16 GB DDR4) and a dedicated graphics card (Nvidia GeForce MX150) complete the equipment. The latter is an important factor in the purchase decision particularly for gamers.

The Intel Core i7-8550U is an energy-efficient quad-core processor based on the Kaby Lake architecture. At a TDP of only 15 watts, the SoC still offers four computing cores, which are able to operate eight threads simultaneously. The base clock speed is 1.8 GHz and depending on the load, this can be increased up to 4.0 GHz. So it is very important that there is a good cooling system, and if this is not the case, there will be strong variations in the performance. The single thread performance of the Intel Core i7-8550U in our test unit is at the same level as that of the Intel Core i7-7700HQ. In the multithread performance, the energy-saving Intel Core i7-8550U is beaten by the Intel Core i7-7700HQ. Compared to the Dell Inspiron 17 7778, the performance has increased considerably.
You can find additional benchmarks on the Intel Core i7-8550U here.

Thanks to the new and faster CPU, the ample amount of RAM, and the storage combination of SSD and HDD, the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 provides a very good basis for fast work. The only negative is the working memory, which only operates in single-channel mode. However, dual-channel operation is possible, since you can equip it with a total of two RAM modules. In the test, the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 performs at the same level as the Acer Aspire 5 A517. Overall, there are no models that break away, but all the comparison devices offer a high system performance.

For storage, we can find a 128-GB SSD by SanDisk in our model. At its SATA speeds, it is clearly left behind by the much faster SSD in the HP Omen 17. Also, compared to the predecessor, the performance of the SanDisk SSD turns out slightly worse. At 27 MB/s in the 4K-read performance, which mainly benefits the startup of the OS and programs, the SSD does not achieve a perfect result. A conventional hard drive by Western Digital offers sufficient space for additional data. The 1-TB hard drive achieves an average transfer rate of 122 MB/s. In the test, the combination of SSD and HDD is compelling. However, we would advise against a purchase without an SSD. Anyone for whom the SSD is too small can replace it with a larger model without any trouble.

The Nvidia GeForce MX 150 is the smallest offshoot of the Pascal Generation by Nvidia and the heir of the Nvidia GeForce 940 MX. With 2 GB GDDR5, the dedicated graphics card has its own VRAM and clocks at 1469 to 1532 MHz. The performance of the Nvidia GeForce MX 150 is at the expected level. Thus, the Acer Aspire 5 A517 and our test unit perform at the same level. However, our large convertible has no chance against the much faster devices which have a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or faster. However, that was expected. The dedicated graphics card solely handles 3D applications and is replaced by the Intel UHD Graphics 620 in 2D applications. This integrated graphics unit, which is part of the SoC, takes load off the processor for example when playing videos and also ensures a longer battery life during 2D operation.
You can find additional benchmarks on the Nvidia GeForce MX150 and the Intel UHD Graphics 620 here.

In terms of the noise, the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 acts similar to the predecessor. Without load, the device operation is comfortably quiet, and you can only hear the quiet whirring of the hard drive. The small fan only becomes clearly audible during load. We measured the highest value for our test unit at 40.5 dB(A). We did not notice any high-frequency fan noises. The fan speed control also worked well, adjusting the speed up and down appropriately. 

Compared to the Dell Inspiron 17 7778, the case temperatures have been improved slightly. Under load, the aluminum case heats up to a maximum of 47.2 °C (117 °F). In the tablet mode, you should be careful not to cover the fan vents. The Intel Core i7-8550U managed the hour-long load test with Prime95 with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz throughout, heating up to a maximum of 85 °C (185 °F). We did not observe any thermal throttling in our device. During the hour-long load test with the FurMark program, the graphics card heated up to a maximum of 70 °C (158 °F), which also appears to be the thermal limit of the graphics card. The clock speed varied considerably as soon as this temperature was reached. The Nvidia GeForce MX150 had an average clock speed of 980 MHz. During the 3DMark 11 benchmark following directly afterwards, the result of the cold start could not be achieved. The Dell Inspiron 17 7773 did not succeed in the Sky Diver stress test either. 

The listening pleasure can be called mediocre. The small speakers, which radiate the sound towards the sides and down, simply lack the volume for a better result. The sound reproduction is dominated by the mids and highs. With a little bit of imagination, you can merely make out some hints of the bass. However, voice is reproduced well and clearly, so that video calls are possible without any trouble. You can connect an external sound system via the 3.5-mm audio port (audio/microphone jack).

Due to their power consumption being almost identical during idle, the old and new models have the same battery life. The 56-Wh battery is built into the device. Under load, the battery can provide the device with a full two hours of power. After 140 minutes, the battery is charged to 100% again. In the practically relevant WLAN test, the Dell Inspiron 17 7773 was able to achieve second place. Our large convertible lasts for 6:48 hours. To keep the conditions similar, the display brightness was reduced by five steps, which corresponds to 150 cd/m². With the almost seven-hour battery life, the user should be able to go through the day. In battery operation, the 3D-performance is slightly less than in mains operation.