Do not look at the word “special”, a sensual
display and high-end specifications mean that this laptop just loses the
high-end line of Asus a little.
Dell
Inspiron 15R Special Edition
When you are spending nearly $1,154 for a
laptop, it is reasonable to expect the luxury. Despite the name Special
Edition, this Inspiron is not luxury. It is poorly covered with thick plastic
and is completed with obsolete beehive structure, which is more appropriate on
a computer under $641.
Its design is not the only disappointment.
A part of the attractiveness of SE is probably the lid’s panel which can be
inverted (blue, red, pink and white are also available), but the black unit in
our laptop reviews has ugly 0.5mm distance along the upper edge - the perfect
way to attract dust and debris.
However, this 15in laptop does not have
much wrong with the rest. Specification list does not have any problem: 1TB
storage, 4 USB3 ports, HDMI output and D-SUB, Gigabit Ethernet and 1 Blu-ray
reader. Like 17R, the 1 year on site warranty period is better than most
laptops.
We liked the layout of the keyboard: it
lacks number pad, but there is no compromise on any other aspect, with big
Enter key, big cursor and navigation organized reasonable. Unclear action, the
keys are noisy, the laptop has no curvature at the base, and the multi-point
touchpad with separate buttons is perfect.
We
like the layout of the keyboard.
Above the keyboard is excellent screen. It
is a Full HD screen, it has good brightness (321cd/m2) and contrast (655:1) -
although it can not compare with the Sony VAIO E screen about the power. It is
the ideal screen for anything, from movie watching to photo editing with
anti-glare surface, and it prevents the reflection caused distractions.
Although it looks cheap with hard plastic
material, it provides plenty of protection for the screen and the components in
the base. There is little criticism for these core elements. Inspiron 15R is
equipped with Intel Core i7-3612QM 2.1GHz, it reaches 0.91 points in the
application test - it is not the highest point this month, but it nearly
reaches that value. This laptop will pass the most challenging tasks, and it is
also a competitive game machine. While many competitors have chosen Nvidia's GeForce
graphics chipset, Dell has equipped the Inspiron 15R with AMD Radeon HD 7730M.
AMD Radeon HD 7730M is not as good as the best Nvidia GPU, it remains strong,
providing 22fps speed in high-quality Crysis test and 46fps at medium quality.
In addition to the design, battery life is
the only matter to concern; however, even 5 hours 27 minutes in our light using
test is not a disaster completely. It reinforces one laptop that is not
beautiful but does a good job, especially if we consider its cheaper price than
many competitors. However, with a bit of elegance and overall building quality,
Asus N56VM get the nod of this month.
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Info
·
Price: $940 ($1,127 including VAT)
·
Supplier: www.dell.co.uk
·
Checkpoints: 0.91
·
Crysis (High): 22fps
·
Light use battery: 5 hours 27 minutes
Verdict
·
Performance: 5/6
·
Battery: 5/6
·
Design and features: 4/6
·
Value: 5/6
·
Total: 5/6
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