The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 occupies an uncommon spot within the firm’s laptop computer lineup.

While Dell tends to order the Inspiron line for its least expensive and clunkiest consumer-grade computer systems, the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 borrows a handful of parts from higher-end laptops, together with a steel lid, a fingerprint reader, surprisingly nice audio system, and a pointy touchscreen that flips round into pill mode. However, additional inspection reveals the place the compromises lie.

The show is on the dim aspect, the chassis is part-plastic, the trackpad has a chintzy click on mechanism, and the laptop computer is heavier than high-end computer systems with comparable specs. But, in the event you can snag the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 for lower than its $1,049 record worth, these trade-offs could also be worthwhile.

Tech specs

Our explicit Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 assessment unit costs $1,049 from Dell however has incessantly been on sale for $800 and it consists of the next specs:

• AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU
• 14-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen
• 16 GB DD4-3200 RAM
• 512 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe strong state storage
• 720p webcam
• Fingerprint reader
• Left aspect: HDMI 1.4b, USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
• Right aspect: Headphone jack, USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, MicroSD card slot
• Weight: 3.43 lbs. (Power brick provides 0.58 lbs.)
• Dimensions: 12.66 x 8.32 x 0.71 inches

Meanwhile, an $849 option (or $600 on saleas of this writing) leaves you with a Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 256 GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, you’ll be able to’t combine and match tech specs, so your solely choice in order for you extra storage or RAM is to purchase the higher-end mannequin for $200 extra. (Dell additionally affords other configurations with Intel processors, which we’re not reviewing right here.)

Port choice is strong with each HDMI and MicroSD ports and two USB-A ports, however bear in mind that the HDMI 1.4b spec solely helps 4K at 30 Hz, so that you’ll be restricted to 1080p on exterior screens or TVs if need clean 60 frames per second video. Also, the laptop computer’s charger occupies the only real USB-C port, leaving no room for USB-C equipment.

Design and show

The Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is available in a single shade scheme referred to as “Mist Blue,” nevertheless it’s a delicate hue that solely covers the aluminum lid and it’s barely distinguishable from the grey matte plastic chassis beneath. Despite the usage of plastic, this can be a sturdy machine. You’ll hear nary a creak when grabbing the laptop computer by its corners and the keyboard barely flexes in any respect below strain.

Jared Newman / IDG

The 1080p touchscreen has a shiny end with edge-to-edge glass that helps reinforce the laptop computer’s premium look. The backside of the display screen drops down beneath the keyboard part in clamshell mode, offering a raised floor for typing. The display screen may flip round 360-degrees into pill mode and has stylus assist, although no pen is included within the field.

Still, with a peak brightness of 250 nits, this can be a display screen whose brightness you’ll need to hold cranked up all the best way in well-lit environments and also you’ll seemingly want it might get a bit brighter. I additionally seen a slight fading in brightness across the higher fringe of the display screen—the mark of a mediocre show.

Jared Newman / IDG

Trackpad and keyboard

Dell put a reasonably good keyboard into the Inspiron 14 2-in-1. While the keys hold a low profile and don’t supply an enormous quantity of journey, they depress with a satisfying bump and I detected not one of the squishiness or wobbliness you discover on cheaper keyboards. They additionally barely give off any noise and assist two ranges of backlighting.

Jared Newman / IDG

The trackpad is extra of a difficulty, significantly for customers preferring to click on down as an alternative of tapping. The click on mechanism begins to get fairly stiff about midway up the trackpad and it wobbles simply slightly below your finger earlier than you click on down the entire approach. While the touchpad floor is pretty clean, it nonetheless has a bit extra friction than what you’d discover in higher-end laptops.

Webcam, safety, audio

Like most Windows laptops, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1’s 720p webcam is nothing particular. It’s satisfactory for videoconferencing in well-lit rooms, nevertheless it shoots grainy video in decrease lighting circumstances. Microphone high quality isn’t nice both, leading to thin-sounding vocals.

The digital camera does embody a privateness shutter, which is one other good contact usually discovered on higher-end laptops. While it lacks face recognition assist, there’s a fingerprint reader constructed into the ability button on the keyboard.

Jared Newman / IDG

Speaker high quality can also be a nice shock, because the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 produces a number of the loudest and punchiest audio you’ll discover on a Windows laptop computer. Although the sound does distort a bit at most quantity, you’ll by no means pressure to listen to what’s occurring whereas watching movies or tuning into convention calls.

Performance

For a laptop computer with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor on board, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1’s efficiency is nearly what you’d anticipate. It tears by way of multi-threaded duties comparable to video encoding and it feels sufficiently zippy for net shopping and doc enhancing. The laptop computer additionally remained comfortably cool and quiet whereas juggling a number of apps, browser tabs, and downloads.

The Inspiron 14 2-in-1’s productiveness prowess was on show in Futuremark’s PCMark 10 check, which simulates a gamut of workplace work, net shopping, and inventive duties. It edged out a number of different 2-in-1 laptops we’ve examined currently, together with the similarly-priced HP Envy x360 15 with the identical processor.

Jared Newman / IDG

HP’s laptop computer did retake the lead in our Handbrake check, which includes encoding a big video file, however each laptops keep a commanding lead over comparable 2-in-1s with Intel processors. More cores are virtually all the time higher for this check and Intel’s quad-core i7-1165G7 CPU is not any match for the eight cores in AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700U.

Jared Newman / IDG

Similarly, the Inspiron 14 2-in-1’s multi-threaded efficiency excelled within the fast efficiency stress check of Cinebench, however notice that Intel-powered laptops have an edge in single-threaded efficiency, which covers most simple productiveness duties. The distinction isn’t one thing you’d essentially discover, however it’s there.

Jared Newman / IDG

As for battery life, the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 has a 54,000 Whr battery, which places it in the course of the highway for thin-and-light laptops. That’s clearly mirrored in our battery rundown check, which loops a video in offline mode at a constant brightness degree. Dell’s laptop computer lasted for 11 hours and 17 minutes, which is neither dangerous nor nice. Outside of check circumstances, you could possibly squeeze a full workday out of this laptop computer, however you’ll seemingly need to pack the charger simply in case.

Jared Newman / IDG

Meanwhile, AMD’s built-in Radeon graphics nonetheless aren’t made for critical gaming, however I used to be in a position to eke out a session of Fortnite at medium graphics settings and 50% show scaling. And, in fact, much less demanding video games just like the 2D platformer Axiom Verge 2 labored simply nice. Still, I’ve had higher gaming experiences with the Iris Xe graphics in Intel Core i7-powered laptops and our 3DMark Time Spy check reveals that these laptops are likely to fare higher in gaming benchmarks as properly.

Jared Newman / IDG

Overall, this Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 affords rather a lot to love, particularly at its oft-discounted worth of $800. It’s a sturdy laptop computer with sturdy efficiency, a convertible touchscreen, loud audio system, and a handy fingerprint reader. But the trade-offs you’ll make in pursuit of that lower cost—most notably the dim show and stiff trackpad—may simply hold you from outright loving it.