DELL recently launched a new 15.6-inch laptop model, the Inspiron N5010 (Inspiron 15), which is intended to replace the desktop. The laptop is equipped with Intel Core i3 or i5 processors and integrated Intel GMA HD graphics, the laptop belongs to the budget price range and is designed for the mainstream consumer. Let's take a closer look at this model and test its performance.
Dell Inspiron N5010 Specifications:Processor - Intel Core i3 370M (2.4GHz, 3MB cache)
Display - 15.6-inch 1366x768 resolution with LED backlight
Operating system - Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
System Memory - 4GB DDR3
Hard drive - 500GB, speed 5400 rpm
Graphics Card - Integrated Intel GMA HD Graphics
Networking - 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth
Wireless video transmission - Intel Wi-Di and adapter
Battery - 6-cell, 48Wh Li-ion battery
The new Inspiron N5010 laptop is sleeker and slimmer than previous models. The hinges of the top cover are specially designed so that when the laptop is opened, the display moves slightly towards the user and is positioned above the bottom of the case. This design can be called successful, as it allows you to move the display closer to the user, especially given the small size of the screen diagonal. The appearance of the new N5010 is very stylish, with an imitation of a metal cover for the display lid, while such a coating is easier to clean from dust and fine dirt. The same styling is maintained on the inside, near the keyboard and wrist rest.
Users who want to add more RAM will be able to do this easily, as there is a single panel on the bottom of the laptop to access the memory. By unscrewing a few screws, you can replace or add RAM. Unfortunately. Replacing the hard drive requires a complete disassembly of the laptop.
Ports and other equipment
As for a budget 15-inch desktop replacement laptop, the Inspiron N5010 offers ample ports - three USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA / USB port, HDMI and VGA out, audio out, and Ethernet. The laptop is also equipped with an SDHC card reader, but there is no ExpressCard slot.
Purchasing such a device will cost you an additional $ 100 on top of the Inspiron N5010. It should be borne in mind that not all laptop configurations can be supplemented with Wi-Di, it is mainly available for the most expensive models.
Front view: Indicator lamps
Back side: power connector, USB 2.0 port, VGA-out, another USB 2.0 port
Left side: one USB 2.0 port, audio jacks, HDMI out
Right side: SDHC card reader, optical drive, eSATA / USB combo port, LAN, Kensington lock slot
The Inspiron N5010 keyboard is a mix of Chiclet style and classic keyboard. The top surface of each key is flat with sharp edges, but there is no large distance between the edges of the keys, which resembles a classic keyboard. This design is very comfortable to work with, although it lacks a small notch on the key, which helped keep the fingers from slipping during operation.Due to the considerable width of the laptop, the keyboard layout is full-format, with slightly compressed number pad keys. The only drawback of this keyboard is the size of the directional keys ("arrows"), which are too small. Most likely, this was done in order to maximize the size of the wrist rest, and the user can use the keys of the number pad as direction keys.
The touchpad is large and manufactured by Synaptics, but the keys, fortunately, are not hidden under the surface of the touchpad. The touchpad response time was good and there were no pauses or lags. The surface of the touchpad has a matte finish, on which it is convenient to slide your fingers (wet or dry). The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures, which worked well, recognition was correct. The touchpad buttons have a deep stroke, and when pressed, they emit a barely audible "click", which is typical for touchpads of this size.
Display and speakers
The N5010 is equipped with a 15.6-inch display that has a resolution of 1366x768, with a glossy or anti-glare finish. In the case of a glossy display, reflections did not interfere too much. The quality of the matrix is above average, the backlighting is uniform, the brightness measurements showed a value of 218 nits. For outdoor use, the brightness will be a little lacking, but in office lighting, it won't be a problem. The contrast measurement of the screen showed 136: 1, while the black level was 1.45nits. The colors on the display were rich, although maybe not the same as on the latest multimedia notebooks. The vertical viewing angles were good. The values were about 15-20 degrees, when these values are exceeded, the colors begin to invert and darken. The horizontal viewing angles were much better, with a magnitude of about 60 degrees.
The Inspiron N5010 speakers are located along the front edge of the bottom cover. The best position for the sound of the speakers is when the laptop is placed on a flat, hard surface. Sound quality was average for a laptop of this size. This speaker layout makes it difficult to position the laptop on your lap, as your clothes can easily block them and muffle the sound.
Performance
System performance Dell Inspiron N5010 was great thanks to the Intel Core i3 and i5 processor and the integrated Intel GMA HD graphics. The test configuration was budgetary, but Dell also offers a discrete ATI Radeon HD550v graphics configuration with 1GB of VRAM. The presence of such a video card will increase the cost of the laptop by an additional $ 100.
The N5010 performed very well in the benchmarks despite the basic configuration. A state-of-the-art Intel Core i3 370M processor and integrated Intel HD graphics are up to the task, except for modern 3D gaming. For watching movies in 720P and 1080P, the system performance will be more than sufficient. The Intel Wi-Di adapter also performed well, with which you can transfer HD video to an HDTV TV without using a cable. The laptop handles office programs with ease, making the N5010 an excellent choice for the student.
Wprime CPU performance score (the lower the score, the higher the performance):
PCMark05 measures the overall system performance (the higher the score, the better the performance):
PCMark Vantage measures the overall system performance (the higher the score, the better the performance):
3DMark06 measures performance in games (the higher the score, the better the performance):
CrystalDiskMark measures hard drive performance:
Heat dissipation and noise
The Inspiron N5010 does a very good job of dissipating heat, but some areas of the laptop get hotter than the older 17R (N7010). During maximum load, a single hot spot was found on the bottom cover and its temperature was 34 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature on the upper surface was only 32 degrees Celsius.During daily work, the laptop was slightly warmer than the ambient temperature, the cooling fan turned on from time to time, but at very low speeds. Even under heavy load, the noise of the cooling system was at the level of a whisper.
Standalone operation
The Dell Inspiron N5010 comes with a standard 6-cell 48Wh battery, which performed surprisingly well in the test. If you are looking for extended battery life, then it is best to purchase a laptop configured with a 9-cell 90Wh battery. In this test, the screen brightness was set to 70%, Wi-Fi was activated, the web page was refreshed every 60 seconds, and Windows was set to the balanced profile. Under these conditions, the Inspiron N5010 lasted 3 hours and 43 minutes - I must say that this is a good indicator for a budget laptop.
Conclusion
The Dell Inspiron N5010 is one of the most affordable budget 15.6-inch laptops using the latest Intel platform. Powered by an Intel Core i3 370M processor, 4GB of RAM and integrated Intel GMA HD graphics, the N5010 easily outperforms previous generation budget mid-range laptops. For the average user, this laptop will be more than enough for most tasks, with the exception, perhaps, of modern games. Even with HD movie decoding, the N5010 handles with ease. To summarize, it's safe to say that if you are looking for an inexpensive performance laptop, Dell Inspiron N5010 deserves your attention.
Benefits:
Excellent appearance
Robust case
Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Disadvantages:
Some options are not available in all configurations
Useful article: "How to connect a TV to a computer via HDMI"
