Verdict
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is one of the more low-cost 16 - column inch laptop on the market and can even be mate with a discrete GPU to boost its graphics performance . While it does have a cumbersome design , it ’s a suitable pick for anyone looking for a productiveness laptop computer that wo n’t break the money box .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Thanks to the ascension of hybrid working , 16 - inch laptops are making a huge return . The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is one of the most affordable prominent - blind laptop computer options , derive in at around £ 1000/$1000 .
If you ’re happy to drop a little more , Dell is also offering a discrete GPU configuration for anyone who want to take on graphic tasks like Photoshop or sluttish gaming .
But does the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus put up enough quality to qualify for ourbest laptopandbest Dell laptoplists ? Here are my thoughts .
Design
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus can be found in two colours : Dark Green and Carbon Black . While the Dark Green translation I reviewed does n’t have much ringing , especially in darker surround , I like the fact that Dell has furcate out from the usual Grey and Black vividness of most laptops . The shape calibre is very stalwart here , aid by the 2.05 kg exercising weight , and I noticed no flexibility in the shape during typecast .
Since this laptop weighs over 2 kg , I ca n’t urge it as a truly portable machine . While I was capable to take it to and from the office without too many subject , I really felt it in my backpack , and picking it up with one handwriting was pretty difficult . Moreover , the chunky design does make it feel a little outdated and less silklike than some other 16 - inch laptops . It felt like a big alteration from the last laptop I reviewed : the sleek and fabulously lightweightAcer Swift Edge .
look at the port , it ’s a mixture of highs and Sir David Alexander Cecil Low . ab initio , the selection of two UBC - A , HDMI , 3.5 mm audio labourer andUSB - C(withThunderbolt 4support ) seemed idealistic . However , since the battery charger hoopla into the only USB - C embrasure , it meant that I was never able-bodied to make use of the Thunderbolt 4 features simultaneously , such as connect to an outside proctor – I had to use the HDMI port alternatively , which lacks daisy - chaining functionality .
If you do n’t usually connect your laptop to an external proctor , this in all likelihood wo n’t be an military issue , although I still think it ’s a perplexing trip from Dell .
Another rum invention queerness of this laptop computer can be found with the hinge . If you endeavor to move the laptop computer a few inches while it ’s on a desk , the hinges on the back rub against the surface , bring in a garish and distracting noise each time . It also leave in the hinges get scuffed .
On a brighter annotation , I really liked the keyboard . It felt clicky and responsive to use , and both the depth and spacing of the key were spot on . type up farsighted documents was very uncomplicated , and the backlight meant that I could mould in darker environments . The trackpad was also responsive and did n’t have the unsmooth smell that I chance on theAcer Swift X.
regrettably , the speaker unit on the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus had a bad habit of distort the audio , no matter of the volume . It was most noticeable during my Netflix and YouTube binges , as now and again , a sound effect or line would come out with a fair amount of bass part distortion , making it seem like the speakers were somehow blocked , or that the person in the picture was speaking too nearly into the mic .
This speaker issue occurred when the laptop computer was both send on my desk or on soft furnishings , such as a seam , and it was heavy deflect . The audio was never so contort that I would n’t be able to read what was being say , but it did diminish my experience of watch video . I die into the laptop computer ’s setting to undertake to alleviate the issue , but nothing seems to have worked .
I end up switching over to a headset , and recommend you do the same if you ’re interested in using the laptop computer for watch TV or film .
Screen
The 16 - inch showing was idealistic for productivity , as I could work with multiple tabs and applications subject at the same time without things palpate too littered . The 3 K ( 3072 x 1920 ) resolution was sharp and made watch video subject matter a delicacy . I felt it could pick up a flock of detail , more so than the majority of laptops at this price pointedness .
However , I acknowledge that the screen was not very visible when I was in particularly bright environments , such as my balcony , and that it seemed to do well in in darkness lit room . To back up these claims , I used a colourimeter and discovered that this laptop computer has a maximum light of just 295 nits , as well as a black degree of 0.20 and a 1402:1 contrast .
The average Georgia home boy smartness of most laptop sits at around 300 , so I was slightly disappointed to see that the Inspiron 16 Plus fell slightly below that . While this does not mean the CRT screen is bad , it does indicate that it wo n’t be able-bodied to get as bright as some other laptop on the market , and it will sputter in brightly light environments , unlike theHuawei Matebook X Pro 12th - Gen ( 2022 ) , which is adequate to of run into a whopping 578 nit .
While that think certain darkly get off television receiver shows and films were a lilliputian harder to watch , I soundly enjoy look on BBC ’s Fleabag on this laptop computer . I could pick up on a lot of contingent , and I never detect any affected chickenhearted or blue tones interfere with pure white imagery .
calculate further at my tests , I would not recommend this gadget for any professional creatives due to the low colour accuracy scores , as thesRGB , Adobe RGBandDCI - P3came in at 95.5 % , 68.5 % and 70.3 % severally . While the sRGB score is high , the DCI - P3 and Adobe RGB results rise that this equipment will not be capable to represent colour to a high accuracy standard . I would advise gibe out theApple MacBook Pro 2021if that ’s what you ’re look for .
Moreover , this laptop computer does not feature a touch screen . While this is not a huge loss , I always think it ’s delinquent when a larger laptop CRT screen neglect this characteristic . If you ’re interested in quality laptops that do include a touchscreen , check out our list ofbest touchscreen laptopsfor more choice .
Performance
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus come in a few different configurations . My test unit had a 12th - gen Intel Core i7 - 12700H central processing unit , Intel Iris Xe Graphics alongside 16 GB DDR5 RAM and 512 GB PCle NVMe storage , while there are 8 GB RAM and 1 TB storehouse choice useable too .
This laptop can also be obtain with a twelfth - gen Intel Core i5 mainframe and , more excitingly , can be paired up with either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 or the RTX 3060GPU . Since I have not reviewed the RTX variations , I ca n’t give a unequivocal remark on the functioning . However , if you ’re look to use this laptop computer for occasional gaming , then they ’ll be worth view despite the high-sounding price .
The RTX 3060 should be able to support gaming at 1080p at around 60fps , and will be viable for tasks such as Photoshop or video editing , although the projection screen ’s poor colour accuracy think it wo n’t be ideal for creative professional person . The RTX 3050 will also be able to prevail games at 1080p but at a significantly scummy frame pace unless you fiddle with the graphics stage setting .
Turning back towards my review sample distribution , it handled most tasks well and I rarely encountered any stall or stuttering – even when I was working with multiple applications receptive and connected to an external monitor to find out video message . I intend it go fabulously as a work gimmick , and this is show in thebenchmark resultsbelow .
Despite the Inspiron 16 Plus pack the same CPU as theHuawei MateBook sixteen , it had a higher multi - core mark in our Geekbench 5 run , mean that it ’s well equipped for intensive study and multitasking . contribute the Dell ’s low price , it ’s telling that its execution can vie with some of the best productivity laptops around .
The SSD scores on this laptop are also superb , with the read sexual conquest coming in at 5092.99Mbps and the write at 4010.22Mbps . This means you ’re commence above average speeds for booting up the PC , chess opening software and installing software .
Ultimately , the Intel Core i7 pas seul of the Inspiron 16 Plus is idealistic for those on the hunt for a productivity laptop computer . Its load times were fast , and I was able to work with various tabs and applications open without any contrary effects . If you prefer to kick upstairs to the RTX 3050/3060 variation , it will have a broader manipulation suit , but I would still commend it primarily for study . For more specialised gadget , I would recommend checking out our list ofbest gaming laptops .
Battery Life
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus does not slack in the stamp battery department , as it managed to last 11hrs and 43mins during the PCMark 10 Office Battery benchmark test . This was more than enough to see me through a workday and ideal for anyone who frequently misplaces their charger .
Since this laptop is fairly heavy , it ’s difficult to recommend as an position gadget . However , if you are willing to carry it around , then you wo n’t need to care about bringing a charger to the office .
The Inspiron 16 Plus sits on the high end for battery life and fares a circumstances better than some other 16 - column inch laptops out there , such as the 8hrAcer Swift Edge . If battery living is a priority for you , you’re able to also check out the 16 - inchHuawei MateBook 16 , which lasted an incredible 16hrs in my test .
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Should you buy it?
The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus was very authentic during my work bouts , and the declamatory screenland was not bad for work with multiple tabs and applications open .
Unless you have a pair of earbuds or a headset lying about , I really ca n’t commend this laptop to anyone who would require to use it for picture show Night . The deformation was very distracting , and it made watching TV a lot less enjoyable .
Final Thoughts
My clip with the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus was a mixture of highs and lows .
It offers keen time value at its low price , with the large screen and inflexible keyboard , as I was able to work with multiple tabs open without it feeling cluttered . The rapid performance also meant I could breeze through work tasks without issue .
However , I ca n’t ignore its downfall : the singular USB - C Thunderbolt 4 port that is used with the charger mat like a waste material , and while the scuffed hinge are not a massive take , it ’s a needless plan flaw that could have been nullify . But , easy , my biggest hobgoblin is the speakers , as they minify the experience of watching telecasting content and led me to rely on external audio devices .
There are few better 16 - column inch laptops at this price , but you are start what you pay for , as it come with a slew of caveats that may block your experience .
Trusted Score
How We Test
Every laptop we review move through a series of consistent arrest contrive to gauge key aspects , such as build quality , performance , screen quality and barrage fire life .
These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted test , plus a series of real - world halt , such as how well it execute the most frequently used apps .
We also check that to employ every laptop computer we review as our chief machine for at least a week to ensure our review is as accurate as potential .
FAQs
A dGPU ( or discrete GPU ) is a consecrated chipset for art operation , and is normally find in mellow - end laptops . A distinct GPU is ordinarily a stack more powerful than an iGPU , as it specialises in render advanced graphics for the ilk of mental object introduction or gaming .
In a nutshell , Thunderbolt 4 is a new upgradable specification that was introduced by Intel in 2016 , with the role of link estimator and other peripheral gadget for mellow - speed data transfer over a single cable . To this day , it remains a badge of tone for Intel and a key requirement for any laptop computer wanting to utilize itsEvocertification .
