Dell Inspiron 15 7000 (2014) review

Overall, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is a fine choice if you're looking for a laptop that has a premium feel, with a slightly less-than-premium price tag. For $1,149, the notebook boasts good components, a beautiful high-definition display and a great typing experience in an attractive brushed aluminum chassis. High-end laptops with the same specs often cost upwards of $1,500.

Of course, there are drawbacks to choosing a laptop that's almost, but not quite, premium-grade. The Inspiron 15 7000 looks and feels heavy compared to svelte ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 15. The speakers failed to impress, too. But if you want a laptop that can handle anything you can throw at it – without breaking the bank – the Inspiron 15 7000 is worth considering.

We liked

As far as mainstream notebooks go, the Inspiron 15 7000's brushed aluminum design isn't hard on the eyes. The laptop is a bit heavy, but it definitely looks better than the plastic, faux-aluminum builds I've seen on many other notebooks in the 7000 series's price range. The laptop's 1080p touchscreen is gorgeous as well.

The keyboard is one of the best I've used recently, offering lots of vertical travel and plenty of spacing between keys. The trackpad is just as quality. Overall, the laptop's components – a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and Nvidia graphics – are top-notch, considering the price. The notebook flew on our benchmarks and in everyday use.

We disliked

The laptop's speakers didn't live up to my expectations. While I could hear the bass, it isn't particularly rich. Worse, high-end frequencies often sound tinny and distorted. Changing the audio presets in MaxxAudio Pro improve the sound quality somewhat, but not enough. And, again, the laptop feels heavy compared to most ultrabooks.

Final verdict

The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is a fine choice for anyone looking to buy an attractive, powerful laptop that's not quite as pricey as a premium Ultrabook. With its quad-core CPU, 16GB of RAM and Nvidia GeForce GT 750M graphics, it can easily handle intensive multimedia tasks, like video editing or playing lighter 3D games. Moreover, the laptop's excellent keyboard and trackpad make doing serious productivity work a breeze.

However, the speakers are liable to leave listeners disappointed. A good pair of headphones will suffice if you're just using the computer for personal entertainment, but you'll have to suffer the tinny audio if you want to watch a movie with friends. Nevertheless, if you're willing to look past sound quality, the Inspiron 15 7000 is a well-built, fast laptop that won't cost you an arm and a leg.