Pros: Skylake i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, up to 8 hours of battery life, WiFi ac connectivity, 1 TB of storage, very competitive price.
Cons: Graphics chip not suitable for hardcore gamers.
Dell has been doing an incredible job as off late by introducing affordable yet quality laptops into the consumer market. The company that, not so long ago, aimed solely at the enterprise market has taken things a step further and really gone the extra yard. It's with this in mind that today we'd like to take on one of it's most promising laptops in the mid range market; the Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV.
This new laptop flaunts a mid range price, a sixth generation Core i5 Skylake processor and 8 GB of RAM amongst many other virtues. However, let's not beat around the bush, if you wanna know more then come on down and read our full review of the Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV and find out if it's a hero or a zero.
What's the buyer's verdict? Read the customer reviews here!
Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV Review of a remarkable laptop
Let's dive into the display and design...
First things first, a good notebook always features a good design and the Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV is no exception to this. Dell's new flagship comes with a clean cut design that basically tells us that they mean business. No flashy elements of any kind distract our attention from a sober look that's been winning the masses for those who aren't looking for fireworks but for a quality built laptop.
Weight and thickness are ok, with a little over 5 pounds and your standard 1 inch thickness form factor. It's rather unfortunate that the keyboard is not backlit as I know many users who enjoy this feature but this is hardly a deal-breaker when all other elements are in check as the case of this model.
The screen doesn't try to impress and goes with a standard 15.6 inch LED backlit display with Truelife technology. Honestly there isn't that much of a difference between this display and the one you'll find on 99% of other mid range laptops but that's something we can live with because we know that it's still a good display.
Unparalleled performance thanks to it's powerful CPU and ample RAM
So the design isn't exactly a prize winner. That's fine because the Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV wins where it matters; under the hood. To that point, the new notebook features an Intel Core i5-6200U dual-core processor that clocks in at 2.3 GHz and can reach a maximum speed of 2.8 GHz on 3 MB of L3 Cache. This is Intel's latest Core i5 processor for the consumer market and quite honestly it's very good on all fronts.
Benchmarks aside, this processor enables us to go beyond simple computing and really dive into more power hungry tasks like video rendering and code compiling. Whether you're a simple consumer who's going to surf the web, watch movies, talk to friends and do the occasional image editing or a more pro consumer who needs a desktop replacement, the Inspiron i5559-3347SLV has you covered either way.
RAM is also a prominent feature in this particular model since it houses 8 GB of DDR3L SDRAM. For demanding users who do serious multitasking 8 GB is a must and for those who can skate by with 4 GB the extra 4 GB offered within this model are a good way to future-proof your purchase.
Is this a laptop for gamers?
While processing power is good and RAM is plenty, the Inspiron i5559-3347SLV featured in this review is far from a gaming laptop, at least in the traditional sense of the term. Under the hood it houses an Intel HD Graphics 510 graphics chip which can do some decent work with 2015 titles at low settings.
However, if you're serious about gaming then you're bound to be disappointed since you should probably turn your eyes towards laptops that bet on a dedicated graphics chip rather than an integrated one.
Stellar battery life and more than enough storage
Battery life is becoming very important to consumers and Dell knows this. That's why in the case of the review of the Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV we're looking at a 4 cell removable battery that can provide us with up to 8 hours of entertainment, sans a power outlet. Of course these numbers must be taken with a grain of salt and actual performance may be around the 7 hour mark depending on usage.
Storage is standard for this type of laptop - but hey, if it ain't broke...- and we've got a 1 TB hard drive working at a speed of 5400 rpm. If you're big on downloading movies then your should know that such storage would provide you with enough space to house over 1200 HD quality movies, not bad.
More stuff you should know...
Finally, we'd like to tackle the connectivity options, another point where this notebook doesn't disappoint. More precisely we're impressed with a dual band 802.11 ac WiFi connectivity that can really go the extra mile if you have a powerful router at your disposal.
There's also 3 USB ports, one of which is USB 3.0, a DVD reader/burner, an ethernet entrance, HDMI out, Bluetooth support and your typical SD card reader as well as a webcam which is increased by the stereo speakers set in place next to the Maxx Audio acoustic technology.
Finishing statements
There's not that much more to say as we reach the end of the line on this Dell Inspiron i5559-3347SLV review. Overall we really like it. We love the processor with plenty of processing power, we love the RAM that serves as a way to also future-proof our investment and battery life is arguably up there with the best of 'em in this price range (check its price here!).
It's not a gaming laptop but we already knew that from the get go so it's not something that we can really hold against Dell. All in all, a pretty rock solid option for anyone who isn't a gamer or graphics designer in need of a dedicated graphics chip.