Dell is really making HP run for its money in the convertible market. Yesterday we talked about the remarkable Dell i5368-1692GRY and today it's time to look at the specked-out version of such a model; the Dell i5368-7643GRY.
This new convertible arrives with a killer set of specs such as an advanced RAM module, 256 GB of SSD storage and a top notch Core i5-6200U processor. Today we take a look and see exactly what this new laptop has to offer in our full review of the Dell i5368-7643GRY.
Pros: 256GB SSD, 8GB DDR4 RAM, Core i5 6th generation, Full HD touchscreen display, amazing portability, competitive price.
Cons: integrated graphics chip, standard battery life.
Dell i5368-7643GRY Review of the laptop you should've waited for...
A high end design to accompany a high definition display
One of the most prominent features on the Dell i5368-7643GRY is its display. Specifically, we're looking at a Full HD touchscreen LED-lit display with a 13.3 inch diagonal and wide viewing angles. This is just about the perfect display to curl up to a good movie in bed or edit documents on the fly when you're commuting to work, especially because as a convertible laptop you can easily make this device look and feel like a tablet by simply flipping the screen.
Another big pro to this model is that it features a backlit keyboard, something incredibly rare within the convertible segment but common to high end models such as this one. We should also point out the quality build of this notebook, something worthy of admiration that definitely manages to stand out in the midst of a very saturated market.
Finally, if the 13.3 inch display didn't convince you about the portability of this laptop then we would also like to point out that it weighs just below 3.4 pounds and measures a little under 0.8 inches, making it the perfect travel companion.
It's all about performance
It would be pointless to stand in awe of the Dell i5368-7643GRY simply because of its jaw-dropping design. It has to deliver on the performance front and boy does it do just that. To that point, performance is spearheaded by an Intel Core i5-6200U dual core processor with 3 MB of cache clocking in at 2.3 GHz and extending its reach to 2.8 GHz thanks to turboboost.
This is a sixth generation skylake processor and quite frankly one of the best processors in the market for consumer laptops. It's noticeably more efficient than the Core i3 models yet not so distant in performance to the i7 models (about a 10% difference in performance).
Overall, it's the perfect consumer processor for stuff like picture editing, coding, launching virtual machines, streaming movies, playing mid-range games, browsing and so forth, AKA; What most people actually do on their laptops.
However, performance on the Dell i5368-7643GRY isn't limited just to its processor, the RAM also plays an integral part, especially when multitasking is concerned. To this point, we would like to point out that this model actually comes with the latest generation DDR4 SDRAM running at 2133 MHz, something pretty unusual that elevates this laptops potential when it comes down to multitasking.
As far as the amount of RAM is concerned, you're pretty much covered with an 8GB module that should be enough even for the most demanding set of users.
Gaming is out of the question
Unfortunately, gaming on Dell's latest convertible is out of the question. With an integrated Intel HD 520 Graphics chip you could probably aim at playing some 2013-2014 titles with low requirements but more modern titles with higher demands would be a rather frustrating experience.
Super fast storage and battery life
Storage is one of the Dell i5368-7643GRY's biggest pros. Specifically, unlike most of its competitors who still use traditional hard drives, this model comes with a 256GB SSD module which means you get much faster speeds in stuff like booting the system, accesing files, image and video editing and so-forth. All in all, there's very little that an SSD module won't improve in terms of speed.
Moving onto battery life in this review of the Dell i5368-7643GRY , there's not much in the way of official information aside from the fact that the laptop comes with a 3 cell battery but you should expect battery life to be anywhere between the 4 to 5 hour mark, a conclusion we derived on based on the overall specs of the machine.
Decent connectivity options
While we're big fans of the dual band WiFi ac and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, the rest of the connectivity options leave a bit to be desired. In this regard, there's no DVD reader nor is there a VGA port or even an ethernet port, common traits amongst convertibles but still drawbacks.
However, we do have a couple of USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, HDMI 1.4 output, SD card reader and your run of the mill audio combo. There's also an HD webcam for skyping sessions with your friends and the OS in charge of everything is Windows 10.
Wrapping things up...Is it worth the money?
It's becoming pretty clear that laptops are advancing more and more in the last year as our review of the Dell i5368-7643GRY clearly points out. That said, as a convertible with a Full HD display an SSD module with the latest generation RAM and Skylake CPU it's hard to see this laptop disappointing anyone. Whether you're a programmer looking to buy a laptop that can handle powerhouse performance or you're looking to buy a laptop for a student, this convertible is an excellent choice.
Obviously graphic designers and hardcore gamers should steer clear because of the lack of a dedicated graphics chip but everyone else will find in this model the perfect companion. You can look out for this laptop's pricing and availability here.