Dell Inspiron is a great budget laptop, however, does a cheap price tag translate to it being long-lasting?
In this article, we’ll be tackling questions such as How long do Dell Inspiron laptops last? How durable are Dell Inspiron laptops? and Do they last as long as other laptops?
How Long Do Dell Inspiron Laptops Last?
Dell Inspiron laptops last for seven to eight hours.
When it comes to how long a laptop can last, we don’t just simply talk about its battery life. While it may be one of the factors that would determine how long a laptop would last, it’s important to take note of another factor as well.
Aside from battery life, the average lifespan of a laptop must be taken into consideration. Both battery life and average lifespan go hand-in-hand when it comes to longevity.
Battery Life
Dell Inspiron laptops last seven to eight hours in terms of battery life. Now, this is only an estimate in gauging the battery life of all Dell Inspiron laptop models, that being said, these are subject to varying results depending on usage.
For instance, a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3505) has an average battery life of 11 hours, a Dell Inspiron 15 5000 (2018) has a battery life of five hours, and then there’s the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 (2021) has a battery life of seven hours.
Not all Dell Inspiron laptops will have the same battery life and this also applies to laptop models that are under the same line (e.g. there’s more than one kind of Dell Inspiron 15 laptop).
Now that we’ve had the data for the battery life of a few Dell Inspiron laptops, let’s move on to what people’s reviews have to say in regards to this.
We’ve seen a detailed review by a user on an online forum wherein they had first-hand experience in testing the Dell Inspiron 14 5405.
Before we delve into this, it’s important to remember that the various reviews we often see online, especially those done by big tech websites, only test laptops that were sent to them within a short time frame.
What do we mean by this? The reviews are concerned with the duration of the laptops being tested, meaning, those who review them haven’t really tested them for a long time and yet they already give results within such a short time frame.
For reviews to be a lot more accurate and conclusive, reviews must be done for a month or more.
By doing so, reviewers would have ample time in testing out every feature that a laptop has and tweak the factory settings of a particular laptop to suit their needs, and reap the benefits of what the laptop has to offer in regards to performance, battery life, and the like.
Most often than not, the factory settings of laptops gravely affect their battery life. For instance, some laptops need to be undervolted so that their battery life would be maximized.
Now going back to the review about Dell Inspiron 14 5405, this user shared their experience similar to what we’ve mentioned above.
This user stated that they initially experienced subpar battery life of five hours and the rare occasion of the battery percent dropping significantly from 19% to 6% on normal usage.
While this experience may have been a major turn-off for the user, they’ve given it one more chance, and upon continuous usage, the user noticed some changes.
It turns out that said changes have had a significant impact on the user’s Dell Inspiron 14 5405. There were two things that the user noticed that were affecting the battery life of the laptop when they did an initial battery test.
First, the user ran two benchmark applications: Cinebench and CrystaldiskMark, these two applications were heavy on the battery so when both were running on the laptop, it significantly ate a chunk of the battery life, approximately about 10% to 15%.
The user further concludes that the battery test results were not accurate due to this so what they did was to avoid running the two aforementioned benchmark applications and try testing the battery again.
Second, the user speculated that the battery of their Dell Inspiron laptop needed to be cycled/calibrated before it can give accurate results.
The user further shared that they aren’t an expert in this, however, based on their experience, they didn’t encounter any major drops in battery times.
The user concluded that maybe the sudden drop in battery life was just a one-time thing or it might have happened since the battery needed to be calibrated first.
After continuously using the Dell Inspiron laptop, the user was happy to report that they’ve managed to get eight hours and 20 minutes of battery life on casual use for a day and a half.
The user was able to perform the following tasks within eight hours:
- Read articles for an hour
- Left the laptop unplugged overnight to test the battery life of the laptop on standby
- Streamed YouTube videos for an hour
- After 10 hours, the user watched a few YouTube videos and read some articles for an hour
- For five hours, the user made use of applications such as Word, reading PDFs, Facebook, and Google messages.
The user shared that they were able to achieve an eight-hour battery life from their Dell Inspiron laptop by having their Bluetooth disabled, the Wi-Fi constantly turned on and having a minimum brightness level of 70%.
The user also disabled their location and lessened startup background applications like Skype, Discord, Steam, etc).
The backlit feature of the keyboard was also turned off for the majority of the time and was only turned on at night.
For the final two factors that contributed to eight-hour battery life, the user kept the Windows battery saver turned on when the laptop was at 20% and they also ran the laptop on the “better battery” setting the whole time.
Overall, Dell Inspiron laptops last for an average of seven to eight hours of battery life. Although, if you’re looking for a laptop that would last longer, your safest bet would be to get Dell Inspiron 15 or 16 laptops.
Average Lifespan
Dell Inspiron laptops would last for two to three years in regards to their average lifespan. There’s not much data to go around when it comes to how long these laptops would last. These are only based on the few reviews that people share online.
The general rule when it comes to looking for long-lasting Dell laptops is buying their premium business-class laptops.
These are guaranteed to last for a long time given that they’re made out of high-quality materials and superb components.
That being said, Dell Inspiron laptops aren’t the best business-class laptops. We do recommend their other line of business-class laptops such as Dell Latitude and Dell Precision.
Read More: How Long Do Dell XPS Laptops Last? (Read This First)
How Durable Are Dell Inspiron Laptops?
Dell Inspiron laptops are durable. They can withstand minor drops and impacts; this is especially true for the newer Dell Inspiron laptops such as the Inspiron 16 Plus.
The reason why several reviews point out how unstable Dell Inspiron laptops are is mainly due to the outdated build quality of older models.
For example, the Dell Inspiron 3000 line is mainly composed of laptops that are made out of plastic.
This makes older Inspiron models a lot less rigid and they noticeably feel flimsier on the hands when held.
Moreover, there’s a lot of give when it comes to handling the keyboard and the lid of older Inspiron laptop models.
But when we look at the newer Inspiron laptops we can see that there are some that are made out of both plastic and aluminum or stamped aluminum, while others are completely made out of aluminum.
For instance, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000s build is made out of stamped aluminum, meaning, this material offers a bit of flexibility/flexing on the chassis, lid, and keyboard area.
Stamped aluminum is different from machined aluminum, so it’s imperative not to use these terms interchangeably.
The latter is a lot more durable compared to the former. It also feels more sturdy and looks a lot sleeker.
On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is made out of aluminum. Unfortunately, this laptop model has a downside in terms of rigidity despite having a metal build.
The lid on this laptop is a bit flimsy and the keyboard doesn’t feel completely sturdy since it’s prone to flexing.
Although, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a way better option compared to the older models in this line. Dell made sure to improve the durability of their latest Inspiron laptops and they didn’t disappoint. It’s far from perfect, but it’s still progressing.
Overall, Dell Inspiron laptops are quite durable. They’re not the most rigid laptops out there but they’re still pretty decent given that they’re made out of either stamped aluminum or purely aluminum.
Just be cautious when it comes to the lid and keyboard deck of Inspiron laptops as they tend to feel flimsy.
Do They Last As Long As Other Laptops?
Dell Inspiron laptops don’t last as long as other laptops. The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 has a battery life of 13 hours while an LG Gram 16 (2021) has 16 hours and 10 minutes of battery life.
We have made a comparison table below for your reference so you can easily compare Dell Inspiron laptops with other laptops in terms of how long they last.
| Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7610 | 12 hours and 47 minutes |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 | 13 hours |
| Acer Aspire 5 | Eight hours |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | 16 hours and 10 minutes |
| Lenovo Legion 5 Pro | Six hours and 15 minutes |
| HP Pavilion x360 15 (2021) | 10 hours and 45 minutes |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15-inch) | 10 hours and 52 minutes |
| Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 | Three hours and 29 minutes |
As we observe the comparison table, both the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7610 and the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 rank in second place when it comes to how long they last against other laptops.
The overall winner would be the LG Gram 16 (2021). This laptop has the longest battery life amongst all other laptops, including the two Inspiron laptop models.
It’s good that the latest Dell Inspiron laptops have finally improved their battery life and this makes them a lot more usable for casual use compared to their predecessors.
We’re confident enough to say that, in the future, it’s likely that Dell would further improve the battery life of Inspiron laptops which would make them be on par with other laptops that have great battery life like the LG Gram or Lenovo IdeaPads.
How Long Is The Warranty On Dell Inspiron Laptops?
The warranty of Dell Inspiron laptops is only a year long. However, it’s important to note that the duration of a warranty may vary per laptop model. For instance, a Dell Inspiron 16 Plus laptop has a 4-year warranty.
The duration of the warranties that come with Dell Inspiron laptops would also vary depending on the country of origin.
Some countries only offer a one-year warranty while others offer a 4-year warranty. To check the warranty period of your laptop, you can check this link out.
Read More: How Long Do Microsoft Surfaces Last? (Read This First)
How To Make Dell Inspiron Laptops Last Longer?
To make Dell Inspiron laptops last longer you have to use a surge protector to maintain their functionality, avoid using them on soft surfaces as this blocks the air vents of the laptop, and avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures.
There are a lot of ways wherein users can make their Dell Inspiron laptops last longer—the majority of these would involve preventive care.
According to Dell’s official website, the following must be done to achieve longevity, peak performance, and physical condition of their laptops.
Preventive Care
- Storage devices, cables, and other external devices must be inserted with care in their respective ports.
- Surge protectors are a must to prevent power surges from damaging the laptop rendering it useless of its functionality.
- Avoid using the Inspiron laptop on beds, sofas, couches, or any surface that would block its vents on the bottom and the sides since this would restrict airflow and result in overheating.
- Do not expose the laptop in extreme temperatures for a period of time as this could damage the laptop.
- Do not put items on top of the laptop as this would put pressure on it and most likely cause damage.
- See to it that the lid be closed carefully at all times.
- Be careful not to place anything on the keyboard deck before closing the laptop as this would damage the LCD screen.
- Avoid eating and drinking near your laptop.
- Always keep the laptop dry.
Other additional measures you can do to make your Dell Inspiron last long is to clean it regularly. Ensure that any sign of dust, dirt, and grime is cleaned off the laptop.
The three main laptop parts you have to regularly clean are the air vents, keyboard and chassis, and the LCS screen.
Lastly, to make your Dell Inspiron laptop last longer, be extra careful when transporting them.
Ensure that there are no cables plugged in the laptop before carrying it away. Also, avoid carrying the laptop by the LCD screen, the corner of the palmrest, or the touchpad as this would put pressure on them and cause damage.
In addition, make use of a laptop sleeve to add protection to your laptop when transporting them.
What Are The Most Durable Dell Inspiron Laptop Models?
The Dell Inspiron Plus 7610 and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 would be the most durable Dell Inspiron laptop models.
The reason why we mentioned both of these laptops is because they have a great build quality.
Once held, both these laptops feel rigid on the hand, on top of that, they serve this sleek look as well.
The metal build of the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus reassures users when it comes to durability since this kind of material is stronger compared to plastic.
The same goes for the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1, although it’s made out of stamped aluminum, it still gives assurance to users that it can withstand minor drops.
Just remember, if you’re going for laptops that offer durability, it’s always best to go for laptops with an aluminum chassis since they’re a lot more durable than plastic.
Resources:
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/inspiron-16-7610-laptop/overview
https://www.windowscentral.com/dell-inspiron-15-3000-review
Susan is a professional writer. She has been a writer for eight years and has always been so fulfilled with her work! She desires to share helpful, reliable, and unbiased information and tips about tech and gadgets. She hopes to offer informative content that can answer users’ questions and help them fix their problems.
