For mainstream notebooks, it doesn't get much better than the old Inspiron 5100--unless it's the souped-up 5150.When designing its new Inspiron 5150, Dell started with the same sensible case that houses both the Inspiron 5100 and the Inspiron 1100, then filled it full of awesome components such as a 3.06GHz mobile Pentium 4 processor, 333MHz memory, and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics chip. These parts helped the Inspiron 5150 achieve outstanding scores in our Labs' benchmark tests. Additional highlights, such as a DVD+R/+RW drive, 802.11g wireless, and a giant battery, help this machine excel at just about any task, from marathon movie viewing to all-night work sessions. As long as the 3.59kg Inspiron 5150 stays close to home, it will please even the most finicky laptop users.
It would be impossible to pick the Inspiron 5150 out of a lineup alongside the Inspiron 5100 and the Inspiron 1100 because all three systems share the same 335-by-275-by-46.5-mm, 3.59kg case. The AC adapter pushes the total weight past the 4.26kg mark.
The case falls on the heavy side, largely due to its considerable 14.8V, 6,450mAh battery. On the plus side, the system's large battery lasted an exceptionally long 254 minutes in battery-life tests. The included mobile Pentium 4 processor, which consumes less juice than the desktop chips used by the Inspiron 5100 and Inspiron 1100 do, also helped extend the notebook's battery life.
The Inspiron 5150 offers an unexciting, straightforward design, but it gets the job done nevertheless. The no-frills keyboard, the touchpad (no pointing stick is available), and the two mouse buttons are large enough to work comfortably into the wee hours. A programmable button above the keyboard launches your designated application in one convenient touch. The system includes just one fixed bay that you can configure with a DVD-ROM, a combo DVD/CD-RW, or the cool, new DVD+R/+RW drive.
Dell leaves off outdated serial and PS/2 ports and includes just the ports and slots you'll use most. FireWire, S-Video-out, VGA, Ethernet, and two USB 2.0 ports are located on the rear edge, with a 56Kbps-modem jack on the right side. Finally, one Type II PC Card slot and two jacks for headphones and a microphone sit on the left edge.
The Inspirons 5150, 5100, and 1100 may look identical, but they contain some distinct internal differences. While both the Inspiron 5100 and the Inspiron 1100 feature cost-conscious components, such as desktop Pentium and Celeron processors, the Inspiron 5150 offers more cutting-edge parts. The system includes Intel's latest mobile CPU, the 3.06GHz mobile Pentium 4. All main memory runs at a superspeedy 333MHz and comes in amounts ranging from 256MB to 2GB. The Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics chip is ATI's top-of-the-line offering, available with either 32MB or 64MB of dedicated 266MHz video RAM. These parts paid off in CNET Labs' benchmark tests, helping the Inspiron 5150 clock some of the fastest scores we've seen to date.
The Inspiron 5150 earns our approval for more than performance. The notebook's 15-inch display sports one of two native resolutions: 1,400x1,050 or the extrafine 1,600x1,200, which lets you see graphics and games down to the smallest detail. You can then use the integrated DVD+R/+RW drive to burn huge multimedia files or other important data to disc. Or you can save some bucks and fill that fixed bay with a DVD or DVD/CD-RW combo drive when you order. You can also get the fastest-possible wireless transmission speeds with the notebook's built-in 802.11a/b/g mini-PCI wireless card or save a few bucks by choosing an 802.11b/g card instead.
Dell makes sure that the Inspiron 5150's software speaks to both home and business users. The system ships with either Windows XP Home or XP Professional. Corel WordPerfect Office 11.0, with Quicken New User Edition, is the standard software suite, but you can also upgrade to Microsoft Works, Office XP, or Office Small Business Edition.
The Inspiron 5150 came in first place in mobile performance in this small test group. It beat the Eurocom D470W Impressa by 40 points and slid past the Alienware Area-51m (neither of which is available locally) by 8 points. The Inspiron 5150 is the first system we've tested with a 3.06GHz Mobile Pentium 4. This processor was specifically made for notebooks, and as such, it has better CPU-throttling efficiency when running on batteries than do the desktop chips running in the Alienware Area-51m and the Eurocom D470W. Thus, the Dell Inspiron 5150 easily comes out on top in mobile performance.
The Inspiron 5150 achieved the highest maximum-performance score we've seen to date. There are three elements that allow the system to achieve such lofty marks. The first is its 3.06GHz Mobile Pentium 4 processor. The second is its fast 333MHz DDR SDRAM. And finally, the system houses the ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 64MB, which is faster than the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB used in the comparison systems.
The Inspiron 5150 came in second place in 3D performance. With the ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 64MB we expected a higher score. The reason may be that this 3D test relies more on the quantity of system RAM than our other benchmarks do, and the Inspiron 5150 has only half the RAM as the comparison systems. That said, the system still scores high and would disappoint only the most jaded of gamers.
Thanks in part to its big 14.8V, 6,450mAh battery, the Inspiron 5150 managed a battery life of more than four hours--very impressive. The great battery life is partially attributable to the fact that the processor--a 3.06GHz Mobile Pentium 4--was made specifically with notebooks in mind. As such, it is much more efficient when it comes to conserving power than are the desktop processors found in the two comparison systems. This is a mainstream notebook done right: a mobile system that does not sacrifice battery life for performance.
Dell Inspiron 5150
Company: Dell Australia
Price: AU$3,069 Base configuration, options vary
Phone: 1 800 812 392
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