Dell Inspiron

Dell Inspiron Logo

The Dell Inspiron is a computer product line produced by Dell as a range of laptop computers targeted at entry-level consumers. Early models were equipped with Mobile Celeron or Mobile Pentium II processors and SDRAM, with the machine's starting price at $2,799. Now, the Inspiron line mainly consists of mid-level computer systems to compete with the Acer Aspire, HP Pavilion and Toshiba Satellite.

Current models

Netbooks

Inspiron 1010, 1011, 1012, 1018 (Inspiron Mini 10/10v)

Released on Dell's website on February 26, 2009, the Inspiron Mini 10 is a 10.1 in (26 cm) netbook whose Mini 10v model weighs 1.13 kg (2.5 lb), and whose Mini 10 model weighs 1.18 kg (2.6 lb). The Mini 10 has an option for an external TV tuner and mobile broadband from AT&T. There is a 2 GB option available with Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit.

Component Mini 10 (1010) Mini 10 (1012) Mini 10v (1011) Mini 10 (1018)
Processor Intel Atom Z520 (1.33 GHz)
Intel Atom Z530 (1.60 GHz) 		Intel Atom N450 (1.66 GHz) Intel Atom N270 (1.60 GHz)
Intel Atom N280 (1.66 GHz) 		Intel Atom N455 (1.66 GHz)
Memory 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 		1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 		1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 		1 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Chipset Intel US15W Express Chipset Intel NM10 Express Chipset Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
Graphics Processor Integrated Intel GMA 500 graphics Integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics
(Crystal HD Broadcom Media Accelerator optional) 		Integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics Integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics
Display Panel 10.1 in (26 cm) LED-backlit display with 1024 × 600 resolution
10.1 in (26 cm) bright LED-backlit display with 1366 × 768 resolution and TrueLife
Early models had 1024×576 resolution 		10.1 in (26 cm) LED-backlit display with 1024 × 600 resolution
10.1 in (26 cm) bright LED-backlit display with 1366 × 768 resolution and TrueLife 		10.1 in (26 cm) LED-backlit display with 1024 × 600 resolution
Early models had 1024×576 resolution 		10.1 in (26 cm) LED-backlit display with 1024 × 600 resolution
Hard Drive 160 GB SATA at 5400 RPM
32 GB SSD 		160 GB SATA at 5400 RPM
250 GB SATA at 5400 RPM 		160 GB SATA at 5400 RPM
16 GB SSD 		160 GB SATA at 5400 RPM
250 GB SATA at 5400 RPM
Optical Disc Drive None. External drive available. None. External drive available. None. External drive available. None. External drive available.
Battery 3-cell (24 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
6-cell (56 Whr) Lithium-ion battery 		3-cell (24 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
6-cell (56 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
Some batteries for this model had a capacity of 60 Whr 		3-cell (24 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
6-cell (56 Whr) Lithium-ion battery 		3-cell (24 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
6-cell (56 Whr) Lithium-ion battery
Wi-Fi Card Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g
Dell Wireless 1510 802.11a/b/g/n mini-card 		Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g
Dell Wireless 1510 802.11a/b/g/n mini-card
Bluetooth Internal Dell Wireless Bluetooth 365 (2.1 EDR) Internal Dell Wireless Bluetooth 365 (2.1 EDR) Internal Dell Wireless Bluetooth 365 (2.1 EDR) Internal Dell Wireless Bluetooth 365 (2.1 EDR)
Ports and Slots 1 Kensington lock slot
3 USB 2.0 Ports
1 Fast Ethernet port
1 HDMI output
1 headphone jack
1 microphone jack
1 3-in-1 memory card reader
1 power adapter connector 		1 Kensington lock slot
3 USB 2.0 Ports
1 Fast Ethernet port
1 VGA output
1 headphone jack
1 microphone jack
1 3-in-1 memory card reader
1 power adapter connector		 1 Kensington lock slot
3 USB 2.0 Ports
1 Fast Ethernet port
1 VGA output
1 headphone jack
1 microphone jack
1 3-in-1 memory card reader
1 power adapter connector
Camera 1.3 MP webcam 1.3 MP webcam 1.3 MP webcam 0.3 MP

Laptops

Inspiron M101z

Released online August 5, 2010, the Inspiron M101z is Dell's 11.6" entry-level subnotebook that weighs 3.44 lbs.

It features an HDMI output but lacks an optical drive.

Inspiron 1110 (Inspiron 11z)

Released online on August 18, 2009, the Inspiron 1110 is Dell's 11.6" entry-level subnotebook that weighs 3.05 lbs.

It features an HDMI output but lacks an optical drive.

Inspiron 1300

Features the new Intel Celeron M processor IDE Hard Drive, Intel 82801FB/FBM Ultra ATA storage controllers, DVD +RW drive, Mobil Intel 915GMA/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family and C -Major HD Audio.

Dell Inspiron 14R (5420)[2]

SPECIFICATIONS

Built-in digital microphone
Ports (Externally Accessible)Ports (Externally Accessible):
Externally Accessible

USB 3.0

RJ45 Ethernet

HDMI™ v1.4a

Combination headphone/microphone jack

Kensington Security Lock

AC Power In
Dimensions & Weight

Slots (8-in-1 Media Card Reader)

Digital (SD) Memory Card

Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)

Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) with UHS 50MB/Sec

Memory Stick (MS)

Memory Stick PRO (MS Pro)

Memory Stick XC (MSXC)

Multi Media Card (MMC)

Multi Media Card plus (MMC+) Supported in MMC compatibility mode only

Nvidia GeForce GT 630M with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM and Intel HD4000 Video Card [3]

Machined aluminum in silver

Aluminum display back

Silicone base with machined aluminum casing

Magnesium palmrest with soft touch paint

Standard full size, backlit chiclet keyboard; spill-resistant

Glass integrated button touchpad with gesture support

headset jack

mini Kensington lock

Drivers and Downloads of Dell Inspiron 14R 5420 [4]

Inspiron 5421T (14r)

Features the new Intel Core 2 solo processor that can last up to 8 hours using an 8 cell battery. Also includes standard DVD drive and an option to upgrade up to NVIDIA 512 MB graphics card.

Inspiron 14R refers to the Dell inspiron 14inch display laptops. Although it varies from model to model, here is a common specification:

Dell Inspiron 14R(5421)

SPECIFICATIONS

Processor:3rd generation Intel Core™ i7-3537U CPU Processor (Auto Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz,4T,4MB L3)
Operating System:Windows 8 Operating System
Memory (RAM):4GB DDR3 1600Mhz Ram

Display:14.0" (39.6 cm) HD WLED True-Life (1366x768) LED Screen ***Bright and Clear
Hard Drive:500GB 7200RPM Sata Hardisk Drive
Wireless:Dell Wireless 1704 802.11n + Bluetooth 4.0
Optical Drive:Onboard tray-loading DVD+/-RW
Camera:Native HD 1.0MP webcam with digital microphone
Speaker:Stereo speakers with Waves MaxxAudio 4 processing
Built-in digital microphone
Ports (Externally Accessible)Ports (Externally Accessible):
Externally Accessible

(2) USB 3.0 + (1) USB 2.0

RJ45 Ethernet

HDMI™ v1.4a

Combination headphone/microphone jack

Kensington Security Lock

AC Power In
Dimensions & Weight

Width: 13.62" (346mm)

Height: 14R touch w/ 6-cell battery: 1.1”-1.3” (27.9mm – 32.9mm)

Depth: 9.65" (245mm)

Starting weight of 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) with 6-cell 65 WHr battery

Slots (8-in-1 Media Card Reader)

Digital (SD) Memory Card

Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)

Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) with UHS 50MB/Sec

Memory Stick (MS)

Memory Stick PRO (MS Pro)

Memory Stick XC (MSXC)

Multi Media Card (MMC)

Multi Media Card plus (MMC+) Supported in MMC compatibility mode only

Graphics Card (Dual x2 switchable Graphic)

Nvidia GT730M- 2GB DDR3 Video Memory and Intel HD4000 Graphic Card

Battery:6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery

Inspiron 1525 (Inspiron 15)

Dell Inspiron 1525 N5010

Released online on July 27, 2007, the Inspiron 1525 is Dell's 15.4" budget laptop that weighs 5.8 lbs.

Inspiron 1545 (Inspiron 15)

Released online on January 16, 2009, the Inspiron 1545 is a 15.6" budget laptop[5] that weighs 5.8 lbs. The Inspiron 1545 is the first laptop in Dell's Inspiron line to get Design Studio. website.[6]

Inspiron 5547 (Inspiron 15 5000 Series) [7]

Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series i5547-3750sLV 15-Inch Laptop

Laptop available in i5 Non-Touch Screen, i5 Touch Screen, i7 Non-Touch Screen, i7 Touch Screen versions.

Inspiron 5523 (Inspiron 15z)

The Inspiron 5523 is a newer version of the Inspiron 15z

Inspiron 1750 (Inspiron 17)

Released online on July 16, 2009, the Inspiron 1750 is Dell's 17.3" budget laptop that weighs 6.8 lbs. The Inspiron 1750 has the same design as the Inspiron 1440, but is simply bigger and includes a numeric keypad. Unlike its predecessor, the Inspiron 1720, The Inspiron 1750 does not support two hard drives.

Desktop models

On June 26, 2007, Dell released the new Inspiron desktop series as a replacement to the Dell Dimension chain. The Inspiron marks Dell's return to a MicroATX case and motherboard with one exception: the I/O panel is not removable. As a result, motherboard upgrades are nearly impossible without modifying the case.

Inspiron 400 (Zino HD)

Launched online on November 12, 2009, the Inspiron 400, more commonly known as the Inspiron Zino HD is an Ultra Small Form Factor desktop like the Studio Hybrid. It is in an 8" by 8" form factor and has a similar form factor to the Mac Mini and computers made by Shuttle. There are several customer reports about devices tending to overheat and shutting down randomly.[8][9]

Inspiron 537s

The Inspiron 537s is simply the slim version of the Inspiron 537 with similar features. It replaces the Inspiron 530s. The Inspiron 537s is limited to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 whereas the Inspiron 537 can be customized with up to a Core 2 Quad Q9400. Because of its slim form factor, it only has one optical drive. The other hardware configuration options are identical to those of the Inspiron 537. The memory is only upgradeble to 4 GB.

Inspiron 545

The Inspiron 545 is a non-configurable mini-tower desktop that only retails at Best Buy and the Dell Outlet.

Inspiron 545s

The Inspiron 545s is the slimmer version of the Inspiron 545. Like its mini-tower cousin, the Inspiron 545s is non-configurable and only retails at Best Buy and the Dell Outlet.

Inspiron 546

This model quietly went on sale on Dell's website and replaced the Inspiron 537. It features AMD processors.

Previous configurations

Large screen models

Dell Inspiron 1720.

Inspiron 1720/1721

Released on Dell's website on June 26, 2007, the Inspiron 1720/1721 was a 17" large-screen laptop that weighed 7.62 lb and was based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform. The Inspiron 1720/1721 had support for two hard drives and included a full numeric keypad. The Inspiron 1721 had a RAID 0 and RAID 1 options, which was oddly missing from the 1720. The Inspiron 1720/1721 was retired in 2008, with no direct 17" replacement until the introduction of the Inspiron 1750 on July 16, 2009.

Inspiron 9300

The Dell Inspiron 9300 was a laptop that had either a 1.6, 1.73, 1.86, 2.0, 2.13 or 2.26 GHz Intel Pentium M processor and a 17" wide-screen (available in WXGA+ with a 1440 by 900 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920 by 1200 resolution). At the time, it also featured DDR2 memory, a new feature for laptops. Compared with the other Inspiron laptops, it is considered to be the "Entertainment Powerhouse".

The Inspiron 9300 was based loosely on its more expensive and more powerful big brother, the gaming-oriented Inspiron XPS Generation 2. With the right upgrades, the Inspiron 9300 can deliver most of the gaming power as the XPS Generation 2 at a much reduced cost. These upgrades start with the nVidia GeForce Go 6800 video card (or higher such as a GeForce 7800 GTX in later models), and continue with extra RAM, a 7200 RPM hard drive, and a Pentium M that is faster than the baseline 1.6 GHz speed.

Inspiron 9400/E1705

The top-of-the line Inspiron models in 2006, the Inspiron E1705 and Inspiron 9400 (non-US models) are essentially the same laptop but with a few minor differences in configuration. The Inspiron 9400 was basically a more up-to-date, redesigned version of the Inspiron 9300 with a few extra added features such as the Dell MediaDirect button which was left of the LED indicator lights next to the power button.

The system had a starting price of $999, since it was meant to be used as a portable media center rather than a gaming laptop, and it was also using a new memory technology called DDR2. The Inspiron E1705 tends to run hot on its underside, inadequate cooling might be the reason the graphics processor on some units overheats and burns out within a year. This problem can sometimes be resolved by re-heating the solder joints under the GPU with the use of a hot air gun. On most accounts of users who have experienced this problem, it occurred after the warranty expired.

Note that while this model only officially supports 2 × 1 GB dual channel DDR2 it is possible to use 2 × 2 GB for a total of 4 GB. However you'll be limited to 3.2 GB due to a large reserved address space for I/O allocated by the BIOS and this whatever the operating system in use (including 64-bit versions of MS Windows and Linux).

Dell laptops (and others) have allocated space on the hard disk for utilities, for the Media Centre, and restoration.

Mainstream models

Inspiron 1501

The Inspiron 1501 is a midsize, mainstream model with either a AMD Turion, AMD Sempron or AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor. This is Dell's first laptop to offer an AMD processor option.

Inspiron 1520/1521

Released on Dell's website on June 26, 2007, the Inspiron 1520/1521 was 15.4" mainstream laptop that weighed 6.40 lb. The Inspiron 1520 was based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform. It was replaced on January 11, 2008 by the Inspiron 1525 laptop, which was lighter, thinner, and featured a HDMI port, but no discrete graphics option.

Inspiron 1525

The Inspiron 1525 is a mid-sized (5.9 lb, 14.05" × 10.08" × 1.00"-1.48"), low-end replacement for the 1520. It is easy to change the CPU to a T7300 (2 GHz/4MB/800FSB) and 4GB of PC2-5300 to have a very fast machine at little expense, just by removing the access panels in the bottom of the unit. It has a 15.4" screen and features an HDMI connector. It was replaced on February 26, 2009 by the Inspiron 1545. It is also thinner and comes in a wider range of cover colors.

Inspiron 6000

Dell Inspiron 6000 with Arctic silver and alpine white design.

The base model was shipped in 1st quarter 2005 with a 1.5 GHz (upgradeable up to 2.13 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor or a 1.3 GHz (upgradeable up to 1.5 GHz) Intel Celeron M processor, 256 MB RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), 400/533 MHz FSB, Intel 915GM/PM chipset, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (with up to 128 MB shared memory), 40 GB Ultra ATA hard drive (upgradeable), and a 15.4-inch WXGA wide-screen monitor. Both the Celeron M and Pentium M processors can work on the Inspiron 6000, so an Inspiron with the 1.3 GHz Celeron M can upgrade all the way to the 2.13 GHz Pentium M instead of being limited to the 1.5 GHz Celeron M upgrade. Like the Inspiron 9300, it featured DDR2 RAM. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 6000 was considered the "versatile and affordable" member of the Dell notebook line.

The higher-priced Inspiron 6000D provided a dedicated graphics chip, the ATI Mobility Radeon X300 64 MB PCI Express x16 (upgradeable to 128 MB), which ran at a core speed of 300 MHz and DDR memory speed of 216 MHz.

The Inspiron 6000 was among the first notebooks to arrive on the market with Intel's new Sonoma technology. According to Dell, the Inspiron 6000 would deliver faster data processing, and users - particularly gamers and graphics pros-would see less audio and video choppiness, quicker task execution, less power consumption, and enhanced battery life as a result. The Inspiron 6000 notebook added features and "help" files, making it easier and faster to operate.

In addition, the Inspiron 6000 offered a number of improvements over the Inspiron 5160 which it replaced in Dell's home/small business line-up. Upgraded features included a 15.4 in wide-screen display (available in WXGA with a 1280×800 resolution, WSXGA+ with a 1680×1050 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920×1200 resolution), a slightly slimmer profile (although 2.5 cm wider) and a Manufacturer's bundle- (starter) memory cards that accommodated only a handful of photos.

Inspiron 5150

The Dell Inspiron 5150 was released on June 11, 2003 as a desktop replacement, weighing over 7.5 pounds. It was purported to be the high end version of inspiron 5100 and designed to support the Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processor up to 3.2 GHz, a high performance mobile processor architecture at the time, that first supported Intel Hyper-threading technology. The hyper-threading features of the processor were available only if the system board came with supporting firmware. Hyper-threading support had to be chosen at time of purchase and could not be enabled later by BIOS upgrades even though the processor supported it. The wireless networking was based on a closed broadcom chipset BCM4306.

The laptop was infamous for a huge number of design failures, overheating, battery failures, connector loosening, motherboard failures. The owners of Dell Inspiron 5150 initiated a class action lawsuit on Dell resulting in Lundell Settlement. On December 4, 2006 the United States District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to the settlement granting relief to the owners of Dell Inspiron 5150.

Inspiron 8600

Inspiron 6400/E1505

Dell Inspiron 6400 with Arctic silver and alpine white design

Lightweight models

Inspiron 1420

Released on Dell's website on June 26, 2007, the Dell Inspiron 1420 is a 14.1-inch lightweight laptop that weighs 5.4 lbs and is based on the Santa Rosa platform. Unlike its larger counterparts, the Inspiron 1520 and 1720, the Inspiron 1420 did not have an AMD variant. The media keys were located on top of the keyboard instead of on the front of the laptop. The Inspiron 1420 was replaced by the Inspiron 1440 on June 25, 2009.

Inspiron 1420s purchased in the United States between May 2007 – September 30, 2008 that are suffering from a defective nVidia GeForce 8400M GS Graphics chip may be covered under The NVIDIA GPU Litigation.[11] Note that systems sold outside the United States were offered a 1-year limited warranty extension to any existing service warranty.

Inspiron 6400/E1405

The Inspiron 14" notebook configurable with components similar to the E1505 (excluding the dedicated GPU options) but a bit smaller in total size. The E1405 at the time of release is known for its excellent battery life (which under optimum conditions exceeds five hours with a six-cell battery and well over eight hours with a slightly more expensive, optional nine-cell battery). The main attraction of this laptop is its price. For gamers, the E1405 comes standard with a Mobile Intel(R) 945GM Express Chipset Family, which in most cases will not be enough for most new high end games. Also, it is near impossible to add a new graphics card because this chipset is integrated, therefore you cannot add a new graphics card unless you get a new motherboard. Otherwise most other system specifications are rather basic, if you want serious media on the machine you will have to buy some things, the easiest (and most in-expensive) route is to buy system RAM for the computer. Dell claims that its maximum supported memory is 2 GB, however E1405's have been known to accept up to 4 GB of memory.

Netbooks

Inspiron 910 (Inspiron Mini 9)

Main article: Dell Inspiron Mini 9

Released online on September 4, 2008, the Dell Inspiron 910 (more commonly referred to as the Inspiron Mini 9) is an 8.9" netbook that weighs 2.28 lbs. It is Dell's first netbook. It was retired on May 29, 2009.[12]

Inspiron 1210 (Inspiron Mini 12)

Released online on October 16, 2008, the Dell Inspiron 1210 (more commonly referred to as the Inspiron Mini 12) is a 12.1" netbook that weighs 2.72 lbs. The netbook originally shipped with Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 32-bit, but an option for XP Home SP3 32-bit was added a month later. It was criticized for being slow with Vista. It was retired on August 7, 2009.

Desktops

Inspiron 530

A Dell Inspiron 530.

Released on June 26, 2006, the Dell Inspiron 530 is Dell's first desktop to use the Inspiron name. The Inspiron 530 has an Intel Celeron 450, and can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550. It has 2 GB of DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz, which can be upgraded up to 4 GB (standard bios) or 8GB (BIOS upgrade 1.0.18 needed). The desktop has a 320 GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive w/DataBurst Cache, which can be upgraded to 1 TB. There are also data recovery versions of the 320 and 500 GB hard drive sizes. The Inspiron 530 is customizable with a variety of DVD+/-RW and Blu-ray Disc drives. The Inspiron 530 has integrated Intel GMA 3100, and can be customized up to an ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics card. It has integrated 7.1 channel audio and can be customized up to a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card. The Inspiron 530 has no initial Wi-Fi card, but can be customized up to a Dell 1505 Wireless-N PCI-e card. The Inspiron 530 has two variants of motherboards, both made by Foxconn and based on the G33M series. The G33M02 which supports up to Core 2 Duo processors (the e8600 is the fastest compatible cpu)and the DG33M03, which supports up to Core 2 Quad processors. Inspiron 530 systems sold with Pentium Dual-Core or Core 2 Duo processors can not be upgraded to Core 2 Quad processors without adding at least a 350W power supply and swapping motherboards to the DG33M03 motherboard. The reason the G33M02 doesn't support Core 2 Quad processors is because it only has 6 voltage regulator ICs, the DG33M03 has 11.

Inspiron 530s

The Inspiron 530s has the same design as the 530, but it is 41% slimmer. However, because of its design, it is not physically compatible with all desktop hardware, especially graphics cards (Dell only gives you the option of the ATI 2400 XT, which is not a high performance card). The case used in the 530s can accommodate one 5.25" optical drive, one external 3.5" drive (either a 1.44 MB floppy or 19-in-1 card reader), and up to two standard 3.5" hard drives. The motherboard used in the 530s is almost identical to the motherboard used in the 530 edition, except for the fact that this motherboard only supports Dual Core processors, and not any members of the Quad Core series like its twin. While almost any low profile PCI-E x16 video card will physically fit in the 530s, the custom sized Delta 250W power supply that the 530s is equipped with may seriously limit the potential for using higher end cards.

Inspiron 531/531s

Dell Inspiron 531 upgraded for gaming purposes.

The Dell Inspiron 531 is Dell's AMD desktop counterpart to the Inspiron 530, and with exception of the CPU and motherboard, is virtually identical. Starting with the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ it can be customized up to an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+. The Athlon X2 7000, Phenom, Phenom II and Athlon II series are not supported. It uses 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz, which can be upgraded up to 4 GB 800 MHz under JEDEC DDR2 voltage specification. The model features the M2N61-AX OEM motherboard made by ASUS [13] and uses nVidia GeForce 6150 integrated graphics with the nForce 430i chipset, and has two PCI slots, one PCI-e X1 and one PCI-e X16 1.0a slot. Due to the arrangement of the expansion slots, however, use of a double height video card renders the PCI-e X1 slot useless. The motherboard also features four SATA 1.0 Ports, one EIDE (floppy) plug, three USB plugs for front USB, a Firewire plug, and a front audio plug. Cooling is somewhat limited, as the motherboard only provides one 4-pin PWM CPU fan plug, and one 3-pin rear fan plug. Installation of a fan controller will be required to use additional fans. Recently, the 6.05 version of nVidia's System Performance Tools allows minor FSB overclocking, but does not allow voltage or multiplier adjustments, limiting overclocking potential. The case is Micro-ATX sized, lightweight aluminum and features one 92 mm Rear fan, one external 31⁄2" drive bay, two 51⁄4" bays and two vertical 31⁄2" internal drive bays. It also features a standard ATX sized 300 watt power supply with four SATA plugs, one 24-pin ATX12V 2.0 plug and one 4-pin P4 plug, oddly excluding any standard 4-pin Molex connectors. The I/O Shield is also part of the case, preventing the installation of third-party motherboards without modifications to the case.

Inspiron 537

Released on Dell's website on May 12, 2009 the Inspiron 537 is a mini-tower desktop that replaces the Inspiron 530. The desktop has a black chassis, but the front shell can be customized with one of eight colors. Oddly, this model was replaced by the Inspiron 546, which uses AMD processors, after being available online for less than one month.[14]

Inspiron 518/519

A higher end version of the Inspiron 530/531. Memory was upgradeable to 8 GB.

Current models

The Inspiron 560, 570 and 620 models were Dell's most current Inspiron PC desktop models as of 2011.[15]

Chip: Atheros AR9285 + FCC ID: PPD-AR5B-95 + "Dell Wireless 1502 WLAN Half Mini-Card" + PCIe adaptor card
Specification AR9285 b/g/n (2.4 Ghz) 150 Mbps
Chip: Atheros AR9280 + FCC ID: PPD-AR5B-HB92 + "Dell Wireless 1515 WLAN Half Mini-Card"
Chip: Atheros AR9280 + FCC ID: PPD-AR5B-DT92 + "Dell Wireless 1525 WLAN PCIe Card"
Specification AR9280 a/b/g/n-draft (2.4/5 Ghz) 300 Mbps

List of Dell Inspiron models

  • 1000[note 1]
  • 1100(see Inspiron 1150 note)
  • 1110
  • 1150[note 2]
  • 1050
  • 1200 (see Inspiron 1000 note)
  • 1300
  • 1318
  • 1320
  • 1370
  • 13R (N3010)
  • 1410
  • 1420
  • 1425
  • 1427
  • 1440
  • 1464
  • 1470
  • 14R (N4010)
  • 1501
  • 1505
  • 1520
  • 1521
  • 1525
  • 1526
  • 1545
  • 1546
  • 1564
  • 1570
  • 15R (N5010)
  • 1720
  • 1721
  • 1750
  • 1764
  • 17R (N7010)
  • N7110
  • 2000
  • 2100
  • 2200
  • 2500
  • 2600
  • 2650 [note 3]
  • 3000
  • 300m
  • 3200
  • 3500
  • 3520
  • 3521
  • 3589
  • 3700
  • 3800
  • 4000 [note 4]
  • 4030
  • 4100 [note 5]
  • 4150 [note 6]
  • 5000
  • 5000e
  • N5010
  • N5110
  • 500m
  • 5100 (see Inspiron 1150 note)
  • 510m
  • 5150 (see Inspiron 1150 note)
  • 5160 (see Inspiron 1150 note)
  • 6000
  • 600m [note 7]
  • 630m
  • 6400
  • 640m
  • 7000
  • 700m
  • 710m
  • 5520
  • 7720
  • 7500
  • 8000 [note 8]
  • 8100 [note 9]
  • 8200 [note 10]
  • 8500 [note 11]
  • 8600 [note 12]
  • 9100
  • 9200
  • 9300
  • 9400
  • B120
  • B130 [note 13]
  • E1405
  • E1505
  • E1705
  • M301Z
  • M5010 (M501R)
  • M5040 (August 2011)
  • X200

Model notes

  1. ↑ Has its own near-clone,the Latitude 110L.
  2. ↑ Has its own near-clone, the Latitude 100L. Both models are also closely related to the 1100, 5100, and 5150.
  3. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C640
  4. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C600
  5. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C610
  6. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C640
  7. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude D600
  8. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C800
  9. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C810
  10. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude C840
  11. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude D800
  12. ↑ near-clone of Dell Latitude D810
  13. ↑ clone of Inspiron 1300

Rebadging

In the past Dell has modified some existing Inspiron machines to produce computers of higher or lower quality. Note for example the first-generation Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 (2004–2006). Both machines (non-base) shared the same options in processors (Intel Pentium 4 HT "Prescott"), RAM (DDR 400 MHz), hard-drives (Ultra-ATA 5400/7200 RPM), wireless cards, LCD screens (at 15.4-inches; WXGA, WSXGA+, WUXGA) and graphics cards (ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64 MB/128 MB), as well as the same chassis. Dell marketed the XPS as an "ultimate gaming machine", while marketing the 9100 as a "desktop replacement". The Inspiron 9100 is a rebadged XPS; the only difference between the two is the LCD Panel. Although both support a 15.4 Samsung LCD, only later models of the 9100 (3.2 GHz) use the identical LCD screen (Dell Part #s 7T774/W3866). The Samsung LCD Panel supports 1920×1200. Previous 2.8-3.0 GHz Inspiron 9100 use a lesser panel with resolutions of 1280×800 (Dell Part # Y0316).

Problems

Overheating

In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks that had overheating issues.[16] The systems would overheat and could cause damage to the microprocessor, video card, and motherboard. These systems would also randomly shut down due to high internal temperatures. Overheating in these Inspiron systems is mainly caused by performance-consuming tasks and software. This problem was determined to be due to the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. It would draw in dirt/dust and clog the heat sink, making air unable to pass through in order to cool the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160. Also affected is the Latitude 100L, a near-clone of these models.

Dell acknowledged this problem and designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling with less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.

On September 20 Inspiron 5150 owners in the US brought a class action against Dell. The settlement included 100% cash reimbursement for certain repairs, and an extended limited warranty to cover those types of repairs that become necessary for one year.

Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160 notebooks filed a class action lawsuit against Dell, alleging misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, warranting, advertising and selling of these computers. A similar action started in Canada.[17][18]

Overheating has been reduced by using compressed air duster spray. Spraying the keyboard, the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly located under the "I" - "backspace" keys, rear air vent/exhaust, bottom air intake, and side air vent (all located on the right side of affected systems)have been effective in reducing the running temperature from a normal operating temperature of 77-87 °C to 45-55 °C under average load.

Alternately, some users of these affected models found relief by underclocking their processors.

Motherboard

On a number of Inspiron 5150 and Latitude 100L systems, a design flaw in the positioning of a tab on the C panel on the underside of the laptop has led to problems. Any pressure applied to the top left hand corner of the laptop causes this tab to press against the motherboard and in particular against the "LVC14A" chip. This causes the solder between this chip and the motherboard to break. This causes sudden shut-downs of the system as a result of any movement of the laptop; in certain cases the laptop will not re-boot at all. Dell has redesigned later models of the 5150 to avoid this problem. Some models reveal cases where someone has manually snapped off the tab from the C panel by hand during the manufacturing process. Dell currently covers this fault in the USA under the Lundell Settlement, although it is not known whether Dell will fix this fault free of charge outside the USA. In January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada, and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in the consumer programme Kassa.[19]

This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended. Re-heating the pins can re-establish the connection and solve the power-off problem at the expense of possibly losing the use of the touch-pad mouse.

Battery recall of 2006

Dell posted notices to many of their laptop customers on August 14, 2006, saying that the Sony batteries on the following models could combust, or even explode:[20][21]

Latitude: D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D630, D800, D810

Inspiron: 6000, 6400, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705

XPS: XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170, XPS M1710

Precision: M20, M60, M70, M90

Users of many of these computers purchased between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 received the recommendation that they should remove the batteries and run their computers on AC power until replacements arrived.[22] Problematic batteries made by Sony led to recall programs at other laptop computer companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.[23]

Power supply issues

Most Dell laptop computers have a special external power supply (PSU) which cannot be replaced by a third-party universal supply. The PSU has what's called UniqueWare™ Add-Only Memory, known under type DS2501. It is a parasitic power circuit memory chip connected to the center identification pin in the plug, via a 2m long unshielded wire alongside the PSU cable. This chip produces a special signal using a 1 wire communication protocol known as "1-wire" in identifying the PSU as an original Dell PSU. This chip handles all the data needed to authenticate a charge. If a power supply not made by Dell is used, or the cable near the connector becomes damaged as is not infrequent after some use, the PSU stops charging the battery and the CPU runs slower, although the computer can be used indefinitely so long as it remains plugged in. If this problem is present at startup, the message "The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. Your system will operate slower and the battery will not charge" is displayed. This will continue until the external PSU is replaced. A few third-party suppliers make power supplies with specific provision for Dell computers at lower prices than Dell's. It is possible to work round the slowdown, but not the battery charging, by installing a CPU clock utility.[24] On some models (the 9100 for instance), the problem can be worked around by starting the computer without a battery installed and fitting the battery after the computer has booted.

Another problem arises after much use with the motherboard power connector; flap-like metal parts which contact the outside of the plug lose their tension and fail to make contact so that power does not reach the computer. The "official" solution is to replace the connector on the motherboard, which requires partial dis-assembly of the computer and desoldering a part with several pins; many companies charge a considerable sum for the work involved. Various simple alternatives have been suggested; for example a thin "skin" of solder on the outside of the barrel of the connector on the PSU (with care not to overheat the connector's plastic parts; and this thickened connector should not be used with other, not faulty Dell laptops, as it will stretch the springs and damage or even overheat the plug and socket assembly, causing them to melt or bond permanently).

One other problem can happen with the wattage rating of the power supply. There are 2 Dell power supplies that were used for different Inspiron models which have the same plug assembly and voltage, a 65 watt supply model PA-6 and a 90 watt supply model PA-9. Some models (for example the Inspiron 1100) shipped with a PA-9. If a PA-6 (or equivalent aftermarket supply) is used in these models then the system might not boot at times. In such cases, it will light the battery light for a few seconds when the supply is plugged in. This can also happen if the power supply becomes marginal. Marginal supplies can show as supplying full voltage even if tested with a volt meter while the supply is plugged into the computer and an attempt is made to turn on the computer.

These problems are discussed in detail, and solutions and workarounds suggested, in a discussion on Tom's hardware site,[25] and on The Laptop Junction site.[26]

Hibernation sensor problem

A problem exists with the hibernation sensor located in some older laptops. Unlike many laptops that use a mechanical switch to detect when the lid is closed, in these systems the sensor is a magnetic reed switch that is located between the touchpad and the front edge of the laptop. There is a magnet that is located in the top lid above this switch, and when the lid is closed the magnet triggers the reed switch. If the magnet loses strength then the system will not go into suspend or hibernation if the lid is closed. The magnet strength can be checked by running a paper clip along the top edge of the screen. A worse problem happens if the reed switch fails. Sometimes the switches will fail in a closed position with the contacts sticking together. In that case the system will not switch on. There are several ways to check for this. First the laptop can be partially disassembled and the mouse assembly can be unplugged from the system board and the system switched on. If the system boots with the mouse unplugged then it is the switch. Another way to check for the problem is by running a magnet over the reed switch, there should be a faint click when the magnet triggers the switch. This does not require disassembly but the magnet must be in the correct position and be strong enough. Some people have modified the circuitry of the laptop by cutting the switch off of the assembly, with the downside being the system will no longer suspend if the lid is closed.

Vertical line LCD problem

Some 17" Inspiron 8600, 9200, 9300, 6000, 1750, and XPS Gen 2 notebook LCDs have a vertical line manufacturing defect. Symptoms range from individual lines to entire bars of the screen with inverted colors. Most problems showed after 2–4 years of usage.

Dell has been very reluctant to replace these panels after guarantee, although there was a direct link to the defective parts from their suppliers. Even warranty customers have had difficulty getting replacements, and replaced screens often develop the defect after a short time.[27]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dell Inspiron.

Dell's Home Office/Consumer class product lines:

Dell Business/Corporate class product lines:

References

  1. ↑ http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/insM101z/en/sg/sg_en.pdf
  2. ↑ "Dell Inspiron 5420/Notebookcheck - Specifications".
  3. ↑ Intel HD and Iris Graphics
  4. ↑ "Dell Blogspot 5420".
  5. ↑ CHENG, CISCO. "Dell Inspiron 1545 (i1545-004ST)". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  6. ↑ http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15/pd
  7. ↑ "Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Series Review". Gaming Laptop. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  8. ↑ http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19323045.aspx
  9. ↑ http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/19349013/19759722.aspx
  10. ↑ "Dell Inspiron 9400/E1705 Owner's Manual - Specifications".
  11. ↑ "The NVIDIA GPU Litigation". Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  12. ↑ http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/29/dells-mini-9-vanishes-from-retail-site-as-red-studio-xps-16-ret/
  13. ↑ http://www.softwaredriverdownload.com/dell_asus_m2n61-ax_motherboard_spec.html
  14. ↑ http://www.dell.com/home/desktops
  15. ↑ http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-desktops
  16. ↑ http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=cc_faq&message.id=329
  17. ↑ http://www.lieffcabraser.com/dell-inspiron-3.htm
  18. ↑ Rochon Genova - Dell Notebook Class Action
  19. ↑ "Constructiefout Dell laptop Inspiron 5150" (in Dutch). Vara. 2005-12-03. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  20. ↑ "Too hot to handle". The Economist. August 17, 2006.
  21. ↑ Dell laptop explodes at Japanese conference - The INQUIRER
  22. ↑ Dell Battery Return Program
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ A free CPU clock utility which overrides Dell's slowdown with non-Dell PSU
  25. ↑ Tom's hardware: discussion on Dell PSU connector problems, solutions, and workarounds
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/archive/2007/04/09/10675.aspx?PageIndex=1
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