Dell Inspiron

Dell's Inspiron portable systems brand started as a range of computers targeted at the consumer market (as opposed to the Latitude range of laptops aimed at the business market). As of June 26, 2007 the Inspiron name also refers to a range of Dell's desktop systems.

Portable systems

Inspiron Mini 9

Main article: Dell Inspiron Mini 9

As reported on May 28, 2008 by gizmodo, the Inspiron 910 (or "Mini Inspiron") will be Dell's first subnotebook. In August 2008 gizmodo claimed to have obtained leaked specifications and photographs, which indicate it uses the Intel Atom processor, a flash drive (pata), and an 8.9" screen. Reportedly Ubuntu will be offered as a choice of operating system alongside Windows XP. As of August 28th, the support pages of the Dell website contains details of the screen, keyboard, etc. Weighing at 2.28 lb, the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 was released on general release as of September 4th, 2008. It is built by Compal who also makes the MSI Wind and the HP mininote 2133(non Intel).

Inspiron Mini 10

Announced at CES 2009, it comes with multi-touch touch pad, 720p HD screen, and width to width keyboard, for larger keys and less compacted space.

Inspiron Mini 12

This laptop is simply a bigger version of the Mini 9, and most of the hardware is the same used in the Mini 9. The size, display, hard drive type, and video card are the only differences. The Mini 9 has a 8.9" LCD screen and a 1024x600 resolution. The Mini 12 has a 12.1" LCD screen and a 1280x800 resolution. The Inspiron Mini 12 uses a HDD while the Mini 9 uses a SSD. The Mini 12 also uses a Intel GMA 500 and the Mini 9 uses a Intel GMA 950. Dell offers either Ubuntu Linux version 8.04.1 or the Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic Edition SP1 for operating systems on the Dell Mini 12. Dell later put the option on their website to customize the Inspiron Mini 12 with the Genuine Windows XP Home Edition. This was most likely due to customers criticizing the netbook for slow performance speed with the use of Windows Vista Home Basic.

Inspiron 13

Dell Inspiron 1318

Dell Inspiron 1420 in Alpine White color featuring a 9-cell battery

Available only in Pacific Blue

Inspiron 1420/1420 N

Small (5.39 lb), portable models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). Both models have an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.4 GHz), 14.1" display (up to 1440x900), SATA hard drive (up to 320 GB (320·10⁹ bytes)), 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB (4 GiB) and an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS (128 MB (128 MiB) dedicated). The cheaper 1420N comes with the Ubuntu operating system as opposed to Microsoft Windows. It is available in 8 colors.

Inspiron 1520/1521

Mid-size (6.40 lb), mainstream models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1520 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT (it is important to note the 8600 GT on this model is slower as it uses DDR2 memory, not the GDDR3 in the XPS model, and also that the 8000 Series graphics cards have been found faulty and prone to overheating). The 1521 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 15.4" display (up to 1680x1050), 160 GB SATA hard drive (option for 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The notebooks also have the option to come installed with a Blu-Ray drive. Available in 8 colors with a webcam.

Inspiron 1525

Mid-sized, low-end (5.9 lb, 14.05" x 10.08" x 1.00"-1.48") replacement for 1520. Features only integrated Intel X3100 graphics. Has a 15.4" screen. Features an HDMI connector.

Inspiron 1535

Replacement for the 1525, released on June 26th 2008 and is better known as the Dell Studio Laptop (Studio 15).

Inspiron 15 (1545)

Released January, 2009, it is currently only available at select retailers, including Best Buy. It is a more economical refresh of the 1525 than Studio 15 and has less features. Online Pricing is to be announced and released later in January.

Inspiron 1720/1721

Dell Inspiron 1720.

Large (7.62 lb), mid-range models based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform (Model: GM 965 or PM 965). The 1720 features an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (up to 2.5 GHz) with an integrated Intel X3100 or NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS/8600M GT. The 1721 features an AMD Turion 64 X2 (up to 2.2 GHz) with an ATI Radeon Xpress 1270. Both models have a 17" display (up to 1920x1200), support for dual SATA hard drives (up to 640GB - 2 x 320GB drives), and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up to 4 GB). The 1721 also features RAID 0 or 1 hard drive configurations, an option which is strangely missing from the 1720. They also lack DVI or HDMI connections, which should be expected for a mid-range desktop replacement, given their HDCP compliant graphics cards and Blu-ray Disc option. Both models are available in 8 laptop colors.

Inspiron 1735

Like the 1535, this laptop is better known as the Studio laptop (Studio 17).

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 mATX case and motherboard with one exception: the rear i/o panel is not removable. As a result, motherboard upgrades are nearly impossible without modifying the case. The case has a metallic silver front and top with gloss-white side panels. The overall size of the Inspiron case is smaller than the Dimension series case. Though not noted here, the Inspiron also comes in a higher end Inspiron 518 desktop model.

Inspiron 530

The Inspiron 530 uses a Foxconn built OEM motherboard based on the Intel G33/ICH9R chipset and can be equipped with the following options:

Processor:

• Intel Celeron Processor 420 (1.6 GHz, 800 FSB)
• Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2140 (1.6 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
• Intel Pentium Dual-Core 2160 (1.8 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E4300 (1.8 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E4400 (2.0 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E6320 (1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E6420 (2.13 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E6550 (2.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E6750 (2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Duo E7300 (2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) (Best Buy exclusive configuration [530-115B])
• Intel CoreTM 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)
• Intel CoreTM 2 Quad Q9300 (2.5 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)

Operating Systems:

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
• Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate
• Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
• Genuine Windows XP Professional
• Linux

Graphics:

• Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 (Intel GMA 3100)
• 128 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8300GS
• 256 MB NVIDIA 8600GT
• 512 MB NVIDIA 8500GT
• 128 MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO
• 256 MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT

Sound: Integrated 7.1 channel sound provided by an onboard Realtek ALC888 codec Creative Sound Blaster X-fi ExtremeGamer

Memory: The Inspiron 530 can be equipped with up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM at either 667 MHz or 800 MHz.

Note: Reports claim that BIOS versions prior to 1.0.12 only support 32bit addressing. Users have verified that while the BIOS can detect 4 GB, the OS can only see 3.2 GB, even if the OS is 64-bit. BIOS version 1.0.12 released on March 18, 2008 solves this issue and even allows for up to 8GB to be installed. However, Dell does not support memory configurations greater than 4GB.

Compatibility Note: There are actually two versions of the Inspiron 530 in production, which are not differentiated in their specifications. When ordered with an Intel Q6600 Core 2 Quad processor, the 530 is equipped with a FoxConn G33m03 motherboard and a LiteOn 375W power supply. When ordered in any other configuration, the 530 is typically equipped with a FoxConn G33m02 motherboard and a 300W Bestec power supply. The G33m02 and G33m03 are essentially identical except for the power regulation section of the motherboard. Essentially, the G33m02 is a depopulated (cheaper) version of the board which only has 6 voltage regulator IC's as opposed to the 11 voltage regulators on the G33m03. In practice, this means that the G33m02 version of the motherboard is physically incapable of providing enough current to operate the Intel Q6600 CPU. In essence, if you do not order the Quad Core processor with the system initially, you will NOT be able to upgrade it to one later.

Storage: Up to 750GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive. 16X DVD+/-RW Serial ATA optical drive.

BIOS: The latest is 1.0.16 released on December 29, 2008. No release notes were included with this release.

The hard drive controller supports RAID 1, and up to 1 TB (10¹² B) of storage. The hard drive controller also supports supports raid 0, raid 0+1 and raid 5 via a patched bios that can be found here.

Inspiron 530s

A slim-chassis desktop with appearance and features similar to the full-size Inspiron 530. 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 isn't a high performance card). The case used in the 530s can accommodate 1 5.25" Optical Drive, one 3.5" drive (either a 1.44Mb floppy or 19-in-1 card reader), and up to two standard 3.5" hard drives. The motherboard used in the 530s is the exact same Foxconn G33m02 mATX motherboard used in the Inspiron 530. 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

The Inspiron 531 is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 based desktop for low to medium budget brackets. The advanced version (of the same name) is the same in appearance (same case), however it has upgraded features (larger hard drive, better processor, etc).

The Inspiron 531 uses a ASUS M2N61-AX motherboard that is specifically designed for Dell machines. It uses an nVidia nForce 4 chipset with an on-board video card. It also has on-board sound (Realtek HD or AC-97) and an on-board gigabit NIC. It has one PCIe x16, One PCIe x1, and two PCI card slots. It has four DIMM memory slots, and four SATA connectors. The 531 motherboard does not support PATA or IDE drives without the use of a third-party controller.

The 531 also comes with a 300 watt ATX power supply, and one 92mm exhaust fan. There is also another fan placed above the CPU heatsink that is 80mm.

The Inspiron 531 was only available pre-loaded with Windows Vista. Dell also only provides Vista drivers on their support website, however it is possible to find XP drivers by visiting the parts manufacturer's websites.

Inspiron 531s

The slim version of the 531. It comes with a 250 watt power supply. Most standard add-on cards (modem, nic, sound, graphic cards), will not work in this computer. You must use 1/2 height cards.

Previous configurations

High-end models

Inspiron 9300

Dell inspiron 9300 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 a fairly new memory technology in that it used DDR2 memory, which was a new feature for laptops. Compared with the other Inspiron laptops, it is considered to be the "Entertainment Powerhouse".

Dell Inspiron 9300 with Arctic silver and alpine white design.

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 possibly a Pentium M that's faster than the baseline 1.6 GHz speed.

Inspiron 9400/E1705

The Inspiron E1705 and Inspiron 9400 (non-US models) are essentially the same machine - 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 next to the powerbutton.

Available with either an Intel Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor, this machine features a 17-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 900) or WUXGA (1920 x 1200) wide-screen LCD. Video card options also include an nVidia GeForce Go7900 GS (single heat pipe), ATI Radeon x1400 with 256mb of RAM or an Intel GMA 950. This model uses 533 MHz or 667 MHz of DDR2 memory. The E1705 tends to run hot on its underside which seems to make the card overheat and burnout within a year because of inadequate cooling. On most accounts of users who have experienced this problem, it occurred after the warranty expired therefore "alienating" the end user.

Note: For gaming and high-end graphics use, the GeForce Go7900 GS video card is highly recommended over the Radeon x1400. This is primarily due to faster data processing and fewer heat problems. Additionally, 7900GS can be easily overclocked to reach 3DMARK06 scores as high as in 5000 range. [3]

Mainstream models

Inspiron 6000

A base Inspiron 6000 was shipped 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. Like the Inspiron 9300, it featured DDR2 random access memory. 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 from Dell 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 -- should see less audio and video chop, 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 1280x800 resolution, WSXGA+ with a 1680x1050 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920x1200 resolution), a slightly slimmer profile (though it's about 2.5cm wider) and a Manufacturers bundle- (starter) memory cards that accommodated only a handful of photos.

Inspiron 8200, 8100, and 8000

The base Inspiron 8200 came with a Mobile Pentium 4-M processor clocked at 1.6 GHz (upgradeable to 2.6 GHz). It had a standard 15 inch SXGA (1400 x 1050 pixels) display which was upgradeable to either the UXGA (1600 x 1200) or the Ultra Sharp UXGA (1600 x 1200) which added a cleaner and crisper look to the display. The memory came standard at 256 MB of RAM (Upgradeable to 1 GB of RAM). However, some people have said that they were able to put 2 GB of RAM into the system with no problem. 2GB RAM 2 parts PC2700 SODIMM from Kingston works fine.

The Inspiron 8200 was equipped with two standard notebook RAM expansion slots and it was not difficult to simply remove the standard RAM the machine was shipped with and re-equip it with two aftermarket 1 GB cards. The Inspiron came standard with a DVD-ROM drive in its fixed bay (upgradable to a DVD/CD-RW Combo drive and eventually a DVD+-RW drive) and a 1.44 in floppy drive in the media (removable) bay (upgradeable to a DVD/CD-RW drive). The video card came with an nVidia GeForce2 Go graphics card with 32 MB of dedicated video RAM and upgradeable to an nVidia GeForce 4 Go 440 with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, an ATI Radeon 9000 Mobility graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video RAM, or the Quadro4 700 GL, a professional GL-enhanced notebook equivalent of the desktop-based Geforce4 4200 Go. The Inspiron 8100 and 8000 models are almost identical to the 8200, only they were produced earlier and featured Pentium III processors instead of Pentium 4. The 8100 processor is clocked between 866 MHz and 1.2 GHz. The 8000 processor is clocked between 733 MHz and 1000 MHz. Both computers have 2 standard RAM slots. Standard memory was 128 MB for the 8000 and 256 MB for the 8100. Custom configurations were available, so actual numbers may differ. Both computers came with a CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive, however CD-RW functions are only available on the 8100. Both models shipped with either an nVidia or an ATI graphics card, with a maximum Video RAM of 128 MB.

The chassis came in interchangeable color palmrests in silver-ion, black, blue, burlwood, purple/violet, and yellow.

Portable models

Inspiron 700m

Dell Inspiron 700m

Unlike Dell's traditionall black or grey color scheme, this laptop case featured a silver, white, and black design. Measuring under 2 inches thick and having a 12.1-inch TrueLife screen, the laptop was a departure from previous versions. However, without the extended battery, life was short, and the 12.1-inch screen was a dust magnet. The base model had a 1.5 GHz Pentium M processor, 256 MB (256 MiB) of RAM, a 30 GB (30 billion bytes) HD, and a DVD optical drive.

Many users report two major flaws with the 700m: the audio-input quality, where audio recording using the audio input jack is nearly impossible (reparable with a simple driver update), and severed speaker wires caused from the normal use of opening and closing the screen.

Inspiron 710m

An important upgrade from the previous Inspiron 700m, which fixed the serious audio-input quality issues, a base Inspiron 710m is shipped with a 1.7 GHz (upgradable to 2.0 GHz) Intel Pentium M processor and a 12.1-inch XGA wide-screen monitor as well as DDR memory. Based on the first generation Centrino platform Carmel, the internal components are now outdated. In comparison with other Inspiron models, the 710m is the most portable laptop of the Dell Inspiron line combining a good mix of processing power and style.

Inspiron 640m/E1405

• see Dell Inspiron E1405

A 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 2GB, however E1405's have been known to accept up to 4GB.

Inspiron 1501

The Inspiron 1501 is a mid size, mainstream model with either a AMD Turion or AMD Sempron processor. The Inspiron 1501 is equipped with:

• a 15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) TFT Display
• an ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 mobile video card
• a serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) (up to 160 GB although at least 320 GB supported),
• DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB supported),
• a UK Modem Cable and Adapter Internal V.92 Data, Fax, Voice Functions
• Dell Wireless 1390 802.11b/g Mini-PCI Card (for AMD Processors),
• a Removable Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive,
• a 3-in-1 memory card reader compatible with SSD/SDIO and MMC formats
• a 9 cell (maximum) 85 W·h LI-ION main battery.

Weight: 6.19 lb Height: 36 mm (1.42 inches) Width: 265.5 mm (10.45 inches) Length: 356 mm (14.02 inches)

Inspiron 6400/E1505 (N)

Mid-size (6.18 lb, 14" x 10.45" x 1.42"), mainstream models with an Intel Core (Single, Duo, or 2 Duo) at up to 2.16 GHz, 15.4" WXGA or WXGA+ display, SATA hard drive (up to 160 GB), and DDR2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB). The 6400 features an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400. The E1505 (N) features an integrated Intel Media Accelerator 950, ATI Radeon x1300, ATI Radeon x1400, or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300. Included 7 multimedia buttons on the front. Offered with Windows XP Home, Windows Media center Edition 2005, Or Windows Xp Professional. May have included Dell Media Direct. It was offered with optional Wireless N Intel OR Dell Wireless Mini-Lan Cards. It Included a 65 whr 6 cell Lithium Ion "Smart" battery, the 85 Whr 9 cell Lithium Ion "smart battery was included as an option which gave it 6 hours of general use with WiFi.

Inspiron 600m

Has the Pentium M or Celeron M Processor.
When a Mobile Processor is coupled with an Intel wireless Mini-PCI card the system is branded with an Intel Centrino Mobile Technology label.

Features:

• 512kb ~ 2MB L2 Cache
• Intel 855PM/ICH4 low power consumption chipset
• Multi-Bay which can accept a CD-Writer/DVD Reader or DVD-Writer, Extra Battery, 3.5 inch Floppy Disk, or extra Hard Disk Drive. (this multi-bay is exactly the same as many of the newer model Inspirons and Latitudes)
• Either with a 32MB or 64MB ATI Radeon Mobility 9000 video card on the 4x AGP bus
• Touch pad mouse
• 14.1 inch screen with XGA 1024x768 or SXGA 1440x1050 resolution
• Broadcom Gigabit Network Interface

Internal Ports:

• Mini-PCI slot
• 2 DDR Memory Slots (supports a MAX of 2GB of RAM, preferably PC2700, but other speeds may also work [especially PC2100])
• IDE ATA 66/100 laptop hard drive

External Ports:

• 2 USB 2.0, Gigabit NIC, 56k modem, Parallel, Serial, VGA, Built in microphone
• Microphone & Headphone jack, Infrared, PCMCIA type II

600m screen specifications include but are not limited to the following:
Sources: http://www.gblcd.com, http://www.samsung.com

Manufacturer	Part#	Resolution	Contrast Ratio	Refresh Rate	Viewing Angle (L/R/U/D)	Brightness
Quanta	QD14XL07	1024x768	450:1	35ms@25°C	45/45/15/35	170cd/m²
Quanta	QD14FL07	1400x1050	450:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/15/35	175cd/m²
Samsung	LTN141XB	1024 x 768	300:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/20/45	175cd/m²
Samsung	LTN141P4	1400x1050	300:1	25ms@25°C	45/45/20/45	170cd/m²

Some extra notes:

• This laptop has a real dedicated video card, so it will play some graphic intensive games (especially some that are a few years old)--- it runs great with Steam (for Counter-Strike).
• This laptop does get extremely hot and the plastic will become discolored after sometime.
• Unlike some of the newer Inspiron laptops, this does not have a DVI plug for a monitor, just a regular VGA plug.
• The keyboard on this model is not well supported and flexes as it is typed on.
• The plastic screen cover on the back of the LCD is somewhat flimsy which, under normal laptop transportation conditions, can result in the keyboard keys rubbing on the screen creating a light thin mark at about the position of the spacebar. Said mark is not easily seen when the screen is on with a bright background. To reduce this effect, optional hard plastic LCD covers can be purchased and attached to stiffen up the LCD. These covers come in a variety of images and colors and pre-date the skinning craze. Also, ensure that all the little rubber snubbers that go all around the screen perimeter are present and accounted for; if one falls off, glue it back on right away!
• Battery life will vary, as there are different types of batteries for this model (some with more cells than others---the more cells, the greater the battery life).

Inspiron 8600

Based on 1.4 GHz Intel Pentium M CPU, featured 1920x1200 display resolution on a 15.4" wide-format screen, as well as both touchpad and "nipple" pointer control, and up to 2 GB onboard RAM.

Basic/entry level models

Inspiron B120

The Inspiron B120 was Dell's lowest priced offering. Standard options included a 1.40 GHz Intel Celeron M 360 processor, 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 256 MB shared RAM, a 40 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD combo drive. By default the B120 did not come with any integrated wireless support, but it can be added as an option.

Inspiron B130 or 1300

The Inspiron B130 or Inspiron 1300, successor to the aforementioned B120, was until recently the lowest-priced laptop offered by Dell. A basic entry-level laptop, the B130 came with a 14.1 inch WXGA screen, 1.60 GHz Intel Celeron M 380 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 40GB 5400rpm hard drive, and a 24X CD burner/DVD ROM drive. Wireless support was optional. Picking the mid-model B130 you could get it with the 1.73 GHz Pentium M 740 & a 15.4 inch WXGA widescreen for only a little more money. The Inspiron 1300/B130 came with a Intel GMA 900 128MB Graphics card. Because of its affordability and ease of use, the B130 was a popular choice among college students. It was retired in early November 2006.

Rebadging

In the past Dell has modified some offered 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 64MB/128MB), as well as the same chassis. Dell marked the XPS as an "ultimate gaming machine", while marking the 9100 as a "desktop replacement". The Inspiron 9100 is a rebadged XPS. The only difference between Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 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 1920x1200. Previous 2.8-3.0 GHz Inspiron 9100 use a lesser panel with resolutions of 1280x800 (Dell Part # Y0316).

Problems

Overheating

Reference: Dell's Official statement: the Lundell Settlement. Dell Inspiron 5150 only

In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks which had problems with cooling properly, causing them to overheat and damage the video card and motherboard; or cause the laptop to shut down automatically. Although some people may believe that the systems overheated due to the processors used in those laptops - Intel's Pentium 4 chip which went up to 3.4 GHz (3,400 MHz) for some models, the problem was determined to be the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, and 5150. For more information on the 5100/5150 models in particular, see the following two links: Dell Inspiron 5100 Overheating Problem and Inspiron 5100 shuts down automatically.

Dell has acknowledged this problem with this line of laptops, as they figured among the more popular lineup of that generation. Dell engineers designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling and less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.

A Windows utility exists to control most Inspiron fans based on CPU temperature. Users should check the compatibility list before installing it.

In 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. Dell's published statement of the scope of the repairs covered appears here.

Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100 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.

The overheating problems on the Inspiron 5150 model came about due to the position of the fan and fan-vent and the way in which it vents air through the CPU's heatsink. The fan draws air from underneath the unit and removes it through the heatsink and out the rear of the unit. However as a result of drawing air from underneath the unit also sucks up any dust lying on the surface it sits on. This dust then passes through the heatsink where some dust becomes trapped and builds up. Over time this buildup will constrict the airflow through the unit and thus buildup heat. The airflow through the rear of the unit diminishes noticeably: simply place your hand near the fan vent; on high speed the fan should give good air flow out the back; if not then the flow has probably become constricted. Heat will also build up along the top of the unit near the LCD display and left toward the optical drive. Users may notice this while typing. Performance-loss may also result: jittery game-performance and lagging Windows performance. Some systems may experience jerky reactions where the unit goes into an almost slow-motion phase for short periods of time. Continued operation in this condition may lead to overheating and could result in permanent damage to the CPU, GPU, motherboard and other internal components. To remedy this problem one must disassemble and clean the unit, cleaning the heatsink of all obstructions and inspecting the fan for proper operation. This problem not uncommonly results in a CPU-temperature-increase of between 15-20c over an optimally functioning unit. Further temperature-increases may well also result in damage to the casing of the unit as a result of this problem. Owners should remedy this problem to avoid damage to a Dell Inspiron 5150 notebook. See the following links: * Inspiron 5150 overheating problems - what to do.... *Removing the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly and Useful images

Motherboard

On a number of Inspiron 5150, and 100L machines, 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 remains unknown whether Dell will fix this fault for free outside of the USA. As of January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada, and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in a consumer programme.

This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended, but 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.

The 5160 has also experienced mainboard failures resulting in an inability to charge the battery or run from the external power supply. Perhaps in response to the previous lawsuits, Dell has been replacing mainboards on these failed units well after warranty expiration, even if the 5160 has been a refurbished machine or resold. Owners must register their current ownership online at the Dell support site, then contact a support representative for service.

Defective graphics boards

In 2006 Dell delivered numerous Inspiron 9400 machines with defective nVidia GeForce 7800 Go graphics boards. Dell generally replaced all A00 with A01, and next with A02, until the 7800 Go was finally replaced with the 7900 GS.

Dell has yet to admit any problems regarding the suitability of the GeForce 7800 Go for the design of the affected notebooks.

No pattern has emerged with defective graphics boards for this model. Most reviews indicate no problems with the nVidia GeForce 7800 Go. See one such review.

Display resolution

Some Dell Inspiron models with Intel graphics chipset 855/865/915 and 1400 x 1050 display resolution have display-driver problems...

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 burst into flames, or even explode:

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

Inspiron: 6000, 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 the computers on AC power until replacements arrived. Problematic Sony batteries led to battery recall programs at other laptop companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.

Vertical Line LCD Problem

There is also a vertical line manufacture defect that affects some 17" Inspiron 8600, 9200, 9300, and XPS Gen 2 notebook LCDs. 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 in customer service to replace these panels after guarantee, although there was a direct link to the defective parts from their suppliers. Even during warranty customers have big difficulties to get replacement, and replaced screens are often defective after a short time as well. [4] Other computer manufacturers reacted much more customer friendly. Reference: [5] [6] [7][8]

Other Common Problems

Several owners of Dell laptops (including though not specifically Inspiron models) have reported the following problems developing when the laptop reaches 18 months - 2 years of age. New owners may be advised to opt for extended warranties.

• Battery Lifespan - After about 18 months of use Dell laptop batteries cease to hold a charge. This can be remedied by purchasing a new battery or always using the AC adapter.

• Hinge breaking - The hinges between the keyboard and screen become less tight with use, and eventually may crack. Typically only one hinge will crack.

• Case cracking - Cracks form in the lower left or right corners of the case. This may be due to continued pressure from hands resting on the case or from overheating.

• Screen blanking - The screen may occasionally go black when switching from AC to battery power, or not activate when powering on the laptop. In both cases a restart via the power button is needed.

History

Laptops

• 3 January 2008: 1525 announced
• 26 June 2007: 1720, 1721, 1520, 1521, 1420 announced
• 6 November 2006: 1501 announced

Desktops

• 26 June 2007: 530, 530s, 531, 531s announced

External links

• Dell Laptops Buying Guide Dell's official laptop buying guides site for the UK.
• Dell Inspiron Notebook Range at Dell.com
• Linux on Dell Notebooks (user documentation)
• Inspiron 1100 overheating problems and solutions
• Standard Memory Configurations for Inspiron Models
• New models: Inspiron 1720, 1520, Vostro
• Inspiron 1300 Overheat solution (link to photo of heatsink that gets fluff in it)
• Dell inspiron 6000 battery replacement (links to battery from the distributor of replacement dell laptop battery 6000)
• Dell Inspiron 8500 replacement parts
• Dell Inspiron 8000 manual
• Dell Inspiron Mini Discussion Forum (covers Dell Mini 9, 10 and 12)