Dell Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 convertible review: Mylar and aluminum chassis

The Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 succeeds the older Inspiron 16 7610 that ran on Intel 11th gen CPUs. It introduces both 12th gen Intel Core P-series CPU options and a new convertible chassis design that’s similar to the 14-inch Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1. SKUs range from the Core i5-1235U up to the Core i7-1260P with UHD Graphics, Iris Xe, or discrete GeForce MX550 graphics and either a 1200p or 2400p touchscreen.

Our SKU in review is a mid-range option with the Core i7-1260P CPU, integrated Iris Xe, and 1200p touchscreen for approximately $1250 USD retail. Direct competitors to the Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 include other 16. 0-inch convertibles like the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or HP Spectre x360 16.

More commonly, users will find 15. 6-inch convertibles instead like the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 , HP Envy x360 15 , or Asus ZenBook Flip 15 . More Dell reviews: The system design is essentially an enlarged version of the Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1.

The smooth matte aluminum chassis remains as well as the signature layer of mylar atop the palm rests and clickpad. Build quality is solid and comparable to the previous generation Inspiron 7610 with only minor warping when applying pressure on the keyboard center or outer lid. The skeleton is noticeably stronger than with the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or Samsung Galaxy Book Pro x360 15 , for example.

In terms of size and weight, the model is actually slightly larger and heavier than the outgoing Inspiron 7610 as shown by our comparison plugin below. We suspect that the decision to turn the 7620 series into a convertible instead of a traditional clamshell likely contributed to the size and weight increase. Dimensions are quite close to the 2019 HP Spectre x360 15 and LG Gram 16 2-in-1 while weighing over half a kilogram more than the superlight LG.

The extra weight is the price that Inspiron users will have to pay for the physically stronger chassis. Port options are excellent as competing models like the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or Spectre x360 15 tend to come with fewer USB-A ports or no HDMI option at all. However, keep in mind that the HDMI 1.

4 port here cannot support 4K video output at 60 FPS. Both USB-C ports along the left edge support Thunderbolt devices meaning users can connect external GPUs if desired. Like with other Inspiron laptops, the integrated SD card reader here is very slow at just 20 to 30 MB/s at best.

Users will have to upgrade to a faster XPS or Latitude model for faster SD card transfer rates. An Intel AX211 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5. 2 connectivity.

Performance is stable when paired to our 6 GHz network with no noticeable connection issues during our time with the unit. The integrated camera is 1080p for a sharper image than the typical 720p on most other budget to midrange laptops. Colors are still poor, however.

There is no IR camera and so Windows Hello is not supported. A manual webcam slider comes standard instead of an electronic shutter switch. The bottom panel is secured by 9 Philips screws for easy serviceability.

Users can remove or replace the 2x SODIMM modules, WLAN module, battery, or M. 2 drive if desired. In comparison, many other convertibles like the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 make it very difficult for the end-user to add more storage or swap other common components.

There are no included extras beyond the paperwork and AC adapter. The model is compatible with the pressure sensitive PN5122W active stylus. The standard one-year limited warranty applies if purchased in the US.

Our comments on the 14-inch Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 keyboard apply here on the Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 since they both share the same keyboard despite their form factor differences. Though the typing experience is average and nothing to write home about, we do find the keys to be softer and less clicky than the firmer keys on the more expensive LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or HP Spectre x360 series. When compared to the Inspiron 16 7610 keyboard, Dell has dropped the integrated numpad in favor of speakers for better or worse.

There doesn’t appear to be any significant improvements made to the feedback of the keys year-over-year. The clickpad is slightly larger than the clickpad on the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 (~13. 3 x 9 cm vs.

13. 2 x 8. 3 cm).

Gliding at medium-to-fast speeds is smooth and with less fingerprint buildup than on most other laptops due to the unique mylar layer atop of the aluminum base. Clatter is louder than expected relative to the average feedback and shallow travel when pressed. The BOE NV16N45 IPS panel on our Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 is the first to appear in our database.

Last year’s Inspiron 16 Plus 7610 , for example, would ship with an IPS panel from AU Optronics instead. When compared to the older AUO panel, the BOE panel offers similar color reproduction but with faster response times for reduced ghosting. Contrast ratio is unfortunately not as deep this time at just under 1000:1.

Nonetheless, we’re still happy to see that full sRGB coverage comes standard on the Inspiron 16 which is more than what we can say for the Inspiron 15 series. Display quality is therefore comparable to the IPS panels on many higher-end convertibles like the Spectre X360 15 or Zenbook Flip 15. Color space covers over 95 percent of sRGB to be fit for most amateur graphics editing tasks.

The more expensive OLED option can offer DCI-P3 coverage for even deeper colors if desired. The display is not calibrated out of the box which is to be expected from the relatively inexpensive Inspiron series. Color temperature, for example, is warmer than it needs to be.

Once calibrated, average grayscale and color DeltaE values would improve significantly from 6. 3 to 1. 0 and 4.

18 to 0. 77, respectively. It’s recommend to apply our calibrated ICM profile above or to calibrate the display on your own to better exploit the excellent sRGB coverage of the panel.

At around 320 nits maximum, the display is about average in terms or brightness for its size category. Opting for the pricier OLED SKU will up brightness to 400 nits for a better outdoor viewing experience. Our unit was set to Performance mode via Windows and Ultra Performance mode via the My Dell software for the highest possible benchmark scores.

It’s recommended to become familiar with the My Dell software for any warranty, support, battery, and performance details. CPU performance is excellent with multi-thread results that are within striking distance of the H-series Ryzen 6 5600H and with 20 percent faster single-thread performance as well despite the lower power demands of the Intel CPU. When compared to the Core i7-1255U , our Core i7-1260P is able to offer about 25 percent faster multi-thread performance.

The performance gains over the common 11th gen U-series Core i7-1165G7 are significant in terms of multi-threaded workloads where our Core i7-1260P can be up to 50 to 80 percent faster even after accounting for any performance throttling. CPU performance from our Inspiron would drop by about 15 percent when running CineBench R15 xT in a loop. PCMark 10 results are comparable to higher-end and more expensive alternatives like the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 16T90P or Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15.

The Digital Content Creation subscore in particular is higher than anticipated. LatencyMon reveals minor DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth and with no dropped frames during our tests.

Our test unit comes with a midrange Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G M. 2 PCIe3 NVMe SSD which is appropriate for a midrange laptop series like the Inspiron. Maximum transfer rates can reach over 2400 MB/s, but inefficient cooling means performance can fall to as slow as 1200 MB/s when stressed as shown by our DiskSpd loop test results below.

Though it’s not something that the target audience of home or office users will notice, performance users will likely be disappointed by the lack of cooling for the SSD here. Graphics performance is slower than expected at about 5 to 15 percent slower than the average Iris Xe 96 EUs in our database. The Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 , which comes with the exact same CPU and GPU as our Inspiron, is able to run games up to 30 or 40 percent faster.

Overall performance is still superior to any AMD mobile Zen 3 or lower integrated Radeon solution to be good enough to run most undemanding games like DOTA 2 Reborn at low 1080p settings. Fan noise is generally very quiet with results that are slightly quieter than other convertible laptops. Running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06, for example, only induces a fan noise of 29 dB(A) compared to 32 to 33 dB(A) on the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or Galaxy Book 360 15 under similar conditions.

At worst, we’re able to record a fan noise of up to 40 dB(A) when running gaming or more demanding loads. Keep in mind that the cooling solution does not change if configuring with discrete GeForce MX550 graphics. Thus, expect the fans to pulse more frequently or increase in speed sooner when running typical loads that may otherwise be nearly silent on our iGPU-only review unit.

Surface temperature gradient is similar to the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 since the motherboard, battery, and cooling solution of the Inspiron are all positioned similarly inside. Hot spots on the keyboard center and bottom surface can reach 43 C and 48 C, respectively, compared to 42 C or 46 C on the LG Gram. The high 40 C range is common amongst many convertible models including the HP Spectre x360 15.

Interestingly, surface temperatures when idling are higher than expected at 33 C compared to the lower 20 C to 25 C range on the LG Gram or HP Spectre. We recorded high idling surface temperatures on last year’s Inspiron 16 7610 as well. When running Prime95 to stress the CPU, clock rates would boost to 3.

3 GHz for the first 10 seconds or so before hitting a core temperature of 92 C. Clock rates would subsequently drop to as low as 2. 1 GHz for a more reasonable core temperature of 81 C.

CPU package power would be as high as 43 W during the start of the test before stabilizing at just 30 W due to the thermal limitations of the cooling solution. Running this same test on the Lenovo Yoga 9 with the same Core i7-1260P CPU would result in a similar stable clock rate albeit at a cooler 66 C core temperature. GPU clock rates and temperature would stabilize at 1296 MHz and 82 C, respectively, compared to 1200 MHz and 73 C on the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 with the older Core i7-1165G7.

Memory clock rate is slower on the Inspiron when compared to the aforementioned Lenovo due to its slower RAM (DDR4 vs. LPDDR5) which may have contributed to the relatively slower Iris Xe performance of our Inspiron. Running on battery power limits performance.

A Fire Strike test on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 11924 and 3147 points, respectively, compared to 18069 and 4032 points when on mains. Idling on desktop demands between 5 W and 10 W depending on the power profile and brightness setting. Running higher loads like games demands between 44 W and 54 W which is noticeably higher than on the 11th gen-powered LG Gram 16 2-in-1 by 10 to 20 percent when under similar conditions.

The higher consumption is expected since the Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 is utilizing a Core P-series CPU instead of the more common U-series. We find the increase in power consumption to be worthwhile since the raw CPU performance increase over the Core i7-1165G7 in the LG is much higher at up to 80 percent. We’re able to measure a temporary maximum draw of 70 W from the small (~11.

1 x 5. 1 x 2. 7 cm) 65 W USB-C AC adapter when running Prime95 stress.

This is the exact same adapter that also ships with the Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1. Runtimes are very long at over 14 hours of real-world WLAN usage when on the Balanced power profile. Competing 15.

6-inch convertibles like the HP Spectre X360 15 or Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 last for a few hours shorter when under similar conditions. However, keep in mind that there are SKUs with a smaller 64 Wh battery compared to the 87 Wh battery in our test unit. The smaller battery option trades capacity for a lighter and thus more travel-friendly system.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes 2 hours and 15 minutes or about half an hour longer than on the smaller Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1. The Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 has dropped the Core H-series CPU and GeForce RTX GPU options of the Inspiron 7610 in favor of Core U-series and Core P-series CPUs with GeForce MX graphics. Though performance hunters may be disappointed, we find this to be a respectable change given the target audience of multimedia users and amateur graphic editors.

The display in particular hasn’t taken a hit at all and so users are still getting full sRGB coverage despite the losses in CPU and GPU performance. This isn’t to say that the Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 is slow as it is still one of the faster 16-inch convertibles currently available. Its optional GeForce MX550 GPU is uncommon amongst convertible laptops for a higher level of graphics performance for those who need it.

Multimedia users will love the display, strong 2-in-1 form factor, port options, and lean performance of the Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1. Frequent travelers may want something lighter, however. One of the biggest drawbacks to the model is its weight.

While no 16-inch laptop is going to be very light, the Inspiron here is much heavier than the LG Gram 16 2-in-1 or Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 . Such alternatives may be worth considering if you don’t mind trading in some performance and chassis rigidity for a model that is much more backpack friendly. The Dell Inspiron 16 7620 2-in-1 is not yet widely available across most third-party retailers.

We recommend ordering directly from Dell where multiple configurations are available starting at $1250 USD with FHD and no discrete graphics up to $1550 with 4K OLED and dedicated GeForce MX550 graphics. .