Is the Dell Inspiron 15 i5548 touchscreen laptop any good?

[DivisiveMind]

Link http/www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-Touchscreen-RealSense-Bluetooth/dp/B010F0XW9U/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16325TJ1TS8K2GJ1C6SK

I purchased this on a budget. I needed a powerful machine that could run high end software like Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and other media like Vegas Pro Tools, while also supporting niche features like a backlit keyboard and touchscreen. It was overall a solid match, but I'm worried that the processor might be slow (Intel Core i5-5200U 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.70 GHz) and the shared graphics memory might end up being strained when I get into video editing (Intel HD Graphics 5500 with shared graphics memory).

Is it a solid purchase? If not, will I at least be able to upgrade this series' processor and video card?

edit: found a picture of the inside

 

[jaguarskx]

It is a good mainstream performance laptop. You cannot upgrade the CPU because all Intel CPUs are soldered into the motherboard.

If you want better performance, then you should look at laptops with the quad core i7 CPU. Naturally you will be looking at a more expensive laptop. The following link lists all Intel Boadwell generation Core i7 CPU. The quad core variants were officially released last month I think. The price is the cost of the CPU when purchased in bulk by system builders.

http/ark.intel.com/products/family/84979/5th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile


The most powerful Intel graphics core is the Intel HD Iris Pro 6200. It is the most powerful integrated graphics core beating AMD's best and it estimated to be equal to the nVidia 940m. But you will likely not be able to find a laptop with Core i7-5750HQ (the least expensive CPU with that graphics core) for less than $1,000.

 

[DivisiveMind]

It is a good mainstream performance laptop. You cannot upgrade the CPU because all Intel CPUs are soldered into the motherboard.

If you want better performance, then you should look at laptops with the quad core i7 CPU. Naturally you will be looking at a more expensive laptop. The following link lists all Intel Boadwell generation Core i7 CPU. The quad core variants were officially released last month I think. The price is the cost of the CPU when purchased in bulk by system builders.

http/ark.intel.com/products/family/84979/5th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile


The most powerful Intel graphics core is the Intel HD Iris Pro 6200. It is the most powerful integrated graphics core beating AMD's best and it estimated to be equal to the nVidia 940m. But you will likely not be able to find a laptop with Core i7-5750HQ (the least expensive CPU with that graphics core) for less than $1,000.

Thanks for the response! I was initially looking into a more powerfull Lenova or Xotic (something specced to gaming even though I wouldn't be using it for that), but ultimately had to go with a lower budget model. If this one is unable to handle my workload, I'll see about saving up and upgrading.

But I can at least upgrade the GPU if I purchase a higher-end core separately, correct? I think the CPU should be able to handle my programs fine so long as I'm not running too many things at once. I'm skeptical about the shared graphics though.

 

[jaguarskx]

The Intel HD graphic cores are integrated inside the CPU itself. You cannot upgrade it especially since the CPU is soldered into the motherboard. Only specific gaming laptop models costing at least $1,400 will give you the ability to upgrade the GPU. Not all laptops over $1,400; only specific models. There are $2,000 gaming laptops that will not allow you to upgrade the GPU.

A dual core CPU should be adequate for your need, but a quad core CPU is always better as long as the programs have been designed to use more than 2 cores.

 

[DivisiveMind]

The Intel HD graphic cores are integrated inside the CPU itself. You cannot upgrade it especially since the CPU is soldered into the motherboard. Only specific gaming laptop models costing at least $1,400 will give you the ability to upgrade the GPU. Not all laptops over $1,400; only specific models. There are $2,000 gaming laptops that will not allow you to upgrade the GPU.

A dual core CPU should be adequate for your need, but a quad core CPU is always better as long as the programs have been designed to use more than 2 cores.

Alright I think I understand how it works now. Thanks for the responses!