Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Review (Is This Laptop Built For Students?)

Pros & Cons Of The Dell Inspiron14 5481 

Unique Features Of The Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Laptop 

Dell has been producing laptops for decades, and their PCs are of high quality. Their build-to-order design personalizes each person’s computer and gives way to a world of possibilities. With the Dell Inspiron 14 5481,  you’re able to create your own style and have a laptop suited exactly for your needs. Other unique features included are listed below: 

Processing Power 

Its 8th Gen Intel Core i3 processor is a modest CPU capable of handling everyday tasks and jobs. It’s not much to write home about, but it will work well for the activities you need and won't buffer Netflix or Hulu. This is also upgradable if you feel you need extra power.  

Smooth Performance 

The 128GB SSD and 4GB memory, paired with the processor, make running your day-to-day tasks easy. You can run a couple of Chrome tabs, along with YouTube, a spreadsheet, and word all at once without slowing down.  

UHD Integrated Graphics 

The integrated Intel 620 UHD graphics give your documents and spreadsheets a crystal clear look and provide an excellent picture for YouTube and Netflix. If you’re looking for modern gaming, you may be out on a limb as the UHD graphics won’t be able to keep up with new titles. For everyday tasks, though, it’s a real winner.  

Clear Audio Processing 

You’ll find the audio on the Inspiron 14 works well, with a smooth listening experience each time. The Waves MaxxAudio Pro gives a good level of sound with minimal interference. It’s about what you expect for a lower-end laptop, but it can play your music or movies to a good standard.  

Decent Battery Life 

Users note between 5 hours and 7 hours 30 minutes use unplugged, which can be extended with low power mode for continuous use up to 8 hours. For the average student or teacher, you can expect a good day’s work with the Inspiron 14.  

Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Convertible 2-In-1 Laptop Reviewed 

Design & Flexibility 

The hinges are designed to fully support the laptop while in tent mode, and it's completely reversible. However, a blaring issue is that having the laptop in tent mode means you need the angle exactly right - its lower resolution doesn’t support all viewing angles and can alter your view if you’re sitting too low. 

Touchpad & Keyboard 

The touchpad is strikingly larger for a lower-priced laptop and works well. You’ll find it easily responds to Windows gestures and is a reliable mouse alternative. The left and right clicks are merged into the touchpad, and both have a good click. The keyboard has well-spaced keys but without a separate number pad. A small price to pay, as the backspace and shift keys are larger and easier to locate. 

Performance 

Inspiron 14 5481 can handle a few Chrome tabs, YouTube, spreadsheets, and documents with ease, thanks to its processing abilities. Inside, you'll find: 

While it's fairly low in terms of processing power, for managing day-to-day tasks or working on class assignments, it won't break a sweat. If you need more processing power or RAM, both of these components are upgradeable, opening up a world of possibilities. Of course, you won't be able to play high-performance or new-style games, but that's to be expected on a low-end machine.  

Ports 

You’re not short on connectivity, with a wealth of ports at your disposal. It has 3 USBs, 1 SD card slot, 1 HDMI, a universal 3.5mm audio jack, and a wedge-shaped lock slot all available on the sides. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t come with a USB-C slot, or an ethernet slot, which would provide faster and more secure internet access. Nevertheless, you have more than enough ports to connect an external hard drive or a mouse at the same time.  

Graphics & Display 

Despite this, the touch display is vibrant and colorful, thanks to Dell Color Profiles.  

Battery Life 

Dell claims up to 7 hours of battery life. For a day’s work, that’s pretty useful. On low power mode, you could expect up to 8 hours of continuous use. For a lower-end laptop, its battery is actually pretty reliable. It will have no problem running while working or on a train, allowing you to work wherever you need to.  

Audio 

Inside is Wave MaxxAudio Pro speakers. They’ll be able to play your music and videos clearly at a medium volume, but at their maximum, it may become quite grainy or heavy on bass. If you wanted to play music louder, the audio jack can take a decent set of headphones, giving you more possibilities to improve the audio.  

Price & Warranty 

The laptop is listed at around $500 on Amazon, which is a very reasonable price for a work computer. It comes with a 1-year warranty, giving you enough time to make sure it works well. 

This laptop ultimately won’t work well for gamers or high-definition viewers; the low processor and graphics won’t be able to handle it. But for those who are looking for a laptop to handle your daily tasks, this will be perfect for you! 

Comparing With Other 2-In-1 Laptops (how The Dell 5481 Rates) 

Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Vs Dell 14 7000 

The 14 7000 is an option for those who can’t live without full HD. Compared to the 14 5481, it has an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor along with 8GB RAM, much more powerful than the 5481’s Intel Core i3. It’s also capable of a full 1080p screen resolution, making this 2-in-1 able to play your favorite games. The 14 7000 will be able to handle more tasks at once, all without breaking a sweat.  

Along with a more powerful processor, you’re able to store much more on it too. It has a 250GB SSD, which is leaps ahead of the 5481. For all these extra features, it’s much costlier. The standard price starts at just over $800, which is double the price of the 5481. If you have a bit more money to spend and want a better resolution, the 14 7000 is the way forward. 

Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Vs. ASUS VivoBook Flip 

If you need an even cheaper option, the ASUS VivoBook Flip comes at under $350. However, this does come at a price - the processing power is much slower and couldn’t handle multiple tasks at once. It still comes with 4GB RAM as standard, but multitasking is better suited with the 14 5481.  

You'll have even less storage, too, with only 64GB SSD. That's just over half of what the Inspiron 14 offers, giving you less room for your documents and files. In addition, the VivoBook Flip is heavier, weighing 3.75 pounds. There are some advantages, though. It's smaller and able to fit into smaller messenger bags or backpacks. Its touch display is also responsive and works well. So if you are looking for a 2-in-1 laptop to do the absolute basics, the ASUS VivoBook Flip could be for you.  

Dell Inspiron 14 5481 Vs Dell Inspiron 14 5482 

The Inspiron 14 5482 is a magnitude above the 5481. You'll get a faster CPU with the Intel Core i7-8565U processor and 8GB RAM. You can also expect the full 1080p HD display that the Inspiron 14 5481 lacks.  

Inside, it’s full of storage, with a 500GB SSD. Your games and work can live harmoniously as you can do both. Easily switch between important documents and playing new and high-performance games, all with minimal wait time. All these extra features reflect the price at a just over $900 starting rate. Both the Inspiron 14 5481 and 5482 reflect what they’re worth, and if you needed the extra storage or wanted the full HD experience, the 5482 would be the way forward.  

People Also Ask (FAQs)

When was the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 series 2-in-1 released? 

The Inspiron 14 5000 series was available in the UK from September 6th, 2019, and in the US from October 2nd, 2019.  

What’s the difference between the Dell Inspiron 3000 and 5000 series? 

The 5000 ultimately feels more high quality - the design and build are much more sophisticated and less susceptible to wear and tear. For a higher quality premium, the 5000 series is leaps ahead.  

How do you factory reset a Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Series? 

Hold down the Shift key, swipe to the power button, and select restart. This will open an options menu, where you should select troubleshooting. Under troubleshooting, select the first option, 'Reset this PC.'  It'll give you the choice of just removing files or completely wiping it clean. Select ‘Fully Clean The Drive,’ and this will factory reset your Inspiron 14.  

Can you upgrade the RAM on a Dell Inspiron 14 5481? 

Yes! The RAM can be upgraded to a maximum of 16GB of memory if you so desire. It can’t be upgraded higher, say if you wanted 32GB RAM. 

Conclusion

For your working week or studying needs, the Dell Inspiron 14 5481 is a perfect companion. We would recommend this 2-in-1 PC to anyone who needs a good laptop that can provide basic functions and work reasonably quickly. Its low price makes it affordable and accessible to students while also being affordable to businesses. Keep connected, and keep busy with the Dell Inspiron 14 5481.