Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop Conclusion

(3.5 star rating) Written by: Justin Whitaker

Performance
Performance testing and results are broken down into specific categories for ease of reading and evaluation.

Application Testing

In subjective application performance testing, the Inspiron 1525 performs very well given the budget configuration. Opening up three Firefox browser windows along with Winamp MP3 player, Works spreadsheet file and word processor documents did not cause the laptop to skip a beat. Flipping back and forth between applications was quick and no interruption / pauses were experienced. Running more resource intensive applications - playing a DVD movie or running video editing software – was also handled well by the laptop. The video editing was nowhere near lightning quick, but that’s to be expected with this hardware configuration.

Graphics Testing

Testing of the graphics and gaming capabilities for this laptop was limited due to the integrated X3100 graphics processor. The integrated X3100 chip is fine for casual games, image editing and viewing movies. However, it is simply not powerful enough to run any of the current generation games. Attempting to play Quake Live and Counterstrike: Source was futile, as the frame rate was unacceptable at even the lowest graphics settings. This notebook is not capable (and was not designed) to run any of the current generation games. If you are a real gamer, you’ll have to suck it up and spend some more cash on a more powerful machine.

LCD Display

Throughout the testing the 15.4” WXGA display provided a bright and accurate display of images and text. Images had deep and vibrant colors that were clear as day. When viewed straight-on and directly behind the keyboard, the display is more than adequate for day-to-day tasks and provides quite a lot of screen real estate for opening multiple windows. The real problem with the 15.4” display comes when you try to view from any angle more than 30 degrees to the left or right of center. I am not sure if the matte finish was the problem, or if the lack of the “TrueLife” glossy finish was the real culprit, but viewing at an angle was poor to say the least. The images became dim and it was nearly impossible to follow the action while watching videos. An upgrade to the glossy finish is strongly recommended.

Front Headphone / SD MMC slots	Overhead View Opened	Front View

Speakers

The speakers in Inspiron 1525 are located just above the media controls, and the sound produced by them is as tinny as I have ever heard in any other laptop. They produce sufficient volume to listen to music or dialogue in a small room, but the sound quality is meager. Metallic sounding highs and meager mid-bass is all you can expect from the speakers. For anyone who enjoys music, or wants to experience sound effects while viewing videos, should expect to spend money to upgrade to an external set of speakers.

Battery Life

Battery life testing showed that the 6-cell Lithium Ion battery was a solid performer. With battery saving options configured in Windows Vista, I was able to get more than 3 hours and 30 minutes of usage before the low battery indicator popped up. Under more heavy usage, with the screen brightness at the highest setting while web surfing and watching videos, the battery lasted just over 2-1/2 hours.

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless networking was simple, easy to setup and very reliable with the built-in wireless card. The wireless connectivity of the 1525 is a plus point. I performed testing with a Linksys wireless router stationed at the top floor of the house, and the laptop was used in the basement and outside on the patio. The 802.11g wireless connection stayed strong throughout the testing with and I have never experienced a dropped connection.

Heat and Noise

Finally, the subjective noise and heat testing revealed a mixed bag of results. The cooling fan is reasonably quiet during light usage, and is not easy to hear over background noise during normal usage. But under heavy load the fan speed increases and generates a quite noticeably amount of noise. The fan and heat vent on the side of the laptop combine to do a good job keeping the warm exhaust air out of the way.

Dell Inspiron 1525 Laptop

It is not easy for a laptop to stand out in such a crowded market - there are numerous other laptops available from Acer, Lenovo, HP and Toshiba that will provide very similar performance levels. At this price point, however, the Inspiron 1525 will give any other competitor a run for its money in terms of performance and overall capabilities. A modest configuration will yield a low price, and you still will be getting plenty of performance, a strong wireless connection and a long-lasting battery in the deal. While it is not a superstar in any particular category, the 1525 deserves a close look for anyone in the market for a budget friendly laptop.

Pros: Beautiful 15.4” WXGA display when viewed directly; impressive wireless performance; easy to setup, good battery performance.

Cons: Display suffers when viewed at an angle, weak graphics card, tinny sounding speakers, fingerprints show easily on the exterior.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5