Over the past two years, the Dell Inspiron Gaming line has become one of the best middle-class gaming laptops series you can get, with solid features and excellent prices (especially for those of you living in the US).
The latest iteration in this series, the Inspiron Gaming 7577, was delivered in late September 2017, with a redesigned body, faster graphics, IPS screens, but also poorer speakers and smaller batteries than the previous Inspiron 7567 model.
It starts at around $ 1000 (but it's cheaper with discounts) for Core i5 HQ and GTX 1060 Max-Q configurations, with an IPS FHD and 256 GB SSD screen, so no wonder people are there, like most others. Mid-range gaming notebooks in this price range will only give you the Nvidia 1050 Ti graphics chip.
We have not yet got our test unit, but the first impressions and reviews begin to be stacked online from people who already have them, and we've collected them in this article so you'll know what to expect from Inspiron 7577 if you plan to buy it.
Dell Inspiron Gaming 7577 is a mid-range multimedia and gaming laptop with a 15-inch matte screen, sturdy metal body, backlit keyboard and modern hardware specifications. We see the configurations listed for $ 999 below, but we will also refer to the higher end options during this article.
Feature Dell Inspiron Gaming 7577
The Inspiron Gaming 7577 is also available with a Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16 GB of RAM and dual storage for $ 1300, but at that price point it is not as attractive as the basic configuration. There are also UHD screens available for those interested in high resolution panels, but currently only an option for top-level configuration that also includes a 511 GB NVMe SSD and sells for $ 1650.
As I mentioned already this is not one of our regular reviews, but a collection of impressions from other reviewers and regular buyers who already have their units.
Your first stop if interested in this laptop and if you have time to go through many posts, this is a special thread in the forum Notebookreview.com. This reddit thread is good to read as well, but keep in mind some of the problems that these people face in their initial unit will be handled as time passes. We will discuss it with our analysis below.
If you'd rather watch the video on Inspiron Gaming 7577, well, I've added two of them below, one from Andrew Tran and the other from Dave Lee, both the best reviewers on Youtube. Check them out.
This clip does not in depth discuss all the potential problems of this mid-range gaming laptop, but supported with info on forums and Reddit, please paint a pretty accurate picture of where the Inspiron 7577 is shining and what's missing. We will discuss all of the aspects below.
Performance – what to expect
The 9399 version of the Inspiron Gaming 7577 only gets the Core i5-7300HQ processor, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1060 Max-Q graphics chip and 256 GB NVMe SSH (Samsung PM961). RAM and storage can be easily upgraded. Accessing components is much easier than on other notebooks, because the rear panel is held in place by a single screw. Connectors for 2.5 "HDD are included, if you choose the basic version with SSD storage.Go to the cooling system to be able to repeat CPU / GPU a bit more complicated though.
The CPU and GPU are soldered and you’ll have to understand exactly what they offer in order to decide if they’re enough for your needs or not.
Still, I’d reckon many would be interested in a quieter/cooler notebook that still performs better than a 1050Ti model. There aren’t a lot of benchmarks out there as of yet, so you should further look into this aspect, but from what we know so far here’s what you should expect from the GTX 1060 MQ chip inside the Inspiron 7577.
Dave’s video review mentions that his unit hits boost clocks of up to 1645 MHz, but he doesn’t provide any further details on the actual average clock speeds with gaming sessions. I’d expect the average to be much lower, around the 1300 MHz mark at best.
Then there’s also the CPU to consider. The Core i5-7300HQ is a quad-core processor without HyperThreading, and as a result it trails the i7-7700HQ CPU (4-cores, 8-threads) in multi-core benchmarks and real-life use that would require the extra processing power.
There are plenty of articles online that compare the two options, but in very few words, the i5 is good enough for daily use and should handle most games well too. If you plan to edit photos/videos, run Mathlab, programming software or other applications that can benefit from the extra four threads though, the i7 is the recommended choice. It’s not going to help that much with most modern DX12 games, as these are mostly GPU heavy, but there are some older titles that rely heavier on the CPU and in those cases the i7 will again help get better fps results.
In the end, choosing between the i5 and i7 is entirely up to you. At list prices, the i7 configuration is not worth the extra $300 imo, but with all the available discounts you might get it for much less. You should also keep in mind the i7 is going to run a little hotter than the i5, but given what we know so far, temperatures and performance should not be a concern on this laptop. In fact, with the CPU/GPU averaging mid 70s out of the box without any tweaks, we could argue that Dell could have put a proper GTX 1060 chip inside this laptop and not the snipped Max-Q version, although there are some benefits of going for this option, as mentioned earlier.
As for the outercase temperatures, I’m seeing high 40s with gaming, with the area on top of the keyboard getting the hottest, while the WASD keys hit mid 30s. I couldn’t’ find anything about the bottom temperatures, but I’d expect high 40s down there as well. In other words, expect the Inspiron 7577 to run hot with games, but not hotter than most other gaming laptops on the market.
As far as the cooling system goes, Dell put a two-fan two-heatpipe solution inside the 7577, just like on the older models.
The existing reviews report on 44-47 dB noise level in front of the laptop with gaming, which is not what I’d expect from a Max-Q laptop. However, the latest Nvidia drivers with Whisper Mode (that’s supposed to tweak the fans to run at up to 40 dB, as per the Max-Q design guidelines) do not work on the Inspiron 7577 as of early October 2017, so chances are the fans would run quieter once Dell updates the drivers.
Other selling points
With that out of the way, here are a few of this laptop’s other selling points.
First of all there’s the build and the design. The Inspiron 7577 is a little different than the previous 7567, with most design changes happening towards its back, where it now gets a silver framing around the exhaust grills that somewhat resembles the design lines of the Alienware 15. All the other parts are still black, with a red logo on the lid cover and a red frame around the trackpad on the inside. The keys are red-backlit, but there aren’t any other annoying lights or LEDs like on most other gaming laptops (well, except for the charging LED on the front edge).
What’s perhaps less obvious is the fact that the 7577 no longer gets a soft rubbery coating on the hood and interior, as these are now simpler metallic panels. Reviewers claim that’s a welcomed change, as the previous finishing felt nice and looked well out of the box, but didn’t age that nicely.
The build quality is still one of the better you’ll get in this price range, with a solid keyboard deck and a sturdy inner chassis. There is however some flex in the screen and the fact that the hinges are placed towards the middle and only attach to it on one side doesn’t help either, as they allow the screen to warp if you’ll grab it from the corners in order to lift it up.
Speaking of the screen, Dell offers the Inspiron 7577 with a 15.6-inch matte display and a choice for two panels:
- FHD IPS – LG LGD053F (156WF6) panel with roughly 250 nits of brightness and 52% AdobeRGB gamut coverage;
- UHD IPS – AUO Optronics AUO20EB (B156ZAN) panel with advertised 99% AdobeRGB gamut coverage.
The FHD IPS panel is, well, decent, and on par with what’s available on most other laptops in this price range. The colors aren’t great, the viewing angles aren’t great either, but it’s still better than a TN panel. Those interested in gaming should also know that this uses no PWM, gets a Black to White response time of roughly 28 ms and is a 60 Hz panel, with no way to overclock it for higher refresh rates.
The keyboard and trackpad haven’t changed much from the previous Inspiron Gaming. They’re not the best out there, but there’s not much to complain about them either. The keyboard is comfortable and quick to type on, albeit a bit shallow, while the plastic clickpad gets Microsoft Precision drivers and works well out of the box. The keys are backlit and from what I can tell, the US versions come with red LEDs, but there are some models that get white backlightning (1050Ti models shipping in the UK, for example)
As a novelty, the 7577 also gets a fingerprint sensor integrated within the power button.
You’ll notice out of the box that with the new metallic construction, the Inspiron 7577 is heavier than its predecessor and also heavier than most other laptops in its class, at over 6 lbs with a HDD included. It’s also fairly chunky, with a 1-inch rectangular body and a toll front lip that might get in the way with daily use. The corners are also pointy and annoying, like on the previous model.
With the extra weigh you’d expect perhaps some extra features or a bigger battery on the newer model, but in fact the new Inspiron lost two of its main selling traits with the upgrade.
For one, there’s the battery. The 7577 gets a 56 Wh battery, while the previous model bundled a 74 Wh battery. At 56 Wh, the battery is still bigger than what you’ll find on most other laptops in the segment, but no longer a clear reason to opt for the Inspiron. Expect about 4 hours of everyday use and one a half of gaming. At least the charger supports quick-charging and you’ll be able to fill the battery from 10 to 80% in about an hour.
The speaker system is the other downgrade, as there’s no longer a sound-woofer included with the new model and as a result, the audio coming out of those two cuts placed on the front lip is clean, but not as rich on the low end as on the previous iteration.
Wrap
The Dell Inspiron 7567 is one of the best mid-range gaming laptops available in 2017, and the updated Inspiron 7577 fixes some of its aspects, but at the same time loses some of its ash.
This is a faster laptop, that's for sure, and from what we can know so far, the GTX 1060 MQ graphics chip that Dell chooses to put into it will perform well with the game, while the whole laptop will run quite cool and lonely so Dell looks know the driver The graphics can be overclocked to almost match the standard 1060 chip, and paired with other top-tier components and features, such as easily upgraded RAM, multiple storage options and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.
The Inspiron 7577 also comes with an IPS screen out of the box. This is not a good panel, but it is still a step up from the TN FHD panel that is in most areas for 7567 (you can get it with FHD IPS panel in US, but here in Europe there is only TN Screen).
As for the price, well, the icing on the cake, especially if you live in the US, where you will probably get the basic Core i5 configuration as low as $ 900, while most other 1060 notebooks are sold for at least $ 1000.
Filling on the other hand is not as easy as you'd expect based on icing.
The 7577 only gets average-sized batteries and average speakers on one side, this is quite heavy and bulky on the other side, and the price is probably not very appealing once you start out onto the Core i7 processor and more RAM. At that time you will find a full-power GTX 1060 laptop sold for less, such as the Acer Predator Helios 300, or a laptop with a better screen and larger battery, such as Asus ROG Strix GL503VM or Lenovo Legion Y720, to name a few gaming laptops The other nice GTX 1060 is out there. Of course, each has a quirks nature fair, but at least you should consider it in addition to this Dell if the laptop shop in this segment.
In essence, as long as you only have about $ 1000 to spend, you're primarily interested in laptops to play games and do not plan on running tasks that require a more powerful processor, the Core i5 / GTX 1060 MQ configuration of Dell Inspiron 7577 is the right choice, as a knowledgeable laptop spacious with some customs and and excellent price tags. On the other hand, if you want to get a higher end configuration, you should also see exactly the competition.
That's about it for this post, but let me know what you think of Dell Inspiron Gaming 7577 in the comments section below.