Dell’s newly minted Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop is one of the first systems to sport Intel’s new Kaby Lake processor, and for a limited time, you can use coupon code “50OFF699” to take $50 off the new hybrid.
Announced at this year’s Computex trade show, the Inspiron 13 5000 packs a Core i7-7500U, 2.7GHz dual-core Kaby Lake CPU coupled with 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. It also features a 13.3-inch touchscreen display with 1080p resolution.
Kaby Lake is Intel’s 7th generation of Core processors. It features the same 14 nanometer form factor as its predecessors Skylake and Broadwell, but adds native support for USB 3.1, HDCP 2.2, and Thunderbolt 3. It has a thermal design power of up to 95 watts and promises a 10 to 15 percent performance increase over Skylake CPUs.
Intel’s new CPU isn’t the only reason you’ll want this laptop. The Inspiron 13 5000 also has a 360-degree hinge that lets you use the 13.3-inch laptop in four different modes: tent mode for reading recipes in real time, stand mode for watching movies on an airplane, tablet mode for reading online, and laptop mode for everyday work.
We reviewed a Core i5 Skylake-based Inspiron 13 7000 this summer, which offers a similar form factor to the newer Kaby Lake-based Inspiron 13 5000. At about three and a half pounds, it’s not heavy for a laptop, but holding the 2-in-1 with one hand and swiping with the other while in tablet mode could leave you with a sore arm. You could use it resting on a table, but keep in mind that the 13 5000 is a laptop first and foremost.
Design-wise, the 13 5000 features an attractive brushed aluminum exterior. The laptop’s keyboard is inset into the chassis and its keys — while a touch small — are well spaced with plenty of room in between. The keys are backlit and the touchpad offers support for multi-touch gestures.
A full HDMI port lets you connect external displays or your HDTV to the laptop. Other ports include two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, and one USB 2.0 port. There’s also built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Priced at $800 after the coupon, the Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop is not the cheapest laptop in the market, but if you require the latest CPU and are a fan of convertibles, this upgrade should be well worth the price of admission.
