Dell’s New 2013 Inspirion 7000 Series: 14, 15, & 17 (Update: Black Friday Coupon!)

Update 1/24/14: There’s a site-wide Dell $50 off coupon which was released on Black Friday, and itcurrently works on all Inspiron 7000 series laptops. Use coupon number: WD0RTDJWM4QC1F (expires Jan. 31st)

If you EVER try to buy a computer from Dell’s newly redesigned website, you’ll probably be confused right off the bat by the multitude of products and models offered. Dell has so many different variations just for the Inspirion series laptops alone… There’s the Inspirion R, Inspirion Z, etc. etc.

With the latest Fall-2013 lineup, Dell is (thankfully) introducing a simple three tier concept: good (3000 series), better (5000 series) and best (7000 series). Today, we’ll look at the new 7000 series from across the different sizes and give you the best coupon and cost breakdown.

Key Features of Inspirion 7000 Series

• All 7000 series comes with Gorilla Glass touchscreen
• Resolution starts at 1366 x 768 (boo) but option of full HD 1920 x 1080 is available (yay)
• Available in 14-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes
• All powered by Intel’s latest 4th Gen Haswell
• All aluminum surfaces with backlit keyboards
• Starting price is $699

Inspiron 15 7000 = The Mainstream Choice

The new Inspiron 15 7000 series laptops are an exemplary “mainstream” choice mid-range machine. Even though this is the 7000 series, with a starting price of $699, you can’t really argue that this is Dell’s top-of-the-line offering (we leave that for the Dell XPS series).

What you’ll get is a completely new designed laptop that was just released last month (September). All 7000 series come with a 10-point touchscreen, so for the Inspiron 15 model you essentially have TWO options: a Core i5-4200U processor or a faster Core i7-4500U. The Core i5 model comes with 6GB of RAM, where as the Core i7 comes with more RAM at 8GB.

In terms of size, the new 2013 Inspirion 15 7000 series comes in at 5.7 lbs (2.6 kg) and has a thickness of only 0.8-inches (or 20.5mm). While its certainly not the lightest laptop on the market, these are quite thin machines for 15-inchers.

While discrete GPU and higher resolution 1080p panel was promised, thus far you can’t order either on Dell’s website. Why? Who knows. It doesn’t make much sense to us, but the latest coupon on the 15-inch 7000 series can be found below.

Edit: Because of its flush design, on first appearance it may seem like replacing the battery on the new 7000 series will be difficult but its as simple as removing the bottom base cover then unscrewing the battery. You’ll have immediate access to the hard drive here too, so if you want to eventually upgrade to a SSD you can do so too. Details in the Inspiron 15 7000 series owner’s manual (PDF, 3MB).

[box_light]$649.99 – Inspirion 15 7000 Core i5-4200U, TouchUse coupon WD0RTDJWM4QC1F (expires soon)[/box_light]

Inspirion 17 7000 = Desktop Replacement

The biggest laptop from the new 7000 series is of course the Inspiron 17. Unlike the 15-inch version, you’ll have three config options to start off with starting at $849.99, going up to $999.99, and ending at $1,249.99 for the top-end model.

The first two configurations have a few similarities: both have 1600 x 900 LED panel and Intel HD Graphics 4400 integrated GPU. The cheaper $849 model comes with a Core i5-4200U CPU, and the upgraded $999 model comes with a Core i7-4500U.

The highest end model comes with the same Core i7 and also includes a few extras to justify the higher price tag: a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution display panel along with the speedy GeForce GT 750M with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM – essentially, if you an Inspiron 17 7000 series for gaming purposes, just fork over a little more money and get top of the line.

Having a 17.3-inch screen, the laptop is going to be a lot heftier, weighing in at 7.3 lbs (or 3.29 kg). However, thickness is kept to a minimum, as the laptop is only 1.1-inch thick (27.7mm).

[box_light]$849.99 – Inspirion 17 7000 Core i5-4200U, Touch, 8GB RAM
Use coupon WD0RTDJWM4QC1F (expires soon)[/box_light]

Inspirion 14 7000 = Ultraportable Balance

For those on the go, the smallest of the bunch will be the Inspiron 14 7000 series. It’s designed with portability in mind. Weighing at under 5 lbs (4.5 lbs or 2.02 kg), the Inspiron 14 7000 is the lightest one of all. It is also the thinnest of the bunch at only 0.6-inch thick – making it an incredibly thin laptop.

The kicker is the Inspiron 14 has a much higher starting price when compared to the 15 or 17 due to the STANDARD 14-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution touchscreen display. No need to downgrade or upgrade here as this 14-inch is a solid competitor aimed directly at Apple’s MacBook Pro 13.

While I personally wish that the Inspiron 14 7000 series comes with a much lighter frame, in terms of its complete specification setup things are decent enough. Like the 15-inch, you have two choices: a Core i5 with 6GB of RAM or a Core i7 with 8GB of RAM.