Dell Inspiron laptops

The Dell Inspiron series is a line of laptop computers made by American company Dell under the Dell Inspiron branding. The first Inspiron laptop model was introduced before 1999. Unlike the Dell Latitude line, which is aimed mostly at business/enterprise markets, Inspiron is a consumer-oriented line, often marketed towards individual customers as computers for everyday use.
Note: This list is incomplete; the early Dell Inspiron models listed below went through a number of changes from 1997 to 2006, so the specifications on each model may be incomplete or incorrect. There are also some earlier models than these, but those have not been added to the list yet.
Released in 1998, the Dell Inspiron 2100 was a lightweight laptop that Dell branded as "Ultra-Thin & Light" and "Ultra Mobile". Its starting price was $1,699. A near-identical cousin of the 2100 was the Dell Latitude L400.
Released in 1999, the Dell Inspiron 7500 was a speedy laptop that Dell branded as "A Mobile Desktop". Its starting price was $4,101.
Released in 2000, the Dell Inspiron 3800 was an affordable laptop that Dell branded as "Stylish and Affordable". Its starting price was $1,199. A cousin of the 3800 was the Dell Latitude CPx J650GT.
Released in 2000, the Dell Inspiron 4000 was a lightweight laptop that Dell branded as "Ultra-Thin & Light" and "Light as a feather, strong as an ox". Its starting price was $1,499. Equivalent models of the 4000 were the Dell Latitude C500, C510, and C600.
Released in 2000, the Dell Inspiron 8000 was a mobile workstation that Dell branded as a mobile desktop. Its starting price was $1,649. A related model of the 8000 was the Dell Latitude C800.
Released: 2002
The Inspiron 2600 and 2650 were clones of the Latitude V710 and V740 respectively, using nearly identical hardware.
Released: 2003
The Inspiron 8500 and 8600 were mainstream notebooks that were clones of the Latitude D800 and D810, using nearly identical hardware. The Inspiron 8500 was the only model that utilized an Intel Pentium 4-M processor, while the Inspiron 8600 was based on Intel's Centrino platform and utilized an Intel Pentium M processor. The Latitude D800/D810 utilized Intel Pentium M processors like the Inspiron 8600. Since they were clones of the D800/D810, they included many Latitude-specific features such as the Dell D-Dock and the D-bay (which allowed users to swap out the CD drive for a floppy drive or secondary battery). They were also one of the first Dell laptops to use a widescreen display, alongside the Latitude D800/D810. Like the Inspiron 1100/5100 series that was also released in 2003, the 8500 and 8600 were among the first Dell laptops to be offered in Venice Blue and Moonlight Silver. Additionally, snap-on faux-wood lid covers were an available accessory which allowed customers to customize the look of their Inspiron.
Released in 2005, the Inspiron 2200 is the successor to the Inspiron 1000. It was branded as "Notebook Essentials" and started at $799.
Released in late 2005, the Inspiron 1300/B130/B120 is the successor to the Inspiron 2200. The Inspiron B120 is 14-inch, B130 is 15-inch. The Inspiron 1300 is available in both screen sizes. It cost $599 for the base model. The Inspiron 1300/B130/B120 is related to the Latitude 120L.
Released in 2003, Inspiron 1100 and 5100 series consisted of five models: the Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160. Additionally, there was a rebadged version of these models sold as the Latitude 100L. The Inspiron 1100 and 1150 were the budget line of this series, the 5100 and 5160 was the mainstream line, and the 5150 was aimed towards higher end users. This model line were among the first Dell laptops to be offered in Dell’s new color scheme: Venice Blue and Moonlight Silver (1100, 5100, 5150), or Moonlight Silver (1150, 5160, 100L).
This model line was infamous for several well documented problems, which resulted in numerous class action lawsuits against Dell. These issues included: overheating, faulty motherboards, and power supply failures. More information can be found below.
Inspiron 1100:
Released: 2003
Inspiron 1150:
Released: 2003
Inspiron 5100:
Released: 2003
Inspiron 5150:
Released: 2003
Inspiron 5160:
Released: 2004
The Dell Inspiron Mini Series is a sub-line of subnotebook/netbook computers designed by Dell. The series was introduced in September 2008 amidst the growing popularity of low-cost netbook computers introduced by competitors. This sub-line has since been discontinued.
3147: — Released in 2014, The Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 is a 2-in-1 notebook with an 11-inch touchscreen and Intel processors. It competes with Acer Aspire R 11, Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200, HP Pavilion x360, HP Stream x360, Lenovo Yoga 2 11 and Toshiba Satellite Radius 11.
3148: — — this model features a HDMI port, 1x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a headphone/microphone combo (headset) port, a media-card reader and a security-cable slot. Its processors are from the 4th generation of Intel Core i3 processors with one SO-DIMM slot supporting DDR3L memory. It uses Intel HD graphics and the Realtek ALC3234 audio controller and a 2.5-inch HDD with SATA 3 Gbit/s capabilities. The laptop has an 11.6-inch HD WLED touchscreen display with a maximum resolution of 1366 × 768 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The integrated webcam above the display has a camera resolution is 0.92 megapixel and its maximum video recording resolution is 1280x720 (HD) at 30 FPS. The battery of the laptop is a 3 cell battery with a voltage of 11.4 VDC. The power adapter bundled with the laptop is capable of 65w and outputs a 3.34 A.
3158: — —
3168: — this model features a HDMI port, 1x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a headphone/microphone combo port, a microSD card reader, and a security cable slot. It comes with a Intel Celeron N3060, Intel Pentium N3170 or Intel Core-m3 CPU, each supporting up to 4 GB of RAM. There are 2 models, one that comes with the Intel Celeron CPU, 2 or 4 GB of RAM and a 32 GB eMMC drive. As the RAM and eMMC are soldered in, you cannot upgrade this model. The other version comes with either the Pentium or Core-m3 CPU, 2 or 4 GB of RAM socketed, and a 500 GB 2.5 inch HDD, upgradable to any SATA based 2.5 inch drive. Both models are touchscreen and comes in Bali Blue, Tango Red, white and later, Fog Grey. Matching wireless mice and laptop sleeves in those colors were offered as accessories.
3162: — this model features a HDMI port, 1x USB 3.0 and 1x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a headphone/microphone combo (headset) port and a media-card reader. The laptop uses either dual-core Intel Celeron or quad-core Intel Pentium processors. The audio controller inside the laptop is a Realtek ALC3234 and the multi-car reader supports one SD card in the form factor of micro SD card of the type being SD, SDHC or SDXC. The laptop has an 11.6-inch HD WLED display with a maximum resolution of 1366 × 768 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The integrated webcam above the display has a camera resolution is 0.92 megapixel and its maximum video recording resolution is 1280x720 (HD) at 30 FPS. The battery of the laptop is a 2-cell prismatic battery with a voltage of 7.6 VDC. The power adapter bundled with the laptop is capable of 45w and outputs a 2.31 A. The Dell Inspiron 3162 is available in three colors: red, white, and blue.
3180
14" laptops under the Inspiron 3000 branding and equipped with Intel processors.
15" laptops under the Inspiron 3000 branding and equipped with Intel processors.
15" laptops under the Inspiron 3000 branding and equipped with AMD processors.
and the 3151
5368: —
5378: —
5379: —
5420: — 3rd Generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7; or AMD A4-4300M, A6-4400M, A8-4500M, A10-4600M.
5457: — Intel Pentium or 6th gen Core i3/i5/i7.
5480: — 8th gen Whisky Lake Intel Core i3/i5/i7.
5485: — 2019 2-in-1 model with Athlon 300U or Ryzen 3/4/5 3200U, 3500U or 3700U mobile processor
5490: — 2019's model with 10th gen i3, i5 and i7 with up to 16 gb ram and 1 tb ssd and graphics card up to Gtx 1650ti (4 GB)
5402: — 2020's model, Intel 11th gen up to i7-1165G7 processor; Up to 12 GB (one slot + 4 GB) DDR4, 3200 MHz. aluminium cover and palmrest, fingerprint reader option. 1920 x 1080 IPS screen.
N5110 - Predecessor model N5010. The N5110 released in 2011 with Intel Sandy Bridge platform, options for processors i3, i5 and i7.
5568
5502—
5520: — 3rd Generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7; or AMD A4-4300M, A6-4400M, A8-4500M, A10-4600M.
5521: — 3rd Generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7.
5537: — 4th Generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 with AMD Radeon Graphics.
5545: — AMD A8-7100 APU or AMD-7300 APU.
5547: — Laptop available in i5 (Non-Touch/Touch Screen), i7 (Non-Touch/Touch Screen), AMD 18 (Non-Touch) versions.
5548: — Intel Core 5th generation i5/i7 processors.
5551: — Intel (Celeron or Pentium) processors.
5552: — Intel (Celeron or Pentium) processors. 1 DDR3L RAM slot (up to 8 GB).
5555: —
5557: — 6th generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors.
5558: —
5559: —
5566: — Features Intel Kaby Lake Microprocessors.
5567: — Features Intel Kaby Lake Microprocessors
5570: — Released in 2017, and has a starting price of €599. Intel Celeron or Pentium, or 6th gen Core i3, or 7th gen Core i3/i5/i7, or 8th gen Core i3/i5/i7 processors.
5593: — Released in 2020, Up to 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1, integrated graphics, m.2 NVME SSD.
5720: —
5755: — AMD A8-7410 or AMD A10-8700P processors.
5758: — Intel (Pentium or 4th gen Core i3 or 5th gen Core i3/i5/i7) processors.
5759: — Intel 6th gen i3/i5/i7 processors.
5767: — up to Intel Core i7-7500U, 8 GB RAM and a Radeon R7 M445 (2 GB)
5770: — Intel (Celeron or Pentium or 6th gen Core i3 or 7th gen Core i3/i5/i7 or 8th gen i3/i5/i7) processors.
5775: — 2nd generation AMD Ryzen U-series processors.
Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 is a 2-in-1 notebook line with a 13-inch touchscreen, Intel processors and aluminum case. It competes with Acer Aspire R 14, Asus Transformer Book Flip, HP Pavilion 13 x360, Lenovo Yoga 3, Samsung Notebook 7 spin (13-inch), Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 and 14.
7420: — 12th Generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7; or AMD A4-4300M, A6-4400M, A8-4500M, A10-4600M.
7420/7425 - Intel variant (7420) with 12th Gen i5-1235U/i7-1255U with Iris Xe Graphics, and AMD Variant (7425) with Ryzen 5 5625U/Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics. 8 or 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz RAM. FHD+ Display. Marketed as "New Inspiron 14 2-in-1" or simply "Inspiron 14 2-in-1".
7520 SE: —
7559: — 6th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
7566: — 6th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
7567: — 7th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
7577: — 7th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
7570: — 8th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
7580: — 8th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
7590: — 9th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
7501: — 10th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
7510: — 11th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors (with USB Type-C).
Released in 2015, The Inspiron 15 7000 Series 2-in-1 is a 2-in-1 notebook with a 15-inch touchscreen and Intel processors. It competes with Acer Aspire R 15, Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500, TP550, HP Envy x360, Lenovo Flex 2 15, 3 15, Samsung Notebook 7 spin (15-inch) and Toshiba Satellite Fusion.
7720 SE: —
7737: — 4th generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors.
7746: — 5th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors.
The Inspiron 17 7000 series 2-in-1 is an convertible line with aluminum case. It uses a 17-inch display, and is the largest Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop.
The 2015 Dell Inspiron 7447 (Inspiron 14) is a gaming oriented laptop with a discrete 4 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 850M. It has either an Intel i5-4210H or the Intel i7-4710HQ with up to 8 GB of DDR3L RAM and expandable up to 16 GB.
The Dell Inspiron 7559 (Inspiron 15) is a gaming-oriented laptop with discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M and comes in black with red trim plastic case. The RAM is standard at 8 GB of DDR3L RAM and expandable up to 16 GB. It competes with the HP Pavilion Gaming Series and HP Omen.
7566 — The Inspiron 15 changes the styling from the Inspiron 15 7000 (7559) while retaining the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M dedicated graphics card.
7567 — These model has the same design as the Inspiron 15 Gaming (7566) with the main difference being the replacement of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M with either an GeForce GTX 1050 or GeForce GTX 1050Ti. The laptop uses DDR4 RAM which can be upgraded to 32 GB and has one M.2 slot for an SSD and one M.2 slot for a wireless card. The screen was improved by switching from a TN to IPS LCD.
7577 — The 2018's model changes the styling of the fan and speaker grills from the Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming (7567). The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card was replaced with a GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q for improved performance.
The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 Gaming (AMD) (5576) is a lower-priced gaming-oriented laptop using either 7th generation AMD (FX 9830P or A10 9630P) Quad Core processors. The integrated video controller is an AMD Radeon R5 or R7 with shared system memory and its discrete video controller is an AMD Radeon RX460 with 4 GB GDDR5 memory. Like the Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming series, the laptop uses DDR4 RAM which can be upgraded to 32 GB and has one M.2 slot for an SSD and one M.2 slot for a wireless card. The I/O includes one Ethernet port, one USB 3.0 port with PowerShare, two USB 3.0 data ports, one HDMI port, and one headset port. The audio controller used is a Realtek ALC3246 with Waves MaxxAudio Pro with two speakers and one subwoofer. The card reader is a 2-in-1 type supporting SD card and MultiMedia card (MMC). The webcam is capable of 1 megapixel still images and 720p HD video at 30 fps. The display used is a 15.6-inch FHD non-touch screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
The Inspiron Gaming Series (Pandora) was replaced by Dell G Series in 2018.
In the past, Dell has modified some existing Inspiron machines to produce computers of higher or lower quality. For instance, several Dell XPS and Inspiron models shared the same chassis for several years, and most of them had similar hardware specifications with each other, only differing with the options and features specific to each individual model.
The first-generation Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 (2004) are similar models, and both of them shared the same options in processors (desktop Intel Pentium 4 HT "Prescott" or Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition "Gallatin"), RAM (DDR 400 MHz), hard-drives (Ultra-ATA 5400/7200 rpm), wireless cards, LCD screens (at 15.4-inches; WXGA, WSXGA+, WUXGA) and graphics cards (ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64 MB/128 MB or ATI Mobility Radeon 9800 64 MB/128 MB), as well as using the same chassis. They were also very heavy laptops, weighing in at about 9.06 lb. In terms of their target audiences, Dell marketed the Gen 1 XPS as the "ultimate gaming machine" while the 9100 was marketed as a "desktop replacement". The Inspiron 9100 is essentially a rebadged Gen 1 XPS with the only difference being the LCD panel. While both models supports a 15.4" Samsung LCD, only the later models of the 9100 (with a 3.2 GHz CPU) use an identical LCD screen as the Gen 1 XPS with resolutions up to 1920×1200 (Dell Part #s 7T774/W3866) whereas previous Inspiron 9100s (with a 2.8-3.0 GHz CPU) used a different LCD screen with resolutions of up to 1280×800 (Dell Part # Y0316).
The second-generation Inspiron XPS (rebranded XPS M170 with GeForce Go 7800 GTX GPU) and Inspiron 9300 (2005) were also similar models, both sharing the same hardware and chassis as with the previous Gen 1 Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9100 but had their processors changed to mobile ones (the desktop Pentium 4 processors were replaced with the less-hot, lower-clocked and more power-efficient Pentium M processors) and were made lighter than prior models, being reduced to about 8.6 lb. The new models were also part of the Intel Centrino platform-marketing brand, with the two laptops being based on the Sonoma platform. The main differences between the two are the graphics cards, which on the XPS used NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra/7800 GTX GPUs whereas the Inspiron 9300 used ATI Mobility Radeon X300 GPUs in the base models. Both models featured a 17" LCD screen with the Inspiron 9300 using a slightly lower resolution screen than the XPS with resolutions of up to 1440×900.
The third-generation XPS (known as the XPS M1710), Inspiron 9400/E1705 and the Precision M90 (2006) all shared the same hardware, chassis and components with each other as with the previous Gen 2 Inspiron XPS and Inspiron 9300 in terms of processor choices and other options, with the chassis of the Gen 3 XPS being built on the latter Precision mobile workstation. These laptops were based on the Napa platform of the Intel Centrino brand name. Again, the main differences between them are the graphics cards, which on the XPS used NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 GS/7900 GTX GPUs whereas the Inspiron 9400/E1705 used Intel GMA 950 integrated GPUs or ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 discrete GPUs in the base models and the Precision M90 using NVIDIA Quadro FX 1500M/2500M GPUs. All of them shared the same 17" LCD screens with each models from different lines using different resolutions.
The practice of sharing the same chassis between the Inspiron and XPS line of laptops started to be phased out with the release of the fourth-generation XPS (the XPS M1730) in 2007, featuring a completely new and redesigned chassis separate from the other previously released Dell laptops of the time, including mainline Inspiron laptops. The new chassis takes some design cues with the equivalent Inspiron 1700/1720 and Vostro 1700 (2007) models, and few of the hardware and components were shared between the aforementioned Inspiron and Vostro laptops. Based on the Santa Rosa platform of the Intel Centrino brand name, the Gen 4 XPS has a 17" LCD screen like its predecessors, which was also shared with the Inspiron 1700/1720 and Vostro 1700 laptops with each of them using different resolutions.
Following the release of the XPS M1730 in 2007, later XPS laptops produced since 2010 no longer shared the same chassis with other Dell laptops (including Inspirons) in favor of completely new and original chassis designs. Some of its hardware and components continued to be shared with other Dell laptops, however.
In recent years, several Dell Vostro laptops share the same chassis with Inspiron laptops. For example, the Inspiron 14 5000 (5480) and Vostro 14 5000 (5481) uses the same chassis. This practice was not new; several other models prior to that have done a similar practice several years before it, where previous models such as the Inspiron 1400/1500/1700 and Vostro 1400/1500/1700 released in 2007 also shared the same chassis as well.
In 2003, Dell released several lines of Inspiron notebooks that had overheating issues. The systems would overheat and could cause damage to the microprocessor, video card, and motherboard. These systems would also randomly shut down due to overly-high internal temperatures. Overheating in these Inspiron systems is mainly caused by performance-consuming tasks and software. This problem was determined to be due to the design of the air-flow from the bottom of the system. It would draw in dirt/dust and clog the heat sink, making air unable to pass through in order to cool the system. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160. Also affected is the Latitude 100L, a near-clone of these models.
Dell acknowledged this problem and designed a new fan with a better heatsink and heatpipes to provide better cooling with less noise. Any repairs made at this point will include the redesigned parts.
On September 20, Inspiron 5150 owners in the US brought a class action against Dell. The settlement included 100% cash reimbursement for certain repairs, and an extended limited warranty to cover those types of repairs that become necessary for one year.
Following the lawsuit detailed above, in October 2006 customers who had purchased Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150, and 5160 notebooks filed a class action lawsuit against Dell, alleging misconduct in connection with the design, manufacture, warranting, advertising and selling of these computers. A similar action started in Canada.
Overheating has been reduced by using compressed air duster spray. Spraying the keyboard, the Microprocessor Thermal-Cooling Assembly located under the "I" - "backspace" keys, rear air vent/exhaust, bottom air intake, and side air vent (all located on the right side of affected systems) have been effective in reducing the running temperature from a normal operating temperature of 77-87 °C to 45-55 °C under average load.
Alternately, some users of these affected models found relief by underclocking their processors.
On a number of Inspiron 5150 and Latitude 100L systems, a design flaw in the positioning of a tab on the C panel on the underside of the laptop has led to problems. Any pressure applied to the top left-hand corner of the laptop causes this tab to press against the motherboard and in particular against the "LVC14A" chip. This causes the solder between this chip and the motherboard to break. This causes sudden shut-downs of the system as a result of any movement of the laptop; in certain cases the laptop will not re-boot at all. Dell has redesigned later models of the 5150 to avoid this problem. Some models reveal cases where someone has manually snapped off the tab from the C panel by hand during the manufacturing process. Dell currently covers this fault in the United States under the Lundell Settlement, although it is not known whether Dell will fix this fault free of charge outside the USA. In January 2007 a similar lawsuit started in Canada, and Dell in the Netherlands has agreed to repair Dutch computers following criticism in the consumer programme Kassa.
This has also been a problem with the Inspiron 1150, with the same chip giving problems with broken solder. Re-soldering is not recommended. Re-heating the pins can re-establish the connection and solve the power-off problem at the expense of possibly losing the use of the touch-pad mouse.
Dell posted notices to many of their laptop customers on August 14, 2006, saying that the sanyo batteries on the following models could combust, or even explode:
Models Affected
Users of many of these computers purchased between April 2004 and July 18, 2006 received the recommendation that they should remove the batteries and run their computers on AC power until replacements arrived. Problematic batteries made by Sony led to recall programs at other laptop computer companies as well, including Hitachi, Toshiba, Lenovo (IBM) and Apple.
Most Dell laptop computers have a special external power supply (PSU) which cannot be replaced by a third-party universal supply. The PSU has what's called UniqueWare™ Add-Only Memory, known under type DS2501. It is a parasitic power circuit memory chip connected to the center identification pin in the plug, via a 2m long unshielded wire alongside the PSU cable. This chip produces a special signal using a 1 wire communication protocol known as "1-wire" in identifying the PSU as an original Dell PSU. This chip handles all the data needed to authenticate a charge. If a power supply not made by Dell is used, or the cable near the connector becomes damaged as is not infrequent after some use, the PSU stops charging the battery and the CPU runs slower, although the computer can be used indefinitely so long as it remains plugged in. If this problem is present at startup, the message "The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. Your system will operate slower and the battery will not charge" is displayed. This will continue until the external PSU is replaced. A few third-party suppliers make power supplies with specific provision for Dell computers at lower prices than Dell's. It is possible to work round the slowdown, but not the battery charging, by installing a CPU clock utility. On some models (the 9100 for instance), the problem can be worked around by starting the computer without a battery installed and fitting the battery after the computer has booted.
Another problem arises after much use with the motherboard power connector; flap-like metal parts which contact the outside of the plug lose their tension and fail to make contact so that power does not reach the computer. The "official" solution is to replace the connector on the motherboard, which requires partial dis-assembly of the computer and desoldering a part with several pins; many companies charge a considerable sum for the work involved. Various simple alternatives have been suggested; for example a thin "skin" of solder on the outside of the barrel of the connector on the PSU (with care not to overheat the connector's plastic parts; and this thickened connector should not be used with other, not faulty Dell laptops, as it will stretch the springs and damage or even overheat the plug and socket assembly, causing them to melt or bond permanently).
One other problem can happen with the wattage rating of the power supply. There are two Dell power supplies that were used for different Inspiron models which have the same plug assembly and voltage, a 65-watt supply model PA-6 and a 90 watt supply model PA-9. Some models (for example the Inspiron 1100) shipped with a PA-9. If a PA-6 (or equivalent aftermarket supply) is used in these models then the system might not boot at times. In such cases, it will light the battery light for a few seconds when the supply is plugged in. This can also happen if the power supply becomes marginal. Marginal supplies can show as supplying full voltage even if tested with a voltmeter while the supply is plugged into the computer and an attempt is made to turn on the computer.
These problems are discussed in detail, and solutions and workarounds suggested, in a discussion on Tom's hardware site, and on The Laptop Junction site.
A problem exists with the hibernation sensor located in some older laptops. Unlike many laptops that use a mechanical switch to detect when the lid is closed, in these systems the sensor is a magnetic reed switch that is located between the touchpad and the front edge of the laptop. There is a magnet that is located in the top lid above this switch, and when the lid is closed the magnet triggers the reed switch. If the magnet loses strength then the system will not go into suspend or hibernation if the lid is closed. The magnet strength can be checked by running a paper clip along the top edge of the screen. A worse problem happens if the reed switch fails. Sometimes the switches will fail in a closed position with the contacts sticking together. In that case the system will not switch on. There are several ways to check for this. First the laptop can be partially disassembled and the mouse assembly can be unplugged from the system board and the system switched on. If the system boots with the mouse unplugged then it is the switch. Another way to check for the problem is by running a magnet over the reed switch, there should be a faint click when the magnet triggers the switch. This does not require disassembly but the magnet must be in the correct position and be strong enough. Some people have modified the circuitry of the laptop by cutting the switch off of the assembly, with the downside being the system will no longer suspend if the lid is closed.
Some 17" Inspiron 8600, 9200, 9300, 6000, 1750, and XPS Gen 2 notebook LCDs have a vertical line manufacturing defect. Symptoms range from individual lines to entire bars of the screen with inverted colors. Most problems showed after 2–4 years of usage.
Dell has been very reluctant to replace these panels after guarantee, although there was a direct link to the defective parts from their suppliers. Even warranty customers have had difficulty getting replacements, and replaced screens often develop the defect after a short time.
In some Inspiron laptops an issue exists where a hinge holding the LCD screen may, as a result of the forces resulting from the large screen, rip its plastic standoffs holding it from the chassis. This issue seems to be prevalent on the Inspiron 15-7559 and 15-5547 models.
Dell has not been uniform in their repair of such issues with some people not being able to get repair even under warranty and others being able to get repair outside of warranty.