Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620: A Comprehensive Review
The gaming and rendering laptop market is witnessing intense competition as every laptop manufacturer strives to dominate the industry by releasing new and powerful devices. Among the top players in this race is Dell, a renowned manufacturer known for its impressive laptops.
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620
Today, we will delve into the latest addition to Dell’s Inspiron 16 series, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620. This laptop stands out not only due to its high specifications but also its sleek and slim design. It offers improved portability, which has been a common issue with previous generations of rendering laptops. Moreover, it is Nvidia Studio Certified, making it suitable for advanced 3D rendering, drawing/editing, and video editing tasks.
In terms of design and portability, the Inspiron 16 Plus surpasses the previously reviewed models. However, we reserve judgment on its performance as these models vary in specifications across different aspects. To get a clearer picture of performance, refer to the testing section below.
Specifications
| Display | 16.0-inch 16:10 3K (3072 x 1920) IPS AG Non-Touch, 300nits, 100% sRGB |
| Processor | 2th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H (24 MB cache, 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 4.70 GHz Turbo) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060, 6 GB GDDR6, 60 W |
| Memory | 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR5, 4800 MHz |
| Storage | 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 (likely), or other options available |
| Connectivity | Ports 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 1 Thunderbolt™ 4.0 port with DisplayPort™ and Power Delivery 1 Universal headset jack 1 HDMI 2.0 port 1 power-adapter port |
| Battery | 6 Cell, 86 Wh, integrated |
| Weight | Starting weight: 2.05 kg (4.51 lbs.) |
| Dimensions | Height: 16.95 mm – 19.95 mm (0.67 in. – 0.79 in.) Width: 356.78 mm (14.05 in.) Depth: 251.9 mm (9.92 in.) |
Let’s start with the technical specifications of the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620. The laptop boasts dimensions of 356.78*251.90*16.95mm and weighs approximately 2.05kg. While not record-breaking in terms of thickness, it is certainly an improvement compared to previously reviewed notebooks. The laptop features a larger 16-inch display, which results in increased length and width compared to its counterparts.
Design and Appearance
At first glance, it is challenging to determine whether the Inspiron 16 Plus belongs to the gaming segment or not. Thanks to the Nvidia Max-Q Technology, now upgraded to the fourth generation, and the design optimizations powered by AI, the laptop has become thinner and more elegant.
The entire notebook sports a Dark Green color with a matte texture, emphasizing its simplicity of design. The display shell showcases the traditional Dell logo in the middle, and the display hinges at the bottom, elevating the notebook slightly for better heat dissipation.
Display: Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620
Upon opening the laptop, you are greeted with a larger 16-inch Anti-Glare Non-Touch IPS LCD display. This display boasts a 16:10 aspect ratio and supports a higher 3K (3072*1920p) resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 300nits peak brightness. The side bezels of the screen are minimal, increasing the screen-to-body ratio. The upper bezel, while slightly thicker, houses the webcam along with a slider that can block the camera view to ensure privacy protection. The webcam supports Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps and features a Dual-Array microphone for smooth video conferencing.
Unfortunately, the official information regarding the display’s color gamut details has not been disclosed. Therefore, conducting a color gamut test is necessary. Following careful analysis, we discovered the following data: an average color accuracy, 77% DCI-P3 color gamut, 74.3% Adobe RGB, and 99.5% sRGB color gamut. It is worth noting that the notebook supports Dell’s flagship feature, “Triple Eye Protection Technology,” which reduces harmful blue light emitted by the display, resulting in reduced eye fatigue without compromising color accuracy.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard design of the Inspiron 16 Plus perfectly aligns with the overall aesthetic of the laptop. It features a standard Carbon Black backlit keyboard with a simple yet elegant design. The key travel feels sufficient, and the uniform backlighting ensures a stable typing experience. However, the absence of a numeric keypad leaves the keyboard feeling somewhat incomplete. In a large 16-inch notebook, it would have been easy to incorporate a numeric pad.
The Touchpad surface is divided by a line, and the middle part of this surface features the same Dark Green color as the body. Dell refers to this Touchpad as the Precision Seamless TouchPad. It adopts a “three sides facing the keyboard area” design, with the upper side integrated with the Keyboard side. The Touchpad’s large area allows for convenient cursor accessibility across the entire screen. Overall, the Touchpad provides a smooth user experience.
Ports
In an attempt to make laptops slimmer and lighter, many manufacturers often compromise on the number and variety of ports. However, the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 offers almost every significant type of port without sacrificing its form factor.
Starting from the left side, you’ll find a 150W DC Port, an HDMI port, a USB Type-A 3.2 Port, and a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 Port. On the right side, there’s another USB Type-A 3.2 Interface, a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack, and a TF Card slot.
It’s important to note that the model we received for review has a TF Card slot. However, another variant featuring the RTX 3050Ti GPU replaces the Micro SD slot with an SD Card slot. With the abundance of ports, users won’t need to carry a docking station.
RAM and SSD
Before delving into the details of RAM and SSD, it’s important to note that the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 supports DDR5 RAM and PCIe 3.0 Gen SSD. The inclusion of DDR5 RAM aligns with the latest standards. However, other manufacturers are moving towards PCIe 5.0 SSDs, while the Inspiron 16 Plus still utilizes the older PCIe 3.0 SSDs.
The model we received for review features 32GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. The 32GB RAM consists of a Dual Channel configuration with two 16GB RAM modules, clocked at 4800MHz. The motherboard reveals two RAM slots, both of which are equipped with 16GB RAM modules. It’s worth mentioning that the notebook supports a maximum of 64GB RAM, so if 32GB isn’t sufficient, there is an option to upgrade. However, considering the primary purpose of this notebook is gaming, 32GB of memory is more than enough.
We did the AIDA64 Cache and Memory Benchmark to test the RAM’s capabilities. As a result, the subsequent numbers were gathered: 66,135 MB/s Read Speed, 64,695 MB/s Write Speed, 62,483 MB/s Copy Speed, and a latency rate of 95.6 ns. These Memory Benchmark scores are quite impressive when compared to previously reviewed notebooks.
Moving on to the storage aspect, the laptop features a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD (model number: BC711) manufactured by SK Hynix. The SSD follows the M.2 2230 form factor. There is a single slot for the SSD, which means you’ll need to replace the current SSD if you want to upgrade the storage capacity.
To test the SSD’s performance, we used the CrystalDiskMark software and obtained the following results: 3561.27MB/s Sequential Read Speed, 2608.42MB/s Sequential Write Speed, 76.31MB/s 4K Random Read Speed, and 241.25MB/s 4K Random Write Speed. The benchmark results, while not as impressive as expected, can be attributed to the notebook’s use of older PCIe 3.0 Gen protocols. In contrast, previously reviewed notebooks with the same CPU and GPU support the faster PCIe 4.0 Gen protocols, resulting in better performance.
Battery and Charging
The Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 comes equipped with a 6-cell 86Wh battery, covering a substantial area on the motherboard, as observed during the teardown. The battery is a Li-ion type with a capacity of 7167mAh, and it carries the model number 69KF2. Interestingly, the same battery has been used in Dell’s previous business segment notebooks. With this large battery capacity, users can expect an extended battery backup during gaming sessions or even longer under normal usage. Additionally, the laptop comes with a 130W AC Adapter out of the box.
CPU
Powering the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 is Intel’s latest 12th Generation Core i7-12700H CPU. This model only offers one CPU option. The CPU consists of 14 cores, including 6 Performance cores and 8 Energy-efficient cores, and supports 20 threads. The Performance Cores can achieve a maximum frequency of 4.7GHz, while the Energy-Efficient Cores have a maximum frequency of 3.5GHz. The CPU features 24MB of Intel Smart Cache memory and supports a maximum power release of 115W (45W Base Power Release). We conducted a single CPU benchmark test, and the results are as follows:
Cinebench R23: This test represents the CPU’s theoretical performance, and the Core i7-12700H scored 1,779 points in Single-Core and 17,608 points in Multi-Core.
GPU
The Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 is not only equipped with the Core i7-12700H CPU but also features the RTX 3060 Mobile GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 memory. The GPU is based on the GA106 Ampere Architecture, features a 192-bit memory bus, supports PCIe 4.0 Gen protocols, and has a maximum power release of 60W. We conducted several benchmark tests on the GPU, and the results are as follows:
3DMark Time Spy: The GPU testing yielded a score of 6,796 points, approximately 25% higher than that of the RTX 2060.
V-Ray GPU CUDA: With GPU Cuda Acceleration enabled, the score reached 772 points, meeting the demands of most 3D modeling software.
Adobe Premiere Pro: With CUDA Acceleration enabled, the score reached 642 points, indicating that editing 4K videos will be smooth, with no need for proxies.
Adobe After Effects: Once again, with CUDA Acceleration enabled, the notebook scored 1,158 points, demonstrating its ability to handle more complex video special effects with ease.
Cooling System and Stress Testing
Upon teardown, we observed the heat dissipation system of the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620. It consists of two fans, covering both the CPU and GPU, as well as five heat pipes for efficient heat dissipation. Additionally, the manufacturer has incorporated ventilation holes on both the right and left sides. The cooling system, as per specifications, appears to be adequate, but testing is crucial to determine the actual results. To assess its capabilities, we conducted separate stress tests on the CPU and GPU, as well as a combined test.
CPU Stress Test: For this test, we used the AIDA64 Single-Bake FPU. After 15 minutes of testing, the CPU’s temperature reached 62°C, and the power consumption stabilized at 45W.
GPU Stress Test: We employed the FurMark Benchmark for this test. Thanks to RTX 3060’s Dynamic Boost Technology, the GPU’s power release remained around 65W, matching the actual power release of the RTX 3060. The temperature hovered around 60°C. With a 65W power release, the energy-efficient ratio is at its highest, enabling maximum output within this lightweight and thin chassis.
Combined Test: In this test, we used the same applications as in the independent tests. After 15 minutes of testing, the CPU’s power release settled at around 36W, with a temperature of approximately 68°C. The GPU’s power release remained at 60W, and the temperature stabilized at 65°C. The overall power release during the test was 95W.
Through extensive testing, we observed that the laptop efficiently handled these demanding scenarios. It did not compromise the comfortable working experience and remained quiet even during heavy usage. In this aspect, the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 beats its rivals, particularly the HP Omen 16 (2022) and Lenovo Legion 5i Pro.
Comprehensive Testing
The comprehensive testing phase allows us to evaluate the laptop’s overall performance. For this assessment, we utilized two applications: PCMark 10 and CrossMark.
CrossMark: The overall performance result for this test was 1,865, with 1,746 points awarded for productivity, 2,010 for creativity, and 1,768 for response capability. These results show that the notebook is capable of doing all daily office chores with ease.
PCMark 10: This test yielded a total score of 7,055 points, including 10,186 for Common Functions, 8,972 for Productivity, and 10,453 for Content Creation.
While the test results were not as exceptional as expected, the laptop still performs well across various tasks.
Conclusion
For those seeking a laptop that caters to both gaming and business needs, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 is an excellent choice. It features a slim and lightweight design with an eye-catching aesthetic, complemented by outstanding performance facilitated by the Core i7-12700H CPU and RTX 3060 GPU combination. Additionally, based on Nvidia Studio Certification and various benchmark results, the laptop excels not only in the gaming segment but also in productivity tasks.
The reviewed model, equipped with the specifications mentioned above, is currently priced at $1,949. However, for budget-conscious individuals, the Inspiron 14 Plus series offers a similar design and aesthetic appeal, albeit with slightly lower specifications and a smaller size.
