New Dell Inspiron 14 7000 / 7437

New Inspiron 14 7000 Series Thin & Light Laptop Details | Dell

I was in the market for a 14" full HD laptop, but didn't see anything on here about this model.

The main concern I have with it right now is that it comes with just a 500 GB HDD 5400 RPM storage. Anybody have an idea on whether this can be replaced by a 256/512 GB SSD?

Also, I am assuming onboard RAM means it can't be upgraded?

Thanks

 

You should be able to replace the primary drive with an SSD... I can't find a service manual so I'm not sure about the onboard RAM. If you're lucky it might be half soldered and half removable.

 

I just did a live chat with Dell and they confirmed that the hard drive is user replaceable without voiding the warranty. It looks pretty solid... I'd like to wait and see how the display is though. Even though it's 1080p it could be TN which would be disappointing...

 

I actually ordered the Core i7 model. I'm now looking at QHD+ resolution ultrabooks and I don't know if I want to settle for 1080p. For what it's worth, I'd say the Inspiron 7437 is a bargain. I wouldn't really mind the 1080p resolution if the screen quality is good. I don't know why there aren't any other videos of the Inspiron 7000 series. From the videos I've seen, they have only shown us the start screen with the Live Tiles. They were also recording in areas with odd lighting, too. I hope the screen quality is on par with the VAIO Pro series...

 

All the RAM is soldered to the mainboard, there's no slots at all. Not upgradable.

The hard drive is just a standard laptop hard drive so you can replace it with any SATA SSD. Not sure if it is 7mm or 9mm yet though (EDIT: 5mm). There's also an MSATA slot (EDIT: confirmed)

 

The battery is integrated! NOOOOO! [screaming echoes]
I don't know if I should go by the charge cycle of 300 charges and discharges for the battery. I'm sure li-ion batteries can last for more than that before it shows any signs of major dwindling in battery life. The 15 and 17 inch models each have a user replaceable battery though. Welp, I guess that's the price you pay for having ultra-portability.

 

It's not even ultra-portable. Disappointing.

I assume that Dell's extended warranties don't cover the battery, correct?

 

I meant for the form factor. Oops. It's not considered "ultra-portable" at around 4.5 lbs. :/
I'm not sure about the warranty thing.

 

They could have made everything smaller, and reducing that bulky bezel. Typical of Dell. Should have opted out 13 inch style with thin bezel like the xps 13..

But still very impressed with the design. Slow clap.. kudos.. My faith is somewhat restored after enduring the ugly E6420/30 designs..

 

Hi, Kavery.

The RAM is upgradable, but there is no 16 GB option at Dell's website. If the RAM is soldered, how can I upgrade it to 16GB?

Also, is there an option for SSD while buying from Dell or should I upgrade the HD myself?

 

I have had mine since last Friday. The screen is great. I think it is better than my wifes VAIO pro. My only problem with this machine is that the touchpad was causing a problem with 2 finger swipe where it jumped to the top of the page. A known problem with the XPS 15. Support found a different driver that was not listed that corrected it but I shouldn't have had to waist two hours. The batter life has been excellent and compare to my 4 year old Inspiron this is lightweight.

 

How long is the battery last?
Thanks

 

I just got mine today. The screen quality is great! It's on par with the other high-end ultrabooks (VAIO Pro 13 and Aspire S7) and even the Surface Pro. I was so worried that it would have washed out colors like the 768p and 900p 15.6 and 17 inch models that I saw on display at Best Buy, but to my surprise, the colors were wonderful. I haven't done a browsing test yet to see what the battery life is. I hovered the cursor over the battery icon and it read "13 hours 22 minutes" at 91%. Had Firefox on with 1 tab open. It's also on the power saver mode at 25% brightness. The battery life could drop slightly with use, though.

At 4-point-something pounds, I wouldn't exactly call this lightweight.

 

I got mine today and I'll agree the screen is nice. The keys don't quite have as much travel as I am used to and the keyboard is slightly smaller so it will take a little getting used to before I stop typoing like crazy.

The memory is totally not upgradable, it is soldered to the mainboard. They may offer 16GB at some point but you can't upgrade it yourself. I slapped an MyDigitalSSD 240GB mSATA in it and it screams. However, because it doesn't come with installation media, neither my Windows 8 OEM nor full version DVDs work with the product key in the BIOS. Hopefully, the Dell USB key a friend has at work will allow me to complete the fresh install.

 

How did you guys get the 14" inch models already?

I ordered mine 5 days ago and I'm not supposed to get it for another week!

 

I ordered it on October 1st. I was going to ask the guy who got his last Friday. I know Best Buy had the 15.6 and 17-inch models on display early, but dang.

 

To early owners, about the screen greatness, i guess you're talking about the 1080p screen, right ?

 

The 7000 series looks good.

 

When are you supposed to get yours from dell?

 

I got mine on the 10th. I'll post pictures on the screen quality later.

Yes. The 1080p 14" model at least. I don't know about the 15.6 and 17-inch versions and their 1080p screens. I have seen them (768p and 900p) on display and they're uh... pretty standard for low budget laptops.

Here are some pictures I've taken using my GS3. The images are compressed to keep the file sizes small. It doesn't do the actual screen justice. The photos are darker than they actually are. Brightness is set to 100%:

I Googled "nature photography" to try to get thumbnails of images with lots of vibrant colors.

Here's a picture of the viewing angle from above:

 

Thank you. Very nice screen and viewing angles indeed.

btw, is the fan always on/annoying or it turns off for basic tasks ?

Also, battery life on this lap should be pretty awesome.

 

I am still trying to familiarize with Windows 8, so I haven't done much on it. I browsed the web for 2+ hours on 30 - 40% brightness and the battery life fell from 87% to 50%. (It's on battery saver mode.) I haven't charged it since I got it. I'm still trying to figure out which browser's the best for W8. The fan is pretty quiet. If you're in a quiet environment, you'd hear a faint humming, The laptop's temperature is warm-ish on the bottom, which is good. I haven't played any games on it yet to determine how loud the fan gets or how high the temperature gets.

 

Hi, I ordered Inspiron 14 7000 last week, supposed to receive next week, I don't consider myself too technical, can you please answer these questions?

How difficult is installing msata, Getting to the slot etc, is this fairly straight forward?

Can I keep the HDD and just move the OS to Msata and change the boot preference to msata?

Is there any specs like length etc. I need keep in mind before ordering msata?

Finally you suggest msata or swapping HDD with SSD, can I use 7mm SSD in this?

Thanks!

 

I placed an order for a 14 inch 7000 series today. I probably will upgrade to an SSD. I've never delt with a mSata drive before and I would like to learn more. I did install a SSD in a Dell 8500 a couple of months ago and yes, Dell makes it impossible (I gave up after 2 days) to use the product key that you pull out of the bios to do a clean install. It really is criminal. The only thing that worked for me was cloning using Aconis 2013. Only then was I able to get a dual drive system booting win 8 off of the SSD.

 

Here are more viewing angle pictures. I looked for the Nokia screen test image. Pictures are taken in the dark with the brightness set to 100%.

Front:


More to the side:


Even more to the side:


From above: (Not that anyone would actually stare at the screen from above.)

 

It is straight-forward but you do have to remove like half the guts of the laptop to get to it. The mSATA slot is on the bottom of the motherboard so you have to take off the cover, the battery, the fan, the speakers, the motherboard and 90% of its wiring to be able to flip it over. I need to take mine back apart because the keyboard backlight doesn't work any more and I don't know if it just needs a driver or I didn't hook it back up right. mSATAs are standard size so any will do. Make sure it comes with the screw because the laptop just has the hole, and the mSATA will not stay in place without a screw. The MyDigitalSSD that I used thankfully included a screw (and literally that was all that was in the package, a card and a screw).

I think you can use an app to clone the hard drive to mSATA, but I didn't go that way. I reinstalled by using a friend's Dell XPS 15 (2012) Windows 8 Dell-branded USB install dongle. It gave me a bunch of warnings about not being the right hardware but installed and activated no problems using the key from my BIOS. I would have gladly paid $10-20 during the buying process if Dell offered to include this with their laptop. The would even make money on it, because I can't imagine an 8GB USB stick would cost them that much.

The hard drive in the laptop is a 5mm Seagate Ultra-thin. Not sure if a 7mm would fit inside the case at all. There's no mount for the hard drive, it just fits inside a hard-drive sized hole and has teeny thin rubber boots on each end.

I am really digging on this laptop now. The standard hard drive is wicked slow so after changing that, I'm really pleased. The fans (there are two) do come on pretty high quite regularly, after a minute or so of one core being at 100%. It doesn't get too warm to keep on my lap doing my normal work (C++ development) but I haven't tried any games.

 

Thanks a lot, lot of very good info, I think I will skip mSATA for now, will get 5mm SSD and clone the HDD like you said. Thanks again.

 

thanks for the pics but I think you should take screenshots instead so we can somehow see the true quality, eh?

 

So is it just me or are 5mm SSDs way more expensive than mSata drives?

Is the mSata on the 7437 a Sata III hookup?

 

Uhm... Camera photos of different viewing angles are about as close as one can get to experiencing the actual viewing angles of the laptop. Screenshots are two-dimensional and the color production will be dependent on what monitor you're using.

 

It shows up as 6Gb/s so I'm assuming it is sata III. I get 450MB/s read 375MB/s write (sequential) so I can't tell much more beyond that. If it were sata II I'd guess you'd peak out at 375MB/s theoretical (3Gbit) or 300MB/s real-world.

@paulthuong: A screenshot of an LCD is useless. A screenshot of anything looks as good as the machine displaying it because the screen capture is at 100% color depth. A photo of the screen is more accurate because you can see how that specific display renders, which is then degraded by your display. A screenshot would just show how your screen displays the source content.

 

Which mSata SSD did you use? I am thinking about installing a 128gb Plextor M5M in mine.

 

I didn't realize that standard 7 mm SSDs weren't going to work with the 7000 14. 5 mm are going to be a lot fewer to choose from and more expensive. I agree, completely dismantling your new laptop to plug in a mSata before it goes off warranty is something to think about. Please let us know what 5 mm SSD you come up with.

 

MyDigitalSSD BP4 240GB. Reviewed at Anandtech. After just looking at that article I decided to run an ATTO benchmark... yeah definitely SATA III (550MB read 515MB write)

 

CapnBry: Couple questions

1. Are the msata and regular 5mm default seagate drive different slots? IE are you booting your OS on the msata and then you have the standard 5mm drive as additional storage?
2. Is there a draw back to installing windows on the msata drive? It seems like it would have to be faster than a standard 5400rpm drive

Also, how are you liking the laptop so far? I just ordered the 14" i7 model and it looks like they are a couple weeks out on shipping right now.

 

From owner's manual, it is clear that memory (Ram) cannot be replaced as they all soldered to the board. Only i5 with 6GB or i7 with 8 GB, no other choice.

In case if anyone interested in looking it yourself, here's Inspiron 14 7000-7437 manual PDF:
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...top/inspiron-14-7437_Owner's Manual_en-us.pdf

Page 27~29, it shows that all ram are "on board". Also, mSata slot is NOT easy to access for general users, it requires to unscrew quite a few pieces then "flip" the motherboard etc...

Battery seems to be just a customized type, it can be purchase/ordered (in future) and replaced.


PS. Inspiron 15 7000, is a different story, most parts upgradable easy, and I think Dell's representative on this forum has mistaken with it (regarding RAM).
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...top/inspiron-15-7537_Owner's Manual_en-us.pdf


.

 

Guys, I'm not 100% techie, but I noticed that this ultrabook can have intervals of noticeable rotating disk sounds or something. It doesn't bother me too much, but it would be nicer if I could just hear the fans alone. It's because it uses a traditional HDD for the the (whopping 500GB) storage, right? I don't swap hardware, so I was a little confused when you guys were talking about opting for SSDs.

 

1. Yeah there's an mSATA slot and a regular SATA drive connector. I have them both installed. The included 500GB drive spins down a lot when not in use.

2. I don't think there's a drawback to using msata for your OS drive. The original hard drive is garbage. Pure garbage. Windows 8 reports access latency times of 1-2 *seconds* when multiple things are trying to access the drive. Maximum sequential read speeds are on the order of 80MB/s. Boot times are like 10 times longer. Everything is slow slow slow. I wouldn't like this laptop nearly as much if SSDs hadn't been invented.

My overall impression is that I really like everything about the laptop except the keyboard. The display quality is great. Battery life is great (5 hours last night doing development, with 30% left). The touchscreen works fine. The trackpad is a trackpad but it works ok. The machine is fast. The fan doesn't run much. It is pretty small and it looks nice.

The problem I have with the keyboard is that there's an inch and a half on each side of it but they decided instead to not have home/end/pgup/pgdn keys. As a developer, I use these keys a lot and I still haven't wrapped my brain around pressing Fn-Arrow to get them. I have resorted to pressing the arrow key 20 times to move the cursor. Hopefully I'll break that habit. The key travel is a little short.

 

Just so I can make absolutely sure, in the 15.6 version, what size SSD should I be looking to order? 5mm? 7.5mm? something else?

thanks

 

Agreed. Dell has opted to this keyboard design since previous XPS generation, my current XPS 14 (exact same keyboard layout) is not being in "best use" due to this, which is main reason I never recommend it to my friends who seek for high productivity.

In my opinion, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, these 4 need to be dedicated keys on any serious laptop. I'm still buying Inspiron 14 7000 for new 1080p touchscreen (and as usual, will do ssd swap) to replace my old XPS 14, but I would have purchased it from day one and make recommendation to everyone.

.

 

According to the Dell 7 mm SSDs won't fit. There aren't many and they cost double. Maybe prices will drop in a year or so.

 

Would this work
Addonics Product: 1.8" mSATA - micro SATA adapter

replace 500gb hdd with that, install msata into that. No need to rip apart computer.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the HDD in the 7437 a 2.5" drive that is only 5mm tall?

Basically a normal sized notebook HDD/SSD, but thinner. A 1.8" drive is narrower, but not necessarily thinner.

 

I found this adapter on ebay

There are a bunch of other adapters including 2.5 inch on the page also. It's not clear how thick they are. They're cheap enough to try though.

 

This one definitely wouldn't work because the specs say it is 8mm.

That eBay 1.8" adapter I'd be wary of too, because those capacitors look pretty big.

 

How about the 2.5 inch one on ebay?

 

Did Dell not tell me the truth? They told me even I can put in a 9.5mm one...
I am expected to receive my 14 7000 on 18th so I have bought in advance a 7mm 1TB Seagate SSHD to replace the HDD...hopefully not gonna fail

10/08/2013 07:02:08PM Agent (Ishan K): "I am checking the HDD details, quick moment"
10/08/2013 07:04:02PM Agent (Ishan K): "There is no specific brand, we ship it with Seagate most or Samsung most of the times. Also depends on availability as they are not Dell products."
10/08/2013 07:04:11PM Agent (Ishan K): "Which every is more in stock is included"
10/08/2013 07:04:34PM Agent (Ishan K): "The computer supports upto 1TB harddrive"
10/08/2013 07:04:40PM Agent (Ishan K): "9.5 mm"
10/08/2013 07:04:43PM Agent (Ishan K): "5400 rpm"
10/08/2013 07:04:58PM Agent (Ishan K): "Supports SSD of 128GB and 256GB"
10/08/2013 07:05:02PM Agent (Ishan K): "6 GB/s"
10/08/2013 07:05:10PM Agent (Ishan K): "1.18" x 2""
10/08/2013 07:05:17PM Agent (Ishan K): "That's all the informaiton we have on harddrive."

 

I dunno if it will fit, I guess you're going to find out. In my mind, if a 9.5mm hard drive would fit in there, they would have used one because don't things cost more the smaller they are?

 

Here's my chat session
Time Details
10/15/2013 06:49:04PM Session Started with Agent (Johannes S)
10/15/2013 06:49:04PM Chris: "."
10/15/2013 06:49:12PM Agent (Johannes S): "Welcome to Dell US Chat! My name is Johannes and I will be your Dell.com Chat Expert. I can be reached at [email protected] or via voice mail at (800)456-3355 ext 7284516. How can I help you today?"
10/15/2013 06:49:15PM Agent (Johannes S): "Hi Chris. "
10/15/2013 06:50:12PM Chris: "I've ordered a an Inspiron 14 7000 touch 500 Gi. Can I fit a 7 mm SSD in the HDD compartment?"
10/15/2013 06:50:25PM Agent (Johannes S): "Glad you chatted in, I'll be more than glad to assist you. "
10/15/2013 06:50:39PM Agent (Johannes S): "Let me check that for you."
10/15/2013 06:50:45PM Agent (Johannes S): "Kindly hold on."
10/15/2013 06:53:24PM Agent (Johannes S): "Thanks for waiting. Unfortunately, there is not enought space to add the item."
10/15/2013 06:54:19PM Chris: "Bummer. 5 mm SSDs are hard to find and expensive."
10/15/2013 06:54:27PM Chris: "Thanks Johannes"
10/15/2013 06:54:34PM Agent (Johannes S): "You arem ost welcome. "
10/15/2013 06:54:40PM Agent (Johannes S): "It's my goal today to provide you with excellent customer service. Would there be anything else I may assist you with?"
10/15/2013 06:54:52PM Chris: "no thanks"
10/15/2013 06:54:56PM Agent (Johannes S): "By the way, Our Chat team strives to provide the very best levels of customer service. If you have a minute, we would really appreciate your feedback on a quick survey that will pop up in a new window once the session ends. My manager gets all the feedbac"
k and we use it to help our customers.

Thanks for choosing Dell, have a great day!
10/15/2013 06:54:59PM Session Ended

 

Just got my Inspiron 7000 14" with the i7. First things first, the build quality definitely seems better than the 15.6". Amazing screen, amazing viewing angles and great colors. Screen can actually tilt 180 degrees so the notebook lies flat and open. Keyboard has no flex like the 15.6" video. Everything seems top notch quality. The touchpad is the only thing bothering me currently, and it isn't bad, I just think I am not used to it coming from a desktop. I'm planning on making a video of it tomorrow.