Dell 16 review
This review measures the Dell 16 against the full 53-spec sheet we track for laptops, comparing it like for like with the 110 other models in our database. It earns a VS Score of 45 out of 100 — the weighted result of every verified specification measured against the class average.
On the spec sheet it is strongest in connectivity and weakest in audio & camera. Its clearest single advantage over the class average: 0.5 more USB-A ports — 2 vs 1.5 (avg). None of our retail partners currently lists the Dell 16, so availability may be limited; a missing price never affects the VS Score.
Category strengths
Where the Dell 16 beats the average
- Has dedicated graphics ?
- Has upgradeable RAM ?
- Has numeric keypad ?
- Has anti-glare display ?
- Has SD card reader ?
- 0.5 more USB-A ports ?2 vs 1.5 (avg)
- Has fingerprint reader ?
- 1.37 " more screen size ?16 " vs 14.63 " (avg)
- Has HDMI port ?
- Has 1080p webcam ?
Where the Dell 16 trails the average
- 4.72 GB less RAM ?8 GB vs 12.72 GB (avg)
- 0.44 kg more weight ?1.98 kg vs 1.54 kg (avg)
- No Thunderbolt / USB4 ?
- No IR camera (Windows Hello) ?
- 2,432.69 less Geekbench score ?8,120 vs 10,552.69 (avg)
- 571.96 GB less SSD storage ?2,048 GB vs 2,619.96 GB (avg)
- 1.14 less USB-C ports ?1 vs 2.14 (avg)
- 17.3 Hz less refresh rate ?60 Hz vs 77.3 Hz (avg)
- 37.85 W less charging power ?65 W vs 102.85 W (avg)
- 141.98 px less resolution ?1,200 px vs 1,341.98 px (avg)
Editor’s note
The Dell 16 is what used to be called an Inspiron: a mainstream, plastic-bodied 16-inch laptop built to a price. It uses Intel's Core 5 120U — a 10-core efficiency-focused chip without an NPU — alongside 8GB of upgradeable DDR5, a 2TB SSD and, in this configuration, a discrete GeForce MX570 with 2GB of memory.
The appeal is size and value. A 16-inch 1920×1200 anti-glare panel in a 16:10 ratio gives real working area for spreadsheets and split-screen browsing, and there is room for a numeric keypad. Memory is upgradeable to 32GB and the SSD is replaceable, which extends the useful life considerably for a budget machine. There is a fingerprint reader, an SD card reader and a 64Wh battery, and it comes in at 1.98kg — heavy for carrying daily, reasonable for a home laptop that moves between rooms.
The cost-cutting shows in predictable places. The display is 60Hz and Dell does not publish an sRGB figure for it, which usually means coverage is modest. There is no Thunderbolt or USB4 — one USB-C and two USB-A, plus HDMI — so fast external storage and multi-monitor docking are limited. There is no IR camera, so no face unlock. The MX570 is an entry-level GPU that helps with media work and light gaming but should not be mistaken for a gaming card. And the Core 5 120U has no AI acceleration at all.
Buy it if you want a large-screen home or student laptop with a numpad, expandable memory and plenty of storage, and you mostly work in a browser and Office. Skip it if you want colour accuracy, high refresh, Thunderbolt docking or real gaming performance.
Specifications
Quality bars are generated automatically against 110 other laptops.
Design
A lighter laptop is easier to carry around.
A thinner laptop is more portable.
The chassis material (e.g. aluminium).
The keys are illuminated for use in the dark.
Sign in quickly and securely with a fingerprint.
The screen folds back or detaches to work as a tablet.
A dedicated number pad speeds up data entry.
The colour options the laptop is sold in.
Display
A larger screen is better for productivity and media.
A matte, anti-glare finish reduces reflections in bright rooms.
The vertical pixel count; higher is sharper.
A higher refresh rate is smoother for scrolling and gaming.
Brighter screens are easier to read in bright rooms.
Higher colour-gamut coverage means more accurate, vivid colour.
The display technology (e.g. OLED, IPS).
The proportional relationship between screen width and height.
OLED panels offer deeper blacks and better contrast than LCD.
The screen responds to touch input.
Performance
The CPU model powering the laptop.
More cores help demanding workloads.
More RAM improves multitasking.
The memory standard (e.g. LPDDR5X); newer is faster.
The memory can be replaced or expanded later.
More solid-state storage holds more files and apps.
The GPU handling graphics and gaming.
A separate GPU greatly outperforms integrated graphics.
More video memory helps gaming and creative workloads.
A synthetic score estimating overall CPU performance.
A CPU rendering benchmark; higher scores mean faster multi-threaded work.
The neural engine's trillions-of-operations-per-second rating for on-device AI.
The most memory the laptop can be configured or upgraded with.
The SSD standard (e.g. PCIe 4.0 NVMe); newer is faster.
Supports very fast Thunderbolt or USB4 connections.
Battery
A larger battery generally lasts longer.
Estimated hours of use on a charge.
Higher wattage recharges the battery faster.
Charge over a standard USB-C cable / power bank.
Charges quickly from empty.
Connectivity
More USB-C ports add flexibility.
Standard USB-A ports for older peripherals.
Connect to external displays without an adapter.
Read camera memory cards directly.
A wired network port for a stable connection.
A 3.5mm jack for wired headphones and headsets.
Supports faster, less congested Wi-Fi 6E.
The Wi-Fi generation supported; later is faster.
A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.
A higher resolution webcam looks better on calls.
Audio & camera
A Full-HD webcam is much sharper than 720p.
Log in by face with an infrared camera.
Two speakers deliver richer, more immersive sound.
More microphones improve voice pickup on calls.
Software
The OS the laptop ships with.
How the VS Score works — and what it can’t tell you
Every measurable spec is scored against the average of all the laptops we track: matching the class average scores 50, clearly beating it climbs towards 100, and each spec counts according to an editorial weight that reflects real-world impact — a battery-capacity gap moves the score far more than a colour-options list. The quality bars on the spec cards above show where this model sits inside the full range for its class, and the overall VS Score rolls every weighted result into one number.
Unknown values are never estimated. A spec this product doesn’t report simply drops out of its scoring — it isn’t penalised with a guess — but a thinner spec sheet does mean a score built on fewer data points, which is why completeness is disclosed under About this data.
Most importantly: a spec-sheet lead is not the same as a better product. Megapixels, gigahertz and benchmark points describe capacity, not experience — image processing, software optimisation, thermals, haptics and ergonomics decide how a device actually feels, and no table captures reliability or long-term support quality. Treat the VS Score as a structured summary of what can be measured, not a substitute for your own priorities.
About this data
- Specifications are compiled from each manufacturer’s official spec sheet, cross-checked against trusted specification databases, and normalised into one schema so identical things are compared identically.
- Specifications last verified July 27, 2026.
- Data completeness: 50 of the 53 specs in this category are verified (94%). Anything we could not verify is shown as Unknown — never estimated — and is excluded from the score.
- Prices and availability come from live retailer feeds via our shopping partners and refresh throughout the day; a missing price means no partner currently lists the product, not that it is discontinued.
- Want the full picture? Our editorial guidelines explain how we research products, weight the scores and stay independent.
- Spotted an error in a spec? Tell us and we will correct the sheet.
Laptops with similar specs to the Dell 16
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The bottom line
The Dell 16 earns a VS Score of 45, a solid mid-pack result among the 111 laptops we compare here. It stands out for has dedicated graphics, has upgradeable RAM and has numeric keypad. Just be aware of 4.72 GB less RAM and 0.44 kg more weight before you buy. Weigh those trade-offs against what matters most to you.
The VS Score is generated automatically from the weighted specifications above, measured against all other laptops in our database. Treat it as a shortlisting guide — not a substitute for your own priorities.
