Dell Inspiron 16" i5645-A806BLU-PUS Midnight Blue 2024

A surprisingly powerful and upgradeable 16-inch workhorse held back by a dim screen and a Wi-Fi card lottery. Swap the networking chip and you've got one of the best value productivity laptops around.

The Ryzen 7 8840U is the star here, and it punches well above what we'd expect in a budget-minded Inspiron. In our database, it lands in the top third for CPU performance, making quick work of heavy multitasking and productivity apps. What surprised us, though, was the integrated Radeon Graphics. It's not a gaming GPU by any stretch, but it's a strong performer for an iGPU, handling light photo editing and even some casual gaming better than Intel's older integrated solutions. The fan can get loud when you push it, but the performance is there.

Stacked against something like the HP OMEN Transcend 14, the Inspiron is in a completely different league. The OMEN is a compact gaming powerhouse with a gorgeous OLED screen, while the Dell is a larger, more practical work machine. If you're comparing it to the MSI Prestige 13 Evo, the Dell gives you a bigger screen and a more powerful processor for likely less money, but the MSI is far more portable. For pure productivity on a budget, the Inspiron is the smarter buy between those two. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a much better choice if you need real gaming performance in a small package, but you'll pay a lot more for it.

This is a fantastic value for a big-screen productivity laptop. You're getting a powerful 8-core Ryzen chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD in a well-built chassis. The fact that you can easily crack it open and upgrade the RAM to 64GB down the line is just icing on the cake. For the specs alone, it's a steal.

The Dell Inspiron 16 5645 is a straightforward, no-nonsense workhorse that nails the basics and leaves room for tinkering. The one thing to know is this: it's a surprisingly upgradeable 16-inch laptop with a genuinely fast AMD processor, wrapped in a package that feels more premium than its price suggests. It's not flashy, and it's not for gamers, but for getting actual work done, it's a solid pick. Just be ready to swap out the Wi-Fi card if you get a dud.

If you're looking for a gaming laptop or a machine with a stunning display for creative work, this isn't it. Go get an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 for gaming power in a portable size, or a MacBook Air if a bright, color-accurate screen is your top priority. This Dell is for spreadsheets, not frags or final cuts.

Buy it for the CPU performance and upgradeability, but know its weaknesses. The Inspiron 16 5645 is a killer deal for students, office workers, or anyone who needs a big, fast laptop for everyday tasks and doesn't mind a slightly dim screen. If you can live with potentially swapping a $25 Intel Wi-Fi card, you're getting a machine that will feel snappy for years. It's a practical, no-fuss recommendation.