Buyers thirsting for AMD's Ryzen APUs' attractive blend of multi-core CPU performance and modern Radeon Vega graphics might have something to look forward to. Dell's latest Inspiron 7000 13 2-in-1 isn't the company's first Ryzen-powered portable or the first hybrid notebook with a backward-folding hinge carrying the unique chip, but it is the first 13" 2-in-1 we can recall with a Ryzen APU.
Ryzen 5 2500U and Ryzen 7 2700U APUs are on offer. The lesser chip sports integrated Vega 8 graphics while its bigger brother is equipped with a Vega 10 IGP. Base models of the Inspiron 7000 13 convertible come with 8 GB of RAM, and step-up models are fitted with 12 GB. Dell says the maximum supported memory capacity is a relatively-limited 16 GB.
All versions of the notebook get a 256-GB SSD. Some might have trouble fitting everything they need on that amount of space, but we're happy to not see a sluggish hard-drive-only variant. All AMD-powered Inspiron 7000 13 2-in-1s get the same 1920×1080 IPS touchscreen display. Dell doesn't talk about the refresh rate, but the mainstream nature of the machines probably means it's the usual 60 Hz. The keyboard is backlit, and the webcam supports Windows Hello feature thanks to its infrared capabilities.
The Inspiron 7000 measures 12.7" wide, 8.8" deep, and 0.8" thick (32 cm x 22 cm x 1.9 cm) and weighs 3.9 lbs (1.8 kg). Dell doesn't say a word about battery life expectancy, but the included pack is a three-cell number with a 42-WHr capacity. Hopefully the Inspiron can spend more time away from a wall outlet than the Ryzen-packing HP Envy x360 did in our testing. The sides of the machine are studded with an HDMI 1.4 display output, two USB Type-A ports, and one Type-C connector. We're a bit disappointed about the HDMI 1.4 connector given the Ryzen APU's ability to handle 3840×2160 resolution, though. Users can connect to a network using the built-in 1×1 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The Dell Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 with AMD's Ryzen APU starts at $730. That much scratch nets buyers a machine with a 13.3" IPS touchscreen display, a Ryzen 5 2500U processor with Vega 8 graphics, 8 GB of 2400 MT/s DDR4 memory, and a 256-GB SSD. A quicker configuration with a Ryzen 7 2700U APU and 12 GB of memory is available for $880. For comparison's sake, a unit with the same memory and storage configuration coupled with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor costs $850. Dell backs the machines with a one-year warranty.