Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK 15.6″ Touch Laptop with Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive

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The Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK is one of the configurations from the Inspiron 15 5000 5558 mainstream 15.6-inch series. The I5558-2148BLK has a touch screen, lower-mid range Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of system memory, a 1-Terabyte hard drive, and black plastic chassis as its main characteristics.

Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK - 15.6 Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Black Gloss - Keyboard

Computing relies on the Intel Core i3-4030U dual-core processor with the Intel HD 4400 integrated graphics. It belongs to the old 4th Generation “Haswell” CPU family, as opposed to newer 5th Gen Broadwell and 6th Gen Skylake with improved power efficiency and better graphics. Nevertheless, the i3-4030U is a solid lower-mid range CPU with sufficient power for running Windows 10 OS, daily home and office tasks, and some basic games. Besides the touch enabled display, the main selling points of Dell’s I5558-2148BLK are large RAM and data storage capacities. 8GB and 1TB respectively provide double the capacity of usual 4GB and 500GB. If you think you’ll need even more RAM or faster solid state drive storage instead of the hard drive, you can easily upgrade the machine through a dedicated removable panel on the bottom of the chassis. The screen resolution is the common 1366×768. The display doesn’t provide picture sharpness of Full HD 1920×1080 panels nor IPS technology for ultimately wide viewing angles, which are present on more expensive notebook models. Also, keyboard illumination is missing. A built-in DVD burner drive is included.

Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK - 15.6 Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i3 - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Black Gloss

Responsible for sound reproduction are stereo 2×2-Watt speakers, while video conferencing relies on a 720p web camera. The I5558-2148BLK has HDMI video output port, three USB ports, a media card reader, and a combo microphone / headphones audio port. For communications, there are the latest 802.11AC WiFi wireless connection and a wired Ethernet network interface. Bluetooth 4.0 is included, too.

We have no info on battery life, but considering the included components one can expect four-to-five hours of run time off the grid.

The laptop weighs in at 5.5 pounds and is 0.9″ thick.

It runs the latest Windows 10 OS version.

Even at the current price of $429.99, the Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK is a good buying choice. But, purchasing it for only $299.99 during Black Friday 2015 sales at Best Buy is a “no-brainer” deal if you need a decent mid-range touchscreen laptop for home and office use.

I5558-2148BLK Sides

Specifications of the Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK

Here are the specs of the Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.

Brand Dell
Screen Size 15.6-inch

This is by far the most popular laptop screen size. It provides a lot of screen real estate, while avoiding bulkiness of the 17.3" laptops.
Screen Resolution 1366x768 pixels HD

This is an entry-level screen resolution, oftentimes found on budget laptops. It doesn't deliver picture sharpness and space on the screen like the Full HD or higher resolution laptop displays do.
Touchscreen Finger multi-touch input

The screen supports finger touch input, including multi-touch gestures.
Other Display Specs TN type

Displays based on the old TN technology lack wide viewing angles you can find on IPS screens. The colors may look washed out or inverted at certain viewing angles.
Processor (CPU) Intel Core i3-4030U 4th Gen dual-core 1.9GHz 3MB cache (User Benchmark CPU score: 28)
Graphics (GPU) Intel HD 4400 integrated graphics
System Memory (RAM) Size 8GB RAM

The 8GB RAM size is the standard one in 2023. It provides comfortable multi-tasking for the most home and office users.
Data Storage 1000GB (1TB) HDD

1TB is an excellent storage capacity, but HDD is a slow type of storage.
DVD Optical Drive DVD writer
Keyboard & Input Non-backlit keyboard with dedicated number pad

The keyboard has a separate numeric pad on the right side of the keyboard, but it has no keyboard backlight.

Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface

The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons.

Touchscreen
Speakers & Audio Stereo speakers

As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers.
Camera Front-facing web camera

Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception.
Wi-Fi Wireless 802.11AC

The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements.
Ethernet Network Port Yes

This laptop has an Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity.
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) No
Bluetooth Yes

This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices.
USB Ports 2 x USB 2.0 + 1 x USB 3.0

A total of three full-size Type A USB ports.
Video Output Ports 1 x HDMI

HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs.
Media Card Reader SD card reader

The laptop has a slot for full-size SD memory cards, used in many digital cameras. You can also use microSD cards with a card adapter.
Battery 4‑cell
Weight 5.5 pounds
Height 0.9"
Width 14.9"
Depth 10.3"
Windows Version Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 Home is aimed at the regular home and office computer users. Only select business users need the Professional edition. Windows 10 Home users are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Home.
Warranty 1-year

A typical laptop warranty.

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User Reviews and Q&A on the Dell Inspiron I5558-2148BLK

Below you can read and submit user reviews, questions, and answers about the laptop. Thank you for your contribution.

  1. Hosting

    You can maximize the performance of your Inspiron 15 with Dell-recommended essential accessories. Look for these great products and more at checkout.

  2. Geoff

    I would like to upgrade the cpu to a faster speed and max out the memory. If the cpu isn’t soldered to the motherboard, what faster cpu’s can I install? (The I3 1.9ghz just too slow). And can I upgrade to 16gb (2x8gb) on the memory? Do you have recommendations for both? Thank you!

    • Danijel Z

      You can’t upgrade the processor since it’s soldered onto the motherboard. RAM can be added. There are two RAM slots, so having 16GB (2x8GB) is doable. The notebook uses DDR3 1600 MHz memory. RAM brand choice and other specs won’t meaningfully impact performance of the system.

  3. Julio Rodriquez

    What is th battery life?

  4. Paul

    Can you play bluray discs on this laptop? Thanks in advance.

    • Danijel Z

      No, it doesn’t have a Blu-ray capable optical drive, just a regular DVD writer.

  5. youshaM

    Hi, i want to know does this laptop support 802.11n wifi or only 802.11ac?? how much wifi frequecy range does it support??

    • Danijel Z

      It’s 802.11AC. I have no info on specs of the Wi-Fi card, but some other Dell Inspiron 5558 models are listed with “dual Band 2.4 & 5GHz, 1×1” Wi-Fi specs.

  6. chad

    Can you replace the battery?

  7. johnnyz

    does it have space for a 2nd drive or would I have to remove the 1 tb to add an ssd?

    • Danijel Z

      It has a single 2.5″ storage bay and no slots for other SSD form factors like M.2, so you will have to remove the 2.5″ HDD in order to add a 2.5″ SSD. Alternatively, you can replace the DVD drive with a DVD / 2.5″ drive caddy and put an SSD in it.

  8. Jerad

    I need to know if this can run league of legends. Mine craft. Runescape. Please and thanks

    • Danijel Z

      I would say League of Legends can be played smoothly (at least 30fps) on medium settings and laptop’s native 1366×768 resolution, while Minecraft will be smooth on lower / “fast” graphics settings. I have no experience with Runescape, but it appears to be a quite light game and therefore playable with the Intel HD 4400 graphics of the I5558-2148BLK.

  9. Greta

    Any idea if this machine will run minecraft with mods?

    Thanks:)

    • Danijel Z

      I haven’t tested this exact laptop / CPU, but you should be able to run Minecraft with mods smoothly at above 30fps if you lower the graphics settings in the game. Not sure about running it on high settings, though.

  10. JJ

    can you upgrade the RAM

    • Danijel Z

      Yes, you can unscrew two screws on the bottom side of the casing to access the RAM slots. It has two slots, but I’m not sure if they are both occupied (2x4GB) or just one (1x8GB).

  11. Ely

    Is it rotatable, so if one turns it with the screen facing up?

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