Angle View
The Dell Inspiron 14 5000 offers 10th-generation Intel Core CPU power at a reasonable price, but its somewhat flimsy plastic construction may put you off.
Front View
Positioned above an unfashionably fat bottom bezel, the 14-inch, non-touch screen provides decent color and 1080p resolution, but it could be brighter.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard is comfortable and has two levels of backlighting, and the touchpad glides and taps smoothly. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader for swift, secure Windows Hello logins.
Rear View
The Inspiron's imitation brushed aluminum finish is attractive, but there's considerable flex in the lid and keyboard deck.
Left Ports
The laptop's left side holds the AC adapter connector, HDMI and Ethernet ports, an audio jack, and two USB 3.1 Type-A ports.
Right Ports
An obsolete USB 2.0 port joins an SD card slot on the Dell's right flank. I was quite disappointed not to find a USB Type-C port.
Underside
The 5000's stereo speakers are all right for Skype calls and possibly for streaming video, but way below par for listening to music.