The notebook world is generally divided into two segments: ultra-portables and desktop replacements. Ultra-portables generally focus on providing long battery life, whereas desktop replacements, such as the Dell Inspiron 5160, tend to feature more powerful components.

True to form, this latest addition to the Inspiron range has a Pentium 4 3.2GHz processor - one of the fastest available. This is bolstered by 512Mb of memory, which is good enough to help run most programs at fast speeds. It will also help when performing system-hungry tasks such as video editing.

Our review model was equipped with an 80Gb hard disk. This is a decent amount of storage, so you'll be able to keep an extensive collection of files.

Unfortunately, if you run out of space, the DVD/CD-RW combo drive will only let you back up around 700Mb of files on a CD-R. A recordable DVD drive would have been a more welcome option, since it can store around six times as much information. However, if you are willing to fork out and extra £50, a recordable DVD drive is available.

To its credit, though, the Dell Inspiron 5160 is capable of playing DVD movies. The image fades from view when watched from acute angles above and below the centre, but the 15in screen is bright and has a sharp picture.

3D games aren't usually a notebook's strong point, but Dell has provided the Inspiron 5160 with competent graphics. The nVidia Geforce Go 5200 is a cut above the Intel Extreme graphics cards that most notebooks use, so you'll be able to play most (but not all) of the latest 3D games.

The Inspiron 5160 is heavy at 3.6kg, and also rather chunky. This is probably the result of it needing a larger internal fan to cool its fast and hot-running parts. It can be taken on the road, but expect your arms to get a good workout in the process.

The rest of the unit is relatively standard. Dell has only provided two USB2 ports and a single PC Card slot. Once you've connected a printer and digital camera, there's not much else you can plug in.

The Inspiron 5160 is a powerful notebook, but it's not as well-equipped as we would have liked. Dell has placed a great emphasis on its fast processor, but we would have preferred to see a more rounded specification and more capacity to upgrade.

Contact: Dell 0870 242 0303
www.dell.co.uk

Also consider:
Acer Aspire 1502LMI £1,200.
Uses a 64-bit processor, but is just as powerful.