Dell Inspiron 15 3520
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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GENERAL USE: Fair—6.9/10
GAMING/AI: Fair—6.0/10
ENG/DESIGN: Fair—6.3/10
SOFTWARE DEV: Fair—6.7/10
CONTENT CREATION: Good—7.0/10
PORTABILITY: Good—7.6/10
BATTERY: Good—7.1/10
OVERALL SCREEN QUALITY: Fair—6.7/10
OVERALL PERFORMANCE: Fair—6.7/10
SIZE: 15.6"
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a budget-friendly laptop designed for general use. It's equipped with an Intel i3 processor, UHD graphics, and has 8GB of RAM along with 256GB of storage. The 15.6-inch IPS display has a full HD resolution and offers good color representation, although it's not touch-enabled. It offers a fair battery life and is fairly portable, albeit not the lightest at 3.65 pounds. This laptop includes a number pad, a backlit keyboard, and comes preinstalled with Windows 11 Home. It suits everyday tasks and can handle some engineering applications, but it's not ideal for intensive gaming or demanding 3D/machine learning tasks. Its construction and performance are adequate for its price point, and it manages heat well. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Evaluation
Pros
- Solid battery life for typical use
- Large 15.6-inch screen
- Good general use performance
- Has a number pad on keyboard
- Lightweight for its screen size
Cons
- Not backlit keyboard
- Limited high-performance capabilities
- Lower color accuracy for professional work
- Mediocre speaker and build quality
Ratings by Category
Portability:4.3
PerfectRec’s portability rating takes into account the volume and thickness of the laptop as well as its weight.
Operating Noise:4.2
PerfectRec’s Operating Noise Score is based on fan noise measurements. Laptops with a fanless design, such as Macbooks, receive the maximum score.
Battery Life:4.1
PerfectRec’s Battery Life rating is based on hours of battery life in typical usage scenarios.
Content Creation:4.0
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, and video editing work.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
General Use:3.9
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
The most important factors in this score include CPU performance, amount of RAM, screen quality, storage, and battery life.
Keyboard quality, speaker quality, low fan noise, heat management, and to a lesser extent webcam quality are all moderately important factors for this score.
General Use Screen Quality:3.9
The general use screen score is based on the screen technology, contrast ratio, resolution, brightness, color gamut and color accuracy. This score does not take into account specialized display features for specific use cases, such as high refresh rate for gaming.
Software Development:3.8
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software development.
In addition to a strong emphasis on overall performance, this score also places very high importance on screen quality. Heat management, storage, keyboard and speaker quality are also incorporated, with fan noise rounding out this score.
Keyboard Quality:3.5
The Keyboard Quality score is based on the PerfectRec experts’ assessment of tactile feedback, typing comfort, keyboard reliability and typing noise.
Engineering & Design:3.4
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its moderate RAM and entry-level CPU and GPU, is sufficient for basic engineering and design tasks, but may struggle with more demanding software and multitasking. While the screen has good resolution, its moderate color coverage may not be ideal for high-precision design work; however, its build quality, heat management, and quiet operation are favorable for extended work sessions.
Build Quality:3.3
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, chassis rigidity, and overall reliability.
Our assessment of build quality includes many details that are difficult to quantify.
Our laptop experts use their best judgment to produce the final score.
Gaming & AI:3.1
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has an integrated GPU (Intel UHD Graphics) which may limit performance in gaming and 3D applications that rely heavily on graphical processing power. Additionally, despite having a decent screen refresh rate, the laptop's processor is an Intel i3, which may not meet the demands of more intensive gaming and 3D tasks.
Full Specs
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Price | $349 | ||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | ||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | ||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | ||
Width | 14.11" | ||
Depth | 9.27" | ||
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | ||
RAM | 8 GB | ||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | ||
RAM Slots | 2 | ||
Storage | 256 GB | ||
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | ||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | ||
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | ||
Display Technology | IPS | ||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | ||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | ||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | ||
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score  | 6.3/10 | ||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | ||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | ||
Premium Business Laptop | No | ||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | ||
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | ||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | ||
Webcam | 720p | ||
Fingerprint Reader | No | ||
Backlit Keyboard | No | ||
Number Pad | Yes | ||
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | 2 | ||
USB-C ports | 1 | ||
USB-C Charging | No | ||
Display Outputs | 1 | ||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | ||
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | January 2023
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
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