Dell Inspiron 15 3520 review

Our Verdict

90%

The Dell Inspiron 15 is a perfect everyday machine that can go above and beyond in certain areas. Our testing pushed it to the limit and we're more than impressed with the results.

It can be hard to know exactly what you are looking for in an everyday laptop but the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 aims to package everything into one convenient and affordable laptop.

Some of the best laptops on the market today are hyper focused machines built for a singular purpose like gaming or editing. This makes the Dell Inspiron 15 even more refreshing to use considering that it appeals to a much broader audience.

If you’re looking for a reliable laptop that isn’t quite as budget-conscious as a Chromebook but also isn’t looking to break the bank like a gaming laptop or the MacBook Pro M2, then we might just have found the perfect laptop for you.

Here are the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 specifications:

Boasting a 15-inch Full HD screen, backed by the power of the 12th Gen Intel CPU, you’re guaranteed to have all the power you need to get any task done. Thanks to ExpressCharge™ capabilities – that recharges the battery up to 80% in 60-minutes – this laptop is ideal for working or studying on the go, even if you don’t have constant access to a plug point. 

Thanks to a sleek design, the Dell Inspiron 15 is lightweight and easy to carry around. So whether you have a long day at college or a hectic day of meetings to attend, and need a laptop that’s easy to carry around with you, this design is light enough to be easily transported from place to place without any fuss.

For the price, the Dell Inspiron 15 – and everything that it has to offer – is a total powerhouse, and, not to mention, exceedingly good value for money. 

Ports-a-plenty for peak connectivity

Featuring plenty of ports for every day use, the Dell Inspiron 15 comes complete with one USB 3 port, a USB Type-C port (with Intel Gen 12 models only), and a standard USB 2 port. Making it ideal for connecting to various devices and plugging in storage at the same time, if needed. 

It also comes with a headphone port, a charging port, and also has a HDMI port for plugging in consoles or streaming equipment. There’s also an SD card port – which allows you to easily download high-quality image and video files from your phone or camera quickly and easily – which is really great to see as some newer laptops fail to offer these.

Offering easy-to-setup Bluetooth connectivity, this sleek laptop makes connecting to speakers, headsets, and console gamepads totally seamless. While the fully integrated, front-facing HD camera – which boasts 30fps, and seriously smooth camera quality – and high-quality microphone makes hosting and attending video calls – whether it’s for work meetings on Zoom or virtual family meet ups on Skype – effortless. 

If you’re a gamer and were thinking of using the Dell Inspiron 15 for gaming, it’s important to note that not all games will run well and most AAA games will struggle for FPS. But, that being said, if you play games like World of Warcraft or Fortnite that are not too GPU heavy then you will get some solid gameplay, just not at the highest quality and top FPS. However, this laptop performs well enough for light gameplay and some mission work while out and about. 

Magic on the move

The battery life of this laptop is seriously impressive and great for those who are on-the-go most of the time. Able to charge to 80% in just 60-minutes, with this design there’s no need to be tethered to a plug point all day long. 

Should you want to use your laptop in high traffic areas, thanks to the IP6 WiFi you will see great transfer speeds over WiFi, even in high traffic areas – making meetings and streaming easy to do, whether you’re at home or on-the-go.

While the 15-inch screen on the Dell Inspiron 15 makes it a fairly average sized notebook, but thanks to its thin and lightweight design (only weighing 3.65 lbs) it’s far from a brick. It’s comfortable and convenient to carry around if you find yourself working on the move.

The large screen is beautiful and thanks to being Full HD it gives you a vivid viewing experience. It also has anti-glare technology and features an LED-backlight meaning that even in high sunlight you are able to get work done without squinting or sitting in the shade. 

With just 512 GB of memory, the built-in capacity of this PC isn’t large. However, you can easily upgrade it as it features a slot for another SSD to be added, should you want to use it to store larger file sizes. 

Thanks to the fact this laptop has an SSD instead of a regular hard drive, the PC itself will boot quickly and any apps you load. This leads to less time wasted waiting, which leads to decreased battery life. 

All in all, this laptop is ideal for anyone looking for a durable and fairly low-cost laptop to use for studying or work. The amount of power and specs that you get for the money is great value and should leave you feeling extremely satisfied with your purchase. 

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 review summary

After testing it out, I would highly recommend this laptop for it’s overall quality and value for money, with it only missing out on a 10 because of the low memory included as standard. 

When I got hold of the Dell Inspiron 15 for testing, it just proved to me how great the battery life was. Pairing this with the quality screen and value for money specs, I honestly couldn’t get enough of this laptop. 

It ran well, regardless of where I was working from, whether I was at home or tethered to the WiFi in a busy coffee shop. I found it smooth and quick to use. 

I also tested its metal with a little gaming and streaming and found that it worked like a charm; the screen offered clear, crisp visuals and everything ran super smoothly.