Remember the good old days when 15-inch laptops were the gold standard? Well, those days might seem like a distant memory, but Dell hasn’t forgotten. The Inspiron 15 is still one of their best-sellers around the world, and today we’re checking out the latest model.
This version, Dell Inspiron 15 3535, has an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U processor that’s enough for content creators and fast multitasking, 64GB of memory, a big 1TB SSD, and AMD Radeon Graphics. It also has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. There is nothing else you can expect from a budget machine that costs you around $700.
Specs of Dell Inspiron 15:
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Max Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Pixels
- CPU Model: AMD Ryzen 5 7530U
- Clock Speed: Up to 4.5 GHz
- Memory: 64 GB DDR4
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- USB Ports:
- 1 x USB-C 3.2
- 1 x USB-A 3.2
- 1 x USB-A 2.0
- Model name: Dell Inspiron 15 3535 Laptop
- Laptop Weight: 3.59 pounds
Our ratings:
Dell Inspiron 15 review:
Let’s see if this mid-range laptop can still compete.
Design and build quality:
This laptop isn’t particularly expensive, so don’t expect metal everywhere. This is one of the areas where it falls short compared to premium laptops. In fact, Dell saved money here to provide you with the best specs. So, the use of plastic might be disappointing for those who can afford a high-end machine. However, for those who need a high specs computer on a tight budget, it’s actually a blessing.
The underside is only metal where it’s visible, and the keyboard, wrist-rest, and screen bezel are all matte black plastic.
The ports are distributed on either side: one side houses the DC charging port, an outdated HDMI 1.4 port, a USB-A Super Speed port, and a USB-C port (no Thunderbolt, but it does support DisplayPort and power delivery). The other side has another USB-A Super Speed port, a headphone jack, and a full-sized SD card reader—a welcome inclusion.
On the bottom, the plastic finish is standard. However, the narrow air intake vent raises some concerns about thermal management. There are two bottom-firing speakers, which are subtle but effective.
For a laptop with a 15.6-inch display, the chassis isn’t overly large. It measures 0.75 by 14.11 by 9.25 inches, which is a bit thick but not too heavy at 3.65 pounds—reasonable for its size.
I would rate design and build quality as 7 out of 10.
Display and audiovisual capabilities:
All configurations of the Dell Inspiron 15 (3535) come in Carbon Black and feature the same display: a 15.6-inch, 1080p screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display has an anti-glare finish for better visibility in different lighting conditions, but it’s not particularly impressive, especially with its plain plastic bezels.
One advantage is the 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling and mouse movements smoother. However, it’s not suitable for activities like gaming, where a higher refresh rate enhances gameplay.
And the drawback is that it is not backlit, which most of the users demand to work in low light environments. It would’ve been cool if the Dell Inspiron 15 had that awesome feature.
But for simple use, the display is adequate. The anti-glare finish helps with visibility, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes interactions feel more responsive. However, the display lacks vibrant colors, contrast, and visual impact, making it less ideal for watching TV shows and movies. This cements the laptop’s role primarily as a productivity machine.
The speakers are surprisingly good for this laptop. They are located on the underside near the edges, which might cause them to be covered when the laptop is used on your lap.
The audio can get a bit muddied with complex sounds, and it may sound harsh in the upper mid-range at high volumes. Bass is lacking, but overall, the speakers are fairly loud and clear for down-firing speakers.
Webcam and security:
The included webcam is a standard 720p camera. While it doesn’t offer amazing quality, it works better in low light compared to other laptops. The webcam doesn’t support facial recognition for unlocking, but there’s a fingerprint reader built into the power key at the top-right corner of the keyboard.
Even with its 720p resolution and 920,000 pixels, the front-facing HD camera gives you a great experience, making your video chats with colleagues clear and confident.
Memory (RAM) performance:
RAM is the backbone of your laptop; the more RAM you have, the easier it is for you to multitask.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3535 laptop has a number of RAM slots that can accommodate up to 64GB of RAM. The model I tested had one slot with 64GB of RAM installed, while the other was empty.
Dell has made it simple for users to upgrade their memory. You can just add another 8GB RAM stick in the second slot if you ever need more; this will double your total amount of RAM
The 64 GB of RAM that came with the unit I tested proved to be excellent for multitasking. As a result, I was able to open literally dozens of tabs on Google Chrome and switch between them without experiencing any lag.
It was all instantaneous and a true incredible experience.
Then, we ran RAM, SAP2000, and AutoCAD all at once, and everything ran smoothly
So, I’d give the Dell Inspiron 15 a 10 out of 10 for memory performance (on the 64 GB version I tested) in this budget range.Since it might not last long, it’s not a great investment.
Now let us go over storage options. In addition, the Dell Inspiron 15 features a SATA3 slot for HDDs as well as a PCIe NVMe slot for SSDs, which enable multiple combinations for storage.
You can choose a laptop with hard disk drives ranging from 500GB to 2TB. Additionally, you can opt for solid-state drives ranging from 128GB to 1TB.
Performance:
This isn’t just any regular laptop—it’s a real powerhouse. You can tell just by looking at it and feeling how sturdy it is that it can handle any tough job quickly and easily.
For example, if you’re a photo editor on a budget looking for something to run Adobe Express, this laptop has got you covered.
It’s affordable and comes with a strong Ryzen 5 3434 processor. It’s your go-to buddy for gaming sessions and heavy tasks.
While this isn’t a high-end gaming laptop, it’s fine for casual gaming. You can play popular games like Fortnite and League of Legends at over 60 frames per second on low settings.
It might struggle with more demanding games that need a dedicated GPU, but it handles less intense games and older titles just fine.
The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U is a beast with six cores and twelve threads, perfect for daily tasks and demanding applications. It’s great for browsing the web, streaming videos, or multitasking.
People are actually loving this laptop because it’s perfect for those who need super graphics ability for animations in Blender, the 3D authoring and animation software. This laptop does it in spades! It renders at least 20 times faster than an HP 4000 graphics chip.
This is what Valeriy N. has to say, “I got this for 3D CAD (Autodesk Inventor) – fine performance and very cost-efficient.” It’s clear this laptop is versatile and powerful enough for a wide range of tasks.
One of its users who is a software engineer said, “I have been able to not only develop software products but also design 3D printable (Fusion 360) objects with this device.”
The Ryzen 5 7530U’s multi-core performance makes it perfect for document editing, spreadsheets, video conferencing, and running office software smoothly. It’s reliable for working from home or in small business offices.
Plus, the touchpad is super responsive, and the keyboard feels great to type on, making you even more productive.
So, I must give it 10 out of 10 for its overall performance.
Battery Life:
The Dell Inspiron 15 laptop comes with a 3-cell 42Wh battery, which isn’t very powerful for a 15.6-inch laptop.
To test the battery performance, I set the screen brightness to 120 nits and turned off all other programs except the browser, which was surfing over 70 websites.
It stands up to the others in terms of battery life but lags behind when it comes to display quality. Well, good news first. Our tests show that the Inspiron can run on its 42Wh battery for just over nine hours, which is not bad. However, many other laptops also lasted beyond nine hours.
IdeaPad goes on for over ten hours; the HP Laptop 17 lasts over eleven hours.
Given these facts, I would rate Dell Inspiron battery performance at seven out of ten.
Buy 2024 Dell Inspiron 15 If:
- You need to buy a mid-range laptop with super high specs.
- You want one for heavy multitasking.
- You need a laptop for content creation, including photo editing, graphic design, and even video editing. We simultaneously operated RAM, SAP2000, and AutoCAD, and everything ran smoothly without any hiccups because of its high-resolution display and processing power.
- You are looking for a budget laptop for programming and software development, it offers smooth compiling and running of various development environments.
- You need a big-screen laptop for multimedia consumption.
- You also love light gaming.
- You value upgradability and decent build quality.
Don’t buy 2024 Dell Inspiron 15 if:
- You want a laptop that will remain competitive in the future.
- You prefer a more stylish design.
- You focus on build quality and can’t handle a cheap keyboard.
Our final verdict:
First and foremost, this laptop is a great mid-range laptop. It comes with a nice design, good ports, a huge amount of RAM, and storage space. You can’t easily get these specs on a mid-range laptop, so overall, it’s a great deal.
However, there are also some setbacks to this product, which include poor thermal design, excessive use of plastic, and a slightly dull display.
In totality, the productivity-oriented Dell Inspiron 15 does not really do well in other areas like gaming. Well, if you stumble upon it on offer, then that would be fair enough.