Review of Dell Inspiron 15 3520: One of the Best Study and Office Laptops from Dell

In today's laptop market, we have choices from brands like HP, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, but Dell products always instill confidence in me regarding quality. Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a prime example. Here are my insights from evaluating Dell Inspiron 15 3520.

Dell Inspiron 15 3520: Minimalist, Sturdy Design

Overall, the exterior design of Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is square but also smoothly curved at the edges to prevent any snagging when putting it in a backpack. The top surface of this laptop is gently curved and tapers towards the front, creating a soft and visually slim effect. Moreover, the overall device follows the familiar minimalist trend of Dell in the study and office laptop range, with the main highlight being the Dell logo at the center of the A-panel.

Furthermore, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 adopts a dominant black color scheme, making it look more robust and sturdy. However, the surface of the device is prone to fingerprint smudges despite its matte finish. Therefore, after each use, I usually clean the entire surface to keep the product looking like new.

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is crafted from plastic, and while it does attract sweat and fingerprints, the build quality is excellent. This is evident whenever I use, move, or press on the surface, as there is no sense of flimsiness. As a result, I feel very confident using this laptop for my daily tasks. Additionally, the device weighs only about 1.9 kg, so I can carry it around all day at work or to a café without feeling heavy on my shoulders.

The hinge of Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is designed in the familiar lift-key style seen in recent Dell Inspiron models. This design not only creates an ergonomic typing angle but also improves heat dissipation with a small gap underneath. Additionally, I highly appreciate the quality of this hinge, as the opening and closing process is smooth and without any significant wobbling during use.

Furthermore, as Dell Inspiron 15 3520 targets students, professionals, and office workers, equipping it with multiple connectivity ports is essential. On the right side of the device, there is a memory card slot, a USB-A port, and a standard 3.5mm audio jack. Meanwhile, on the left side, there is a power port, an HDMI port, and two USB-A ports. The number of ports provided is sufficient for connecting various peripherals such as projectors, mechanical keyboards, mice, etc., to meet the needs of studying and working.

Opening it up, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is equipped with a familiar 98% layout keyboard system commonly found in study and office laptops. The keys are designed with large size, appropriate spacing, and good bounce, providing a comfortable typing experience. However, the arrow keys are slightly smaller in size, leading to accidental presses, especially during gaming. Therefore, I often use an external keyboard when gaming, and you may also consider trying this approach!

The touchpad of Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is quite large, offering ample and comfortable operation area. I find the swiping experience and sensitivity quite satisfactory. Additionally, the touchpad is well-finished, as it doesn't sink too deeply into the frame or make rattling noises upon touch, which are common issues with similar products. Therefore, this is a significant design advantage I appreciate in this product.

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 features a smooth 120 Hz display with excellent visual quality

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is equipped with a 15.6-inch display with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and utilizes an IPS LCD panel. With such specifications, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 can deliver sharp content and provide ample workspace for users to comfortably work with multiple windows. Colors are accurately reproduced, meeting the basic graphic work needs of users.

To enhance user experience, Dell has equipped Dell Inspiron 15 3520 with Anti Glare feature, helping the laptop resist glare and minimize reflections when used in bright lighting conditions, especially in cafes.

Notably, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 display is equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Compared to many other laptops in the under 15 million VND price range, this is the most outstanding feature. The high refresh rate enhances the smoothness of work, gaming, and video viewing significantly.

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 boasts a powerful configuration featuring the 12th generation Intel Core i3 processor.

Before diving into the detailed review, let's quickly go through the specifications of Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for your convenience.

• Display: 15.6-inch size, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels), 120 Hz refresh rate, 250 nits brightness.
• CPU: Intel Core i3 - 1215U.
• Integrated Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics.
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4, 2 slots (1 slot 8 GB + 1 empty slot), upgradable up to 16 GB.
• Storage: 256 GB SSD NVMe PCIe (upgradable, maximum 2 TB).
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home SL.
• Battery: 4-cell Li-ion, 41 Wh, 65 W charger.

As seen above, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is powered by the Intel Core i3 - 1215U chip, a processor from the 12th generation Intel lineup. Additionally, this is a U-series chip, which balances power consumption and performance effectively. Moreover, this laptop also integrates Intel UHD graphics, ensuring smooth performance for basic tasks and popular games.

In addition, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 comes with 8 GB of RAM, sufficient for smooth multitasking with 2 - 3 applications simultaneously. However, I usually multitask with 5 - 6 tasks running concurrently (1 Photoshop, Google Chrome with 6 tabs open, Line, Messenger, etc.), leading to frequent lags. Therefore, I recommend upgrading the RAM to 16 GB (the laptop has 1 slot of 8 GB RAM + 1 empty slot, supporting a maximum upgrade of 16 GB). With 16 GB of RAM, I believe the device will operate more smoothly.

To provide you with a more specific insight into the performance of Dell Inspiron 15 3520, I conducted several performance benchmark tests such as Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, and 3DMark. Additionally, I utilized the MyDell app - Power section to maximize the device's performance.

Here are the results I obtained:

- Geekbench 6:

• GPU Compute: 6,775 points.
• Single-core/Multi-core: 1,223 points/2,992 points.

- Cinebench R23 (Single-core/Multi-core): 1,753 points/917 points.

- PCMark 10: 4,259 points.

- 3DMark: 744 points.

In my assessment, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has achieved good performance scores, matching the machine's configuration and accurately reflecting the experience I've had on the device. This indicates that Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a reasonable choice for users demanding good performance for work.

In addition to performance scoring, I also tried playing the soccer game EA FC Online on Dell Inspiron 15 3520 to assess the actual strength of the product. I also used MSI Afterburner software to measure FPS, CPU temperature, RAM consumption, and more, to provide you with the most visual insight. I set the game graphics to low to have a better experience while playing.

During playing EA FC Online, the average frame rate I observed was around 50 - 60 FPS. Despite some occasional lag and stuttering, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 did not significantly affect the gameplay experience. Regarding the graphics in the game, the product performs adequately, providing smooth motion graphics.

Overall, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 can help you tackle popular Esports games like League of Legends, EA FC Online, etc. However, if you aim to play more graphics-intensive games, this might not be the ideal choice. Instead, you might consider Dell Gaming G-Series for a better gaming experience!

Additionally, I used the Crystal Diskmark Shizuku software to measure the read/write speed of the SSD inside Dell Inspiron 15 3520. The specific results are as follows:

• Read speed: 3,311 MB/s.
• Write speed: 2,592 MB/s.

The read speed of Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is quite impressive, with these numbers, the product can help me transfer data, open applications quickly. This is also very useful for office workers, as you can copy documents quickly without worrying about missing deadlines.

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 battery lasts long, good cooling system

In addition to good performance, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 also has a strong battery life. During normal usage without charging, this laptop can last for nearly 4 continuous hours. To provide a more comprehensive overview, I used BatteryMon software to conduct a battery test for Dell Inspiron 15 3520. I divided it into 2 different usage scenarios, and the results I obtained are:

- Scenario 1: Performing regular tasks and not playing games:

• Battery life: 2 hours 43 minutes.
• Measurement time: 1 hour.
• Screen brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Connected to a mouse, mechanical keyboard.

- Scenario 2: Performing regular tasks and playing games for 20 minutes:

• Battery life: 2 hours 31 minutes.
• Measurement time: 1 hour.
• Screen brightness 100%, volume 70%, and battery saver mode off.
• Connected to a mouse, mechanical keyboard.

The results obtained after measuring with BatteryMon are quite similar to the actual performance of Dell Inspiron 15 3520. This figure is sufficient for us to work, attend meetings, and present without worrying about charging. However, when unplugged, the laptop may experience more lag, so be careful not to open too many tasks!

I also used the HWiNFO64 software to assess the cooling capability of Dell Inspiron 15 3520, and the results I obtained are as follows:

The average temperature of Dell Inspiron 15 3520, as I observed, is around 55 degrees Celsius, with the keyboard area being the most noticeable in terms of heat. For me, this is a good cooling level, ensuring comfortable usage for extended periods. Additionally, if you want the laptop to run cooler, you can consider purchasing a laptop stand to improve the cooling efficiency.

Conclusion

Overall, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a laptop model that suits students, office workers, and professionals alike, as it offers good performance to meet users' basic work and entertainment needs. Moreover, its durable design, high flexibility, strong battery life, and 120Hz display are significant advantages in the under-15-million price segment. Currently, Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is priced at 13.69 million VND at Mytour (prices may vary depending on timing and promotional programs).

What's your opinion on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530? Feel free to leave your comments below! We appreciate you reading through our article.

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