Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3505) Review
You can find plenty of decent Chromebooks below $400, but relatively few inspiring Windows laptops priced that low. One exception is Dell’s Inspiron 3000 series, which comes in three screen and chassis sizes. The Inspiron 15 3000 configuration reviewed here has a 15-inch screen, starts at just $293, and rings up at $369 as tested. It boasts all of the physical characteristics of a solid low-cost laptop, but this version suffers a bit from lackluster performance and, especially, ho-hum display quality in its lower price ranks. If your budget is strict, you can abide by these deficiencies. If, instead, you can afford an extra $30 or so, you can pick up an AMD Ryzen or Intel Core version with a full HD screen that would improve your computing experience immensely.
Pedestrian Specs, Impulse-Buy Prices
Shopping for a satisfactory budget Windows laptop is hard not only because there are relatively few models available, but also because the specs of the models that do exist change so frequently. The Inspiron 15 3000 (model 3505) configuration we tested comes with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB solid-state storage drive, and an AMD Athlon Silver processor. This is the first rung of the entry-level laptop ladder; you wouldn’t want to go lower than these specs and still expect a Windows-based PC that’s usable for modern web browsing and other simple tasks.
Between the time we tested the unit and published this review, Dell mostly stopped selling Athlon-equipped Inspiron 15 3000 models in favor of Intel Pentium- and Celeron-based ones. Performance from the latter ones should be quite similar to our model, though, since the memory and storage amounts remain the same. The good news is that the Celeron model is even cheaper, with a current list price of $294. Meanwhile, upgraded AMD Ryzen 3 and Intel Core i3 versions start at $392.
For these impulse-buy prices, you get a surprisingly robust laptop, at least as far as styling and physical features are concerned. The Inspiron 15 3000 is the middle child of the Inspiron 3000-series family, situated in between the largest Inspiron 17 3000 model, with a 17-inch display, and the baby 14-inch Inspiron 14 3000.
As such, it’s rather hefty, but not necessarily bulky for a laptop that didn’t have «slimming down» as a primary aim in its design or cost structure.
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The chassis measures 0.78 by 14.3 by 9.8 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.91 pounds, which makes the Inspiron 15 3000 an average-size big-screen laptop. Sure, there are plenty of premium models that are a bit slimmer, including Dell’s flagship XPS 15. But precious few of these can beat the sub-4-pound weight. The XPS 15 is 4.5 pounds, and even the svelte laptop-tablet hybrid Microsoft Surface Book 3 is 4.2 pounds.
The Inspiron 15 3000’s weight savings come from an obvious place: an enclosure made almost entirely of plastic, instead of fancy metal alloys.
Yes, this means the laptop’s budget roots are laid bare for all to see. No, it doesn’t mean an ugly machine. The black plastic has a pleasing textured finish, and a slight divot separates the keyboard from the wrist rest, rather than just having an endless expanse of smooth plastic. There’s a bit of give in the middle of the keyboard deck, but it’s not concerning. There are no squeaks or creaks, and the display hinge feels impressively sturdy, which can’t always be said of laptops in this price range.
No Full HD Display in Sight
The key drawback on our Inspiron 15 3000 review unit is the display resolution. The panel, which measures 15.6 inches on the diagonal, offers noticeably washed-out colors and slightly fuzzy text because of its 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution. This is lower than full HD, a resolution that typically measures 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. If you sit back about four feet from the screen and squint, the contents of the display look crisp enough, but you need to increase the text size using the Windows Settings app to make smaller onscreen elements readable.
This negates the point of buying a large-screen laptop to begin with, which is to fit more things on the screen.
A better approach would be to upgrade to a full HD resolution, which comes standard on the Ryzen 3 configuration. None of the configurations offers a touch screen, but touch capability isn’t something we expect to see at these prices. As it stands, I find viewing angles and maximum brightness to be perfectly adequate in a brightly lit room even on the 1,366-by-768-pixel display, although I did not use the laptop in direct sunlight. The matte finish helps in this regard—there’s no glossiness to reflect glare from ambient light.
Above the display is an oversize cutout for the 720p camera lens. Video quality is workable, about the same as most other mainstream laptops, which also shoot in 720p video. Don’t bother taking still images with this webcam, though, as the sensor is limited to a paltry 0.9 megapixels.
Conversely, audio output from the Inspiron 15 3000’s speakers is above average for its class.
Turning up the volume to the maximum level offered a startling amount of sound while watching a few movie clips. The stereo speakers are rated for a maximum of 5 watts of output, 20% more than the 4 watts that is common even on many premium laptops. The audio quality, though, is decidedly less impressive, with plainly audible distortion and even some chassis vibration at maximum volume.
A Simple, Comfortable Keyboard
The Inspiron 15 3000 offers a simple but comfortable keyboard. There is no key backlighting, but the key labels have an easy-to-read font. Travel distance is short, resulting in a slightly stiff typing experience, but the key switches feel plenty sturdy. Spreadsheet jockeys take note: There is even a dedicated number pad with a Calculator shortcut key on the right-hand side of the board.
The Inspiron 15 3000’s power button is at the top right of the keyboard. Some of the higher-end configurations replace the base-level button with a fingerprint reader/power combination button, though this is absent on our review unit.
You’ll need to use a pin or password when logging into your Windows 10 account.
Below the keyboard is a generously sized, buttonless touchpad. Tracking the pointer on it is an exercise in patience, as it’s not terribly responsive even when the settings are adjusted. I do appreciate that the in-pad click mechanism or hinge feels sturdy enough that it doesn’t flap around at the bottom. Such an oversight is all too common on Windows machines at all prices. It would actually be excusable on a large, inexpensive laptop like the Inspiron 15 3000 that might spend most of its time on your desk connected to a mouse.
The port selection on the Inspiron 15 3000 is nearly excellent, save for one important omission: no USB Type-C connectors of any kind. We expect laptops at all prices to come with at least one USB-C port, since it’s the future of the USB standards. As it stands, you’ll need an adapter to use USB-C peripherals with the Inspiron 15 3000, but at least you do get three USB Type-A ports to choose among.
Two are USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (the ones on the left), while the one on the right is limited to USB 2.0 speeds and best reserved for connecting an external keyboard or mouse.
The Inspiron 15 3000 includes a dedicated HDMI video output and even a full-size Ethernet jack, both of which are far from a given on mainstream laptops these days. If you’re within cable range of your router, you’ll appreciate the Ethernet connectivity instead of relying on the 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The Inspiron 15 3000 lacks Wi-Fi 6 support, but it does have Bluetooth. There’s even an SD card reader, which can serve as an easy, inexpensive means of adding more storage space if the 128GB SSD gets too cramped.
Dell supports the Inspiron 15 300 with a one-year warranty and mail-in service. Multiple additional support options are available for purchase, with coverage ranging as long as four years and including plans that factor in accidental damage.
Relatively few unwanted apps come pre-installed on the Inspiron 15 3000.
The only bloatware I noticed is a free trial of a McAfee security suite, which did prompt a few irksome pop-ups during my testing. I did have to deactivate Windows 10 S Mode, which is turned on by default in the test configuration, to run most apps. This is quite easy to do, but this mode is really only useful for people who need to limit their laptops to Windows Store-only apps, and we wish manufacturers wouldn’t enable it by default on so many budget PCs.
Testing the Inspiron 15 3000: An Athlon Creeping Along
No matter whether you equip the Inspiron 15 3000 with an Athlon, Pentium, or Celeron processor, performance is going to be relatively lackluster. But that’s what you should expect of a Windows laptop at this price, especially one that has just 4GB of memory. Many complex apps these days require at least 8GB of memory and an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processor to run smoothly. Still, if you know your computing needs are of the most basic variety—we’re talking browsing a single web page at a time, or typing text-only emails—the Athlon-equipped Inspiron 15 3000 should suffice.
(See more about how we test laptops.)
Let’s look at how its performance stacks up against a few key alternative laptops. We don’t see a ton of $400-and-under Windows 10 laptops; the Asus VivoBook 11 is one of the few we’ve tested recently. You can find a lot of $400-and-under Chromebooks, but those aren’t directly comparable, so instead I’ll use two $600-to-$700 models instead: the even-bigger-screen Inspiron 17 3000, and the Gateway Creator. You can frequently find the latter (a 15-inch laptop) on sale for around $599, making it an especially relevant alternative in the budget space. It was a ho-hum choice at its $799 launch price, but a nice buy at $599, with dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics for light gaming and a much more powerful Ryzen 5 CPU. I’ve also included the Microsoft Surface Go 2, which isn’t a classic clamshell laptop but a Windows 10 tablet with a keyboard add-on; it starts at $400.
On the PCMark 10 test, the Inspiron 15 3000 falls well short of the 4,000 mark that indicates excellent everyday performance.
It’s better than the exceptionally poor result from the VivoBook 11, however. The pricier Inspiron 17 3000 and Gateway Creator obviously perform better here, equipped with more capable processors and double the memory amount.
On the other hand, the Inspiron 15 3000 does manage excellent performance on the PCMark 8 Storage test, which measures the capability of a laptop’s boot drive. It’s all or nothing here: SSDs perform uniformly well, while many flash-memory-based drives on the cheapest laptops can’t even complete the test. That’s the case with the VivoBook 11.
The Inspiron 15 3000 should not be used for much in the way of multimedia content creation or manipulation. Its performance is quite poor when it comes to 3D image rendering using Cinebench and video conversion using the Handbrake app. This is to be expected of a laptop in this price range, however, and the Surface Go 2 posts similar results on our Handbrake and Cinebench tests.
With less than the 8GB of RAM required to fully run Adobe Photoshop, the Inspiron 15 3000 isn’t much good for snappy photo editing, either.
It couldn’t finish our Photoshop benchmark. And its integrated AMD Radeon graphics processor offers woeful gaming performance compared with the more capable chips in the Gateway and the larger Inspiron. Again, this level of performance is entirely expected in this price range, and not a mark against the Inspiron 15 3000. Our Superposition and 3DMark gaming tests show the difference. The vast advantage of discrete graphics in the Gateway Creator is clear.
The laptop actually performed well on our battery rundown test, playing a locally stored 720p video for nearly 11 hours before its battery died. The long battery life is somewhat moot, however, as the Inspiron 15 3000 doesn’t offer enough performance to serve as your main laptop for all-day work away from a power outlet.
One observation also worth noting is that having a low-resolution, rather dim display tends to help a laptop on this test; fewer pixels to push. We didn’t have the opportunity to test the upticked Ryzen version with a 1080p screen, but we suspect powering that panel would push down the battery life somewhat.
If You Simply Must Stay Below $400…
We can think of a few reasons to be in the market for a Windows laptop that costs less than $400. For those who are especially budget-constrained, or who already know they don’t need mainstream computing performance, the Inspiron 15 3000 represents an acceptable option, as long as you’re willing to settle for a lackluster screen. On a midrange or premium laptop, these deficiencies would be significant drawbacks. On the Inspiron 15 3000, however, they’re acceptable compromises if you simply must stay below $400.
If, on the other hand, you can add $30 or so to your budget, the Inspiron 15 3000 becomes substantially more attractive when configured with 8GB of memory and an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processor, as well as the higher-resolution version of the screen. These are the configurations that most shoppers should aim for.
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Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) review: A work laptop built for those on a budget
Updated December 22, 2021: This review has been updated to reflect the category of the reviewed device as a consumer laptop that is also sold alongside business devices.
While many of the best Windows laptops cost over $750, you don’t need to break the bank to get a reliable piece of hardware. Often, dipping below the $500 threshold results in poor quality laptops that aren’t even worth their asking price, but that’s not the case with the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511).
Reviewing a laptop like this is almost difficult because there’s so little about it that’s surprising. Anyone who’s owned an Inspiron device, or just about any laptop from Dell, is going to expect a nice piece of hardware with high build quality. That’s the case here, as the Inspiron feels solid and well built.
The Inspiron 15 3000 is a more affordable laptop designed for getting work done. Dell often lists the device in business laptop deals, though it is technically a consumer laptop. With an entry price of $350, you’re obviously not going to get some of the fit and finish of the Latitude series or the consumer-focused XPS line. What you do get is a budget-friendly laptop that can handle everyday productivity. The model looked at in this review is the Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) from 2021.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000
Bottom line: The Inspiron 15 3000 is a solid laptop for people getting work done on a budget.
It’s well built, has plenty of legacy ports for accessories, and features a full number pad. Its biggest drawback is that it lacks a USB-C port.
For
- High build quality
- Wide range of legacy ports
- Large 15.6-inch screen
- Low starting price
Against
- No USB-C port
- Lacks built-in hardware for Windows Hello
- Trackpad feels loose at corners
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: Price, availability, and specs
Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
The Inspiron 15 3000 is a budget-friendly laptop aimed at people getting work done. It starts at $350 for the model with an 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. You can double the RAM to 8GB for only an additional $50, bringing the total to $400. This is probably worth it for most use cases. 4GB of RAM is serviceable in some workflows, but 8GB should give you more to work with.
Several configuration options are available, maxing out at a $680 model with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 12GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.
Oddly, the Intel Core i5-1135G7 model isn’t available through Dell’s website. You can, however, order it through Amazon for $609.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 Home Windows 11 S |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Intel Iris Xe |
| Storage | 128GB SSD 256GB SSD 512GB SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080), anti-glare, non-touch |
| Ports | 1x USB-2.0, audio jack, HDMI 1.4, 2x USB-A 3.2, SD card slot |
| Audio | Stereo speakers |
| Connectivity | 802. 11ac 1×1 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Camera | Front-facing 720p, 30 FPS |
| Keyboard | Not backlit |
| Battery | 41Wh battery |
| Dimensions | 14.11 x 9.27 x 0.74 inches (358.8mm x 235.66mm x 18.99mm) |
| Weight | 3.82 pounds (1.73 kg) |
| Color | Black |
Image 1 of 3
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: What I like
Image 1 of 2
The Inspiron 15 3000 is what it says on the box. It’s a budget-friendly laptop. It has a large, 15.6-inch display, a full number pad, and plenty of legacy ports. What surprised me about the Inspiron 15 3000 is how much it can get done despite its modest specs.
The model I reviewed only has an Intel Core i3 CPU, but that’s enough for web browsing, Office, and general productivity.
I usually lean toward Core i5 models, but reviewing this device opened my eyes to how much the lower end of the Intel Core i3 line has come over the years. If you’re picking up a laptop for light work and productivity, don’t sleep on Core i3 models, especially if you’re on a budget.
Whether purchasing a single laptop or buying several in bulk, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is easy to recommend.
Dell packed a lot of laptop into the 14-inch body of the Inspiron 15 3000. The bezels around the 15.6-inch display are thin, though not as thin as those on premium laptops. Thanks to this, the laptop has a large screen despite a relatively small body. When you open up the Inspiron 15 3000, that screen is raised slightly by an ErgoLift hinge, which is a nice touch. That hinge also places the keyboard at a better angle.
Battery life on the Inspiron 15 3000 is decent. Streaming 1080p content with the screen at full brightness will drain the battery in about six hours.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: What I don’t like
Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
While the Inspiron 15 3000 has plenty of ports, it lacks one for USB-C. It’s great to have an HDMI port, SD card slot, a headphone jack, and three USB-A ports on a laptop, but it’s disappointing that there isn’t even a single USB-C port. Maintaining legacy support is important for some but I think Dell could have swapped one of the USB-A ports for a USB-C one. Alternatively, the company could have removed the barrel charging port and put in a USB-C port that also supports powering the laptop.
Many of the best webcams for Windows PCs use USB-A, so it makes sense to have older ports, but some PC accessories use USB-C. For example, some of the best external hard drives connect through USB-C.
The Inspiron 15 3000 also lacks a built-in way to unlock the laptop through Windows Hello. You can add a fingerprint reader or webcam that supports Windows Hello, but that’s not as seamless as having built-in hardware.
The trackpad of the Inspiron 15 3000 feels a bit loose and hallow, particularly at the bottom corners. It tracks movement well and is clickable, but the trackpad is one of the areas that shows the price of the device.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: Competition
Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
While the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is an impressive laptop for its price, it’s not the only good laptop that you can buy for between $350 to $500. The HP 14z Laptop starts at $430 and is a dependable device. It has a wide range of ports, including a USB-C port, and gets decent battery life.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is one of the best budget laptops on the market. Like the Inspiron 15 3000, the Vivobook 15 has a 15.6-inch FHD display and a plethora of legacy ports. Unlike the Inspiron 15 3000, the Vivobook 15 has backlit keys, a fingerprint reader, and a USB-C port.
The Surface Laptop Go is pricier than the entry-level Inspiron 15 3000, but it’s in the same range as some midrange models from Dell.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go is an excellent laptop that comes at $550. It has a bright display, impressive performance, and gets good battery life.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: Should you buy it?
Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
You should buy this if …
- You’re looking for an affordable device
- You need a laptop with a number pad
- You want a laptop with a large screen
You shouldn’t buy this if …
- You need a laptop for gaming
- You do video editing or graphically demanding work
- You want a more premium laptop
This laptop fits squarely in the budget category. Those that want a reliable device for general productivity should be happy with the Inspiron 15 3000. Those that want a more premium device or a laptop for video editing or graphic design should check out more powerful pieces of hardware.
Whether purchasing a single laptop or buying several in bulk, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is easy to recommend.
It’s an affordable laptop with the high build quality you’d expect from Dell. I’d like to see a USB-C port and built-in hardware for Windows Hello, but those omissions aren’t dealbreakers for most people.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000
Bottom line: The Inspiron 15 3000 is a solid laptop with a low starting price. For the most part, the device hides that it’s a budget laptop well by having good build quality and a nice design.
Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at [email protected] .
business laptop built for the budget
The Inspiron 15 3000 is everything you’d expect from an affordable Dell laptop.
This review has been updated to reflect the category of the device in question as a consumer laptop that is also sold with business devices.
While many of the best Windows laptops cost over $750, you don’t have to break the bank to get reliable hardware. Often falling below the $500 threshold results in low quality laptops that aren’t even worth their asking price, but that’s not the case with the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511). nine0003
It’s almost hard to review a laptop like this because there’s so little amazing about it. Anyone who has owned an Inspiron, or just about any laptop from Dell, will expect good hardware with solid build quality. This is where the Inspiron feels solid and well built.
The Inspiron 15 3000 is a more affordable work laptop. Dell often lists this device as a business laptop, even though it’s technically a consumer laptop. With a $350 starting price, you obviously won’t get some of the fit and finish of the Latitude series or the consumer-facing XPS line. What you’re really getting is an inexpensive laptop that can handle everyday productivity. This review is for the 2021 Inspiron 15 3000 (3511).
nine0003
Content
- Review Dell Inspiron 15 3000
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000: price, availability and characteristics
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000: What I like
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000: that I do not like
- Dell Inspireon : competition
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000: is it worth buying?
- Conclusion
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Overview
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Price, Availability and Features
9The 0002 Inspiron 15 3000 is a budget laptop designed for people who get the job done. Pricing starts at $350 for a model with an 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD. You can double the amount of RAM to 8GB for just an additional $50, bringing the total to $400. It’s probably worth it for most use cases. 4GB of RAM is fine for some workflows, but 8GB should give you more room to work. nine0003
Multiple configurations available, model max price $680 with 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 12GB memory, and 512GB memory.
Oddly enough, the Intel Core i5-1135G7 model is not available on the Dell website. However, you can order it through Amazon for $609.
| Operating systems | Windows 11 Home Windows 11 S |
|
| Processor | Intel Core i3-1115g4 11- INTEL CORE I5-1135G7 of the 11th generation Intel Core i7-1165g7 11th generation |
|
| 128 GB SSD 256 GB SSD 512 GB SSD |
||
| display | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 × 1080), anti-Belly, without touch screen | |
| ports | mass | 3.82 pounds (1.73 kg) |
| Color | Black |
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: that I like
9000 3,000 3,000 3000 — this is a budget notebook.
It has a large 15.6-inch display, a full number pad, and plenty of legacy ports. What surprised me about the Inspiron 15 3000 is how much it can do despite its modest specs.
The model I reviewed only has an Intel Core i3 processor, but that’s enough for web browsing, office work, and general productivity. I usually lean towards models with a Core i5 processor, but the review of this device opened my eyes to how far the lower end of the Intel Core i3 line has progressed over the years. If you’re looking for a laptop for light work and productivity, don’t settle for Core i3 models, especially if you’re on a budget. nine0003
Whether you’re buying a single laptop or buying multiple laptops, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is an easy recommendation.
Dell packed a lot of the laptop into the Inspiron 15 3000’s 14-inch chassis. The bezels around the 15.6-inch display are thin, though not as thin as premium laptops. Thanks to this, the laptop has a large screen, despite the relatively small body.
When you open the Inspiron 15 3000, that screen lifts up slightly with an ErgoLift hinge, which is nice. This hinge also places the keyboard at the best angle. nine0003
Inspiron 15 3000 battery life is decent. Streaming 1080p content with the screen at full brightness will drain your battery in about six hours.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: What I don’t like
While the Inspiron 15 3000 has many ports, it lacks one for USB-C. It’s good to have an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and three USB-A ports on a laptop, but it’s disappointing to not even have one USB-C port. Maintaining legacy support is important to some, but I think Dell could replace one of the USB-A ports with a USB-C port. Alternatively, the company could remove the chassis charging port and install a USB-C port that also powers the laptop. nine0003
Many of the best Windows PC webcams use USB-A, so older ports make sense, but some PC accessories use USB-C. For example, some of the best external hard drives connect via USB-C.
The Inspiron 15 3000 also lacks a built-in way to unlock the laptop via Windows Hello. You can add a fingerprint scanner or a Windows Hello-enabled webcam, but it’s not as easy as the built-in hardware. nine0003
Inspiron 15 3000 trackpad feels a bit loose and empty, especially in the bottom corners. It tracks motion well and is clickable, but the trackpad is one area that shows the price of the device.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: The Competition
While the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is an impressive laptop for the price, it’s not the only good laptop you can buy for $350 to $500. Starting at $430, the HP 14z is a solid device. It has a wide range of ports, including a USB-C port, and offers decent battery life. nine0003
ASUS Vivobook 15 is one of the best budget laptops on the market. Like the Inspiron 15 3000, the Vivobook 15 has a 15.6-inch FHD display and plenty of legacy ports. Unlike the Inspiron 15 3000, the Vivobook 15 has backlit keys, a fingerprint scanner, and a USB-C port.
The
Surface Laptop Go is more expensive than the entry-level Inspiron 15 3000, but in the same range as some mid-range models from Dell. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is a great $550 laptop. It has a bright display, impressive performance and good battery life. nine0003
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: Should You Buy It?
You should buy this if …
- You are looking for an inexpensive device
- You need a laptop with a digital keyboard
- You want a laptop with a large screen
9000 You should not buy it, if …
- Need a laptop for gaming
- Do video editing or graphics work
- Want a more premium laptop
This notebook is fully consistent with the budget category. Those who need a solid device for general productivity should be happy with the Inspiron 15 3000. Those who want a more premium device or laptop for video editing or graphic design should check out more powerful hardware.
Whether you’re buying a single laptop or buying multiple laptops, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is an easy recommendation. It’s an affordable laptop with the build quality you’ve come to expect from Dell. I would like to see a USB-C port and built-in hardware for Windows Hello, but these omissions are not decisive for most people. nine0003
Conclusion
The Inspiron 15 3000 is a solid laptop for people on a budget. It’s well built, has plenty of dated accessory ports, and has a full number pad. Its biggest drawback is that it lacks a USB-C port.
Pros
- High build quality
- Wide range of legacy ports
- Large 15.6-inch screen
- Low starting price
Cons
- No USB-C port
- Lacks built-in hardware for Windows Hello.
- The trackpad hangs in the corners of
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 Review ★ January 2023
Description Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 built on the basis of the 4-core Intel Core I5-135GA.
The TDP of the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 is 22 W, which indicates energy efficiency and emphasizes the portability of the device. Responsible for graphics is the Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs. nine0003
The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 has 8 GB of 1-channel DDR4 RAM. The amount of RAM is enough for typical office work. However, if you like to open dozens of bookmarks in your browser or are into modern games, I would recommend considering more advanced configurations.
Our storage configuration is a fast SK Hynix BC711 HFM256GD3GX013N 256 GB SSD. By modern standards, this is very small, such a volume is only enough for office work and the Internet. nine0003
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
Display The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 features a 15.6-inch 16:9 1920 x 1080 IPS display. This resolution is enough for any task. However, if you work with graphics or do video editing, I would recommend looking at higher resolution displays. On the other hand, doing this on a 15.
6-inch screen is still a pleasure, better pick up a larger screen. For everything else, especially for games, more is not needed. In addition, 1920 x 1080 is more beneficial for battery life than higher resolutions. On a display of this size, you are unlikely to feel the difference.
60 Hz display frequency is not something outstanding, but it is more than enough for everyday tasks. In addition, the lower the frequency of the display, the better its energy efficiency parameters. If autonomy is important to you, then 60 Hz from this point of view would be the best option.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 display brightness averaged 225 nits. Such brightness may not be enough for you even in a room where there is a lot of light. You will constantly turn the brightness to the maximum, and this negatively affects the battery life. nine0003
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 display contrast is 1100:1. The contrast is good, the picture looks juicy. However, in films and games in dark scenes, the backlight of the screen is striking, and the picture as a whole does not look as good as on OLED panels.
The screen surface is matte. Like if you like glossy erans! Subscribe to our channel if you prefer matte.
IPS displays have proven themselves very well in mobile devices due to excellent viewing angles and good color reproduction at a low production cost. Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 inherited the advantages of IPS panels, however, it was not without drawbacks. nine0003
Our colorimeter measurements showed 58% coverage of the sRGB color space. The color palette is too poor to ignore. For office work, this will be enough, but for games and movies, it is better to choose something better. Forget about editing photos and videos, all your work will go yellow, red, or even some kind of blue. The gamma curve differs from the standard in a big way. If you’re used to well-tuned monitors, you’ll find the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 more contrasty. The downside is that you will lose image detail in areas that are too dark and areas that are too bright. This can be critical in dark scenes in movies and games.
This shortcoming can be partially corrected by calibrating the display. nine0003
The white point is noticeably shifted to warm tones and the default image looks yellow. For professionals, I would recommend calibrating the screen. Out-of-the-box color reproduction is poor and needs some fine-tuning with a file if you plan on taking photos or videos professionally.
Performance Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
Performance Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 is enough for comfortable office work, but no more. This fully corresponds to the class of the device, it would be strange to expect more from the Intel Core i5-1135G7. In terms of numbers, in the PCMark 10 test, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 scored about 4500 points. nine0003
The graphics subsystem in the form of Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs can hardly surprise you with anything. But if you plan to use the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 mainly for office work, then the low graphics performance should not be considered a drawback.
In the 3DMark 11 graphics test, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 scores around 3400 points.
Cooling System Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
Under moderate load, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 is completely silent. Under maximum load, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 remains surprisingly quiet. nine0003
Under maximum load, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 case heats up to an uncomfortable temperature. Dimensions allow you to place a normal cooling system and not bring the device to critical temperatures. It is strange that this was not done.
Battery life Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 has average battery life. On a single charge, it will last no more than 4 hours with not very intensive use and an average brightness level. If you need more, then to the 1.7 kg weight of the device itself, add 305 g of the power supply, which you have to carry with you. nine0003
Interfaces Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511
- Keyboard Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3511 without backlight
- Bluetooth 4.
