Dell Inspiron 15 Review 2023: Just Another Budget Laptop For Students
Sometimes, you only need a cheap, budget laptop to complete your work. This is true, especially if you are a student or a working professional slogging away on Microsoft Office apps. If you need a laptop for work without spending too much, consider buying the Dell Inspiron 15 2024.
To learn more about this laptop, read this Dell Inspiron 15 review post to make the best buying decision!
Dell Inspiron 15 Specifications And Price
The primary Dell Inspiron 15 specs for the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 (2024) model are:
| Operating System (OS) | Windows 11 Home |
| Display | 15.6” FHD touchscreen (1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate) |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (6 cores, 12 threads, 2 GHz – 4.5 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics |
| Memory | 8 GB DDR4 RAM (3,200 MT/s) |
| Storage | 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Ports | 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5mm audio jack |
| Webcam | 720p HD camera (30fps) |
| Battery | 3-cell 41 Wh battery with 65 W AC adapter |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 0.75” x 14.11” x 9.27” |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.64 kg) |
| Available Colors | Carbon Black |
The Dell Inspiron 15 release date was in February 2022. The current Dell Inspiron 15 price is $349.99. You can buy it from the online Dell store!
Moreover, there is another Dell Inspiron 15 variant available as well, which has a touchscreen display and 16 GB of RAM. In addition, it also has a 1 TB SSD. However, I haven’t tested that model yet. Moreover, other variants exist as well with 12th Gen Intel Core processors and graphics cards.
Dell Inspiron 15 Review: My Experience
Let’s be clear here – the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 model that I tested is a cheap laptop for students. Therefore, don’t expect it to perform like a gaming laptop like Asus TUF Gaming F15.
Therefore, I didn’t do much gaming at all. My three-day test was all about doing productivity tasks – which is what corporates and students do. Read on to find out how well it performs!
Design
The new Dell Inspiron 15 2024 design is a simple one. It’s only available in one color – Carbon Black, which has a matte black finish. Therefore, the surface of the laptop feels smooth to the touch but not slippery.
Moreover, the build quality is fairly decent as well. It’s sturdy and weighs less as well. However, its hinges could have been better, as they wobble when I switch the fan on.
Overall, this laptop will be perfect for students and corporate professionals who want a light laptop to carry to school and offices respectively. It’s light, with a decent but simple look, which is good enough for the price you pay.
Display
The Dell Inspiron 15 display is decent for the price. It has a standard 15.6” screen with 1080p resolution with a 60 Hz refresh rate. You get this in other budget laptops like the Acer Aspire 5.
However, I can describe the screen in just one word – lifeless. I know Dell laptops are used to make some of the best displays. However, this one might be an exception.
I watched Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse, and this colorful movie felt washed out and dull. When I tried to play Valorant – the colors and the contrast felt dull. The same can be said for the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i screen as well.
However, the touchscreen seems to be the only saving grace here. It’s smooth and responsive and works well on swiping through Windows 11.
Overall, the touchscreen is smooth and responsive. However, its contrast, color, and brightness are all lackluster. But I will respect it for having an anti-glare finish.
Keyboard And Trackpad
The Dell Inspiron 15 keyboard is as standard as it looks. It has a white backlight support, which makes it better at nighttime. However, the keys are average since they are a standard laptop keyboard. It has decent key travel, but I didn’t enjoy typing on it.
Again, the same goes for the trackpad as well – average at best. It’s serviceable, feeling reliably smooth and responsive. However, it’s highly prone to smudges.
Webcam
The 720p HD webcam is another major con with the Dell Inspiron 15. Its image and video quality are bland and grainy, making it strictly a webcam for only video calls and Discord. Therefore, it’s nowhere near as good as the Apple MacBook Air M1 webcam.
Audio
The down-firing speakers right in the front are loud enough but lack clarity. Moreover, their equalization is all over the place as well. The treble is on the higher side of the spectrum, while the bass is almost negligible. Therefore, it’s not suitable for watching movies and playing games.
As a result, I recommend using Skullcandy headphones like the Skullcandy Crusher Evo for a better audio experience.
Ports
The Dell Inspiron 15 laptop has a decent number of ports. On the left, you’ll find the USB 2.0 port, the SD card reader, and the 3.5mm headset jack. You will find the HDMI 1.4, USB 3.2 Type A and Type C ports, and the power jack on the right.
I wish there were more USB 3.2 ports here since both quickly fill up. Therefore, I wish that Dell could’ve added an extra USB 3.2 port instead of the USB 2.0 port.
Moreover, I wish there was an HDMI 2.1 port for supporting monitors beyond 1080p at 60 fps. This is the maximum that the HDMI 1.4 port is capable of.
Battery
Since you will primarily be using the Dell Inspiron 15 for studying and office work, its battery life will suffice.
Therefore, during my “casual” test, which involves writing my articles for work, listening to YouTube in the background open in another tab, and 20 other tabs open on Opera GX, this laptop lived up to 9 hours. That’s impressive, considering that this is a budget laptop.
However, I did face heating issues after the two-hour mark. It got so hot that I couldn’t keep it on my lap anymore without burning through my jeans. Moreover, I didn’t even touch the vents anymore at the 9-hour mark. I don’t want to burn my fingers doing so!
Performance
As one should expect, the performance of the Dell Inspiron 15 is similar – if not worse – than that of other cheap laptops. Moreover, gaming is not even in the books since this has an integrated AMD Radeon graphics card.
Therefore, I didn’t play any games except for Valorant here, which I played at 50 fps at the lowest settings.
If you use this laptop for routine office work and studies, it should suffice. Its performance is comparable to the HP Laptop 17. However, buy a better laptop if you wish to use it for graphically intensive work like video editing and 3D animation. The Ryzen 5 7530U with integrated Radeon graphics won’t cut it.
Dell Inspiron 15 For 2024: Deal Or No Deal?
Since the Dell Inspiron 15 is a budget laptop for students and working corporates, it does its job fine. Therefore, Microsoft Office and most Google Workspace apps should work smoothly here and work better using the touchscreen.
However, you will want more power for gaming and graphically intensive tasks like 3D animations and video editing. Therefore, I recommend buying the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 instead for $200 more.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Good battery life • Responsive touchscreen • Simple and light design • Affordable price | • Dull display • Mediocre keyboards • Poor webcam • Poor speakers • Runs hot after a few hours |
