Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (2020) Laptop Review

The Dell Inspiron 15 3501 has a simple but bland design. The borders are a bit thick, especially the bottom chin, and they look somewhat cheap. On the bottom of the laptop, there are exhaust vents near the back and speakers near the front. It's only available in one color scheme: Carbon Black.

The build quality is decent. Even though it's entirely plastic, it feels well-built, and there aren't any obvious gaps in the construction. There's some flex in the display and the keyboard deck, but almost none when the laptop is closed. Likewise, the plastic chassis picks up oil from handling, but it isn't too bad. If you want a more premium laptop with better build quality, check out the Dell XPS 13 (2021).

The hinge is disappointing. It's decently stable, so the screen doesn't wobble much, but it feels poorly made as there's very little resistance, and it doesn't feel smooth when opening and closing the laptop.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a thin and light laptop that's easy to carry around. It doesn't have a USB-C port for charging, so you have to use the included barrel plug power adapter, but on the upside, it's also very compact and should fit easily into most bags.

The serviceability is outstanding. It's easy to access the internals as you only have to remove some Philips screws. The back corner screws are partially attached to the panel to help you pull it open so that you don't need to use a pick. The 8GB model runs in single-channel mode, meaning it's only taking up one of the two RAM slots, so there's another one available if you want to add more or switch to a dual-channel configuration for better performance. There's also an additional storage slot for a 2.5-inch SSD.

• Dell Inspiron 15 3000 laptop
• 45W power adapter and cable
• Documentation

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 has two display options: a 720p TN or a 1080p IPS panel. The 1080p display's pixel density is decent; It's okay for general productivity, but it might not be sharp enough for content creators. The 720p display has a lower pixel density of 100 PPI, so text and images will look more blurry and pixelated. Support for touch input is optional. If you want a similar laptop with a sharper display, check out the ASUS Vivobook S 16 Flip TP3604 (2023).

The Dell Inspiron 3000 is only available with 60Hz displays, which is typical for a budget productivity laptop. The 1080p panel's response time is slow, causing noticeable ghosting, so it isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content or gaming. The 720p TN panel will likely perform similarly.

The 1080p IPS display's contrast ratio is okay and within the typical range of most IPS panels. It isn't the best for viewing content in dim settings because blacks look grayish. The TN panel is advertised to have the same contrast.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3501's IPS panel has mediocre screen brightness. It doesn't get bright enough to combat glare, so visibility is an issue in well-lit environments. In contrast, it gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, providing a more comfortable viewing experience in the dark. Dell advertises the TN panel as having the same maximum brightness. This laptop has an Eco Mode in the BIOS that limits the screen brightness and is turned on by default, but we disabled it for testing. If you need a laptop with a brighter display, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021).

The reflection handling is decent. Its matte anti-reflective coating is excellent at reducing the intensity of direct lights, but some reflections are still visible even with the screen at maximum brightness.

The black uniformity is bad. There's severe clouding throughout the screen, as well as some backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges. However, this is only visible when viewing a dark scene in a dark room. The TN panel's black uniformity will be significantly worse due to its poor viewing angles.

The horizontal viewing angle is okay. The image looks dimmer and washed out from the side, but the overall picture quality is still good enough to share the screen with someone else as long as you don't need perfect accuracy. The TN panel will perform significantly worse.

The Dell Inspiron 3000 has okay vertical viewing angles. The image remains accurate until you reach a moderate angle, so you have some play to tilt the screen before the accuracy degrades. The TN panel will be much worse as TN panels usually suffer from color inversion.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 has poor display accuracy out of the box. The white balance is passable, but most colors are inaccurate due to the panel's narrow color gamut. The color temperature is a bit warmer than the standard 6500K target, giving the image a slight reddish tint. The gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve and seems to target a flat 2.3, making most scenes appear darker than they should.

The Dell Inspiron 3000 has a poor color gamut. It doesn't even have full coverage of the standard sRGB color space, making most content look washed out. It also has very limited coverage of wider color spaces like Adobe RGB, DCI P3, and Rec. 2020. It's okay for general productivity and media consumption but not for color-critical work or viewing HDR content.

The backlight is entirely flicker-free at all brightness levels, which helps reduce eye strain for some people.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3501 has a middling keyboard. The typing experience is okay as the keys are very stable and have a good amount of travel. However, they feel mushy and aren't sufficiently spaced, making it a bit tiring to type on for extended periods. Backlighting is optional, so it's best to check the specifications if this is something you need. If you want a laptop with a better keyboard, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023).

The touchpad is decent. The size is alright; it could be larger, but it's usable. It tracks well, and the click mechanism feels relatively satisfying, although dragging and dropping items doesn't work at times.

The Dell Inspiron 3000 has good speakers. They sound relatively well-balanced with a fair amount of bass extension, though not enough to produce a deep rumbling sound. Unfortunately, they're down-firing and don't get very loud.

The webcam is mediocre. The image looks soft and underexposed, and most colors are inaccurate. It manages to capture some small details, like on the cards, but other fine details like the rope and hair are lost. The microphone sounds relatively clear; however, it's too loud and sensitive to surrounding noise. There's also some static in the background.

The port selection is passable. The two USB-A ports on the left side support USB 3.2 Gen 1 transfer speed (up to 5Gbps), but the one on the right only supports USB 2.0 standard (up to 480Mbps). There isn't a USB-C port, but Dell states that it's an optional feature available on some models. The HDMI port makes it easier to connect an external display; however, the output is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p @ 60Hz. There's a slot for a Kensington lock on the right side. If you want a similar laptop with a USB-C or HDMI 2.0 port, check out the Acer Aspire 3 15 (2023).

The Dell Inspiron 3000's wireless adapter is a Qualcomm QCA9377.

You can configure the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with the following CPUs:

• Intel Core i3-1115G4 (2 cores/4 threads, up to 4.1GHz)
• Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 4.2GHz)
• Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4 cores/8 threads, up to 4.7GHz)

All three CPUs are power-efficient U-series processors designed for simple tasks like web browsing, video playback, and text formatting. However, the Core i5 and i7 CPUs can handle heavier multitasking and workloads like photo editing as long as the material isn't overly complex. The Core i7-1165G7 is the top-end CPU option and faster than the Core i5-1135G7 on paper, but the increase in performance likely isn't huge because it may throttle more under load due to thermal limitations, as we've seen with the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020).

This laptop is only available with integrated graphics. The Core i3-1115G4 has Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen processors with 48 execution units, the Core i5-1135G7 has Intel Iris Xe Graphics with 86 execution units, and the Core i7-1165G7 has Intel Iris Xe Graphics with 96 execution units. There's also an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 discrete GPU option, but it seems to be available only in certain regions.

The Intel integrated graphics are designed to handle simple tasks like web browsing and video playback. The Core i5 and Core i7's Iris Xe Graphics can handle some light gaming, but you'll likely have to turn down some graphics settings to achieve playable frame rates. You can also get a fairly smooth experience when performing some graphically intensive tasks like photo and video editing, but as with the CPU, it depends on the complexity of the material. The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 is an entry-level discrete GPU that performs similarly to the NVIDIA GeForce MX350 in the Acer Aspire 5 15 (2020). Because it has 2GB of dedicated VRAM, it'll provide a smoother experience than the Intel Iris Xe graphics in VRAM-heavy applications, but it still isn't powerful enough to handle demanding modern AAA titles. Check out the Dell Precision 3591 (2024) if you need a laptop with more powerful GPUs for professional workloads like 3D design and simulation.

You can configure the laptop with 4, 8, 12, or 16GB of RAM. It's best to get at least 8GB because 4GB is very limiting and can cause some stutters or slowdowns when multitasking. The 8GB model runs in single-channel configuration, which can impact performance in some applications. However, there's a second RAM slot, so you can easily add another memory stick yourself after purchase. There are 3200MHz memory options available, but only on models with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 discrete GPU.

You can configure this laptop with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of PCIe NVMe storage. There's an additional slot for a 2.5 inch SSD if you need more space.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 performs reasonably well in the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. It has excellent single-thread performance, but its multi-thread performance is disappointing due to its limited number of cores and threads. The Intel Core i5 and i7 models will perform slightly better in single-threaded applications, but it's in multi-threaded applications that you'll see the most gain because they have double the core and thread count.

If your workload consists of simple tasks like web browsing and video playback, and you don't perform any heavy multitasking, the Core i3 is powerful enough to provide a smooth experience. However, if you need to run multi-threaded applications or tend to have many programs running simultaneously, it's best to go with the Core i5 or i7. Check out the Acer Aspire 5 15 (2023) if you want a laptop with newer, faster Intel 13th Gen CPUs.

As for the GPU compute performance, none of the integrated GPUs are ideal for graphically intensive tasks in a professional environment. However, if you need to do some light photo or video editing from time to time, the Intel Core i5 and i7 models with Intel Iris Xe graphics or models with the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 are preferable.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000's Intel Core i3-1115G4 has decent performance in Cinebench R23. The single-thread performance is excellent and very similar to the Core i5 and i7, but it performs significantly worse in the multi-thread test because it has fewer cores and threads.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 performs terribly in the Blender benchmark. The Intel Core i5 and i7 are faster and take less time to render the same scene, but they're still not fast enough for any practical purposes. We couldn't run the GPU render test because Blender doesn't support the integrated GPU. That said, the GPU will likely take even longer to complete the task. The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 will be faster than integrated graphics, but not by much.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 performs terribly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. The Intel Iris Xe graphics on the Core i5 and i7 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 discrete GPU can handle some light or older titles, but you'll likely have to play at the lowest graphical settings to get consistent frame rates.

The storage drive performance is outstanding. Its fast read and write speeds make the system feel very responsive, particularly when booting up the computer, launching apps, and transferring files. Its random write speed is especially impressive, faster than many premium laptops like the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019). The speed of the SSD may vary depending on the size, as larger SSDs tend to perform better.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3501's battery life is okay. It doesn't last long enough for a typical 8-hour workday of light productivity, but it's pretty close, so you'll have to plug it in for a short time at some point during the day. Video playback typically consumes more power and further shortens the battery life, although it's enough to get you through a movie or two and a couple of TV show episodes. Gaming drains the battery very quickly; however, it's still significantly better than laptops with a dedicated GPU. The Intel Core i5 and i7 models will likely have shorter battery life because they run at a higher clock speed and have more cores and threads, and it'll be even shorter on the models with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 GPU. If you want a similar Windows laptop with longer battery life, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021).

Borderlands 3 isn't playable on the Dell Inspiron 3000 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4. It can't even reach 30fps at the lowest graphical settings, and we had to perform the benchmark in DirectX 11 because it kept crashing in DirectX 12. The Intel Core i5 variants will perform better than the Core i3, although not enough to make the game playable. The Intel Core i7 and models with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 can likely reach 30 fps at the lowest settings but with frequent stutters.

Civilization VI runs terribly on the an Intel Core i3-1115G4 model. It's choppy even at the lowest graphical settings, and the turn time is long. It's playable on the Intel Core i5 and i7 variants and models with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330, but only if you lower the graphical settings to near minimum. We performed the benchmark on DirectX 11 because it kept crashing on DirectX 12.

CS:GO runs poorly on the Intel Core i3-1115G4 model. You can get over 60fps on average at the lowest setting, but it's still choppy at times, which isn't ideal for an FPS game. The Intel Core i5 and i7 models and variants with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 can achieve playable frame rates, but you may have to lower some graphical settings.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs terribly on the Intel Core i3 model. It can only push out frames in the single digits at high settings, and even with the graphics turned down, it's still too choppy. The Intel Core i5 and i7 variants and models with an NVIDIA GeForce MX330 can likely reach 30fps at the lowest graphical settings, but you'll still get a lot of frame drops in busy scenes. We ran the benchmark in DirectX 11 because it kept crashing on DirectX 12.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 has decent thermal and noise performance. The keyboard deck is cool when idle, and fan noise isn't noticeable unless you're in a completely silent room. The temperature rises significantly under load, but the hottest spot is near the top of the keyboard, away from the area where the hands usually rest when typing. Fan noise is audible under load, although it isn't distracting. If you need a laptop with better thermal performance, check out the ASUS X515 (2020).

The Dell Inspiron 3000's performance over time is exceptional. The CPU temperature is quite high under load, but there's very little thermal throttling, and the performance loss isn't noticeable in most uses. The GPU doesn't get very hot and doesn't throttle at all.

The Dell Inspiron 3000 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 ships with Windows 10 in S mode by default, but the Core i5 and Core i7 models come with the full version of the operating system. Windows S mode is a stripped-down version of Windows designed for low-end hardware. It only lets you install apps from the Windows Store, which means you can't install apps like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. There's an option to switch out of S mode, but you can't go back to it once you've activated the full version of Windows.

There are a couple of pre-installed software applications, including:

• Dell Mobile/Customer Connect: This application lets you register your laptop for warranty purposes and access tech support articles while your laptop is under warranty.
• MyDell: This application contains additional information about the laptop and lets you access power profiles to improve performance.
• Disney+: Application for the video streaming service.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 doesn't have any extra features. Some models have a fingerprint sensor, but only in certain regions.