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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 depends on your needs. If you prioritize high performance for tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software, the Alienware x14 R1 is a superior choice with its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, but it comes at a higher price and with less portability. On the other hand, the Inspiron 15 3520 is more affordable and still capable for general use such as web browsing, office tasks, and video playback. However, it has less power for demanding applications and gaming. The Alienware also boasts a higher-quality build and better heat management, while the Inspiron offers longer battery life and is lighter, enhancing its portability. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
411.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is superior for general use primarily due to its more powerful CPU and ample RAM, enhancing multitasking and performance, complemented by a better quality screen, which offers higher brightness and color accuracy, contributing to a more pleasant visual experience. Despite being less optimal, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is still fair for general use with its adequate CPU and RAM for less demanding tasks, offering the benefit of a larger screen along with a respectful battery life, suited for those seeking a more budget-friendly option.
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.0
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is better for engineering and design tasks because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM for complex multitasking, and a superior dedicated GPU for handling graphics-intensive workloads; its screen also offers high brightness and wide color coverage, enhancing visual clarity and accuracy, which is critical in design work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
6.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.9
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
411.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 likely has a high-resolution display with solid brightness and a good panel type, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work due to accurate colors within professional color gamuts. However, it may lack a high refresh rate, diminishing the experience for gaming and 3D applications where smoothness is key. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 perhaps offers an acceptable balance of resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and engineering software but falls short in both color fidelity for precise design work and refresh rate for fluid gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
8.5
6.2
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,201
$329
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a price of $1,201 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $329.
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Key similarities
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware x14 R1 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware x14 R1 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,201 | $329 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.06 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.66" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.34" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 411 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | January 2023
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware x14 R1 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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