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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you value having a 2-in-1 device that works as both a laptop and a tablet, and prefer a screen with a slightly higher resolution and better aspect ratio for productivity tasks, go for the Lenovo Flex 5. The Lenovo also comes with a newer CPU and higher battery capacity, which may result in better performance and longer battery life. However, choose the Dell Inspiron 15 if you prefer to save money and possibly get more internal storage. The Inspiron also has a larger screen, which could be more enjoyable for watching videos and multitasking, though with a standard resolution and aspect ratio. Keep in mind that both laptops should handle general use well, but the Lenovo might have an edge if you're doing more demanding tasks. 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 Inspiron 15 3511
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 14.
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 14
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.0
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
230.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
277.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 are suited to general use due to their reasonable resolution and brightness, ensuring texts and images are clear and viewable under most conditions. However, for engineering and design tasks, these laptops may fall short, as their coverage of professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB is not particularly prominent, leading to less precise color representation. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, they lack in terms of refresh rate, limiting the smoothness and responsiveness of motion, while their resolution and panel type provide only moderate clarity and viewing angles for such dynamic content.
Battery
6.5 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.0
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$560
$950
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a price of $560 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 costs $950.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
230.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
277.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is equipped with a larger amount of RAM and a capable Intel CPU, making it a solid choice for general use with smooth multitasking, but it sacrifices higher portability and has a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo Flex 5 14, which offers a touchscreen, a slightly better portability, and longer battery life due to its AMD CPU, making it also well-suited for a variety of tasks and more flexible usage scenarios.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 are both considered fair for gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to their integrated graphics—the Intel Iris Xe and the AMD Vega 8, respectively, which provide moderate graphical performance suitable for less demanding games and 3D applications. However, both laptops have standard 60Hz refresh rate screens, which limits the smoothness of gameplay and fast-moving 3D visuals, and combined with the GPU limitations, this results in a fair rating for gaming and 3D tasks rather than excellent.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 are both good for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511, with its more substantial RAM and capable integrated graphics, is suitable for engineering and design tasks that demand memory and moderate graphics processing power. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers a better screen quality and the versatility of a 2-in-1 convertible, but with less RAM, which might limit performance in very demanding applications.
Content Creation
7.5
7.6
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
7.4
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3511 | Lenovo Flex 5 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$560 | $950 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | December 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 12.3'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 3.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 12.32" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 8.85" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 230 nits | 277 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3511
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Zachary Cuevas | November 2021
"The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) is a solid, if unremarkable, 15-inch budget laptop. It improves on many of the issues we had with the previous 3505 model, and with the inclusion of Windows 11, the 3511 is already a step above its competition. The lack of a USB-C port, the subpar speakers, and the dim display are drawbacks to factor in, but it's still one of the better 15-inch budget laptops on the market, especially when you consider it's under $400."
Lenovo Flex 5 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"The highlight of the latest IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is clearly its AMD CPU. The octa-core Ryzen 7 5700U is insanely fast even when compared to the best Tiger Lake Ultrabooks in the market or even Core H CPUs in many gaming laptops. It's a lot of raw processing power for what is supposed to be a budget 14-inch convertible. If your daily workloads can benefit from extra multi-thread CPU performance, then look no further than the inexpensive AMD-powered Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14. For regular on-the-road browsing or video streaming, however, a slimmer and lighter 10th gen Core Yoga, Spectre, or XPS would be a more balanced option."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 or the Lenovo Flex 5 14
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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