If you're on a tighter budget and mainly use your laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and streaming, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 will serve you well. However, if you're into high-end gaming, video editing, or 3D design and can stretch your budget, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro offers significantly better performance for these intensive tasks. The Legion also typically has a better display and higher build quality. Keep in mind that the Legion will be heavier and may have shorter battery life, making the Inspiron more portable and likely to last longer on a charge. 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
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
8.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i excels in gaming and 3D applications primarily because it includes a high-performance Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which provides smoother visuals and better responsiveness. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers a fair gaming experience suitable for less demanding games and tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
8.4/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is considered very good for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, contributing to better performance in resource-intensive tasks, and superior screen quality, which offers higher resolution and color accuracy for detailed work. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, despite having more RAM, which helps with multitasking, is limited by its less powerful CPU and GPU, and lower screen quality, making it only good for less demanding engineering and design tasks.
Screen Quality
6.0/10
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
230.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron's screen may offer sufficient clarity and brightness, but the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i provides a sharper and more vivid viewing experience thanks to higher resolution and better panel technology. In engineering and design, the Legion Pro 5i stands out with its wider color gamut, making it ideal for professionals who need accurate color representation for their work. However, both the Dell Inspiron and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to low refresh rates, whereas dedicated gaming laptops would offer smoother visuals with higher refresh rates.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a price of $560 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i costs $999.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 offers a lightweight design with a balance of performance and battery life suitable for everyday tasks, with ample RAM and a solid screen for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro features a powerful CPU and high-quality screen which, despite being heavier and having less battery life, is excellent for more demanding applications and provides an immersive experience for users who need higher performance.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
7.3/10
7.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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 Legion Pro 5i compare to other laptops
"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."
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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