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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 might save you some money and is suitable for everyday tasks and light productivity, with decent storage and memory, and a battery life that supports general use. However, for more graphics-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, the MSI GF63 Thin, despite being a bit more expensive, gives you the advantage of a dedicated graphics card. It's also slightly heavier but offers a more game-focused experience and might have a shorter battery life due to its performance components. If portability and battery life matter, consider the Dell; if performance in demanding applications is a priority, the MSI might be a better choice. 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 for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
6.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
230.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is rated higher for general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, better screen quality, longer battery life, and more manageable weight for portability, whereas the MSI GF63 Thin is marked lower mostly because of its less powerful CPU, lower RAM, modest screen quality, and shorter battery life despite its emphasis on portability and gaming performance. While the MSI may excel in gaming with its dedicated graphics card, its general use is compromised by trade-offs in key aspects such as processing power and memory, which are crucial for everyday tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.5
6.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.0
6.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
230.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and the MSI GF63 Thin offer screens that are adequately bright and clear enough for activities like browsing and watching videos, but their resolution might not be the highest, and the panel type may not offer the best color reproduction. In engineering and design, both laptops provide fair accuracy in colors, but professionals might find the lack of wider color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB limiting for precision work requiring true-to-life color representation. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the refresh rates on these laptops are not ideal for the fast-paced visuals and might not deliver the smoothest experience, even though the resolution and panel types are acceptable for moderate use.
Battery
6.5 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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.
Cost
$560
$599
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a price of $560 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and MSI GF63 Thin are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511, with an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU, offers fair gaming and 3D performance but cannot match dedicated GPUs; its 60Hz screen refresh rate is standard for non-gaming laptops. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin features a dedicated Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, which provides better performance for gaming and 3D applications within the same standard 60Hz refresh rate, though its CPU and screen quality are similar.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and MSI GF63 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
6.5
The MSI GF63 Thin and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3511 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$560 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 230 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
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."
MSI GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 or the MSI GF63 Thin
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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