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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a budget-friendly option with less storage and RAM, and a lower-end processor and graphics, making it suitable for basic tasks and general use. Its battery life is shorter, and it's lighter in weight, offering better portability. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X costs more but provides superior performance with a high-end processor, more RAM, and a powerful graphics card, catering to 3D rendering, gaming, and intensive engineering tasks. It also has a higher capacity battery but is heavier, which may affect portability. Choose the Inspiron 15 for casual use and the Aorus 15X for demanding applications. 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 3520
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 15X
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM, offers modest performance for general tasks, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X packs a more powerful Intel i9 processor and 16GB of RAM, delivering better performance for more demanding applications. Additionally, the Aorus 15X has a higher resolution screen, which enhances the visual experience, but it is heavier and has less portability than the lighter Inspiron 15 3520, which may also offer longer battery life due to its lower power consumption.
Gaming and AI
6.0
8.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a mid-range integrated GPU and a respectably high screen refresh rate, which makes it a fair option for gaming and 3D applications. The Gigabyte Aorus 15X, on the other hand, boasts a high-end dedicated GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate, enhancing its capability for more demanding gaming and 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
6.3
8.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X outshines the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 in engineering and design uses due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, a high-end GPU, and a screen with better resolution and color coverage, which are crucial for performance and visual-detail tasks. While the Dell is lighter and thus more portable, the Aorus 15X offers a more advanced keyboard, is quieter under load, and delivers higher fidelity sound, balancing portability with considerable gains in productivity and user experience.
Content Creation
7.0
8.0
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is good.
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
6.7
7.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
6.8
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness, but may fall short in color accuracy and panel technology, leading to a fair viewing experience. With the Gigabyte Aorus 15X, you get richer colors and sharper images due to better panel quality and higher brightness, giving rise to very good screen quality. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite their resolutions and panel types being suitable, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates, which is less ideal for the smooth visuals demanded by such tasks.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and Gigabyte Aorus 15X both have good portability, though the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.4
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 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
$335
$1,250
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $335 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X costs $1,250.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | Gigabyte Aorus 15X |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$335 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 14.1'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
Gigabyte Aorus 15X
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | February 2023
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the Gigabyte Aorus 15X
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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