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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 suitable for general use with moderate performance and a decent battery life. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 5, while more expensive, offers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its high-end processor and graphics card. It also has a larger battery capacity, though this contributes to its greater weight, impacting portability. If you need a laptop for day-to-day tasks and prefer something lighter and more affordable, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is the one to go for. If you require high performance for specialized tasks and gaming, and don't mind investing more and having less portability, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is the 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 3520
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 5
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is suitable for general use with an i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a decent screen, but its lower battery life and more modest build quality limit its appeal compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 5. The Aorus 5, boasting a superior i7 processor, double the RAM, and better screen quality, delivers stronger performance, which justifies its lesser portability due to increased weight.
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The tool necessary to analyze the provided document is currently not accessible. However, if the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, it is likely because the Aorus 5 has a more powerful GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which are crucial for rendering games and 3D applications smoothly. Conversely, the Inspiron's less capable GPU and lower screen refresh rate would result in reduced gaming and 3D performance, although it may still be adequate for less demanding tasks within those applications.
Engineering and Design
6.3
8.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 outperforms the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 in engineering and design use due to having a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a significantly better GPU, paired with a superior screen quality that includes a higher refresh rate and broader color coverage. Although the Aorus 5 is less portable due to its greater weight and has a louder operating noise, these factors are secondary to the performance and display enhancements that are critical for engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.0
7.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
6.7
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520's display offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but may lack wide color gamuts, making it less ideal for professional engineering and design work that requires color accuracy. Although the Gigabyte Aorus 5 also provides a good resolution and brightness for daily activities, its stronger color reproduction makes it better suited for engineering and design purposes. However, for a smoother visual experience in 3D applications and games, neither laptop's screen excels due to lower refresh rates compared to dedicated gaming laptops.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 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
15.6in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.4
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
$2,359
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $335 and the Gigabyte Aorus 5 costs $2,359.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the Gigabyte Aorus 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | Gigabyte Aorus 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$335 | $2,359 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 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 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.7/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
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 5
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Vincent Chang | June 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the Gigabyte Aorus 5
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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