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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is significantly less expensive, more portable, and sufficient for general use but has less storage, less RAM, and less powerful CPU and GPU, making it less suitable for intensive tasks. Conversely, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while more expensive and heavier, offers better performance for engineering, 3D/machine learning, and gaming thanks to a much more powerful CPU and high-end GPU, and it has more storage and RAM. 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 MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- 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
362.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a less powerful integrated GPU and a lower screen refresh rate compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard, which comes with a high-end dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate screen, making the latter better suited for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.3
7.9
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with an Intel i3 processor and integrated UHD graphics, is considered fair for engineering and design use due to its lower-tier CPU and GPU, which may struggle with more complex design software and multitasking that requires higher computer performance.
Software Development
6.7
7.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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 15 3520's screen provides an adequate combination of resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and word processing, but the MSI GP66 Leopard's superior brightness and resolution enhance overall display clarity and detail. When it comes to engineering and design work, the MSI laptop again stands out, offering a wider color gamut which ensures more accurate color reproduction critical for professional photo editing and graphic design, unlike the Dell which falls short in color range. In the realm of 3D and gaming, the MSI's shortfall is its lower refresh rate, which could diminish the smoothness of fast-paced visuals, though it's still quite capable for less demanding 3D applications; the Dell's lower performance here is due to it not being designed with high refresh gaming in mind.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very 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
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $335 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.0
7.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$335 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | Intel i7-11800H | |
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 | 65 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
MSI GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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