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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 that offers basic performance for general use. It's suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video playback. However, the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs more but comes with higher-end components, like a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics, making it better for intensive tasks including 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications. The MSI has a higher screen resolution and is also touch-enabled, with a battery that lasts longer, making it practical for professional or creative work. The Dell has a larger screen but is thicker and slightly heavier, making the MSI a more portable 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
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the MSI Summit E16 Flip.
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
6.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Summit E16 Flip is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.3
7.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E16 Flip is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a more powerful CPU, a dedicated high-performance GPU, and better screen quality, which translates to enhanced capability in handling engineering and design tasks compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which has a lower-tier CPU and integrated graphics. However, the Dell Inspiron may be slightly more portable due to its lighter weight, but it compromises on performance and screen resolution that are crucial for such specialized tasks.
Content Creation
7.0
7.9
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
7.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 MSI Summit's superior resolution and brightness enhance readability and the viewing experience, whereas the Dell Inspiron's screen may appear duller and less sharp. For engineering and design, the MSI Summit's display covers a wider color gamut, providing more accurate color representation crucial for detailed work, compared to the Dell, which has a narrower color range, resulting in less vibrant images. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short, because neither offers a high refresh rate, which is essential for smooth motion and gameplay, but MSI's higher resolution and panel type still give it an edge in visual clarity over the Dell.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 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.
Build Quality
6.2
7.4
The MSI Summit E16 Flip 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
$329
$1,550
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $329 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,550.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$329 | $1,550 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Summit E16 Flip
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
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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