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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
When selecting between the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the MSI GE66 Raider, consider your primary needs. If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option that's suitable for general use with a touch screen and decent portability, the Dell Inspiron could be the right choice. However, if you require a high-performance machine for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering tasks, despite its higher price, the MSI GE66 Raider offers significantly better performance, a more vibrant and higher resolution display, and superior build quality. It's less portable than the Dell due to its heavier weight, but it has a larger battery capacity which may offer extended use between charges. The MSI also features a more advanced graphics card and a higher capacity for RAM and storage, with options for expansion, making it future-proof 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 3525
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1080p display, which provides adequate performance and screen quality for general tasks, but has a relatively short battery life and lower screen color quality.
Gaming and AI
6.0
8.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has moderate gaming capabilities due to its integrated Vega 7 graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, whereas the MSI GE66 Raider excels with its high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a smoother 120Hz refresh rate, better suiting it for intensive gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.4
9.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525, with its decent but less powerful AMD Ryzen processor and integrated Vega graphics, is adequate for engineering tasks but may struggle with more demanding design work, also offering a standard high-definition screen. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider, equipped with a top-tier Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics, excels in engineering and design tasks, supported by a high-resolution screen that produces vivid colors and sharp details, but it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.1
8.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
6.9
8.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
6.3
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 likely has a standard screen that's adequate for everyday tasks with reasonable resolution and brightness, but lacks the color accuracy and wide color gamut needed for professional engineering and design work. The MSI GE66 Raider, with its superior display, offers vibrant colors and wider color coverage, making it ideal for detailed engineering and design applications. However, for gaming and 3D work, neither laptop meets the mark due to lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid animation and gameplay compared to models specifically tailored for those purposes.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$400
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 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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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3525 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$400 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.71 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 6 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 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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