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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 is less expensive and offers a good balance for everyday tasks and some light productivity, with its ample storage and touchscreen feature. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while more expensive, provides higher graphics performance with its dedicated gaming-grade graphics card, making it suitable for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning or gaming. The MSI also has a higher refresh rate screen, which is better for fast-paced games or smooth video playback. However, with this extra performance comes a heavier device compared to the Dell, which might affect portability. Consider the MSI if high-end performance is vital for you and you're okay with a higher price and less portability, or opt for the Dell Inspiron if you prioritize a lower price, decent performance for daily use, and easier transportation. 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 for general use
- Good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is deemed fair for general use due to its adequate CPU and RAM that handle everyday tasks, combined with a touch-enabled IPS screen for good visual quality, reasonable portability, and a decent battery life. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, also rated fair for general use, offers a more powerful CPU and dedicated GPU for better performance in more demanding applications, but trades off with shorter battery life and less portability.
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525, with an integrated AMD Vega GPU, is less capable in rendering complex graphics compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which features a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU known for better gaming performance. Additionally, the MSI has a higher screen refresh rate, which makes for smoother visuals in games and 3D applications compared to the Dell's standard refresh rate.
Software Development
6.9
6.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for software development, though the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is somewhat better.
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
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize a vivid display for general activities like web browsing and watching videos, neither the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 nor the MSI GF65 Thin will impress you due to their just adequate resolution and brightness. For tasks such as engineering and design that demand color accuracy, both laptops offer only fair performance as they don't fully cover the professional color gamuts. When it comes to gaming or working with 3D applications, the refresh rate is critical for smooth visuals, and these models fall short, which could hinder the experience, although they offer satisfactory resolution and panel types for less demanding visual tasks.
Battery
6.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
6.2
6.7
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 both have only fair build quality, though the MSI GF65 Thin has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$400
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
6.4
6.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The MSI GF65 Thin, with its Intel i5-10500H processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card, performs better for engineering and design use than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, which has an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U CPU and integrated Vega 7 graphics. The MSI's superior GPU and screen with a higher refresh rate make it more suitable for intensive applications and visual work, while the Dell's strengths lie in battery life and portability, albeit with lower performance for demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.1
6.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3525 to be good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3525 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$400 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.71 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 51 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 | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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. 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 GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
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