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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, the MSI Summit E16 Flip is a superior choice with its higher-end processor and dedicated graphics card. However, it comes with a higher price tag. It also boasts a higher resolution touchscreen with better color accuracy, making it well-suited for creative professionals. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is more wallet-friendly and still offers good performance for general use with a decent screen. Although not as powerful as the MSI, it is lighter and thus more portable, making it a practical option for everyday tasks and on-the-go use. Both laptops have touchscreen capability, but if gaming or intensive graphics work is your focus, you might lean towards the MSI. If you seek value for money and portability, the Dell could be more suitable. 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
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the MSI Summit E16 Flip.
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- 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
7.0
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
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the MSI Summit E16 Flip is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 offers a fair experience for general use, having lower screen resolution, less RAM, and a less powerful processor compared to the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which provides a good experience due to its higher resolution screen, double the RAM, and a more advanced processor. The MSI Summit, with its higher portability score, better battery life, and 2-in-1 convertible design, also adds versatility and ease of use for various tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
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 3525 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI Summit E16 Flip is somewhat better.
The MSI Summit E16 Flip outperforms the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 in gaming and 3D applications primarily because it boasts a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, compared to the integrated Vega 7 graphics and 60 Hz screen on the Dell. Additionally, the Summit E16 has a superior CPU and screen quality, which, while somewhat important to gaming performance, further enhance the overall experience.
Engineering and Design
6.4
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 3525 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is less suited for engineering and design tasks due to its mid-range AMD Ryzen processor and integrated Vega 7 graphics which limit performance in demanding applications, compared to the MSI Summit E16 Flip that has a higher-end Intel Core i7 processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics, offering better handling of complex tasks and graphics-intensive operations. Additionally, while both have IPS screens, the MSI's larger RAM capacity and its superior GPU contribute to a smoother experience when running engineering simulations or design software.
Content Creation
7.1
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 3525 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
6.9
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 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
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 offers an adequate display that balances resolution and brightness, but the MSI Summit E16 Flip excels with a higher resolution and brightness, making images and text crisper and easier to see in various lighting conditions. When working on engineering and design tasks, the MSI Summit E16 Flip's display provides a wider color gamut, encompassing DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which ensures that colors are represented more accurately and vividly, whereas the Dell falls short in color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-moving visuals are common, neither laptop's screen is ideal due to lower refresh rates, though both should handle static images and videos well.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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 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
$1,550
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,550.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and MSI Summit E16 Flip 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 Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3525 | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$400 | $1,550 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.71 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | 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 | 512 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 | 60Hz | 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 | 7.8/10 | 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 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 Summit E16 Flip
See more
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 3525 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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