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expired Posted by Subberonis • Sep 6, 2023
expired Posted by Subberonis • Sep 6, 2023

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 15.6" Laptop Computer - Carbon Black $349.99

$350

$580

39% off
Micro Center
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Deal Details
SKU: 583021
Mfr Part #: I3520-5896BLK-P
UPC: 884116427896
Inspiron 15 3520 15.6" Laptop Computer - Carbon BlackIntel Core i5 11th Gen 1135G7 2.4GHz Processor; 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM; 512GB Solid State Drive; Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Core i5 11th Gen 1135G7 2.4GHz Processor
8GB DDR4-3200 RAM
512GB Solid State Drive
Intel UHD Graphics
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
SD Card Reader
1x1 Realtek Wi-Fi 5+Bluetooth
15.6" FHD WVA Anti-Glare Narrow Border LED-backlit 120Hz Display

https://www.microcenter.com/produ...rbon-black
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Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
SKU: 583021
Mfr Part #: I3520-5896BLK-P
UPC: 884116427896
Inspiron 15 3520 15.6" Laptop Computer - Carbon BlackIntel Core i5 11th Gen 1135G7 2.4GHz Processor; 8GB DDR4-3200 RAM; 512GB Solid State Drive; Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Core i5 11th Gen 1135G7 2.4GHz Processor
8GB DDR4-3200 RAM
512GB Solid State Drive
Intel UHD Graphics
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
SD Card Reader
1x1 Realtek Wi-Fi 5+Bluetooth
15.6" FHD WVA Anti-Glare Narrow Border LED-backlit 120Hz Display

https://www.microcenter.com/produ...rbon-black

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18 Comments

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Sep 6, 2023
4,539 Posts
Joined Jul 2006
Sep 6, 2023
coolcoder
Sep 6, 2023
4,539 Posts
I bought the AMD 5500u version of this laptop directly from Dell a week ago as I had a promotional Dell GC and rewards expiring. I have never held a more plasticky laptop in my life. Absolutely horrible build quality. The case gets scratched easily, and the material feels like it it should belong on a cheap toy. Display was terrible (same 120Hz display). Worst colors I have seen on a laptop, and I measured a peak brightness of 266 nits.

The only good thing is that the memory is upgradable. You'll need a second 8GB stick to enable Xe graphics. With just one stick, it will operate in the much slower UHD graphics mode.

Normally, I'd say you get what you pay for, but in this case, you are better putting that $350 towards a better laptop.
Last edited by coolcoder September 6, 2023 at 12:31 PM.
2
2
Original Poster
Sep 6, 2023
40 Posts
Joined Jun 2022
Sep 6, 2023
Subberonis
Original Poster
Sep 6, 2023
40 Posts
Quote from coolcoder :
I bought the AMD 5500u version of this laptop directly from Dell a week ago as I had a promotional Dell GC and rewards expiring. I have never held a more plasticky laptop in my life. Absolutely horrible build quality. The case gets scratched easily, and the material feels like it it should belong on a cheap toy. Display was terrible (same 120Hz display). Worst colors I have seen on a laptop, and I measured a peak brightness of 266 nits.

The only good thing is that the memory is upgradable. You'll need a second 8GB stick to enable Xe graphics. With just one stick, it will operate in the much slower UHD graphics mode.

Normally, I'd say you get what you pay for, but in this case, you are better putting that $350 towards a better laptop.
If this is the price someone can only afford and theres better, suggest one. A lot of people cant afford 500+ nice ones and need one ASAP.
Sep 6, 2023
4,539 Posts
Joined Jul 2006
Sep 6, 2023
coolcoder
Sep 6, 2023
4,539 Posts
Quote from Subberonis :
If this is the price someone can only afford and theres better, suggest one. A lot of people cant afford 500+ nice ones and need one ASAP.
Search on SD for past prices to learn about the trends. Not every deal will be available all the time. You just have to sit in the sidelines and be ready to jump when those deals come along. There have been a ton of those deals in the past. Some examples: $447 refurb Lenovo Slim 7 Pro with 12700h, 32GB RAM, 16" 500 nit 120Hz touch IPS display (deal came back a couple of times), $315-360 ZenBook 14 OLED 1240p open box (deal was off and on multiple times), $380-390 new XPG Xenia 14 with a 11th Gen i5, 16GB RAM, 100% sRGB IPS display (this deal came back a few times). Many other such deals. Again, it doesn't mean every deal is going to be available today, but you have to be ready to jump on them when they do come around.

If you absolutely need a laptop today, you can do better than this garbage Dell by just buying open Box on eBay or look at your local marketplaces.

And I am calling it garbage after actually buying it unlike a lot of other people who have negative comments about laptops. I was surprised just how terrible it was. Thankfully, I was able to sell it at cost on a local marketplace.
Last edited by coolcoder September 6, 2023 at 03:59 PM.
1
Sep 7, 2023
4,746 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
Sep 7, 2023
tomwil
Sep 7, 2023
4,746 Posts
Like the expansion capabilities of this laptop, including a 2.5" SATA SSD slot with carrier and cable. The hinges might be tight and may need to be loosened.
1
Sep 7, 2023
4,918 Posts
Joined Jun 2019
Sep 7, 2023
The_Love_Spud
Sep 7, 2023
4,918 Posts
Micro Center had previously had the comparable Dell 3511 as low as $300. I preferred that model as it included a touch screen. This 3520 is novel in that it swaps the standard refresh rate touch screen for a high-refresh rate (120Hz) non-touch monitor.

The 4-core CPU and high-refresh rate screen are a compelling package at $350, and would be a solid purchase for anyone seeking a long-term productivity PC, but unless the high-refresh rate screen is a must-have historically slicker deals have been available.

Good luck!
Jon
1
Sep 7, 2023
7 Posts
Joined Nov 2021
Sep 7, 2023
Rsh24
Sep 7, 2023
7 Posts
Any portable good laptop deal around 500USD for daily use like multimedia and reading books with decent display?No gaming.Any inputs/suggestions would be appreciated.Can stretch by 100 bucks if required.
Sep 7, 2023
142 Posts
Joined Sep 2018
Sep 7, 2023
WiseField749
Sep 7, 2023
142 Posts
Quote from coolcoder :
I bought the AMD 5500u version of this laptop directly from Dell a week ago as I had a promotional Dell GC and rewards expiring. I have never held a more plasticky laptop in my life. Absolutely horrible build quality. The case gets scratched easily, and the material feels like it it should belong on a cheap toy. Display was terrible (same 120Hz display). Worst colors I have seen on a laptop, and I measured a peak brightness of 266 nits.

The only good thing is that the memory is upgradable. You'll need a second 8GB stick to enable Xe graphics. With just one stick, it will operate in the much slower UHD graphics mode.

Normally, I'd say you get what you pay for, but in this case, you are better putting that $350 towards a better laptop.
The entire 3000 line of Inspiron laptops has this plastic shell and it shows.
As far as I can tell, Dell's only real upgrade between the 3000 and 5000 series are the shells and sometimes the screens and/or keyboards.
The 3000 series build quality is about equivalent to some of those crappy gateway laptops that used to shore up here all the time.
Great specs, but the build quality and exterior components make for a lousy user experience out of the box.

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Sep 7, 2023
4,539 Posts
Joined Jul 2006
Sep 7, 2023
coolcoder
Sep 7, 2023
4,539 Posts
Quote from WiseField749 :
The entire 3000 line of Inspiron laptops has this plastic shell and it shows.
As far as I can tell, Dell's only real upgrade between the 3000 and 5000 series are the shells and sometimes the screens and/or keyboards.
The 3000 series build quality is about equivalent to some of those crappy gateway laptops that used to shore up here all the time.
Great specs, but the build quality and exterior components make for a lousy user experience out of the box.
Not even great specs, I'd say. Yes, the one I bought for $329 on sale had a 5500u, but I was shocked to discover that there is absolutely no way of driving an external monitor at anything above 1080p with it. Forget 4K@60Hz, you can't even do 1440p even though HDMI 1.4 should be able to do it. Also, the USB-C port only supports USB data transfer. No display or power delivery. Looks like they cut every corner they could on this laptop.

Also, it's not that they used plastic on the case that is the problem. It's the type of plastic. Super cheap feeling plastic that scratches instantly. I have a cheap Lenovo IdeaPad 3i that is also all plastic, but the build quality and feel is day and night compared to this Dell.
Sep 7, 2023
106 Posts
Joined Apr 2015
Sep 7, 2023
themak
Sep 7, 2023
106 Posts
No backlit keyboard? Would this be suitable as a media consumption device?

My mom watches a lot of youtube. how is the quality?
Sep 7, 2023
1,253 Posts
Joined Jul 2016
Sep 7, 2023
BerMM2
Sep 7, 2023
1,253 Posts
Dell has it with the ~20% faster 1215U, 8GB of slightly slower 2666 RAM, 256GB NVME, and 1 year onsite service warranty for $329.99
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/l...n3520fsxxh
Sep 7, 2023
368 Posts
Joined Aug 2023
Sep 7, 2023
I_like_feet
Sep 7, 2023
368 Posts
Quote from Subberonis :
If this is the price someone can only afford and theres better, suggest one. A lot of people cant afford 500+ nice ones and need one ASAP.
If you're willing to buy used on ebay, then I recommend Lenovo yoga 6. I picked one up with ryzen 5 5500u, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd, 1080p 300nit display, I paid about $350 and saw others going for around the same price and you can always make offers to the sellers.
Sep 7, 2023
8,893 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
Sep 7, 2023
rustum
Sep 7, 2023
8,893 Posts
Quote from WiseField749 :
The entire 3000 line of Inspiron laptops has this plastic shell and it shows.
As far as I can tell, Dell's only real upgrade between the 3000 and 5000 series are the shells and sometimes the screens and/or keyboards.
The 3000 series build quality is about equivalent to some of those crappy gateway laptops that used to shore up here all the time.
Great specs, but the build quality and exterior components make for a lousy user experience out of the box.
Does 5000 series come with better build and components? i also have some dell amex cash back to make use of. Thinking about buying some cheap Inspiron.
Sep 7, 2023
8,893 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
Sep 7, 2023
rustum
Sep 7, 2023
8,893 Posts
Quote from BerMM2 :
Dell has it with the ~20% faster 1215U, 8GB of slightly slower 2666 RAM, 256GB NVME, and 1 year onsite service warranty for $329.99
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/l...n3520fsxxh
That is also 3000 series.
Sep 8, 2023
1,252 Posts
Joined Jun 2020
Sep 8, 2023
BeigeStew7045
Sep 8, 2023
1,252 Posts
Quote from coolcoder :
Search on SD for past prices to learn about the trends. Not every deal will be available all the time. You just have to sit in the sidelines and be ready to jump when those deals come along. There have been a ton of those deals in the past. Some examples: $447 refurb Lenovo Slim 7 Pro with 12700h, 32GB RAM, 16" 500 nit 120Hz touch IPS display (deal came back a couple of times), $315-360 ZenBook 14 OLED 1240p open box (deal was off and on multiple times), $380-390 new XPG Xenia 14 with a 11th Gen i5, 16GB RAM, 100% sRGB IPS display (this deal came back a few times). Many other such deals. Again, it doesn't mean every deal is going to be available today, but you have to be ready to jump on them when they do come around.

If you absolutely need a laptop today, you can do better than this garbage Dell by just buying open Box on eBay or look at your local marketplaces.

And I am calling it garbage after actually buying it unlike a lot of other people who have negative comments about laptops. I was surprised just how terrible it was. Thankfully, I was able to sell it at cost on a local marketplace.
Any time you buy an open box, you not only never know what condition it is in but you also don't even get a warranty half the time. I have found on ebay that half the time people selling what they claim are open box are really just selling used laptops.

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Sep 8, 2023
2,808 Posts
Joined Oct 2017
Sep 8, 2023
02nz
Sep 8, 2023
2,808 Posts
Spend the $100 more for this Inspiron 14 5425: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/d...frzs?dbp=1

You get a much nicer build quality (aluminum), much better performance and efficiency from a Ryzen 7 5825U (a lot of the "7000 series" processors are just rebrands using the same Zen 3 architecture), 16:10 display, much bigger battery, backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, USB-C supporting Power Delivery and DisplayPort. RAM is upgradable via 2 SODIMM slots.

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