Dell Inspiron 3520 15.6" Touchscreen i7 Review

The Dell Inspiron 3520 is a bit of a mixed bag. It leads with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which puts it in the 70th and 65th percentiles for those specs. That's a lot of memory and storage for the money. But then you look at the Intel Core i7-1255U CPU, and it's only in the 29th percentile. That tells you this isn't a speed demon, but it's got the muscle for multitasking.

The 15.6-inch touchscreen is a nice feature, and at 1.66kg, it's fairly portable, scoring a 55th percentile for compactness. Our overall score for it is 47 out of 100. It's best suited as a compact, general-use machine or for students, but it's explicitly not for gaming, where it scores a dismal 14.4.

Performance is where the story gets clear. That 10-core i7-1255U sounds good on paper, but its 29th percentile ranking means it's slower than most modern laptops. It's fine for web browsing, office apps, and streaming, but don't expect it to handle heavy video editing or complex simulations quickly. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics land in the 42nd percentile, which is perfectly acceptable for everyday use and even some light photo editing, but it confirms this is not a gaming machine.

Where this laptop shines is in its foundation. 32GB of DDR4 RAM is overkill for most people and means you'll never worry about having too many Chrome tabs open. The 1TB SSD is also generous and ensures the system feels snappy for loading apps and files, even if the processor itself isn't the fastest.

The value proposition is all about the RAM and storage. You're getting workstation-level memory and a large SSD in a sub-$1000 laptop. But you have to shop around. The price swings from $729 to $999 depending on the vendor. That's a $270 spread, so you absolutely need to hunt for the best deal. At the lower end, it's a compelling package for the specs. At the high end, you're paying a premium for components that the slower CPU can't fully leverage.

Compared to something like the ASUS Zenbook Duo, you're trading the innovative dual-screen design for a more traditional laptop with much more RAM and storage. The Zenbook will feel more premium and portable. Against a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, there's no contest for performance—the Legion's dedicated GPU and high-end CPU will run circles around this Dell for gaming and creative work, but you'll pay more and carry more weight. The real question is against a base-model Apple MacBook Pro. The M4 MacBook will demolish it in CPU performance, battery life, and screen quality, but you'll get half the RAM and storage for significantly more money. This Dell is for the user who prioritizes raw capacity over peak speed or polish.

This is a laptop for a very specific user. If your main needs are having 50 browser tabs open, a ton of local files, and a touchscreen for under $1,000, and you're okay with average processing speed and screen quality, the Inspiron 3520 makes sense, especially if you find it near $729. For almost everyone else—gamers, creators, students who want all-day battery life, or anyone who values a great screen—there are better, more balanced options that might cost a bit more but offer a much better overall experience.