A decent super-budget Windows laptop for students and families
Even Donald Trump’s tariffs don’t fluctuate like the prices on Dell’s lowest-priced laptops do. When we started our review, the Inspiron 15 (3535) was a thrifty $249.99 with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, or $299.99 with a Ryzen 5. But after a week, the former model jumped to $379.99, and our Ryzen 5 test unit to $449.99. (At the time of publishing, it’s on sale for just $349.99.) That’s still reasonable, especially since the laptop avoids some budget pitfalls: It comes with real Windows 11 Home, not the disappointing Windows in S Mode, an adequate 8GB of RAM, and a roomy 512GB of storage—instead of a skimpy 4GB and 256GB. But the price hike from shockingly low to merely modest and back down again, coupled with some lacking features compared with Chromebooks, takes the Inspiron out of Editors’ Choice consideration in the budget laptops category. The Acer Aspire 3 (A315-24P) remains the top cheap PC laptop to buy, though this Dell model can be a decent deal if you catch the pricing wave just right.Configurations and Design: Wi-Fi 5, Stayin’ Alive
The only difference between the $379.99 and $449.99 ($349.99 on sale) Inspiron 15 models is the choice of quad-core processor: AMD’s Ryzen 3 7320U or Ryzen 5 7520U. Other components include AMD Radeon 610M integrated graphics (part of the CPU), 8GB of memory, a 512GB solid-state drive, and a 15.6-inch non-touch IPS screen with full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) resolution. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate instead of the usual 60Hz for smoother video viewing, though I guarantee you will not be fast-twitch gaming on this system.
Cost-cutting measures include a keyboard without backlighting and a 720p webcam instead of a 1080p model with no privacy shutter. The list continues, with neither a face recognition camera nor a fingerprint reader to avoid typing passwords with Windows Hello. Also, you get a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) radio instead of the more modern Wi-Fi 6E or 7 standards. Compromises like those leave me less impressed by Dell’s eight-core Ryzen 7 7730U model of this machine, which includes 16GB of RAM and a 1TB drive for $529.99 (marked down from $699.99 when its siblings were marked up).
Dell’s 3535 model has the same Carbon Black plastic chassis as its 2023 3525 model, measuring 0.75 by 14.1 by 9.3 inches and weighing a reasonably portable 3.59 pounds. The system doesn’t feel flimsy—lifting the lid feels downright thick by current slimline standards—but it shows an unnerving amount of flex if you grasp the screen corners or press the keyboard deck. Dell says the keyboard is spill-resistant, but I didn’t test it.
The laptop’s left flank includes the AC adapter connector, an HDMI port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 connections, one Type-A and one Type-C. The USB-C port is for data only, with no charging or DisplayPort capability, and the HDMI output is limited to 1080p resolution at 60Hz, though most buyers in this price zone won’t have a sharper screen than that. On the Inspiron’s right side, an old-school USB 2.
