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Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Series (3515) 15.6" Laptop, Ryzen 5, 256 GB SSD, 8GB RAM, FHD, $551.08 Delivered @ Dell

1280
SPECIAL8BF
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For those that don't want the Cashback, there was a 8% discount coupon code available (SPECIAL8BF). I assumed it wouldn't have stacked with the Shopback (12%) so I didn't use it.

Some good analysis in the comments on what the limitations of the laptop are. For me, the reqts were basic - a 15" laptop to run on the kitchen table which handles internet browsers and Office. If you want a gaming machine, upgradeable, ability to present on monitors above Full HD, USB-C or better WiFi / Bluetooth performance then look elsewhere (and pay more $).

Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 5 3450U Mobile Processor with Radeon™ Vega 8 Graphics

Operating System
Windows 11 Home (S mode), English

Video Card
AMD Radeon™ Vega 8 Graphics

Display
15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED Backlight Non-Touch Narrow Border WVA Display

Memory
8GB, 1x8GB, DDR4, 2400MHz

Hard Drive
256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive

Original Coupon deal

This is part of Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals for 2021

Related Stores

Dell
Dell

closed Comments

  • +7

    The CPU is the Ryzen 5 3450U, so people don't have to click and find out.

  • -1

    out of the current line up of $598 shitters, this is one of them

    • +2

      why is this one that bad?

      • The build quality feels terrible, and the screen feels like it would snap at any moment.
        Besides that, it's a great laptop for everyday use (besides high end gaming or video editing)

    • +2

      There are no USB type C ports and the keyboard isn't backlit, but otherwise this looks good for the price to me. It has a 1080 screen and the CPU is four cores up to 3.5 GHz.

  • +12

    What is shit about it and what are the good laptops around $598 in cost?

    • its pretty cheap, and has decent cores from what i seen, nfi how good the gfx chip i son the soc but id say pretty decent comparable to iris from intel xe (I HOPE) rest id wonder if those parts are upgradable.

    • +22

      Every aspect that can be used to keep the cost down is employed:

      • HDMI 1.4 out of that HDMI port: 1080p max output.
      • 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports: that's a nicer way of saying 2 x USB 3.0 ports
      • 802.11ac 1x1 WiFi and Bluetooth: 1x1 WiFi is bare minimum, basically that's the cheapest possible Wireless AC card Dell can find. 1x1 means you get basically half of the typical bandwidth and I imagine this would be a low end of wireless ac (it feels more like wireless n than ac to be honest). Bluetooth what? 4.2 or 5? I would assume the old Bluetooth 4.2 (maybe 4.0 even).
      • IPS not mentioned so could the display be a TN display?
      • 720p at 30 fps HD camera
      • Windows 11 Home (S mode): you can move it out of S mode (google it) so you can install your apps instead of having to install from MS app store.
      • 3-Cell Battery, so don't expect amazing battery life.

      A SD card slot is included (didn't expect that, but I doubt it supports UHS-II cards). (This next part is pure speculating, no proof, basically what I would do to lower the cost even further) 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive, that would be an OEM NVMe SSD of some sort. Those tend to have some cost measures done to them, but at least they should still be NVMe (so can still take advantage of the extra bandwidth, but those tend to have a small SLC cache and the TLC NAND used would be inferior grade or they could even be QLC). It's still an SSD so still way better than a hard drive.

      Don't get me wrong, at this price, lowering the cost is inevitable.

      • Good analysis, thanks.

        • +2

          I think he's describing a lot of laptops up to $1k IMO

          the 3000 series is gettting on a bit

          the screen is va

          but there's not much out there for $600

          • +1

            @tonyjzx: Yeah, you've kinda gotta get above $850 while on a good special to get noticeably better specs.

          • @tonyjzx: I did mention:

            at this price, lowering the cost is inevitable.

            Also, saw the bit:

            id say pretty decent comparable to iris from intel xe (I HOPE) rest id wonder if those parts are upgradable.

            To really explain the actual situation now would be too technical but it shows that general public don't really know Ryzen 3000 mobile series well. We even have someone further down thinking this deal is about "gaming" because of the word "Radeon" (vs nVidia RTX / GTX). Wireless 802.11ac 1x1 really is cutting the cost too much to my liking. PC makers really should stop putting dirt cheap components in there. A decent Wifi chip isn't that expensive.

            • +1

              @netsurfer: the integrated is probably better than the XE

              at least amd gives it updates…

              also i think 1x1 wifi at 435mbps is ok i guess for most people

              2x2 tops out at 867 and its not noticeably twice as fast

              • @tonyjzx: To achieve 435mbps for 1x1, it requires the use of 80Mhz channel. That means that's in 5Ghz band mode. Unless you have home WiFi mesh setup really well, there is a strong chance you need to use the 2.4 Ghz band, as such, you need to half that (at best), so you are not even getting 300mbps (and that's assuming they somehow overcame the 150mbps limit with 1x1 @ 2.4 Ghz band - on a low cost WiFi chipset, really, you really want to think that way?).

                The wireless ac 1x1 is basically specs cheating, unless your home has excellent 5Ghz coverage (but if you do, it would be silly to even consider this laptop). I had to check multiple articles to figure out what kind of spec cheating these 1x1 WiFi chip makers are doing. Without some WiFi network knowledge, you would just get tricked by the 435mbps marketing.

                XE graphics: like I said, it gets too technical, things have changed in late 2020 / early 2021 because Intel realised AMD has caught up even on the mobile APU front. What AMD did in mobile 4xxx and 5xxx series meant Intel had to respond.

                Before mid 2020, I would agree with you, but now, the answer becomes it depends, which APUs are we comparing? Intel putting 4x4K display support in their mainstream 11th gen mobile CPUs (not just Xe, but also on UHD), while a bit too little too late, is still at least a step in the right direction (finally). It's sad it took the push from AMD for Intel to finally to do it. We really need competition.

      • +1

        S Mode is disabled with a few clicks, don't really need to google it.
        Basically long battery mode. S mode windows laptops come with office installed, so perfect for a lot of users.

        • really, office is already installed?

          • @katejessica: Office is pre-installed on basically all laptops now. You get a short trial period but still need to buy it.

      • may want to double-check, even hdmi 1.3 did 2560x1600p60 last time i checked? are you saying somehow 1.4 cant?

        The thing is with the MS Wireless adapter you can get 4k regardless so its kinda moot

        the battery id imagines people have this plugged in regardless….. web cam , meh nothing pretty to see anyways here.

        i dont think its too bad

        • 1 HDMI 1.4 port
          Note: Maximum resolution supported over HDMI port is 1920x1200 @60 Hz

          That's what Dell put in the product description. Should have mentioned Dell decided to only allow 1080p (okay, technically 1200p / 16:10). Good point on HDMI 1.4's actual spec. So, Dell decided not to implement the full HDMI 1.4. My guess is Dell elected to go for a cheap laptop motherboard chipset with that AMD mobile CPU/APU, and that restricts the HDMI output. Basically, it runs HDMI 1.4 mode (to fulfil HDCP requirements I think for protected contents perhaps), but not what the GPU inside is really capable of.

          Can't rely just on the HDMI or DisplayPort version nowadays. Even flagship products (including Apple M1 Pro/Max products) are like that. For example: it is unsafe to assume if DisplayPort 1.4 is mentioned then you would get 8K/60 (one of my 4K monitors supports DisplayPort 1.4 and it most definitely cannot do 8K).

  • Is this AMD good?

    • It's good for a $600 laptop. Compared to, say, a 5500U? It's OK in simple tasks but if you're doing anything that uses multiple cores/threads for any length of time then the time it takes to do them is going to be about double.

  • Windows 11 Home (S mode)

    just in case it matter to someone.

    • +1

      i.e. Windows 11 Home (if needed, you can switch out of S mode easily)

  • +4

    $551.08 using promo code SPECIAL8BF.

  • -7

    How much do you guys love a ryzen. And a GTX blah blah blah. What is it some sort of car or motor oil or something?

    • +1

      Yes, it’s some sort of a lubricant that makes your experience smooth as……

    • +5

      It's lubricant to polish your smooth brain

    • this is a ps5 with two controllers and a game

    • -4

      Why the downvotes? Is it too much to expect some variety on ozbargain? Haven't seen a honey birdette sale posted yet……. That stuff is cheap at the moment. Too many 30 something gamers on here. Guessing the gamers aren't really in a position to buy a missus some nice lingerie. Keep gaming guys!

      • +1

        I just checked OZB new deals page right now. There are more Intel deals (2) than AMD deals (1) and honestly, that Celeron based laptop deal is no better.

        There have been Mac deals, Series X and XBox One deals posted recently.

        I didn't down vote you, but what has GTX got to do with this? You are aware of Radeon™ Vega 8 Graphics included here is only good enough for non gaming or very light gaming right? I think it might be best to understand the tech side before making comments. Clearly, this laptop is NOT for gaming.

        Furthermore, this particular class of Ryzen mobile APU is known for cost effective, rather than Intel beating.

        • Don't bother, it's just some old fart complaining that most people on OZB want tech. The top deals are up voted by the majority of OZB, it's not like one person chooses which deals get to the front page. I think lemstar is just realising that they're out of touch and having a whinge to anyone who listens.

          • -2

            @GrimCheaper: Lol old fart….. If under 40 is old fart I feel sorry for you when you get "old". Every single deal is ryzen this, GTX that. Seriously there's no variety on here. And why would you waste your time with a PC anyway - just get a Ps5 and you don't have to waste your time upgrading every few years, is way cheaper, and don't have any issues with compatability etc. PC gamers are lame az….. The world has moved on. Nobody makes games for PC anyway these days….. They're all based off Ps5 and xbox.

            • @Lets Make Sandwiches: You may be younger than me but you sure are old before your time.
              If you dont wanna see deals from the computing section, hide them. Simples.
              This is a work machine btw. Great for general office work, light CAD, photo and 1080p video editing, coding and smaller compiling, Uni work.
              Totally unsuited for gaming, slow screen, slow graphics, no dedicated GPU. Maybe some puzzle or adventure games, or if ur really desperate some low end e-sports - but expect to get absolutely slaughtered.

  • My partner is looking for a laptop literally just for business organisation, Canva, content posts, bookkeeping etc. Would this be a good fit for the tasks?

    • This laptop would work perfectly for their needs. Just a note, the laptop screen feels very poorly made and feels like it could snap easily.
      I don't have this exact model (I have the 3505 model) but I assume it's similar

      • How's the the brightness and clarity? I note that it is a WVA panel.

        • The screen is clear and bright enough to see the screen. If you plan on taking your laptop outside on a sunny day, you might have some trouble seeing the screen, but overall this is probably the best laptop you can get for this price.

  • Price double to $1200 when I switch from 256 to 512 ssd

    • Check to see if any of the other specs upgraded itself from selecting the 512GB ssd option, would explain the price gap.

      • +1

        Pretty sure it's the addition of the i7 and higher level graphics pushing it up. Maybe Windows Pro too.

    • just add a SATA SSD when you get it, it takes both SATA and M.2

  • +1

    I bought the Acer Aspire 5 with i5 11gen for $615 on Friday. Saw this and thought I may have gone too early but looking at the performance of the chips alone, it looks like the Acer is a little better.

    • +2

      the Acer is much better. No idea why this is so upvoted

      • +3

        Because Acer laptops are, by and large, terrible quality, although have great value for money spec wise. This also has a one year in home warraty. I bought 2 for our kids for school next year.

        • +1

          Acers have the same sort of failiure rate as most other brands these days, they are genuinely decent laptops, these days at least.

      • Even with Iris Xe vs the AMD Radeo Vega 8 Graphics?

        • +1

          Things might have changed a bit with Intel 11th gen mobile CPUs with Iris Xe:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOkyFLrPc3E&t=189s

          Intel was pushed by AMD in the mobile space hard so it tried to fight back. But, neither is really good enough for proper gaming. Intel 11th gen Iris Xe / UHD includes 4 x 4K graphics output support (or if internal laptop display is used, use 1 of those 4 for internal display). However, how many of those the laptop makers are willing to wire is a big question mark.

          With all these new products released in late 2020 and late 2021, the whole thing is quite messy and things we assumed to be the case could have changed as a result. AMD certainly will fight back with interest in the next gen, and we'll need to wait to find out if Intel does anything in the 12th gen mobile CPU space in terms of embedded GPU.

  • Can I get 12% cashback if I use the special8bf code?

  • Enough to play AoE4?

  • I gave cashrewards a go with the 8% voucher code - worst case scenario they say no. (I'm expecting it).

    Also, don't forget a $12 backpack to go with this deal! https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/666577

    • Do you find the cashback was pending in your cashrewards account?

      • It's tracked ok but only goes pending when dell confirm it.

  • I've had this laptop for a while and I'm pretty happy with it given the price. I chose it for the Ryzen 5 CPU, adequate RAM, and 1920x1080 display. It meets my expectations for performance. It definitely has a plastic feel to it. The keyboard is fine and the trackpad is ok (my old Dell had separate buttons on the trackpad which was better).

    My main complaint would be the fan. It only has two speeds so it is either on low speed (almost silent) or high speed (sounds like a jet engine). It would be nice if it would ramp up more gradually. But maybe this is standard on a cheap laptop.

  • How does this deal compare to the Lenovo deal here https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/667429

    I'm going to get it for the team in the office where they mainly use Micosoft office apps, multiple chrome tabs, running onedrive.

    I'm attracted to the 16GB ram in the Lenovo deal but not sure if this deal is sufficient for what i need it for.

    • +2

      The Lenovo deal is better (it is in the $800 price range though). It is AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6C/12T), and that is technically Zen 2 based, not Zen 3 based. 16GB RAM, which is nice. 802.11ac 2x2 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® 5.0 - that's a decent enough WiFi (not the 1x1 cheapy setup).

      USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (so USB 3.0 ports basically). Unclear about HDMI 1.4b port's output max resolution for the Lenovo laptop. At best, you might get 2K/60Hz, I wouldn't consider 4K/30Hz really usable (even if it is supported). Worst case, it could be limited to 1080p. I tried to find out but no luck.

      Better than this one, yes, but like this one, some corners were cut. The AMD 5xxx series laptop CPU naming is quite confusing. However, at least that Lenovo isn't priced like a Zen 3 based laptop. Does feel like a Zen 2 mobile CPU with a 5xxx series label.

      • +2

        Thanks for the detailed response. Really appreciate it! Helpful replies like this is what makes this an awesome community, especially for the tech-unsavvy like myself.

  • +1

    This looks like the best option I have for under $600 right? I want to buy it for a family member who’s going to university next year, and is only using the laptop for researching, writing and Zoom meetings… this laptop will be performing smoothly for these tasks right? Thanks!

    • +1

      Would be more than enough for tasks you described. You could consider adding another 8GB of RAM to make it even better, at a small cost.

      • Is there a free slot or you mean replacing the 2x4 with 2x8?

    • +1

      would even manage a bit of light CAD or coding/compiling, photo editing,1080p video editing, some light casual gaming.
      Though the webcam quality is likely to be awful for Zoom meetings and it has no usb-c port which is a little annoying.

      That said prices atm are just abominable - i bought the model up (5000 series) convertible touch screen with a tiny bit better CPU (R5 3500U) a bit over a year ago for $650 - it was a clear out model with an older CPU then.

      As Fox notes adding another 8GB RAM will make it perform better, esp with mulktiple apps running. it also has the ability to have a second SSD installed for more storage. Theres a full service manual on the dell site that any monkey could follow pretty much, so they should be able to do those upgrades cheaply themselves. https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-au/inspiron-15-3515-…

      As long as they are careful with it it should be a great machine, dont expect it to be the most durable (i used a Latitude in Uni cos i am a lil butterfingered at times XD).

  • Guys the offer code still works and I don’t think it’s expired 👍

    • Expired now :(

  • Got this for my Mum 6 months ago. The build quality is not amazing, but it performs very well for ~$550. 1080p screen too, not 720p which is sometimes common at this price range. I would recommend this for casual use at this price point.

  • I missed out 😭Do Dell au and Lenovo education usually have good boxing Day deals?

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