Dell Inspiron 15 3501 laptop in review: Quiet office laptop
The Dell Inspiron 15 3501 is a simple office laptop in the 15.6-inch format. Our configuration variant is available for just under 800 Euros (~$926) and is one of the top models in the series. Cheaper alternatives are available starting at around 450 Euros (~$521). Competitors include devices like the Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA, the Honor MagicBook 15, the MSI Modern 15 A11M, and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.5 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Dell Inspiron 15 3501 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 2 kg | 19.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.5 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 R5 5500U, Vega 7 | 1.7 kg | 19.1 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 16 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.6 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.5 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81.3 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2021 | MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case and connectivity - USB-C is only available optionally
Dell has chosen to use roughened surfaces for the Inspiron's slim, matte-black plastic case. The laptop doesn't show any manufacturing flaws. However, the base unit and lid can be twisted too much, and the chassis yields under pressure. The battery is firmly built into the device. You can access the interior after removing the base unit.
The Inspiron has three USB-A ports (2x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB 2.0) on board. According to the hardware manual, an additional USB-C port is optionally available. An external display can be connected via HDMI. The SD memory card reader (reference card: 128 GB AV PRO V60 SD) is of the slow variety.
The Wi-Fi data rates determined under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices nearby, short distance between the laptop and the server PC) do not meet current standards. You can quickly tell why: The built-in WLAN chip (Intel Wireless AC 9462) allows maximum transfer rates of 433 Mb/s.
Windows 10 Home serves as the operating system. However, the Inspiron also supports Linux - Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (64 bit) to be precise. Users who want to abandon Microsoft's operating system have an easy way to do so with the Inspiron. We were able to install Ubuntu without any issues, and all the hardware worked immediately after the installation.
Port configuration
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Office (22.7 - 198.5, n=34, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 (AV Pro SD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Office (25 - 249, n=30, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Input devices - 3501 without keyboard backlighting
The flat, roughened keys of the chiclet keyboard have a short travel and a clear pressure point. The key resistance is acceptable. The keyboard bounces a bit during typing - more in the center than at the sides. Overall, Dell delivers a keyboard that is suitable for everyday use here. We would've liked it to be backlit, though. This is an optional feature within the Inspiron 3501 series.
The smooth surface of the multitouch-capable ClickPad (approx. 10.5 x 8 cm) makes it easy for fingers to glide on it. It also responds to input in the corners. The pad has a short travel and a clear pressure point.
Display - IPS on board
While the matte 15.6-inch display (1920x1080 pixels) delivers a good contrast (1,807:1), its brightness (263.3 cd/m²) is too low. This value drops a bit further on battery power. We consider values beyond 300 cd/m² to be good.
The display flickers at a frequency of 1,000 Hz at brightness levels of 90% and below. Due to the quite high frequency, sensitive users should be spared from headaches and/or eye problems.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 246 cd/m²
Contrast: 1807:1 (Black: 0.15 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.83 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.89
ΔE Greyscale 3.36 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
40.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.56
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 BOE NV15N3D (Dell P/N: N39X1), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 Lenovo LEN156FHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA CEC PANDA LM156LF5L03, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 BOE TV156FHM-NH2, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 AU Optronics B156HW02, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -3% | 65% | -9% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 39.4 | 65.4 66% | |||
| sRGB Coverage | 58.7 | 59 1% | 96.3 64% | 56 -5% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 40.7 | 38 -7% | 67.5 66% | 36 -12% | |
| Response Times | 39% | 32% | 19% | 13% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 43 ? | 29 ? 33% | 29 ? 33% | 36 ? 16% | 40 ? 7% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 32 ? | 18 ? 44% | 22 ? 31% | 24.8 ? 22% | 26 ? 19% |
| PWM Frequency | 1000 ? | ||||
| Screen | -77% | -34% | -13% | 5% | |
| Brightness middle | 271 | 376 39% | 325 20% | 332 23% | 269 -1% |
| Brightness | 263 | 341 30% | 297 13% | 318 21% | 251 -5% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 78 -15% | 86 -7% | 87 -5% | 86 -7% |
| Black Level * | 0.15 | 0.66 -340% | 0.445 -197% | 0.27 -80% | 0.18 -20% |
| Contrast | 1807 | 570 -68% | 730 -60% | 1230 -32% | 1494 -17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.83 | 6.4 -33% | 3.48 28% | 3.3 32% | 3.5 28% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7 | 20.45 -192% | 8.07 -15% | 7.8 -11% | 5.49 22% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.36 | 4.59 -37% | 5.27 -57% | 5.2 -55% | 2.01 40% |
| Gamma | 2.56 86% | 2.26 97% | 2.41 91% | 2.07 106% | 2.38 92% |
| CCT | 6764 96% | 6819 95% | 7769 84% | 7370 88% | 6806 96% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 38 | 44 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 59 | 70 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1 | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -14% /
-45% | -1% /
-21% | 24% /
10% | 3% /
4% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 43 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 22 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 68 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 1000 Hz | ≤ 90 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8619 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The display shows a decent color reproduction out of the box, but colors deviate a bit from the target - the whole situation is still within an acceptable range, though. The display doesn't suffer from a blue tint. Furthermore, it can't fully reproduce the AdobeRGB (41%), sRGB (59%), and DCI-P3 (39%) color spaces.
The viewing-angle stable IPS panel can be read from any position. Reading the screen's content outdoors is possible when the sun is not too bright.
Performance - Core i7 at Core i5 level
With the Inspiron 15 3501, Dell has a 15.6-inch office laptop in its lineup that provides enough computing power for office and Internet applications.
Test conditions
Dell's Power Manager provides profiles that affect the laptop's temperature and performance development. We couldn't determine any differences in terms of performance in the case of the 3501. All four profiles use the same power limits (PL1: 22 watts, PL2: 51 watts).
Processor
The Core-i7 1165G7 quad-core processor (Tiger Lake) operates at a base clock speed of 2.8 GHz. An increase to 4.1 GHz (four cores) or 4.7 GHz (one core) is possible via Turbo. Hyper-Threading (two threads per core) is supported. The CPU provides enough computing power for office and Internet use, but it remains below the 1165G7's average due to a low TDP of 13 watts.
The Cinebench R15 benchmark's multithread test is processed at 3 to 3.3 GHz. The single-thread test is run at 1.7 to 4.7 GHz. The clock rates are significantly lower on battery power.
We verify if the CPU Turbo is consistently used when plugged in by running the Cinebench R15 benchmark's multithread test in a continuous loop for at least 30 minutes. Turbo is used to a small extent. Three of the four CPU cores operate at an average speed that is below the base speed.
Cinebench R15 Multi endurance test
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The fast and smooth system didn't present any issues. The CPU provides enough performance for office and Internet applications. This is complemented by good PCMark results.
Although Dell equips the Inspiron with DDR4-3200 RAM, it only works at a memory clock rate of 2,666 MHz. As a result, RAM remains below its potential. In comparison: The DDR4-3200 memory in the Honor MagicBook 15 achieves overall better transfer rates and access times.
| PCMark 10 Score | 4891 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Office (2463 - 7344, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4531 - 5454, n=50) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average of class Office (5575 - 20841, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (8997 - 11505, n=50) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10415, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5570 - 7136, n=50) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Office (2049 - 9773, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4083 - 5550, n=50) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM991a MZ9LQ512HBLU-00BD1 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 Vega 7, R5 5500U | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIDA64 | 1% | 13% | 37% | |
| Memory Write | 35973 | 31943 -11% | 40918 14% | 51281 ? 43% |
| Memory Read | 37436 | 42872 15% | 43385 16% | 49975 ? 33% |
| Memory Latency * | 91.9 | 99.4 -8% | 80 13% | 77.4 ? 16% |
| Memory Copy | 31351 | 34196 9% | 34501 10% | 48355 ? 54% |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage
A 512 GB NVMe SSD (M.2 2230; 2280 models also fit) from Samsung serves as the system drive, and it delivers good transfer rates overall. The laptop also offers space for a 2.5-inch storage medium. The mounting frame and SATA slot are found inside the housing.
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 Samsung PM991a MZ9LQ512HBLU-00BD1 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA Lite-On CL1-8D512 | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB | Average Samsung PM991a MZ9LQ512HBLU-00BD1 | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -27% | -31% | 22% | -30% | -10% | 32% | |
| Write 4K | 170.7 | 82.7 -52% | 102.4 -40% | 208.5 22% | 215.1 26% | 158.3 ? -7% | 162.6 ? -5% |
| Read 4K | 52.7 | 39.96 -24% | 36.27 -31% | 51.6 -2% | 47.9 -9% | 50.5 ? -4% | 70.8 ? 34% |
| Write Seq | 1571 | 1273 -19% | 1134 -28% | 2579 64% | 965 -39% | 1528 ? -3% | 2814 ? 79% |
| Read Seq | 2009 | 1601 -20% | 1841 -8% | 2476 23% | 1149 -43% | 1820 ? -9% | 3063 ? 52% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 516 | 360.4 -30% | 495.5 -4% | 602 17% | 335.3 -35% | 459 ? -11% | 412 ? -20% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 671 | 410.4 -39% | 322.6 -52% | 680 1% | 303.4 -55% | 574 ? -14% | 543 ? -19% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 1918 | 1589 -17% | 930 -52% | 2706 41% | 968 -50% | 1557 ? -19% | 3548 ? 85% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3115 | 2652 -15% | 1988 -36% | 3392 9% | 1986 -36% | 2815 ? -10% | 4700 ? 51% |
| AS SSD | -5% | -72% | 39% | -62% | -10% | 19% | |
| Seq Read | 2596 | 2549 -2% | 1780 -31% | 2960 14% | 1747 -33% | 2593 ? 0% | 3616 ? 39% |
| Seq Write | 1847 | 1571 -15% | 843 -54% | 2371 28% | 909 -51% | 1782 ? -4% | 2511 ? 36% |
| 4K Read | 48.12 | 41.92 -13% | 24.25 -50% | 46.48 -3% | 40.89 -15% | 44.2 ? -8% | 57.1 ? 19% |
| 4K Write | 147.8 | 110.3 -25% | 102.2 -31% | 143.6 -3% | 75.6 -49% | 131.6 ? -11% | 168.4 ? 14% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1253 | 1086 -13% | 369 -71% | 1470 17% | 163.6 -87% | 1117 ? -11% | 1091 ? -13% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1012 | 1083 7% | 717 -29% | 1806 78% | 262.6 -74% | 899 ? -11% | 1647 ? 63% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.079 | 0.119 -51% | 0.076 4% | 0.088 -11% | 0.134 -70% | 0.1287 ? -63% | 0.08114 ? -3% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.026 | 0.034 -31% | 0.124 -377% | 0.026 -0% | 0.048 -85% | 0.03133 ? -21% | 0.07065 ? -172% |
| Score Read | 1560 | 1383 -11% | 571 -63% | 1812 16% | 379 -76% | 1421 ? -9% | 1510 ? -3% |
| Score Write | 1345 | 1351 0% | 904 -33% | 2186 63% | 429 -68% | 1209 ? -10% | 2066 ? 54% |
| Score Total | 3672 | 3398 -7% | 1726 -53% | 4899 33% | 976 -73% | 3323 ? -10% | 4304 ? 17% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1938 | 1286 -34% | 2520 30% | 1667 ? -14% | 2106 ? 9% | ||
| Copy Program MB/s | 300.6 | 574 91% | 790 163% | 376 ? 25% | 665 ? 121% | ||
| Copy Game MB/s | 835 | 1133 36% | 1879 125% | 894 ? 7% | 1514 ? 81% | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -16% /
-13% | -52% /
-55% | 31% /
33% | -46% /
-49% | -10% /
-10% | 26% /
24% |
* ... smaller is better
Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs GPU supports DirectX 12 and reaches an operating clock rate of up to 1,300 MHz, which can also be maintained over a longer period of time (see our The Witcher 3 test). The 3DMark results are clearly below-average compared to the measurements that we've made so far for this graphics core. Both the low TDP and the relatively slow memory connection have an impact here.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 6135 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 74626 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 15932 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3404 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1405 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
The Inspiron is certainly not a gaming laptop. Nevertheless, the built-in hardware can run many games smoothly - at low resolutions and low quality settings. Titles with moderate hardware requirements allow you to select better settings. The frame rates are below the average of the Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs GPU.
| The Witcher 3 - 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (28.9 - 117.2, n=187) | |
| Average of class Office (16 - 177, n=58, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| Average of class Office (12.1 - 103.1, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (14.9 - 56.5, n=184) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3501 | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Modern 15 A11M-062 | |
In order to verify whether the frame rates remain largely constant over a prolonged period of time, we let the game The Witcher 3 run for about 60 minutes at Full HD resolution and maximum quality settings. The character is not moved. A drop in frame rates wasn't found.