In order for laptop manufacturers to produce a budget device, they always compromise on some features. But who needs those features anyway? If the device comes with the basic features that are needed for everyday work, most people are okay with it.

Introducing the Dell Inspiron 15 3000. This is one of Dell’s budget offerings in the entry-level category. This laptop stands out in a couple of ways including having a good build quality and a fairly strong battery life among others.

Design

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 comes in a sleek textured body with a good build that is ergonomically designed for easy use and comfortable handling. This laptop is said [by the manufacturers] to be well protected and highly durable after undergoing various tests. The keyboard is sturdy while the touchpad also performs well as it supports multi-touch with up to 10 fingers working at a time and support for multi-touch gestures.

The Inspiron 15 3000 comes with dimensions of 14.9 x 10.24 x 0.85 inches which is quite thin (not the thinnest) for a 15.6-inches laptop. This device weighs about 5 pounds on the scale, making it a bit light.

Display

When you open this device you are introduced to its 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768. This display can be found on every other budget or average laptop, so don’t think so hard. While it isn’t the best out there, it sure delivers for most everyday tasks like writing, reading, and browsing. However, its inferiority shows up when you try to use it for more intensive tasks like photo editing, and playing HD videos. Also, when compared to other laptops in the same price category, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 isn’t as bright as its competitors.

Battery Life

This is a very important aspect of every modern laptop. Gone are the days where you’d settle for a laptop that lasts for barely 2 hours on battery. That being said, battery life on the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is on the average as the device offers around 7 hours of usage on a full charge. This is quite a good thing when you consider that this is a budget device, and when compared with the competition in the same price range. You should, however, note that the battery life is dependent on a number of factors including the type of application you’re running.

Processor and Others

Since this is a budget laptop you shouldn’t expect ultra-fast high-end performance from it. Under the hood of the Inspiron 15 3000 is an Intel Pentium N3710 CPU – an entry-level CPU – with 4gigs of RAM and 1TB of hard disk space. This device uses an integrated graphics card – the Intel HD 405. While the laptop is fine for running light applications such as web browsing and document editing, it begins to slow down when running intense software like Adobe® Photoshop. So it’s wise to run only simple apps for maximum performance.

• Connectivity

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 comes with a gamut of the standard connectivity options for laptops. There are three USB ports (two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0), a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and HDMI 1.4 port. Lastly, you also have Bluetooth 4.0.

Pricing

For a minimum of $250 (N90,000), you can get the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 at online stores and traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

Specs at a Glance

Conclusion

This post is becoming too lengthy already; so let’s draw the curtains here. Having a robust build and sleek design, decent RAM and HDD space, above average battery life, large storage size, a standard screen with an average display resolution; the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is the real definition of a budget laptop. While some of the specs are promising, this device is pillaged by the plethora of entry-level per`formance. Well, you can’t eat your cake and have it – that’s the price you’d have to pay for the low price.

CAVEAT: It is important to note that the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3552)comes in several configurations, with the model being reviewed here coming with the Intel N3710 CPU, 4GB RAM, and 1TB HDD.