Dell Inspiron 15 3511 review

A budget ultrabook with a real discrete GPU and a short battery

The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 (2019) pairs Intel's Pentium Gold 7505 with NVIDIA's GeForce MX350 (2 GB discrete) and 64 GB of RAM, in an "ultrabook class" chassis. At about $321 it sits slightly below the $373 category median, in the budget tier. The configuration is unusual: a low-end Pentium CPU paired with a discrete GPU and a generous memory pool. The trade-off is the battery — at 41 Wh it sits well below the category median.

Where it shines: discrete graphics and memory

The MX350 is a real entry-level discrete GPU, and its score sits well above the ultrabook category median. Combined with 64 GB of RAM (the "pro" tier) and a performance index above the category median, the Inspiron 15 3511 is genuinely capable for everyday graphics work, hardware-accelerated media and light creative tasks. The capability fit confirms: recommended settings on Overwatch and Grand Theft Auto V (the latter at a measured 140 fps), plus minimum-setting Far Cry 5 at 27 fps, Adobe Photoshop and Visual Studio Code.

Where it doesn't: battery

The 41 Wh battery sits well below the category median (63 Wh), which keeps the platform's mobility limited. Buyers should expect shorter battery life than typical ultrabooks, especially under any GPU load. This is a machine that spends most of its time plugged in — the discrete GPU and the small battery make it poorly suited to long unplugged sessions.

Price trajectory

From an original $1,400 MSRP, the Inspiron 15 3511 has depreciated to about $321 today — an annual rate near 8.5%. Projected forward, another two years bring it to roughly $269, a 16.2% drop. The curve is steady.

How it compares

Direct comparisons are thin in the dataset — the HP 15-dy2795wm ($305) and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14IIL05 ($297) are the closest alternatives, both slightly cheaper. Neither offers a discrete GPU at the price, which makes the Inspiron 15 3511's MX350 the differentiator for buyers who want light gaming and creative capability in a budget ultrabook.

Bottom line

The Inspiron 15 3511 is worth the asking price for buyers who want a budget ultrabook with a discrete GPU and a generous memory pool, and who plan to keep the machine plugged in most of the time. The MX350 and 64 GB of RAM are the differentiators. The short 41 Wh battery is the trade-off — buyers who value battery life over GPU capability should look at cheaper iGPU-only alternatives like the IdeaPad 5 14IIL05 at $297.