Dell 15 review
This review measures the Dell 15 against the full 53-spec sheet we track for laptops, comparing it like for like with the 110 other models in our database. It earns a VS Score of 39 out of 100 — the weighted result of every verified specification measured against the class average.
On the spec sheet it is strongest in display and weakest in performance. Its clearest single advantage over the class average: 42.7 Hz more refresh rate — 120 Hz vs 77.3 Hz (avg). None of our retail partners currently lists the Dell 15, so availability may be limited; a missing price never affects the VS Score.
Category strengths
Where the Dell 15 beats the average
- 42.7 Hz more refresh rate ?120 Hz vs 77.3 Hz (avg)
- Has upgradeable RAM ?
- Has numeric keypad ?
- Has anti-glare display ?
- Has SD card reader ?
- 0.5 more USB-A ports ?2 vs 1.5 (avg)
- Has fingerprint reader ?
- Has HDMI port ?
- 0.97 " more screen size ?15.6 " vs 14.63 " (avg)
- Has 1080p webcam ?
Where the Dell 15 trails the average
- 8.72 GB less RAM ?4 GB vs 12.72 GB (avg)
- 4,263.69 less Geekbench score ?6,289 vs 10,552.69 (avg)
- No Wi-Fi 6E support ?
- No Thunderbolt / USB4 ?
- 3.89 less CPU cores ?6 vs 9.89 (avg)
- No IR camera (Windows Hello) ?
- 571.96 GB less SSD storage ?2,048 GB vs 2,619.96 GB (avg)
- 12.1 Wh less battery capacity ?54 Wh vs 66.1 Wh (avg)
- 1.14 less USB-C ports ?1 vs 2.14 (avg)
- No dedicated graphics ?
Editor’s note
The Dell 15 is the bottom of Dell's mainstream range, and this configuration makes that plain: an Intel Core 3 100U, 4GB of DDR5 and integrated UHD graphics in a 1.66kg plastic body. Four gigabytes of RAM in 2026 is not enough for comfortable Windows use — a browser with a dozen tabs will start swapping to disk.
The redeeming detail is that the memory is upgradeable to 32GB across replaceable slots, and the 2TB SSD it ships with is unusually generous for the class. Spend a modest amount on a 16GB stick and this becomes a perfectly serviceable machine for documents, email, video and light photo work. That upgradeability is genuinely the reason to consider it over a sealed budget laptop.
There are some pleasant surprises elsewhere. The 15.6-inch panel is 1920×1200 in a 16:10 ratio — taller and more useful than the 16:9 screens usual at this price — and it runs at 120Hz with an anti-glare finish, which makes scrolling feel smoother than the specification suggests. There is a numeric keypad, a fingerprint reader and an SD card reader.
The limits are otherwise as you would expect. The Core 3 100U is a 6-core chip with no NPU, so no Copilot+ features. There is no Thunderbolt, one USB-C and two USB-A, Wi-Fi 6 rather than 6E or 7, no IR camera for face unlock, and Dell does not publish a colour-gamut figure. The 54Wh battery is modest for a 15-inch machine.
Buy it only if the price is right and you intend to add memory immediately — as an upgradeable budget shell it makes sense. Skip it if you want to use it as sold, need speed, or want a colour-accurate screen; a mid-range laptop with 16GB from the start is a better buy at slightly more money.
Specifications
Quality bars are generated automatically against 110 other laptops.
Design
A lighter laptop is easier to carry around.
A thinner laptop is more portable.
The chassis material (e.g. aluminium).
The keys are illuminated for use in the dark.
Sign in quickly and securely with a fingerprint.
The screen folds back or detaches to work as a tablet.
A dedicated number pad speeds up data entry.
The colour options the laptop is sold in.
Display
A larger screen is better for productivity and media.
A matte, anti-glare finish reduces reflections in bright rooms.
The vertical pixel count; higher is sharper.
A higher refresh rate is smoother for scrolling and gaming.
Brighter screens are easier to read in bright rooms.
Higher colour-gamut coverage means more accurate, vivid colour.
The display technology (e.g. OLED, IPS).
The proportional relationship between screen width and height.
OLED panels offer deeper blacks and better contrast than LCD.
The screen responds to touch input.
Performance
The CPU model powering the laptop.
More cores help demanding workloads.
More RAM improves multitasking.
The memory standard (e.g. LPDDR5X); newer is faster.
The memory can be replaced or expanded later.
More solid-state storage holds more files and apps.
The GPU handling graphics and gaming.
A separate GPU greatly outperforms integrated graphics.
More video memory helps gaming and creative workloads.
A synthetic score estimating overall CPU performance.
A CPU rendering benchmark; higher scores mean faster multi-threaded work.
The neural engine's trillions-of-operations-per-second rating for on-device AI.
The most memory the laptop can be configured or upgraded with.
The SSD standard (e.g. PCIe 4.0 NVMe); newer is faster.
Supports very fast Thunderbolt or USB4 connections.
Battery
A larger battery generally lasts longer.
Estimated hours of use on a charge.
Higher wattage recharges the battery faster.
Charge over a standard USB-C cable / power bank.
Charges quickly from empty.
Connectivity
More USB-C ports add flexibility.
Standard USB-A ports for older peripherals.
Connect to external displays without an adapter.
Read camera memory cards directly.
A wired network port for a stable connection.
A 3.5mm jack for wired headphones and headsets.
Supports faster, less congested Wi-Fi 6E.
The Wi-Fi generation supported; later is faster.
A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.
A higher resolution webcam looks better on calls.
Audio & camera
A Full-HD webcam is much sharper than 720p.
Log in by face with an infrared camera.
Two speakers deliver richer, more immersive sound.
More microphones improve voice pickup on calls.
Software
The OS the laptop ships with.
How the VS Score works — and what it can’t tell you
Every measurable spec is scored against the average of all the laptops we track: matching the class average scores 50, clearly beating it climbs towards 100, and each spec counts according to an editorial weight that reflects real-world impact — a battery-capacity gap moves the score far more than a colour-options list. The quality bars on the spec cards above show where this model sits inside the full range for its class, and the overall VS Score rolls every weighted result into one number.
Unknown values are never estimated. A spec this product doesn’t report simply drops out of its scoring — it isn’t penalised with a guess — but a thinner spec sheet does mean a score built on fewer data points, which is why completeness is disclosed under About this data.
Most importantly: a spec-sheet lead is not the same as a better product. Megapixels, gigahertz and benchmark points describe capacity, not experience — image processing, software optimisation, thermals, haptics and ergonomics decide how a device actually feels, and no table captures reliability or long-term support quality. Treat the VS Score as a structured summary of what can be measured, not a substitute for your own priorities.
About this data
- Specifications are compiled from each manufacturer’s official spec sheet, cross-checked against trusted specification databases, and normalised into one schema so identical things are compared identically.
- Specifications last verified July 27, 2026.
- Data completeness: 49 of the 53 specs in this category are verified (92%). Anything we could not verify is shown as Unknown — never estimated — and is excluded from the score.
- Prices and availability come from live retailer feeds via our shopping partners and refresh throughout the day; a missing price means no partner currently lists the product, not that it is discontinued.
- Want the full picture? Our editorial guidelines explain how we research products, weight the scores and stay independent.
- Spotted an error in a spec? Tell us and we will correct the sheet.
Laptops with similar specs to the Dell 15
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The bottom line
The Dell 15 earns a VS Score of 39, trailing most of the 111 laptops we compare here, at least on the spec sheet. It stands out for 42.7 Hz more refresh rate, has upgradeable RAM and has numeric keypad. Just be aware of 8.72 GB less RAM and 4,263.69 less Geekbench score before you buy. Weigh those trade-offs against what matters most to you.
The VS Score is generated automatically from the weighted specifications above, measured against all other laptops in our database. Treat it as a shortlisting guide — not a substitute for your own priorities.
