🔬[REVIEW] Dell Vostro 15 3525 - a 120Hz display on a business notebook? 

📈 💵 Specs and Prices: laptopmedia.com/series/dell-vostro-15-3525/
👁️ Buy our display profiles: laptopmedia.com/review/dell-vostro-15-3525/#buy-our-profiles
🔬 In-depth Review: laptopmedia.com/review/dell-vostro-15-3525/
➡️ CONTENTS:
[0:00] Introduction
[0:24] Design and construction
[0:53] Keyboard and Touchpad
[1:13] Ports
[1:42] Display quality
[2:29] Battery life
[2:47] Performance
[3:33] Disassembly and upgrade options
[4:02] Temps and Stability
[4:25] Verdict
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🔬[REVIEW] Dell Vostro 15 3525
This is not like other business notebooks, as Dell decided to have a bit of fun with the Vostro 15 3525. While this is a laptop for the office it allows you to have some quick fun during the lunch break, thanks to its hardware and 120Hz FHD IPS display.
[Design and construction]
While the laptop has an entirely plastic body, this is often the case with budget devices. What we are not satisfied with is the bendy lid and base, which suffers from a decent amount of flex. However, there is some engineering put into it, mainly the lid lever mechanism, which lifts up the rear end. For a 15-inch machine, it has a very manageable weight of 1.83 kg along with a profile of 19 mm.
[Keyboard and Touchpad]
The keyboard has a backlight, which is a rare sight with business notebooks. Typing is great thanks to the long key travel and clicky feedback. On that note, gaming should be alright as well. The touchpad is quite large and is actually smooth and responsive when paired with the 120Hz screen.
[Ports]
There is a variety of ports on the sides, as the laptop covers a lot of ground. There are a total of two full-sized USB ports, one of which runs at 2.0 speeds so it’s suitable for peripherals, and a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port. There’s also an HDMI 1.4 supporting external displays with 4K resolution at 30 Hz, LAN port, SD card reader, and an audio jack.
[Display]
Right out of the gate, we’ll skip the 768p TN panel, since it doesn't deserve any coverage. The second option is much more interesting - a Full HD IPS 120Hz display. Well, it isn’t the brightest, peaking at 261 nits, but the refresh rate will shine during gaming, with shooters and esports titles taking major advantage of it. There aren’t any redeeming Creator qualities, as the panel covers about half of the sRGB gamut.
[Battery]
Even with a tiny 41Wh battery unit, the laptop squeezes out 7 hours and 51 minutes of Web browsing, or 6 hours and 29 minutes of video playback. That is when paired with the Ryzen 5 5625U.
[Performance]
Speaking of the Ryzen 5, this is a refreshed model of the 5600U. The difference between them is that the new CPU is built on a 6nm node and adds 100MHz to its boost clock. The Ryzen 5 is perfect for this device, as it doesn’t have big cooling requirements, while still delivering good performance.
In terms of graphics, you can stick it out with the integrated RX Vega units, or opt-in for the MX 550 from NVIDIA, which will put you on another level in terms of gaming, but only when compared to the iGPU. If you’re going to play games with the iGPU, add another RAM stick so it could work in dual-channel.
[Teardown and Upgradeability]
Surprisingly, Dell has chosen to place two SODIMM slots and not rely on soldered memory. For storage, there’s one M.2 PCIe x4 slot for Gen 4 drives, along with space for a 2.5-inch SSD, but you have to pick a configuration with a smaller battery. If you need a more detailed tour of the insides of the Vostro 15, check out our disassembly video.
[Temps and Stability]
The cooling setup uses a single heat pipe connected to a fan. The Ryzen 5 doesn’t reach a high clock speed, but maintains a speed of around 2.70GHz in the long run, albeit at a fairly high temperature.
The outside gets very warm, with the hotspot in this case reaching 53°C.
[Verdict]
The Vostro 15 3525 is not without its issues, but having its price in mind, we have to give credit for its good upgradeability and a comfortable keyboard. And with the 120Hz display, it is one RAM stick away from unleashing its iGPU and making it a low-key gaming device to take to the office and be unnoticed.

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