Dell Inspiron 15 5585 Review: Specs and Buying Guide

The Dell Inspiron 15 5585 is a 15.6 inch laptop from 2019 that uses AMD Ryzen processors with built in Radeon Vega graphics. It was sold as a sensible everyday machine for study, office work and streaming, sitting below Dell’s premium XPS range. New units are no longer common in 2026, but many are still in use and plenty appear on the second hand market.

Our old review of this laptop mixed up facts, called it a convertible and claimed up to 13 hours of battery life. We have rewritten it using Dell’s own published specifications, and added advice for anyone buying or upgrading one today.

Dell Inspiron 15 5585 at a Glance

Part	What Dell lists
Processor	AMD Athlon 300U, Ryzen 3 3200U, Ryzen 5 3500U or Ryzen 7 3700U
Graphics	Built in Radeon Vega 3, Vega 8 or RX Vega 10, depending on the chip
Memory	DDR4 in two slots, from 4 GB up to 32 GB
Storage	One M.2 slot for a solid state drive
Display	15.6 inch full HD, 1920 by 1080, IPS, anti glare
Battery	3 cell, 42 watt hours
Charger	45 watt adapter
Weight	Up to about 1.88 kg

Processor Choices

Dell offered four AMD chips in this model, all rated at 15 watts, which is typical for thin laptops.

• Athlon 300U: 2 cores and 4 threads with Vega 3 graphics. Fine for web browsing and documents, but slow with many tabs open.
• Ryzen 3 3200U: 2 cores and 4 threads with Vega 3 graphics. A small step up for basic use.
• Ryzen 5 3500U: 4 cores and 8 threads with Vega 8 graphics. The best balance for most buyers.
• Ryzen 7 3700U: 4 cores and 8 threads with the stronger RX Vega 10 graphics. Best for light photo editing and older games.

These Ryzen 3000 mobile chips use AMD’s Zen+ design. They are noticeably slower than the Ryzen chips found in laptops today, but a quad core version still handles office software, online classes, video calls and streaming in full HD. If you are buying a used unit, the Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 versions are worth the extra money, because the dual core versions can feel sluggish on a modern operating system.

Display

Dell’s specification lists a 15.6 inch full HD IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, a 60 Hz refresh rate and an anti glare finish. IPS panels keep colours steady when you look from the side, and Dell quotes viewing angles of 80 degrees in each direction.

The weak point is brightness. Dell lists a typical brightness of 220 nits and a contrast ratio of 600 to 1. That is fine indoors, but the screen can look dim near a bright window or outdoors. It also covers a limited range of colours, so it is not a good choice for serious photo or design work. The panel in Dell’s specification does not support touch.

Memory and Storage

This is where the Dell Inspiron 15 5585 does well for an older laptop. It has two standard memory slots, so RAM is not soldered to the board. Dell lists support for up to 32 GB of DDR4. Modules rated at 2666 MHz will run at 2400 MHz with these AMD chips.

Running memory in pairs matters on Ryzen laptops. Two matching sticks, such as two 4 GB or two 8 GB modules, let the chip use dual channel memory, which gives the built in graphics a real boost. A unit sold with a single 4 GB stick will feel much faster after adding a second matching stick.

Storage goes in one M.2 slot that accepts both short 2230 and standard 2280 size solid state drives. Swapping a small drive for a larger one is a simple job for anyone used to opening laptops, though you should back up your files first.

Ports and Connections

The port selection is generous for a budget laptop:

• One USB Type C port with Power Delivery and DisplayPort output.
• Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports and one older USB 2.0 port.
• One HDMI 1.4b port. Dell notes it does not support 4K or 2K output.
• An SD card slot for camera cards.
• A full size RJ45 Ethernet port for wired internet.
• A headset jack for headphones with a microphone.
• A wedge shaped slot for a security cable lock.

The Ethernet port is useful in hostels, offices and homes where WiFi is weak. Dell lists no docking port.

Battery and Charging

The laptop has a 3 cell battery rated at 42 watt hours, which is on the small side for a 15.6 inch machine. Real battery life depends heavily on screen brightness, the processor and what you are doing. Light browsing and documents will last noticeably longer than video calls or games. Do not expect a full day of heavy use, and keep the charger handy.

On a used unit, battery health is the biggest unknown. Batteries lose capacity with age, and a laptop from 2019 may hold far less charge than it did when new. On Windows, you can create a battery report by typing powercfg /batteryreport in Command Prompt. The report compares the design capacity with the current full charge capacity, so you can see how worn the battery is.

Dell ships a 45 watt charger. Replacement chargers and batteries should match Dell’s ratings, and it is safer to buy genuine or well reviewed parts from trusted sellers.

Design and Build

The laptop is between about 18 and 19.5 millimetres thick and weighs up to about 1.88 kg depending on the configuration. That makes it portable enough to carry to college or the office, though it is not as light as a modern thin and light laptop. The keyboard is a full size layout, and many configurations were sold with a backlit keyboard, which helps when typing in a dim room.

Windows 10 and Windows 11

Many of these laptops shipped with Windows 10. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025, which means no more regular security updates for most home users. Owners should consider moving to Windows 11.

The good news is that all four processors offered in this model appear on Microsoft’s list of supported AMD processors for Windows 11. Windows 11 also needs TPM 2.0, which AMD laptops provide through a firmware feature called fTPM, and Secure Boot in UEFI mode. Microsoft’s PC Health Check app will tell you if your unit is ready. Update the BIOS and drivers from Dell’s support website before upgrading.

Buying a Used Unit in 2026

If you are thinking about buying a second hand Dell Inspiron 15 5585, check these points:

• Processor: Look for Ryzen 5 3500U or Ryzen 7 3700U.
• Memory: 8 GB in two sticks is a sensible minimum.
• Storage: A solid state drive of 256 GB or more.
• Battery report: Ask the seller to show the battery health.
• Screen: Look for dead pixels, marks and loose hinges.
• Keyboard and ports: Test every key and plug something into every port.
• Charger: Make sure the 45 watt adapter is included and works.
• Price: Compare with new budget laptops, which may offer a warranty and a faster chip.

Our guide on what affects laptop prices can help you judge a fair offer. If you want something newer, see our post on the latest Dell laptop models.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Upgradeable RAM up to 32 GB and a standard M.2 drive slot.
• Good range of ports, including Ethernet, HDMI, USB Type C and an SD slot.
• Full HD IPS screen with an anti glare finish.
• Supported processors for Windows 11.

Weaknesses

• Dim screen with limited colours.
• Small 42 watt hour battery, often worn on used units.
• Dual core versions feel slow today.
• HDMI output limited to full HD.

Verdict

The Dell Inspiron 15 5585 was a sensible budget laptop in 2019 and can still be a useful machine for study and office work, provided you choose a quad core Ryzen version with enough RAM and a healthy battery. Its upgrade options and wide range of ports are its best features. For gaming or creative work, look at a newer or more powerful laptop, such as the gaming model in our Dell Alienware 17 R5 review or the larger machine in our Clevo NH70 review.

The DisplayPort feature of the USB Type C port means you can connect a monitor through a suitable USB Type C adapter as well as through HDMI.

What We Changed From the Old Post

We rebuilt this review from Dell’s published specifications. We corrected the screen finish to anti glare, removed the claim that it is a convertible, and dropped the 13 hour battery claim and the old US price. We added the full list of processor choices, ports, memory and storage details, Windows 11 advice and a checklist for used buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade the RAM in the Dell Inspiron 15 5585?

Yes. It has two DDR4 memory slots, and Dell lists support for up to 32 GB.

Does it support Windows 11?

Its processor options appear on Microsoft’s supported list. Check with the PC Health Check app.

Is it good for gaming?

Only for light and older games, mainly on the Ryzen 7 3700U version.