Laptop selections

Will a dell Inspiron 15 3000 be capable of tuning an ECU?

should work - but they say "low quality hd screen"

i chose my tuning laptop for screen resolution (fullhd 1920x1080) so i could see more on screen - next one i get will be for screen size (17" or so) and resolution (at least fullhd or more) so its bigger and i can get more on screen and itll be easier to see.

that laptop you listed is 1366x768 - you'd hate it after a while because there wont be enough room to have all the info you want on screen at once and you'd either have to swap between views or scroll around to see enough

Speed on it should be "good enough" for a tuning laptop

in general - never get an intel atom cpu powered laptop as they are too slow - get 4-8 gigs of ram - get the biggest screen / resolution you can afford - get usb ports, built in wifi, GOOD battery life

even consider buying a new battery - you dont want it going flat while using it :)

Unless you are tuning a MoTeC M4 family ECU, or another old ECU, that uses a DOS interface, I would not use a 768 resolution screen, you end up spending more time shuffling the screen around to be able to see what you are working on, than actually working.

I think this is the one he has in mind. https://www.dell.com/en-nz/shop/laptops-ultrabooks-notebooks/inspiron-15-3000-laptop/spd/inspiron-15-3511-laptop Different markets may have different base spec's, though. [edit] Was looking at the INTEL version, the AMD option looks "better" (relatively speaking) value with the screen upgrade.

In some ways it seems fine, but I have three primary concerns with the lappie as presented - there seems to be only 8G of RAM available and I wouldn't give anything less than 16G any consideration - especially as it uses the CPU's GPU processor that will further cut into the system RAM available, it comes with a mechanical HD which is more susceptible to drops/knocks than the SD drive that is an extra, and DELL both use prorietary hardware that requires replacement parts to be of their added cost nature (if available) AND they have woeful reliability issues* (personally can confirm that from relations who purchased DELL against my recommendations). Oh, and they're overpriced for what they are.

Software that works with WIN10 should work with WIN11, but M$ is notorious for breaking things with their "upgrades", so check '11 is supported by the package(s) you intend looking at. That there is no dedicated graphics card isn't an issue, IMO, as the on-board should be easily enough for what you're looking at.

So, in summary, I'd give it a 'close but no cigar' and look elsewhere. Fortunately you need a work tool, not a fashion statement, so you can consider more bulky lappies that have the better life, 16G+ RAM, SSD, and large display with 1920+ resolution you will need - on that, don't worry about refresh rates as 60Hz is fine for what you're doing as brightness and easy of visibility in daylight will be more important.

If you have the budget, check out the "ruggedised", 'toughened", or "toughbooks" that are available - I expect even DELL will get those right, but check out reviews. They also tend to be expandable and modular, so you can swap out things as required, like hot swap battery packs which can be handy.

Oh, I do rather like the "Framework" concept, where you can buy, or build, your own laptop that YOU can repair or upgrade if needed - https://frame.work/

Awesome thanks for the advice definitely helpful