With the Inspiron, the 3000 series is entry level (often lacking backlit keyboards, or coming with hard drives rather than SSDs at least at the base level).  The 5000 series is mid-range and the 7000 series is the upper mid-range.  Construction wise, expect most 5000 series (like the 3000) to be mostly painted plastic.  Many of the 7000 series have at least external metal or metallic panels. Beyond that, just about anything at the level you're looking toward will fit what you want it to do.  Don't buy without a 3-year warranty up front (an extra $100 or so over the base price).  And if you need the system in a short time frame, buy a ready-to-ship model from Dell or from a reputable retailer -- if you place a custom order, you will be waiting for it, for as with most systems, they're built in China and shipped from there -- with current component shortages and the shortage of worldwide shipping capacity, you will almost certainly face delays.  
Hi  This is my first post on here, so I'd appreciate some feedback. As the title says, I'm looking for a new laptop for home entertainment use and am considering a Dell. It would be my first, as I've used exclusively HP laptops for as long as I can remember. I recently purchased and just sold a used, fair condition HP Pavilion 17 because it took up too much space on my desk. As such, I'd like to downsize to a 15.6" machine. I don't do anything resource-intensive like gaming or benchmarking, but since I plan to keep the laptop for a few years, I'd like it to last. All I really do is browse the web, watch YouTube videos, stream shows and movies, and download and store FLAC files to load onto my phone. My budget is around $850 USD, including NYS sales tax. Ideally, I'd like it to have 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. A backlit keyboard is a must, although I don't like the trend of silver on silver that HP uses, so a black keyboard is preferred. Given my budget, the XPS is obviously out, so I'm guessing Inspiron is the next best thing? Is the 5000 series the latest, or is it the 7000 series? How do you differentiate between all the models? Also, it's pretty close to Labor Day here in the US. When can the Labor Day sale be expected on the Dell US website? Should I buy direct from Dell, or go the retail route? What kind of discounts can I expect if I go through Dell? Thanks again!
Looking to buy my first Dell suggestions are appreciated