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Updated January 12, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is a high-end laptop often favored for gaming and creative work due to its powerful internals and quality display, which closely aligns with intensive tasks, yet at the cost of being heavier and more expensive. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, on the other hand, is more affordable and lightweight, suitable for everyday use and productivity tasks, but it may not handle demanding graphics or compute tasks as effectively. If professionals such as engineers, 3D modelers, or gamers are the target, the ASUS's higher performance will be noticeable, whereas students or home users may prefer the portability and lower price of the Dell for general use. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow X16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
502.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16, with its higher-quality screen and robust CPU, excels in visual clarity and performance efficiency, making it an excellent choice for general use that involves media consumption or multitasking. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers good performance for everyday tasks due to its modern processor, coupled with better portability and longer battery life, but compromises on screen quality and overall performance compared to the ASUS.
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.3
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.3
6.9
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card, ensuring high-performance computing and rendering capabilities, and bolstered by a high-resolution, color-accurate, and bright display that can pivot to tablet mode, which is ideal for design work. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while still good for engineering tasks, comes with a less powerful Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, and although more portable, has a lower resolution screen that’s less suited for detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.0
7.3
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.2
8.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both good for software development, though the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.5
6.6
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
502.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 likely has a high-resolution panel with vibrant colors and good brightness, making it excellent for tasks like document editing and web browsing, as well as precision work required in engineering and design where color accuracy is crucial. However, its poor screen quality for gaming and 3D could be due to a lower refresh rate, which is less suitable for fast-paced visuals that gamers and 3D applications often rely on. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with a fair screen quality for both general use and engineering, might offer decent resolution and acceptable color representation but falls short for gaming and 3D use where its modest refresh rate can't keep up with demanding graphics.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and ASUS ROG Flow X16 both have good portability, though the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.2
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,300
$722
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a price of $1,300 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 costs $722.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Flow X16 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Flow X16 | Dell Inspiron 15 3530 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,300 | $722 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.6'' x 0.76'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 3.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.57" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS | Intel i5-1335U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 502 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Flow X16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | June 2023
"Above all else, the Asus ROG Flow X16 is one thing - versatile! It is a thin, mobile work device, it's a 2-in-1, tablet, a powerful workstation and even a gaming PC. But something even more surprising: It does all of these things really well without making any big blunders. It's anything but a lazy compromise. Because, despite its compact dimensions and 2-in-1 functionality, the hardware isn't throttled and boasts, at least in turbo mode, above-average performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Flow X16 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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