The ASUS TUF Gaming A15, while pricier, is geared towards gaming with a high-end graphics card and a processor that's well suited for intensive tasks, including engineering and 3D rendering. It also has a larger storage capacity and double the memory of the Dell Inspiron 15, which can be important for performance in demanding applications. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is more budget-friendly and sufficient for general use like web browsing, office work, and media consumption. It's lighter and more portable but has less power for gaming or heavy-duty tasks. If long battery life and portability are more critical than performance, the Dell might be better, while if you need top-notch performance for gaming or professional applications and can stretch your budget, the ASUS is the way to go. 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 TUF Gaming A15
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the ASUS TUF Gaming A15.
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
271.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers better performance for general use due to its more powerful CPU, higher RAM, and superior GPU, which enhances multitasking and media consumption, although it is less portable and has a shorter battery life than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520. Meanwhile, the Inspiron is more portable and has excellent heat management, making it a convenient choice for on-the-go users, but its lower-tier CPU, less RAM and integrated GPU might struggle with more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, providing smoother visuals and better performance in graphic-intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its integrated Intel UHD Graphics and a lower refresh rate of 120 Hz, offers a fair gaming experience, which is suitable for less demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 offers a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia GPU, higher RAM capacity, and a more vibrant screen, which are very important for demanding engineering tasks and design work. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 comes with a less capable Intel i3 CPU and integrated graphics, less RAM, and a less color-accurate screen, making it only fair for engineering use and less suited for intensive design applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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
7.6/10
6.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
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
7.2/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
271.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15's screen quality excels for general use and engineering due to its high resolution and brightness, offering clarity and vividness that benefits productivity and design work, along with satisfactory coverage of color gamuts important for precision in color work. However, for gaming and 3D, its lower refresh rate can hinder the smoothness and responsiveness that these activities often demand. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 gives a fair screen viewing experience across the board but lacks the higher resolution, brightness, and color accuracy the ASUS offers, making it less ideal for both general use and specialized tasks like engineering and design, and its poor refresh rate is also a drawback for gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
11.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 both have good portability, though the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
6.2/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$335
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a price of $2,059 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $335.
"With the release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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