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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize higher performance for tasks like engineering software and have a slightly larger budget, the ASUS Vivobook 16 may suit you better. However, keep in mind that it's heavier and has slightly shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 15. The Dell offers a touchscreen and is more portable due to its lower weight, which might be advantageous if you value mobility and touchscreen functionality. Both have ample display size and quality suitable for general use, but the ASUS provides more storage space and memory, which can be important for more demanding applications or multitasking. 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 Vivobook 16
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good overall build quality
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Vivobook 16.
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.0
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
295.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the ASUS Vivobook 16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 stands out for general use due to its superior main processor, higher amount of RAM, and better screen quality, which includes higher resolution and brightness compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, although the latter offers a touchscreen feature. While both laptops have good portability, the Vivobook 16 offers a longer battery life, making it more suitable for extended use away from power sources.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
6.4
6.3
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
295.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS Vivobook 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 have fair screen quality, with enough resolution and brightness suited for daily tasks but not exceptional for finer details or outdoor visibility. In engineering and design, their screens provide adequate color representation to work with, but lack the wide color gamuts preferred for high-end graphic work. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of both laptops mean less fluid motion and responsiveness, which is not ideal for fast-paced visuals or professional animation tasks.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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.
Build Quality
7.0
6.2
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$629
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a price of $629 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 costs $400.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is fair for gaming and 3D tasks with its AMD Ryzen 7 integrated Vega 8 GPU, suitable for moderate gaming demands, but its standard screen refresh rate of 60 Hz can limit smoothness in fast-paced games. Similarly, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 with the AMD Ryzen 5 integrated Vega 7 GPU also supports fair gaming, but like the ASUS, its 60 Hz refresh rate may not provide the most fluid experience in games that benefit from higher refresh rates.
Content Creation
7.5
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
6.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook 16 to be good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and ASUS Vivobook 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Vivobook 16 | Dell Inspiron 15 3525 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$629 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.8'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.14 lbs | 3.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.12" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.82" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 295 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS Vivobook 16
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, Yannick Khong | May 2023
"The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is a budget Windows laptop. It's available with various AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000 U-series CPUs and integrated graphics. You can only get 8GB of RAM; however, there's an empty SO-DIMM slot if you want to upgrade it. It has an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. Ports include three USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging but no video output."
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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PCMag
Mark Knapp | January 2023
"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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 16 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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