The Asus Vivobook Go 12 is more budget-friendly and highly portable due to its smaller size, which is great for everyday tasks and carrying around. However, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while usually more expensive, likely offers better performance for demanding applications like engineering software, 3D modeling, or demanding machine learning tasks. It may also have a larger screen, which is beneficial for multitasking and media consumption, but this can make it less portable. Consider the Dell if you need more horsepower and screen real estate, and the Asus if portability and cost are your main concerns. 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 Go 12
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.3/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.3/10
6.9/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12's weaker CPU, low RAM, and basic GPU limit its capacity for engineering and design tasks, which generally require more powerful hardware, while its lower-quality screen does not match the fine detail work often needed in design. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530's more capable CPU, higher RAM, better GPU, and superior screen quality make it well-suited for demanding engineering software and intricate design work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7/10
7.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1/10
6.6/10
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12's subpar screen quality reflects its low resolution and dim display, making it less suitable for tasks requiring clear, vibrant visuals, which is pivotal for general use. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers a better, albeit still average, screen experience with higher brightness and clearer images for everyday tasks and engineering applications but lacks the wide color gamuts essential for precision in color grading. When it comes to gaming and 3D, both laptops fall short, with the Dell having a slight edge in resolution and panel type, yet neither offering the high refresh rates that deliver smooth motion graphics.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 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.
Portability
Excellent
Good
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
6.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has only fair build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$267
$722
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 costs $722.
How the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
ASUS Vivobook Go 12
Dell Inspiron 15 3530
GENERAL
Price
Price
$267
$722
Release Date
Release Date
October 1, 2021
May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
Overall Dimensions
11'' x 7.5'' x 0.67''
14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65''
Weight
Weight
2.31 lbs
3.64 lbs
Width
Width
10.98"
14.11"
Depth
Depth
7.52"
9.25"
INTERNAL
Processor
Processor
Intel Celeron N4020
Intel i5-1335U
RAM
RAM
4 GB
16 GB
DDR Memory Version
DDR Memory Version
4
4
RAM Slots
RAM Slots
0
2
Storage
Storage
64 GB
512 GB
Storage Slots
Storage Slots
1
1
Graphics
Graphics
UHD Graphics 600
Iris Xe
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus
No
No
GPU Type
GPU Type
Integrated
Integrated
Supports DLSS
Supports DLSS
No
No
Supports Ray Tracing
Supports Ray Tracing
No
No
BATTERY
Battery Life
Battery Life
10 Hours
6.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
Battery Capacity
38 Wh
41 Wh
SCREEN
Diagonal Size
Diagonal Size
11.6"
15.6"
Display Technology
Display Technology
TN
IPS
Resolution
Resolution
1366 x 768
1920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60Hz
120Hz
Display Brightness
Display Brightness
200 nits
220 nits
Screen Aspect Ratio
Screen Aspect Ratio
16:9
16:9
Pixel Density
Pixel Density
135.09 PPI
141.21 PPI
Contrast
Contrast
Unknown
700: 1
Display Response Time
Display Response Time
Unknown
35 ms
DCI-P3
DCI-P3
35 %
49 %
sRGB
sRGB
50 %
66 %
Adobe RGB
Adobe RGB
35 %
49 %
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS
Build Quality Score
Build Quality Score
5.1/10
6.3/10
Portability Score
Portability Score
9.3/10
8/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
Gaming Laptop Appearance
No
No
Premium Business Laptop
Premium Business Laptop
No
No
Fan Noise Score
Fan Noise Score
7/10
7.5/10
Facial Recognition
Facial Recognition
No
No
Upper Side Temp (Max)
Upper Side Temp (Max)
37.8°C
Lower Side Temp (Max)
Lower Side Temp (Max)
55.6°C
Palm Rest Temp (Max)
Palm Rest Temp (Max)
20.6°C
Warranty Period
Warranty Period
1 year
1 year
HARDWARE FEATURES
Keyboard Quality Score
Keyboard Quality Score
5.3/10
6.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
Speaker Quality Score
6/10
6.5/10
Webcam
Webcam
480p
1080p
Fingerprint Reader
Fingerprint Reader
No
No
Backlit Keyboard
Backlit Keyboard
No
No
Number Pad
Number Pad
Yes
Yes
CONNECTIVITY
USB Type-A
USB Type-A
2
2
USB-C ports
USB-C ports
1
1
USB-C Charging
USB-C Charging
No
No
Display Outputs
Display Outputs
1
1
Thunderbolt Ports
Thunderbolt Ports
0
0
DisplayPorts
DisplayPorts
0
0
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
1
1
Ethernet
Ethernet
No
No
Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth Version
5.1
5.2
WiFi Version
WiFi Version
5
6
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 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.
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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