Choosing the ASUS Zenbook 13 offers a more compact and lightweight design with an OLED display that is typically better for vibrant colors and contrast, leading to a more enjoyable viewing experience, especially for media consumption. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a larger screen and a processor with integrated graphics that may be better for some productivity tasks, but you may find its larger size less convenient to carry around. The Zenbook's higher cost reflects its premium features, so if these are important to you and within your budget, it might be the better option, whereas the Inspiron offers a larger screen and keyboard area which can be more comfortable for extended work sessions, and its lower cost makes it an attractive choice if you're looking for value and can manage with a bulkier device. 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 Zenbook 13
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 13.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.6/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 offers a sharper and brighter display with better color accuracy, making it ideal for general use and tasks that require precise colors, such as engineering and design work. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications because it lacks a high refresh rate which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-moving scenes. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3500's display meets basic needs with acceptable clarity and color reproduction for general and engineering use, but like the Zenbook, it's not optimized for gaming due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 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
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 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
$890
$699
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 costs $699.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 offers an outstanding balance between portability, with its lightweight and slim design, and performance with a capable CPU and ample RAM for smooth multitasking; it also has a high-quality OLED screen and excellent battery life, making it ideal for general use on the go. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers a larger screen and more RAM, which may be better for multitasking and viewing, but it has a lower battery life and is bulkier, which might not be as convenient for frequent travel.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less suitable for fast-paced gaming, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers a higher refresh rate of 120Hz for smoother visuals. Both have integrated GPUs—Vega 8 and Iris Xe respectively—with the latter generally offering better performance for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
6.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 13 to be good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
7.3/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 13 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 compare to other laptops
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.