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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high performance for tasks like 3D rendering, gaming, or engineering software, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 stands out with better graphics, more RAM, and a higher capacity battery, making it suitable for intensive tasks. However, it's pricier and slightly heavier than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, which offers modest performance that suffices for general use and is more budget-friendly. The Dell also has a lower battery life, which may require more frequent charging. Both models feature touchscreens and similar screen sizes. Your choice should consider whether the higher cost of the ASUS is justified by your need for more robust performance and longer unplugged 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 Zenbook Pro 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
346.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
12.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15, with a more powerful CPU and higher quality OLED screen, offers better performance and visual experience for general use, supported by a larger battery capacity for prolonged usage away from an outlet. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, while lighter for enhanced portability, comes with a less powerful CPU and an IPS screen, which might be less vibrant, along with a smaller battery resulting in shorter unplugged usage.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.0
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15, with its stronger Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU, outperforms the Dell Inspiron 15 3525’s integrated Vega 7 graphics, leading to better gaming and 3D experiences; however, both have the same screen refresh rate which is a limitation for fast-paced games that benefit from higher refresh rates. Additionally, the superior CPU and OLED screen of the ASUS contribute to better performance and screen quality, although these improvements come with a higher price and reduced portability compared to the lighter Dell model.
Engineering and Design
7.5
6.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15, with its higher-end CPU and GPU combined with an OLED screen, offers superior performance and visual quality which are crucial for engineering and design work, compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 which has more modest hardware and an IPS display, affecting its performance and screen vibrancy. However, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is slightly lighter and offers more physical upgradability with additional RAM and storage slots, which might make it more appealing for users prioritizing portability and future upgrades.
Content Creation
7.7
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for content creation, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 is somewhat better.
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
7.5
6.9
7.4/10
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 Zenbook Pro 15 is 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.
Screen Quality
7.6
6.3
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
346.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a high-resolution display with ample brightness and a panel type that's well-suited to sharp and vibrant image quality, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering tasks that rely on color accuracy. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525, with a fair screen, provides an adequate experience for everyday tasks and casual design work but may not deliver the precision needed for professional creative work. Neither laptop is tailored for 3D applications or gaming, as their screens lack the high refresh rates required for smooth motion rendering, which is crucial for these fields.
Battery
12.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has 12.5 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
7.6
6.2
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 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
$1,109
$400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 has a price of $1,109 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 costs $400.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 | Dell Inspiron 15 3525 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,109 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.9'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.41 lbs | 3.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.94" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.37" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12.5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 96 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 346 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 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 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook Pro 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"The ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 offers a strong CPU, chassis, and display. One of the most popular 15.6-inch prosumer or multimedia laptops out there is the Dell XPS 15. Thus, comparisons between it and the Asus Zenbook Pro 15 are inevitable. Asus has a couple of tricks up its sleeve that XPS users are still missing out on including 1080p OLED and an AMD Ryzen CPU which help separate the Zenbook Pro 15 from the XPS 15. It also integrates a numpad and a few more port options albeit at the cost of a larger chassis size."
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Zenbook Pro 15 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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