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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For high-performance tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is a superior choice with its powerful AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, but it comes with a higher price tag and less portability due to its larger size and weight. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is more budget-friendly and offers better portability, making it suitable for general use; however, it has lower storage, less RAM, and relies on integrated graphics, which makes it less suitable for intensive tasks. The Zenbook also has a larger screen and longer battery life, while the Inspiron has a higher refresh rate display but reduced color space coverage, resulting in less vibrant screen colors. 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 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17.
Key differences
General Use
8.3
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers superior CPU performance and more RAM, which enhances multitasking and speed for general tasks; its screen quality with higher color coverage contributes to a richer visual experience compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3520. However, the Zenbook Pro 17's larger size and higher weight make it less portable and its battery life, while respectable, is outpaced by the Inspiron 15 3520 which is lighter and thus more convenient to carry around, despite its more limited CPU and lower RAM affecting performance and multitasking capabilities.
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.0
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is somewhat better.
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
8.1
6.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is superior for engineering and design because it includes a more robust CPU and GPU setup with AMD Ryzen 9 and Nvidia RTX 3050, coupled with higher RAM and a richer screen quality, including better color accuracy and brightness, which are essential for such tasks.
Content Creation
8.2
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.9
6.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you're looking for a laptop primarily for general tasks like web browsing and document editing, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 stands out with its vibrant display that offers crisp images and brightness suitable for most environments. For professionals in engineering and design, the Zenbook Pro's ability to represent a wide range of colors becomes crucial, facilitating better accuracy in visual work. However, gamers and those involved in 3D modeling would find the Dell Inspiron's lower refresh rate less than ideal, as it may not deliver as fluid motion or quick screen responses during high-speed scenes or animations.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
6.2
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
$1,500
$329
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $329.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $329 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | 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 | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
See more
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. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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.
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