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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell G15 5520 offers high performance for intensive tasks like gaming or engineering due to its powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, but it comes at a higher price and has a shorter battery life. If portability and longer battery life are priority, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3—with its larger screen—might be a better fit, although it is less powerful and better suited for general use, as it features an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and integrated Vega graphics. 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 Dell G15 5520
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Dell G15 5520 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use, though the Dell G15 5520 is somewhat better.
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
7.7
6.1
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Dell G15 5520 offers a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz which are crucial for smooth gaming and 3D performance, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has an integrated Vega 7 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it less ideal for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Dell G15 5520 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, RAM, and GPU, which are crucial for such tasks, alongside a higher-quality screen that benefits detailed work; however, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is more portable but falls short in performance and display quality, making it less optimal for demanding engineering software and detailed design work. Additionally, while both laptops have reasonable keyboard and speaker quality, and operating noise that shouldn't be disruptive, these aspects are secondary to the primary performance factors that make the Dell a better fit for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell G15 5520 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for content creation, though the Dell G15 5520 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.
Screen Quality
7.1
6.7
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Dell G15 5520 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
Both the Dell G15 5520 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" have screen panels with resolutions and brightness levels that are adequate for daily tasks and detailed enough for engineering and design work, providing clear and sharp visuals. However, for engineering and design professionals requiring precise color representation, the coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB may not be at the top tier, thus they perform well, but not exceptionally for color-dependent tasks. As for gaming and 3D work, their screens may lack high refresh rates desired for smooth motion rendering, which can be particularly noticeable during fast-paced action, making them less ideal for those specific activities.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell G15 5520 has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Dell G15 5520 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell G15 5520 has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.5
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell G15 5520 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell G15 5520 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell G15 5520
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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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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