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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a lower cost and your needs are basic like web browsing and productivity tasks, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 with its less powerful processor and integrated graphics could be a suitable choice. However, if you need a high-performance laptop for gaming, 3D modeling, or other intensive tasks, and don't mind the added expense, the HP Omen 16 with its faster processor, dedicated graphics card, and a higher capacity battery would be a superior option, although it will be heavier and potentially have a shorter battery life due to its more powerful hardware. 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 Inspiron 15 3520
- Good portability
Advantages of the HP Omen 16
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
338.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The HP Omen 16 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 offers a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which greatly enhances its performance for general use; additionally, it has a higher-quality screen and better battery life, making it suitable for longer use with crisper visuals. However, the Dell Inspiron is lighter and therefore more portable, and it manages heat exceptionally well, which may appeal to those prioritizing comfort and ease of carrying over top-tier specs.
Gaming and AI
6.0
8.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a faster screen refresh rate of 165Hz, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its integrated Intel UHD Graphics and a lower refresh rate of 120Hz, offers fair performance for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.3
8.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a lower-tier CPU and graphics, suitable for light to moderate design tasks, while the HP Omen 16 is equipped with a high-performance CPU and advanced GPU, catering well to demanding engineering and design applications. While the Omen excels in screen quality and overall performance, it is less portable and noisier under load compared to the quieter and more portable Inspiron.
Content Creation
7.0
7.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the HP Omen 16 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
6.7
7.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen 16 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
6.8
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
16.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
338.0 nits
The HP Omen 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its standard resolution and panel type, provides adequate clarity for daily tasks, but its brightness and color range may fall short for professional design work where precision in color is crucial. The HP Omen 16, offering a higher resolution and brighter display, benefits engineers and designers due to a more extensive color gamut, enhancing visual accuracy for detail-oriented tasks. However, both laptops lack in refresh rate, an essential factor for smooth 3D rendering and gaming, potentially leading to less fluid motion and a subpar experience in those areas.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.1in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability, while the HP Omen 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.4
The HP Omen 16 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
$329
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $329 and the HP Omen 16 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The HP Omen 16 has 6 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the HP Omen 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | HP Omen 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$329 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 14.5'' x 10.2'' x 0.93'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 5.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.53" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.21" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | Intel i7-13700HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 83 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 338 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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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. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
HP Omen 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | October 2021
"The Omen 16 has proven to be a fairly good mid-range gaming laptop with all-around improvements compared to the Omen 15. The high overall performance level across all use cases, the long battery life, and the good FHD display constitute the main advantages of this HP laptop. The main drawbacks are the faulty touchpad (one-off?) and the high latencies that can be observed even after just opening the browser. Furthermore, the useless, preinstalled 30-day trial versions of various software also fall under the category "unnecessary"."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the HP Omen 16
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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