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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a budget-friendly option with a larger 15.6-inch screen, suitable for general use, and offers a number pad on the keyboard, which might be important for productivity tasks. However, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14, while more expensive, provides a higher-resolution touchscreen, longer battery life, higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications, and a lighter, more portable design. If you prioritize performance and portability over cost and prefer a sharper display for creative work, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is recommended over the Dell Inspiron 15 3520. 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
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14.
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
- Very good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 outshines the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 in general use primarily due to its superior CPU and double the RAM, enabling faster and more efficient multitasking, along with a higher-resolution touchscreen display for clearer visuals. Additionally, the Lenovo boasts a significantly longer battery life and lighter weight, enhancing portability, whereas the Dell offers a larger screen which some may prefer for viewing content, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is considered fair for gaming and 3D because it uses integrated graphics that are less powerful compared to dedicated GPUs, and despite having a higher screen refresh rate, it falls short in GPU strength and screen resolution. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is rated as good for gaming and 3D tasks because it sports a high-performance dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher resolution display, though with a slightly lower refresh rate, offering better overall visual fidelity and graphics processing capabilities.
Engineering and Design
6.3
7.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its modest Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics, is suitable for lighter engineering tasks and its larger size offers a numeric keypad, albeit at the expense of portability and higher-quality display. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 with its more powerful AMD Ryzen processor, dedicated Nvidia graphics, and higher resolution screen excels in more demanding engineering and design applications, and its sleeker build with a smaller, sharper display enhances portability and screen quality.
Content Creation
7.0
8.0
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
6.7
7.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
7.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
334.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers a sharper display with higher resolution and better brightness, making it more suitable for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and movie watching. When it comes to engineering and design work, the Lenovo also stands out with broader color coverage, which is critical for color accuracy in professional photo editing or CAD software. However, neither laptop is ideal for gaming and 3D applications because they have lower refresh rates, but the resolution and panel types are still more favorable on the Lenovo for these activities, even though it may not provide the smoothest experience.
Battery
6.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.8
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $329 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 costs $1,200.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3520 | Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$329 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | 12.9'' x 8.9'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.65 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 12.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 8.92" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1215U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 73 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 90Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 334 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | May 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat for the price."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
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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