The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 offers a balance of cost and capability, being more affordable and suitable for general use, but its heavier weight and lower battery life make it less portable. On the other hand, the LG Gram 16, while more expensive, delivers significantly better performance, longer battery life, and is extremely lightweight and portable, making it well-suited for on-the-go use and demanding tasks like engineering workflow and creative applications. Neither is designed for intensive gaming, but for tasks that require a high-quality display, the LG Gram 16 also has a higher resolution and more accurate color representation. 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 LG Gram 16.
Advantages of the LG Gram 16
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The LG Gram 16 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.8/10
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 LG Gram 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the LG Gram 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
6.7/10
7.9/10
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
7.5/10
The LG Gram 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
6.8/10
7.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The LG Gram 16 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 LG Gram 16, with its higher resolution and brighter display, provides a clearer and more vibrant viewing experience compared with the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, the LG Gram's wider color gamut ensures that colors are more accurately represented, which is crucial for tasks requiring color precision like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid visuals during fast-paced gaming or when working with dynamic 3D models.
Battery
6.5 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 16 has 15 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
16.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Gram 16 has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.0/10
The LG Gram 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
$1,450
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a price of $329 and the LG Gram 16 costs $1,450.
The LG Gram 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 may offer smoother visuals in gaming and 3D applications due to its higher screen refresh rate, but may fall behind in processing power and graphics performance compared to the LG Gram 16 which is equipped with a more powerful CPU and GPU, a tradeoff that might be more noticeable in tasks that demand substantial computing resources.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and the LG Gram 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The LG Gram 16 is a lightweight device with stability issues. The LG Gram 16Z90Q with a Core i7-1260P is made with portability in mind and places less of a focus on users with high demands on performance. The compact and light chassis is particularly practical when you are on the go. The device is not only comfortably small and lightweight, it also boasts a great battery life. When connected to mains, on the other hand, the 16-inch device is rather disappointing. The standard cooling mode causes extreme volatility in terms of CPU, SSD and iGPU performance. The meager stability of the chassis may also put off some potential buyers."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 or the LG Gram 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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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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