If cost is a significant factor for you and your usage primarily revolves around everyday tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the Dell Inspiron 15 may suffice. On the other hand, if you need a laptop for resource-intensive activities like gaming, 3D rendering, or video editing, the HP Omen 16, while costlier, offers higher performance capabilities. The HP Omen also tends to have superior graphics and a faster processor but expect it to be heavier and to potentially have shorter battery life than the lighter and more energy-efficient Dell Inspiron. 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 3525
Good portability
Advantages of the HP Omen 16
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
7.0/10
7.7/10
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
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The HP Omen 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the HP Omen 16 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is classed as fair for general use due to its moderate CPU and RAM, satisfactory screen quality, good portability, and reasonable battery life, but its overall performance is limited for heavier tasks. In comparison, the HP Omen 16 is rated good for general use because its high-end CPU and double the RAM provide excellent performance, its superior screen quality caters to more demanding visual tasks, though this comes at the expense of less portability and similar battery life compared to the Dell.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
8.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
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 3525 is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 is very good for gaming and 3D thanks to its Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, enabling smoother visuals and better response times. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, with its integrated AMD Ryzen 5 5625U Vega 7 graphics and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, provides a fair experience suitable for less demanding games.
Engineering and Design
6.4/10
8.4/10
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 3525 is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its superior processing power with its Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, as well as a greater amount of RAM, which provides very good performance for demanding applications compared to the fair performance of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 with its less powerful AMD CPU and integrated GPU. Although the Dell is lighter and therefore more portable, the tradeoff for the HP Omen's extra weight is its better screen quality and overall higher performance for intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.8/10
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 3525 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
6.9/10
7.6/10
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 3525 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
6.3/10
7.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
338.0 nits
The HP Omen 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has an adequate display for everyday tasks with enough brightness and resolution for casual use, but its limited color range and lower refresh rate may not satisfy engineers who require precise color accuracy for design work or gamers who need smoother motion. The HP Omen 16 offers vibrant and accurate colors with good resolution, serving well for engineering and general use, but its refresh rate, while decent, might not be high enough for competitive gaming. For gaming and 3D uses, both laptops fall short, as gamers typically look for even higher refresh rates to ensure fluid gameplay.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.1in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has good portability, while the HP Omen 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The HP Omen 16 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$400
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the HP Omen 16 costs $1,100.
"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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
"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 3525 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
128,895
Recommendations made
27,928
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.