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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use, both the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are budget-friendly options with similar screen sizes and an integrated AMD GPU, suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and office work. The Dell Inspiron has a slightly more powerful processor and GPU, offering somewhat better general and engineering performance, with the tradeoff being a shorter battery life and slightly heavier build compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which compensates with longer battery life for greater on-the-go use. Neither is ideally suited for intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. If battery life and portability are your top priorities, you might prefer the Lenovo, but if you need more computing power and don't mind charging more frequently, the Dell could be the better choice. 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
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good for software development
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.3
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for content creation.
despite having suitable resolutions, they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and may not have the advanced panel types that provide better response times and image clarity.For general use such as browsing and watching videos, both the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offer fair screen quality because they have adequate resolution and brightness, but they may lack in panel technology which affects viewing angles and color consistency. In engineering and design, where precise colors are crucial, these models only provide fair performance because they don't cover the wider color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB that professionals look for. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short because,
Battery
6.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is equipped with a better CPU which is preferable for more demanding tasks, but it falls short in battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, making the latter a better option for those who need longer unplugged usage. Although both models offer fair portability and have touch-enabled, good-quality IPS screens, the Lenovo has a slight edge in battery life and portability, so it may appeal more to users who prioritize mobility and are less concerned about raw processing power.
Gaming and AI
6.0
5.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3525 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is fair for gaming and 3D owing to its integrated AMD Ryzen 5 5625U Vega 7 GPU, but with a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, its graphics performance is limited for fast-paced games. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 also falls into the fair category because it sports a lower-tier integrated AMD Ryzen 3 7330U Vega 6 GPU and the same 60Hz screen refresh rate, which means it can handle games but not at high settings or frame rates.
Engineering and Design
6.4
6.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is equipped with a slightly better processor and GPU compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which can make a difference in tasks like engineering and design, where CPU and GPU performance are very important. However, both have comparable RAM and screen quality, which are also critical for these tasks, making them both fair choices for such use cases.
Content Creation
7.1
7.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for content creation.
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
7.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 to be 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$400
$390
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3525 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$400 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.71 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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. 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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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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