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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is a budget-friendly option that's significantly more affordable than the Lenovo Legion 5 15". If you are looking for a laptop for general use, light multitasking, and media consumption, the Dell should serve you well with its good display and adequate processing power for casual tasks. However, if you need a machine for high-performance tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, gaming, or engineering, the Lenovo Legion 5 packs a more powerful processor and a high-end graphics card capable of handling intensive applications, but it comes at a higher cost and is less portable due to a heavier build. The Lenovo also boasts a higher resolution display, which can be a major plus for media enthusiasts or professionals who require sharper visuals for their work. Choose the Dell for everyday use and savings, or invest in the Lenovo if performance and display resolution are your top priorities. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers better performance for gaming and 3D applications as it features a more powerful Nvidia graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, which has an integrated AMD GPU and a standard refresh rate. Additionally, the Lenovo has a higher quality CPU and screen, enhancing its overall capability in handling more demanding tasks and providing better visual quality, which is particularly beneficial for gaming and 3D work.
Engineering and Design
6.4
8.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is fair for engineering and design use because it has a more basic CPU and GPU, lower screen resolution, and less memory, factors which are very important for demanding tasks, whereas the Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for such tasks mainly due to its powerful CPU, high-end GPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality. However, the Legion's greater weight and larger size affect its portability, which is a tradeoff against its performance advantages.
Screen Quality
6.3
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
259.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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 a display that provides sufficient clarity and color accuracy for everyday tasks such as browsing and document editing, but it lacks the advanced color gamuts and higher resolutions beneficial for engineering and design work, and its refresh rate is too low for the smooth visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo Legion 5 15", on the other hand, offers a superior screen with better resolution and brightness suitable for most general activities, as well as appropriate color coverage that caters well to engineering and design needs, though it still falls short for gaming and 3D due to an inadequate refresh rate. For both laptops, the shortcomings in gaming and 3D are linked to their inability to deliver the extremely fluid motion and fast response times needed for those fields.
Battery
6.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.6
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has a price of $400 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
259.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is considered fair for general use because it has modest processor performance, average screen resolution with touchscreen capabilities, moderate battery life, and it is relatively light and thin, enhancing its portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" is rated good for general use due to its more powerful processor, higher RAM, superior screen resolution without touchscreen, but it is heavier and thicker which may affect portability, and has shorter battery life when compared to the Dell.
Content Creation
7.1
7.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3525 | Lenovo Legion 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$400 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.71 lbs | 5.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.27" | 10.33" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 259 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | |
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 3525
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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. 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 Legion 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 or the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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