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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus comes down to your priorities. The Inspiron 15 3530 is more budget-friendly and provides a balance of performance and battery life suitable for general use and some multitasking. On the other hand, the XPS 13 Plus is more expensive but offers superior performance with a faster processor, better graphics, and more memory, making it well-suited for intensive tasks like 3D work, machine learning, and gaming. Additionally, the XPS 13 Plus is smaller with a higher resolution screen, making it more portable and better for viewing high-quality content, but with a trade-off in terms of cost and potentially shorter battery life due to its more powerful hardware. 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 3530
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has no clear advantages over the Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out for general use with its higher-quality OLED screen, more RAM, and a better CPU, which together ensure smoother operation and sharper visuals; its greater portability and longer battery life also make it a more versatile option. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while having a decent CPU and ample RAM for everyday tasks, offers a lower resolution IPS screen and shorter battery life, making it less suitable for those needing high screen quality and longer unplugged usage.
Engineering and Design
6.9
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out for engineering and design use due to its superior processor, double the RAM, and an OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, which has a lower-tier processor and less RAM. While both feature capable integrated graphics, the XPS 13 Plus is also more portable and offers a significantly better keyboard and speaker quality but comes with a premium price tag, whereas the Inspiron 15 3530 manages heat more efficiently, which could be a factor during long work sessions.
Content Creation
7.3
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
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
6.6
8.4
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with its fair screen quality, suits everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming due to an adequate resolution and brightness, but for precise engineering work, its limited color coverage may not display colors as accurately. In contrast, the Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in color reproduction with higher color gamut coverage, benefitting professionals needing true-to-life visuals, but its screen may not refresh as quickly as gaming requires, thus providing a subpar experience for fast-paced games or 3D applications. For gaming or working with 3D content, a laptop with a high refresh rate, good resolution, and an appropriate panel type would be more suitable than either of these models.
Battery
6.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$722
$1,849
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a price of $722 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is equipped with a higher-quality GPU that allows more fluid gameplay and better 3D performance compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3530. Additionally, the XPS often includes superior screen quality with a higher refresh rate which enhances visual smoothness, making it a better match for gaming and 3D applications than the Inspiron.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3530 | Dell XPS 13 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$722 | $1,849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.64 lbs | 2.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 7.84" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-1280P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 374 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 9.2/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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.
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