Dell Inspiron 15 3530 vs HP Dragonfly Pro 14"

The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers a balance of performance and value, with sufficient CPU power and RAM for everyday tasks, a decent screen, and adequate portability and battery life for typical users, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" provides a sharper display and stronger overall performance suitable for more demanding applications, alongside a lighter frame and longer battery life that appeals to users who need a machine that's easier to carry around and use on the go, though it comes at a higher price point. The Dragonfly also has the edge in build quality, with a better keyboard and less operating noise, making it a comfortable choice for extended use, though both laptops offer enough storage for general users and serviceable speakers and heat management.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is equipped with an Intel i5 CPU and integrated Iris Xe graphics, which are suitable for engineering tasks, and it features a larger screen with a high refresh rate, but the display quality, including brightness and color coverage, is lower than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14". The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" boasts a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU with Radeon 680M graphics, offers better display quality with higher brightness and color coverage, and it's also more portable and has longer battery life, making it a strong choice for engineering and design work where visual precision and mobility are crucial.

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.

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.

If you prioritize a clear and vivid display for everyday tasks, the HP Dragonfly Pro with its high-resolution panel and brightness will serve you better than the Dell Inspiron, which has a more basic screen. For those into engineering and design, the HP Dragonfly Pro stands out with its ability to display a wider range of colors, making detailed work more accurate. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates, but the higher resolution and better panel type of the HP still make it the more suitable option, albeit not ideal for this use.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with a standard refresh rate and an Intel GPU, offers decent gaming and 3D performance, which is comparable to the HP Dragonfly Pro 14 that includes a moderately better AMD GPU but is limited by a lower refresh rate screen. Consequently, while the HP has a slightly superior graphical unit, its gaming and 3D capabilities are not fully realized due to its screen's refresh rate, which is half that of the Dell's, negating the potential advantage of its GPU.