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Updated January 12, 2024·
When deciding between the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Lenovo Legion 9i, consider your primary needs. If you are looking for an affordable option for everyday tasks like browsing, office work, or casual entertainment, the Dell Inspiron may be suitable, as it usually costs less. However, if you require a laptop for more demanding applications like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Lenovo Legion 9i, while more expensive, offers significantly better performance for these intensive tasks. The Legion 9i also tends to have better graphics capabilities, which is important for gaming or creative work. It's worth noting that gaming laptops like the Legion 9i often have shorter battery life due to their powerful components, and they can be heavier and less portable. If portability and longer battery life are important to you, the Dell Inspiron might be the better choice. Remember, investing in the Legion 9i makes sense if you'll utilize its advanced capabilities; otherwise, the Dell Inspiron can offer good value for everyday use. 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
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers a balance of performance and mobility, with reasonable CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, a decent screen, and moderate portability due to its lighter weight and thinner design; however, it has a lower screen quality and shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i provides a significantly superior screen, a high-end CPU, and double the RAM, making it very powerful for general use; nonetheless, its increased performance comes at the cost of reduced battery life and heavier weight, which impacts portability.
Gaming and AI
6.3
9.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
120Hz
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.9
9.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i surpasses the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 in engineering and design due to its higher-end CPU, double the RAM, superior GPU, and a higher quality display, which collectively contribute to better performance and visual fidelity necessary for demanding tasks. While the Inspiron 15 provides good capabilities with solid specs for its category, its less powerful processor, average display, and integrated graphics fall short compared to the Legion 9i, although it benefits from increased portability.
Content Creation
7.3
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
9.7
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the superior resolution, panel type, and brightness of the Lenovo Legion 9i's screen provide users with a sharper, clearer, and more vibrant display compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3530. With engineering and design tasks, the Legion 9i excels because it offers a wider color range, covering DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts, ensuring more precise color accuracy necessary for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may not be ideal as they lack a high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion rendering and a responsive gaming experience.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a price of $722 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3530 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$722 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.64 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 6.4/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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