For general use, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers solid performance with its Intel i5 processor and 16GB of RAM, making it a reliable choice for everyday tasks at a lower midrange price. It has a decent battery life of 6.5 hours and is quite portable, with a good balance of weight and size. The screen quality is fair, suitable for typical use, and the laptop's build quality is good, ensuring durability for everyday handling.
On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is a powerhouse designed for high-performance tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its top-tier Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The 16-inch display with a 240Hz refresh rate and higher resolution provides an exceptional visual experience, especially for fast-motion content and detailed graphics. It also offers a better color reproduction for professionals who require color accuracy. The Legion Pro 7i is equipped with advanced cooling technology to manage heat effectively during intensive tasks, and it has a robust build quality. However, it comes with a premium price tag and is less portable due to its larger size and significantly higher weight.
If you prioritize portability, have a limited budget, and your tasks are mostly general computing, the Dell Inspiron would be the better choice. However, if you're looking for a laptop that can handle demanding applications, such as gaming or professional work in 3D modeling, machine learning, or engineering, and you're willing to pay more for that performance while compromising on portability, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the way to go. 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 Pro 7i (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) 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
6.9/10
9.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) 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
7.2/10
7.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is somewhat better.
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
6.6/10
8.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has 5 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
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) 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
$2,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a price of $722 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) costs $2,100.
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024)
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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