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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while more cost-effective, offers moderate performance, an average display, and satisfactory battery life; it's suitable for everyday tasks and moderate multitasking. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, on the other hand, commands a higher price but provides superior performance, especially with graphics-intensive tasks due to its advanced processor and dedicated graphics, making it well-suited for 3D work, machine learning, and gaming. It also boasts a high-quality display and longer battery life. If portability is a consideration, the Dell is slightly lighter, but if durability and premium build are priorities, the ThinkPad is typically known for these traits. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- 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
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Engineering and Design
6.9
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior CPU and GPU, larger RAM, and high-quality OLED screen, thereby offering better performance and visuals important for intensive tasks and detailed design work. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while lighter and therefore more portable, has a lower tier CPU and GPU and less RAM, which might limit its capability in demanding engineering scenarios despite its adequacy for general design tasks.
Content Creation
7.3
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a vibrant and sharp display for everyday tasks such as browsing and watching videos, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16's higher resolution and brightness will provide a more enjoyable experience compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3530. For professionals in engineering and design who need accurate color representation, the ThinkPad Z16 with its superior color gamut is the better choice, ensuring more precise hues in projects. However, if gaming or working with 3D applications is a key activity, neither laptop is ideal due to their limited refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Build Quality
6.2
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a price of $722 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.7
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
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
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has an Intel i5-1335U processor with an integrated Iris Xe graphics, which provides fair gaming and 3D capabilities, but the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 trumps it with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 6850H CPU and a dedicated AMD RX 6500M graphics card, offering better performance for gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, while the Inspiron 15 has a higher screen refresh rate, which is preferable for gaming, the ThinkPad Z16 boasts a superior OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which enhances overall visual quality and gaming experience.
Battery
6.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3530 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$722 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.64 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
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 | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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