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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you frequently travel or commute, the lighter, more compact Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 might be more convenient for carrying around, but it comes with less storage space and memory than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, which could be a limitation for heavy multitasking or data-intensive applications. The Dell Inspiron has a larger screen, which is better for multitasking and media consumption, but it is heavier and may not be as easy to carry. Both have the same processor, but the Dell's additional memory could provide a smoother experience for demanding tasks. The Surface Laptop Go 2, with its higher resolution screen, might offer a sharper image despite its smaller size. The tradeoff between portability and performance is a key factor; if you prioritize a larger screen and more storage and memory, choose the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, but if portability and a higher resolution screen are more important, the Surface Laptop Go 2 could be a better fit. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.6
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
12.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers an adequate display featuring reasonable resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but it lacks the color accuracy vital for engineering and design work, plus the refresh rate that's crucial for a smooth 3D and gaming experience. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 provides a sharper, brighter display with better color representation, making it suitable for precise design projects, although like the Dell, it falls short for gaming due to a less-than-ideal refresh rate. Thus, for users focused on general productivity or professional design, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is preferable, while both laptops wouldn't be the best fit for gaming enthusiasts seeking fluid visuals.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 8 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
12.4in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has 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
$565
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a price of $722 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 costs $565.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is considered good for general use due to its more substantial RAM capacity, larger storage, and larger screen size which may enhance multitasking and content visibility, albeit with lower portability and battery life than its competitor. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is fair for general use because while it is lighter and has a higher battery life, making it more portable, it sacrifices screen size, RAM, and storage capacity, which could limit performance and storage options during everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 offers fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks due to its integrated Iris Xe graphics and a higher screen refresh rate, which allows for smoother visuals. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while also having integrated Iris Xe graphics, has a lower screen refresh rate which might not be as fluid for fast-paced gaming and may affect the immersion in 3D environments.
Engineering and Design
6.9
6.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its larger amount of RAM and storage, along with a stronger CPU and GPU, which are crucial for demanding software and multitasking. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, while adequately performing less intensive tasks, may struggle with complex engineering applications due to its less powerful CPU, lower RAM, and smaller screen size.
Content Creation
7.3
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for content creation.
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
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1536 x 1024
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 3530 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$722 | $565 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.64 lbs | 2.48 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.11" | 10.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 8.12" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 12.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1536 x 1024 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 9.3/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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