The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 offers a more budget-friendly option with a larger screen and excellent battery life, making it a solid choice for general use and everyday tasks. Its performance is adequate for light engineering work and casual gaming, thanks to its capable processor and integrated graphics. The display, while not the brightest, has a good resolution and color accuracy for most users' needs. It's also a quieter machine due to its fanless design.
On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is pricier but brings a high-resolution touchscreen with superior color reproduction and brightness, ideal for users who prioritize screen quality for tasks like photo editing or content consumption. It also boasts a more powerful dedicated GPU, which enhances its performance in gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. The Surface Laptop is built with premium materials, has a better webcam, and includes modern features like facial recognition for added security. It's also more compact and lighter, enhancing its portability.
In summary, choose the Dell for its value, larger display, and longer battery life if you're focused on general productivity and light gaming. Opt for the Surface Laptop if you need a more portable device with a superior screen, stronger performance in graphics-intensive tasks, and premium build quality, provided you're willing to pay more and potentially charge more frequently. 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 16 5625
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15".
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
8.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Cost
$800
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has a price of $800 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" are both good for general use.
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
6.2/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 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
7.5/10
7.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5625 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.4/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Dell Inspiron 16 5625 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
"I think there is fair value in the Inspiron 16 this year. Very little has changed with the laptop and my opinion hasn’t really changed either. In other words, I like it. Overall, I think the pros far outweigh the cons of this laptop and the price is certainly justifiable. I found this to be a great typer and I could potentially work all day on this machine, provided I don’t need a graphics card."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 16 5625 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.