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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is less expensive and may be a good choice for general use with decent performance for both everyday tasks and engineering work, though it won't excel in intensive 3D or machine learning tasks. It has substantial storage, a solid processor, and longer battery life, making it suitable for users who need a good balance between cost and capability, particularly in battery endurance. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while more costly, offers a higher resolution OLED touchscreen, more robust performance for 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks, and a premium build quality. It also has double the storage and RAM, an advanced GPU, and features like facial recognition. Opt for the ThinkPad Z16 if you require a high-performance device for professional or creative work; however, it's slightly heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Inspiron. 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 5635
- The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- 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
8.0
8.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both very good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is somewhat better.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 offers solid general-use performance with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor, and features a silent operation, making it suitable for environments where noise is a concern; it also provides a good balance between portability and screen size with its 16-inch display and reasonable weight. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 steps up with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and double the RAM for more demanding tasks, a superior OLED screen with higher resolution and brightness for exceptional visual quality, but trades off a bit of portability and has higher operating noise.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
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 16 5635 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 surpasses the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 in terms of engineering and design use largely because it offers a more powerful CPU, double the RAM for handling complex tasks, and a higher quality GPU conducive to rendering and design work. Additionally, the ThinkPad Z16's OLED screen provides superior color accuracy and higher resolution, which is crucial for detailed design work, although both laptops have similar portability and keyboard quality.
Content Creation
7.9
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
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 16 5635 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
7.7
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16's excellent screen quality stems from its higher resolution and brightness, offering clarity and vividness suited for a variety of tasks, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 provides an adequate display that doesn't shine as brightly nor display as sharply. For engineering and design work, the ThinkPad Z16 excels due to its coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring precise color representation that's critical for professional design, whereas the Inspiron lags with less faithful color reproduction. In contrast, neither laptop is ideal for gaming and 3D work, as both have poor refresh rates that lead to less fluid motion, although their resolution and panel types are acceptable for moderate gaming needs.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has 8 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.
Build Quality
7.0
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,120
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has a price of $700 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5635 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.72'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 265 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Inspiron 16 5635
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Dig into reviews and images
UltrabookReview
Derek Sullivan | January 2023
"Compared to the previous year’s Inspiron, Dell upgraded the screen aspect ratio on this generation, but also transitioned to a more minimalistic centered keyboard flanked by up-firing speakers. The 16-inch screen is huge plus and I really appreciate the extra real estate without sacrificing the footprint much. This year’s model is a little larger than last, though, as the former model was already very small for a 15 incher."
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 16 5635 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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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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