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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is often significantly less expensive, with a large screen, silent operation, and a decent performance for general use, making it a sensible choice for everyday tasks and non-intensive engineering work. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, while often significantly more expensive, boasts a better graphical performance with hardware suited for intensive 3D, machine learning, and gaming. It also features a touchscreen with a higher refresh rate, making it ideal for creative professionals who need a combination of performance and portability, despite being heavier and having a slightly smaller screen. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is categorized as fair for gaming due to its integrated Vega 8 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz which may restrict smooth gameplay and detailed graphics, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is rated good for gaming owing to its significantly more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 120Hz refresh rate, better suiting it for more demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is good.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635, with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and integrated Vega graphics, offers solid engineering performance and its larger screen with good color coverage makes it suitable for design work. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a more powerful Intel i7 processor, a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU for demanding engineering tasks, and superior screen quality with higher brightness and color accuracy, plus the versatility of a touchscreen and flexible hinge for design applications.
Screen Quality
6.6
7.9
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Inspiron provides adequate clarity and detail for everyday tasks, but its screen might not be vivid or sharp enough for high-end design work and lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a display with better color reproduction, making it suitable for professionals who require color accuracy for design and engineering graphics; however, it also falls short for gaming due to its lower refresh rate. Both laptops suffer in gaming scenarios, where a fast screen refresh is crucial for a smooth and responsive experience.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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
$3,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has a price of $700 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 costs $3,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
503.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both very good for general use.
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 is a solid choice for general use with a good size screen, adequate RAM for everyday tasks, and a processor that handles typical applications well; it’s slim and light for portability but has a basic screen and speaker quality. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 offers a luxurious touch-enabled and high-resolution screen, significantly more RAM for multitasking, a higher screen brightness, and a flexible hinge that enables tablet mode, but its extra features and stronger processor make it less portable and potentially at a higher price point.
Content Creation
7.9
8.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be 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
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 to be 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Inspiron 16 5635 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $3,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.9'' x 0.72'' | 12.7'' x 9.1'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.41 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.05" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 265 nits | 503 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The new Surface Laptop Studio with its foldable display is supposed to replace the old Surface Book and the overall impression is good after our review. The build quality and the materials are top-notch, the performance utilization of the two components is solid and the device does not show any major flaws in terms of display or speakers, either. The folding mechanism leaves a sold impression as well, but it remains to be seen how it will hold up over the years. The so-called presentation mode is also not ideal since it covers the whole keyboard."
Get a great deal on the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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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Why trust us
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
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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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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.
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