Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515 Comparison

Laptop to replace

Change

Dell Vostro 15 3530

15.6 inches | January 2023

CHECK PRICE

Change

Dell Vostro 15 5515

15.6 inches | January 2021

CHECK PRICE

Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515 Comparison Overview

Dell Vostro 15 3530

See at AMAZON

Dell Vostro 15 5515

See at AMAZON

Dell Vostro 15 3530

See at AMAZON

Dell Vostro 15 5515

See at AMAZON

In this review, we will be comparing Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515, two laptops by Dell. Dell Vostro 15 3530 was introduced to market in January 2023 and Dell Vostro 15 5515 was launched in January 2021. As you can see, Vostro 15 5515 is 2 years older than Vostro 15 3530. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 are members of Dell's Vostro series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Dell Vostro Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
Dell Vostro 14 3430	April 2023	14.0"	323.67 x 219.76 x 17.52-18.48 mm	1.44 kg (3.18 lbs)
Dell Vostro 5630	January 2023	16.0"	356.78 x 251.9 x 15.67-17.95 mm	1.9 kg (4.19 lbs)
Dell Vostro 15 3530	January 2023	15.6"	358.5 x 235.56 x 15.52-17.5 mm	1.63 kg (3.59 lbs)
Dell Vostro 7620	July 2022	16.0"	356.78 x 251.9 x 16.95-18.99 mm	1.96 kg (4.32 lbs)
Dell Vostro 5620	January 2022	16.0"	356.78 x 251.9 x 15.67-18.3 mm	1.91 kg (4.21 lbs)
Dell Vostro 5625	January 2022	16.0"	356.78 x 251.9 x 15.67-18.3 mm	1.97 kg (4.34 lbs)
Dell Vostro 15 3520	January 2022	15.6"	358.5 x 235.56 x 16.96-22.47 mm	1.66 kg (3.66 lbs)
Dell Vostro 15 7510	July 2021	15.6"	356 x 228.9 x 16.7-18.9 mm	1.86 kg (4.1 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of Dell Vostro 15 3530 and Dell Vostro 15 5515 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Dell Vostro 15 3530 Key Specs

Launched in January 2023
15.6" TN LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Processor U300
GPU: GeForce MX550 2GB
4GB Ram
358.5 x 235.56 x 15.52-17.5 mm (14.11 x 9.27 x 0.61-0.69 inches)
Weight: 1.63 kg (3.59 lbs)

Dell Vostro 15 5515 Key Specs

Launched in January 2021
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 5300U
GPU: Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000)
8GB Ram
356.06 x 228.9 x 17.99 mm (14.02 x 9.01 x 0.71 inches)
Weight: 1.63 kg (3.59 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Dell Vostro 15 3530 over Dell Vostro 15 5515

Response Time	20 ms vs 35 ms	Faster Response screen
GPU FLOPS	2.703 TFLOPS vs 1.23 TFLOPS	Dedicated GPU unit
GPU Type	Dedicated vs Integrated	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.3 vs v5.1	Higher Resolution Camera
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720

Reasons to choose Dell Vostro 15 5515 over Dell Vostro 15 3530

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~82.3% vs ~79.5%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	5.3 mm vs 6.6 mm	1.3 mm thinner bezels
Contrast Rate	500:1 vs 400:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	141 ppi vs 100 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels vs 1366 x 768 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	250 nits vs 220 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 12 nm	Newer Generation GPU
Max Total RAM	32 GB vs 16 GB	Higher RAM potential
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time

Common Strengths of Dell Vostro 15 5515 and Dell Vostro 15 3530

Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 1.4 vs 1x HDMI 1.4	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs Yes	Fast connection to Network via ethernet cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Numeric Pad	Yes vs Yes	Fast way to input numbers
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Dell Vostro 15 5515 and Dell Vostro 15 3530

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Dell Vostro 15 3530 and the Dell Vostro 15 5515.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.63 kg (3.59 lbs)	1.63 kg (3.59 lbs)
Surface Area	844 cm2 (130.8 inches2)	815 cm2 (126.3 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~79.5%	~82.3%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.6 mm	~5.3 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.10 kg/inch	0.10 kg/inch
	0.22 lbs/inch	0.22 lbs/inch
Colors	Black, Gray	Gray

Comparison of the Dell Vostro 15 3530 and the Dell Vostro 15 5515 External Dimensions

Weight

Weight Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Dell Vostro 15 3530 1.63 kg

Dell Vostro 15 5515 1.63 kg

Min 0.99 kg

Average 1.95 kg

Max 3.32 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Dell Vostro 15 3530 17.50 mm

Dell Vostro 15 5515 18.00 mm

Min 7.70 mm

Average 20.17 mm

Max 29.00 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Dell Vostro 15 3530 is 0.10 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Dell Vostro 15 5515 is 0.10 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Processor U300 Intel Core i3 1305U Intel Core i5 1335U Intel Core i7 1355U	AMD Ryzen 3 5300U AMD Ryzen 5 5500U AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
Base Frequency	1.2 GHz	2.6 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.4 GHz	3.8 GHz
Number of Cores	5 (1P + 4E)	4
Number of Threads	6	8
L3 Cache	8 MB	4 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (48EU)	Radeon RX Vega 6
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	7 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1583	1008
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	4864	3760
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1579	1125
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	4101	4664

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Dell Vostro 15 3530 and Dell Vostro 15 5515.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Processor U300

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 3 5300U

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce MX550 2GB	Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000)
Base Clock Frequency	1065 MHz	300 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1320 MHz	1600 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	25 W	45 W
Type	Dedicated	Integrated
FLOPS	2.703 TFLOPS	1,229 GFLOPS
Memory Size	2 GB	System Shared
Memory Type	GDDR6	System Shared
Memory Bus	64 bit	System Shared
Memory Speed	1500 MHz 12 Gbps effective	System Shared
Shading Units Cores	1024	384
TMUs	32	24
ROPs	16	8

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Dell Vostro 15 3530 has a FLOPS value of 2.703 TFLOPS whereas the Dell Vostro 15 5515 ' has a FLOPS value of 1.23 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Dell Vostro 15 3530 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	4GB 8GB 16GB	8GB 16GB 32GB
Memory Bus	1x4 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR4
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	16 GB	32 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

The Vostro 15 5515 provides a larger RAM capacity of 8 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Vostro 15 3530's RAM capacity of 4 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

Dell Vostro 15 3530

Dell Vostro 15 5515

Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B

✖Not supported.

✔Run smoothly.

Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B

✖Not supported.

Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B

✖Not supported.

Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B

✖Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

In addition to RAM capacity, the type of RAM can significantly impact performance, with newer RAM types often offering higher speeds compared to others. Therefore, selecting RAM types with the latest DDR number can be a suitable choice based on your requirements.

BATTERY

BATTERY	41 Wh 54 Wh	41 Wh 54 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	65 W	65 W
Voltage	11.25 V	11.25 V
Cable Length	1 meters

Furthermore, both laptops have the same battery capacity of 41 Wh, ensuring comparable battery performance.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Dell Vostro 15 3530 41 Wh

Dell Vostro 15 5515 41 Wh

Min 36.00 Wh

Average 62.1 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
Both laptops, the Vostro 15 3530 and the Vostro 15 5515 have similar max. storage capacities of 2 TB, allowing for ample space to store files and applications.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	2
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Dell Vostro 15 3530 and Dell Vostro 15 5515 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the Vostro 15 3530 is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Vostro 15 5515's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Vostro 15 5515 features a higher pixel density with 141 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Dell Vostro 15 3530 100 ppi

Dell Vostro 15 5515 141 ppi

Min 100 PPI

Average 144 PPI

Max 294.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Furthermore, the Vostro 15 3530 boasts a faster response time of 20.0 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
The Vostro 15 5515 offers a higher maximum brightness of 250 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Dell Vostro 15 3530 220 nits

Dell Vostro 15 5515 250 nits

Min

60 nits

Average 319 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Dell Vostro 15 3530 vs Dell Vostro 15 5515 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 feature 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 have USB Type-C ports. Vostro 15 3530 has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Vostro 15 5515 has 2x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Neither Vostro 15 3530 nor Vostro 15 5515 has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 feature an HDMI port (1x HDMI 1.4) for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Vostro 15 3530 and Vostro 15 5515 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.3	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 1.4	1x HDMI 1.4
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Optional	Optional
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	Yes
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes