Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD). Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Dell Precision 3540 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Dell Precision 3540 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust security features

affordable professional laptop

decent battery life

comfortable keyboard

solid build quality

mediocre display quality

limited graphics performance

heavier design

average processor speed

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

powerful intel processors

high-resolution display

durable build quality

excellent keyboard feel

advanced security features

high price point

moderate battery life

heavier than competitors

limited color options

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
71 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
82 % - Design
83 % - Display
86 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.91 cm x 23.625 cm x 2.2 cm 35.95 cm x 25.38 cm x 1.77 cm
Weight 1.83 kg 1.81 kg
Case Material - Aluminium (bottom), glass-fibre reinforced plastic (top), carbon fibre reinforced plastic (top)
Colour Black Black
DISPLAY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 16" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology WLED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) 141 -
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 60 Hz -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:10
Image Brightness 300 cd/m² 300 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features Anti-glare, Wide Viewing Angle, ±80° horizontal viewing angle, ±80° vertical viewing angle Anti-glare, 178° viewing angle, Low Blue Light technology, X-Rite Pantone factory color calibration, DC dimming, 86.42% screen-to-body ratio
PROCESSOR Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
CPU Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8565U / 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) 12800H / 2.4 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.6 GHz 4.8 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 14-core
Cache 8 MB 24 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 16 GB (1 x 16 GB)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB 64 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR5 SDRAM - non-ECC
Speed 2400 MHz 4800 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 4800 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 262-pin
Slots Qty 2 2
Empty Slots 1 1
STORAGE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe 256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Kioxia
RAID Level - RAID 0, RAID 1
AUDIO & VIDEO Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 NVIDIA RTX A1000 / Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Video System Features - Dynamic Boost 2.0
Camera Yes - HD Yes - 1080p
Camera Features Fixed focus, 78.6 degrees, RGB camera Privacy shutter, fixed focus
Image Sensor Type CMOS -
Video Resolutions 1280 x 720 -
Frame Rate 30 frames per second -
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3254 Realtek ALC3306
Compliant Standards - High Definition Audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Voice
Audio Features Output: MaxxAudio Pro -
COMMUNICATIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2, Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.1, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller Intel Wireless-AC 9560 - M.2 2230 Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
BATTERY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Technology 4-cell Lithium Ion 4-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 68 Wh 90 Wh
AC ADAPTER Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 90 Watt, 19.5 V, 4.62 A 135 Watt, 20 V
INPUT Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Multi-finger touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls, glass touchpad
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Slots - 2 x M.2 (PCI Express 4.0 x4) (1 free)
Interfaces 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
LAN
USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (supports Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort Alt Mode)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
HDMI
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) Yes (SD Express Card)
SOFTWARE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition - Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence
Software Included Microsoft Office (Trial) -
MISCELLANEOUS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (21DD)
Included Accessories Power adapter Power adapter
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, smart card reader Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader
Security Slot Type Noble Wedge security slot Kensington nano security slot
Theft/Intrusion Protection Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately) Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
Features - Administrator password, power-on password, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password
Compliant Standards - RoHS, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, TCG Certified
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating 10 - 80% (non-condensing) 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 3 years - on-site -
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