Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)

Our Rating: 85 %

In depth comparison and review of Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ). 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 P15 Gen 2 (20YQ) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

powerful processor performance

excellent keyboard feel

high-resolution display

advanced security features

heavier than competitors

expensive price point

moderate battery life

limited color accuracy

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
71 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
86 % - Design
85 % - Display
84 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.91 cm x 23.625 cm x 2.2 cm 37.54 cm x 25.23 cm x 3.145 cm
Weight 1.83 kg 2.87 kg
Case Material - Glass-fibre reinforced plastic, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide
Colour Black Black
DISPLAY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 15.6" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology WLED backlight LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Pixel Density (ppi) 141 -
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 60 Hz -
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9
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, 170° viewing angle
PROCESSOR Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
CPU Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8565U / 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 (11th Gen) 11500H / 2.9 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.6 GHz 4.6 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 6-core
Cache 8 MB 12 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Chipset - Intel WM590
Platform Technology - Intel vPro Platform
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB 128 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM - non-ECC
Speed 2400 MHz 3200 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 3200 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 2 4
Empty Slots 1 2
STORAGE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 NVIDIA T1200 / Intel UHD Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 4 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Camera Yes - HD Yes - 720p
Camera Features Fixed focus, 78.6 degrees, RGB camera Privacy shutter
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
Audio Features Output: MaxxAudio Pro -
COMMUNICATIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2, Bluetooth 5.0 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2
Wireless Controller Intel Wireless-AC 9560 - M.2 2230 Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 210
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Intel I225-LM
Compliant Standards - DASH
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation - 4G upgradable
BATTERY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Technology 4-cell Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 68 Wh 94 Wh
Battery Life - Up to 11.5 hours
AC ADAPTER Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 120-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 90 Watt, 19.5 V, 4.62 A 170 Watt
INPUT Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Numeric Keypad - Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Multi-finger touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Slots - 3 x M.2 Card (2 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
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4a Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) Yes (SD Card)
SOFTWARE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition - Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition - English
Software Included Microsoft Office (Trial) -
MISCELLANEOUS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P15 Gen 2 (20YQ)
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, smart card reader
Security Slot Type Noble Wedge security slot Kensington 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, Intel Active Management Technology (iAMT), MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS
Compliant Standards - RoHS, 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 Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 3 years - on-site
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