Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB). 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 P16 Gen 2 (21FB) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB) 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

heavy and bulky

expensive price point

average battery life

limited color accuracy

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
71 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
83 % - Design
85 % - Display
85 % - Performance
85 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.91 cm x 23.625 cm x 2.2 cm 36.4 cm x 26.6 cm x 3.023 cm
Weight 1.83 kg 2.95 kg
Case Material - Glass-fibre (bottom), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom), aluminium alloy (top)
Colour Black Storm grey (top), villi black (bottom)
DISPLAY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 16" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology WLED backlight -
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)
Pixel Density (ppi) 141 -
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 60 Hz 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, Low Blue Light technology, Eyesafe technology, X-Rite Pantone factory color calibration, DC dimming, 83.4% screen-to-body ratio
PROCESSOR Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
CPU Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8565U / 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13850HX / 2.1 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.6 GHz 5.3 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 20-core
Cache 8 MB 30 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Chipset - Intel WM790
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 64 GB (2 x 32 GB)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB 192 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR5 SDRAM
Speed 2400 MHz 5600 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 5600 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 262-pin
Slots Qty 2 4
Empty Slots 1 2
STORAGE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe 1 TB 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 P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 NVIDIA RTX A1000 / Intel UHD Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Video System Features - NVIDIA TXAA, Direct X 12 Ultimate, Vulkan Support, NVIDIA FXAA
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
Audio Features Output: MaxxAudio Pro Input: Dolby Voice, far-field
COMMUNICATIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
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 P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Technology 4-cell Lithium Ion 6-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 68 Wh 94 Wh
AC ADAPTER Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 90 Watt, 19.5 V, 4.62 A 170 Watt
INPUT Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
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 P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
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
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Power Delivery 3.0)
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI (8K support)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) Yes (SD Express Card)
SOFTWARE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
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 P16 Gen 2 (21FB)
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, bottom cover tamper detection
Compliant Standards - RoHS, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification, TCG Certified, TCO Certified 9.0, TUV Rheinland Eyesafe 2.0 Display
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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