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 P16s Gen 1 (21CK) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust military-grade durability

excellent keyboard comfort

impressive ultrabook performance

good battery life

useful security features

heavier than competitors

limited graphics capability

average display brightness

noisy under load

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Dell Precision 3540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
71 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery
86 % - Design
75 % - Display
75 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
76 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Dell Precision 3540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.91 cm x 23.625 cm x 2.2 cm 36.198 cm x 25.55 cm x 2.05 cm
Weight 1.83 kg 1.734 kg
Case Material - Carbon fibre (top), glass-fibre (top), polycarbonate (top), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom)
Colour Black Black
DISPLAY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
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 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut - 100% sRGB
Features Anti-glare, Wide Viewing Angle, ±80° horizontal viewing angle, ±80° vertical viewing angle Anti-glare, Eye comfort mode, 178° viewing angle, Low Blue Light technology, Low Power, ICC template colour calibration, DC dimming
PROCESSOR Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
CPU Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) 8565U / 1.8 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U / 2.7 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.6 GHz 4.7 GHz
Number of Cores Quad-Core 8-core
Cache 8 MB L3 - 16 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Platform Technology - AMD PRO
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 16 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 32 GB -
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM LPDDR5 SDRAM
Speed 2400 MHz 6400 MHz
Rated Speed 2400 MHz 6400 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
Empty Slots 1 -
STORAGE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe), Value
AUDIO & VIDEO Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Graphics Processor (GPU) AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 AMD Radeon 680M
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM -
Camera Yes - HD Yes - 1080p
Camera Features Fixed focus, 78.6 degrees, RGB camera Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, 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 ALC3287
Compliant Standards - High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio
Audio Features Output: MaxxAudio Pro -
COMMUNICATIONS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2, Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Wireless Controller Intel Wireless-AC 9560 - M.2 2230 Qualcomm NFA725A
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Features - Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation - 4G upgradable
BATTERY Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Technology 4-cell Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 68 Wh 52.5 Wh
AC ADAPTER Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 90 Watt, 19.5 V, 4.62 A 65 Watt
INPUT Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
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 P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Slots - 1 x Nano-SIM card (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 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery)
HDMI
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) -
SOFTWARE Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
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 - German
Software Included Microsoft Office (Trial) -
MISCELLANEOUS Dell Precision 3540 Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 (21CK)
Included Accessories Power adapter USB-C slim 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, RapidCharge, MIL-STD-810H tested, self-healing BIOS, NVMe password
Compliant Standards - RoHS, TUV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification
ENERGY STAR Certified - Yes
EPEAT Compliant - EPEAT Gold
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
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site
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