Dell Precision 5540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)

Our Rating: 82 %

In depth comparison and review of Dell Precision 5540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK). 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 5540 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Dell Precision 5540 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

powerful processor performance

lightweight and portable

excellent 4k display

robust build quality

good thermal management

expensive price point

limited port selection

average battery life

noisy under load

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

impressive CPU performance

good battery life

portable design

mediocre display brightness

limited graphics capability

noisy under load

higher price point

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Dell Precision 5540 and Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
83 % - Design
82 % - Display
85 % - Performance
84 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery
81 % - Design
75 % - Display
75 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
85 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Dell Precision 5540 vs. Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Product Type Mobile workstation Mobile workstation - 180-degree hinge design
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.7 cm x 23.5 cm x 1.12 cm 31.77 cm x 22.69 cm x 1.795 cm
Weight 1.8 kg 1.38 kg
Case Material - Carbon fibre (top), glass-fibre (top), polycarbonate (top), polyphenylene sulfide (bottom)
Colour Silver Black
DISPLAY Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" 14" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology - 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 - 400 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 100% sRGB 100% sRGB
Features UltraSharp, anti-glare, IGZO technology, ±89° horizontal viewing angle, ±89° vertical viewing angle, 0.18 mm pixel pitch Anti-glare, Eye comfort mode, Low Blue Light technology, 84% screen-to-body ratio, ICC template colour calibration, DC dimming
PROCESSOR Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
CPU Intel Core i7 (9th Gen) 9850H / 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) 1270P / 2.2 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.6 GHz 4.8 GHz
Number of Cores 6-core 12-core
Cache 12 MB 18 MB
64-bit Computing Yes -
Platform Technology Intel vPro Platform Intel vPro Enterprise
Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Integrated memory controller
MEMORY Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
RAM 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) 16 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 64 GB 48 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM - non-ECC DDR4 SDRAM - non-ECC
Speed 2666 MHz 3200 MHz
Rated Speed 2666 MHz 3200 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 2 1
Empty Slots 1 1
STORAGE Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe - NVM Express (NVMe), Class 40 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe - TCG Opal Encryption 2, NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Multi-GPU Configuration - 1 single GPU card / integrated GPU
Graphics Processor (GPU) NVIDIA Quadro T1000 NVIDIA Quadro T550 / Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported - 3 external monitor(s)
Video Memory 4 GB GDDR5 SDRAM 4 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
Camera Yes - HD Yes - 1080p
Resolution 0.92 Megapixel -
Camera Features 66 degrees Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus
Video Resolutions 1280 x 720 -
Frame Rate 30 frames per second -
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, dual array microphone
Codec - Realtek ALC3287
Compliant Standards - High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio
Audio Features Output: MaxxAudio Pro Input: Dolby Voice
COMMUNICATIONS Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
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 9260 Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX 211
Network Interface Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Intel I219-LM
Features Wake-on-LAN (WOL) Wake-on-LAN (WOL), dual stream (2x2)
WWAN
Generation - 4G upgradable
BATTERY Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Technology 3-cell Lithium Ion Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 56 Wh 52.5 Wh
AC ADAPTER Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Input AC 120/230 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 130 Watt, 19.5 V, 6.67 A 100 Watt
INPUT Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Type Keyboard, touchpad Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav
Keyboard Backlight Yes Yes
Features Multi-touch touchpad Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Slots - 1 x Nano-SIM card (1 free)
Interfaces Headphone/microphone combo jack
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (PowerShare)
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (supports Thunderbolt 3) (Power Delivery)
LAN (on supplied adapter)
HDMI
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB 3.2 Gen 1
2 x USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.0 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
HDMI (4K support)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
Memory Card Reader Yes (SD Card) -
SOFTWARE Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition - Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Windows 11 Pro - English
Software Included Microsoft Office (Trial) -
MISCELLANEOUS Dell Precision 5540 Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 3 (21AK)
Included Accessories Power adapter, USB to Ethernet adapter USB-C slim power adapter
Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader, smart card 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, TCG Certified, TCO Certified 9.0
Carbon Footprint - 246 kg carbon emissions
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 5 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 8 - 95%
Manufacturer Warranty - Base warranty - 3 years - pick-up and return
Base warranty - battery - 1 year
Extended warranty - 1 year - on-site - response time: next business day
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