Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

robust build quality

excellent keyboard comfort

good battery life

solid performance

adequate port selection

average display brightness

heavier than competitors

limited graphics performance

no thunderbolt support

Dell Vostro 3520 Review

Advantages and disadvantages of Dell Vostro 3520 based on its technical characteristics, features, user experience, expert reviews and price level.

affordable price

robust build quality

decent processor performance

good battery life

comfortable keyboard

average display quality

limited graphics capability

heavier design

fewer USB-C ports

Laptop Comparison and Tests

Difference between Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) and Dell Vostro 3520
85 % - Design
72 % - Display
75 % - Performance
86 % - Connectivity
74 % - Battery
75 % - Design
72 % - Display
72 % - Performance
75 % - Connectivity
75 % - Battery

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) vs. Dell Vostro 3520 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Product Type Notebook - 180-degree hinge design Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 36.02 cm x 23.7 cm x 1.993 cm 35.85 cm x 23.556 cm x 1.899 cm
Weight 1.76 kg 1.83 kg
Case Material Polycarbonate ABS (bottom), polycarbonate ABS (top) -
Colour Thunder black Carbon black
DISPLAY Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Screen Size (Type) 15.6" - IPS 15.6" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight -
Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
Pixel Density (ppi) - 140
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. - 120 Hz
Widescreen Yes Yes
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9 -
Image Brightness 250 cd/m² 250 cd/m²
Colour Gamut 45% NTSC 45% NTSC
Features Anti-glare, 170° viewing angle Anti-glare, Wide Viewing Angle, ±80° horizontal viewing angle, ±80° vertical viewing angle, Narrow Border Display, 35 ms response rate, 0.17925 mm pixel pitch
PROCESSOR Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
CPU Intel Core i5 (12th Gen) 1235U / 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 (11th Gen) 1135G7 / 2.4 GHz
Max Turbo Speed 4.4 GHz 4.2 GHz
Number of Cores 10-core Quad-Core
Cache 12 MB 8 MB
Features Integrated memory controller Intel Smart Cache
MEMORY Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
RAM 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) 8 GB (1 x 8 GB)
Max RAM Supported 64 GB 16 GB
RAM Type DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 SDRAM
Speed 3200 MHz 3200 MHz
Rated Speed 3200 MHz 3200 MHz
Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin SO-DIMM 260-pin
Slots Qty 2 2
Empty Slots 1 1
STORAGE Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 512 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 x4 - TCG Opal Encryption - Kioxia 256 GB SSD M.2 PCIe - NVM Express (NVMe)
AUDIO & VIDEO Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Graphics Processor (GPU) Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Max Monitors Supported 3 external monitor(s) -
Video System Features - Functions as Intel UHD graphics (for single-channel memory)
Camera Yes - 1080p Yes - HD
Resolution - 0.92 Megapixel
Camera Features Privacy shutter, IR camera, Windows Hello, fixed focus 78.6 degrees
Image Sensor Type - CMOS
Video Resolutions - 1280 x 720
Frame Rate - 30 frames per second
Sound Stereo speakers, dual array microphone Stereo speakers, microphone
Codec Realtek ALC3287 -
Compliant Standards High Definition Audio, Dolby Audio High Definition Audio
COMMUNICATIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2 Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Wireless Controller Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 M.2 2230
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet
Ethernet Controller - Realtek RTL8111H
Features - Single stream (1x1)
BATTERY Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Technology 3-cell lithium polymer 3-cell lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 57 Wh 41 Wh
AC ADAPTER Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output 65 Watt, 5 / 9 / 15 / 20 V 65 Watt, 19.5 V, 3.34 A
INPUT Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Type Keyboard, TrackPoint, UltraNav Keyboard, touchpad
Numeric Keypad Yes Yes
Keyboard Backlight Yes -
Features Spill-resistant, multi-touch touchpad, Fn keys with Unified Communications controls -
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Interfaces USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On)
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (supports DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
USB4 (supports Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode) (Power Delivery 3.0)
Headphone/microphone combo jack
LAN
HDMI
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB 2.0
LAN
Headphone/microphone combo jack
Memory Card Reader Yes (microSD) Yes (SD Card, SDHC Card, SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Operating System (OS) Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Edition (available through downgrade rights from Windows 11 Pro) + Windows 11 Pro Licence Windows 11 Pro - Dutch / English / French / German / Italian
Software Included - Microsoft Office (30 days trial, excludes office licence), McAfee Business Protection (1-year)
MISCELLANEOUS Lenovo ThinkPad L15 Gen 3 (21C4) Dell Vostro 3520
Included Accessories USB-C power adapter Power adapter
Security Discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip, fingerprint reader Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Security Chip
Security Slot Type Kensington nano security slot Noble Wedge 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, Energy-Related Products (ErP) Lot 3, TCG Certified -
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes -
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold -
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 5 °C 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating 8 - 95% 10 - 90% (non-condensing)
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