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Aspire 3 14
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Inspiron 15 3520
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

For general use, the Acer Aspire 3 14 is a solid option, with its lightweight design making it more portable and it has a better battery life for on-the-go use. However, if you prioritize a larger screen and smoother video playback, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 provides a bigger screen and a higher maximum screen refresh rate. Neither are ideal for intensive gaming, but both can manage everyday tasks well. If a backlit keyboard and available storage slots for future upgrades are important, then the Dell might suit you better. The decision between the two should consider your foremost needs: portability and battery life versus screen size and upgradability. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 3 14
  • Good for general use
  • Good for software development
  • Very good portability
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
  • The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Acer Aspire 3 14.

Key differences

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Screen Quality

6.1
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.

Battery

9.5 Hours
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has 6.5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Very Good
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Cost

$434
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
$346
Product image
Product image

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

$600

$700

The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $346.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.0
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 3 14 to be good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.

Gaming and AI

5.9
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.0
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3520 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.

Engineering and Design

6.1
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both only fair for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.2
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
7.0
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.1
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 3 14 to be good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.

Build Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 14
Inspiron 15 3520
6.2
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 both have only fair build quality.

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How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 3 14Dell Inspiron 15 3520
Acer Aspire 3 14Dell Inspiron 15 3520

GENERAL

Price
$434
$346
Release Date
March 1, 2023May 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74''14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83''
Weight
3.09 lbs3.65 lbs
Width
12.9"14.11"
Depth
8.5"9.27"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 7520UIntel i3-1215U
RAM
8 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
02
Storage
512 GB256 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
9.5 Hours6.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
40 Wh41 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
14"15.6"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz120Hz
Display Brightness
250 nits259 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.3/106.3/10
Portability Score
8.4/107.7/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/107.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.3/106.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/106.5/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesNo
Number Pad
NoYes

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
22
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
11
Thunderbolt Ports
00

Shopping

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Dell Inspiron 15 3520

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Dig into reviews and images

PCMag

Mark Knapp | January 2023
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."

Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520

About Acer

Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.

About Dell

Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,095
Recommendations made
23,638
Consumer hours saved

About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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