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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 is a budget-friendly option with adequate storage and performance for general use, featuring an AMD processor, moderate battery life, and a full-sized screen. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 is pricier but offers significantly more storage, a faster Intel processor coupled with a superior Nvidia graphics card, longer battery life, and a higher-quality display with a smaller, more portable form factor. Choose the Acer if you need a cost-effective, basic laptop with a number pad. Opt for the Dell if you require better performance for engineering, 3D work, or machine learning, and prefer a laptop with a backlit keyboard and higher portability. 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 15
- The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has an entry-level AMD GPU, which provides modest gaming capability, and a standard refresh rate, making it fair for gaming and 3D tasks but not ideal for high-end performance. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers a slightly better Nvidia GPU and a high-resolution screen but still maintains a standard refresh rate, positioning it similarly as fair for gaming and 3D applications due to the balance between improved visuals and moderate graphics processing power.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.1
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offers better performance for engineering and design use than the Acer Aspire 3 15 because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM for multitasking, and a superior GPU for handling demanding tasks. Additionally, the Dell Inspiron 14 has a higher resolution and pixel density, which contributes to more detailed screen quality, whereas the Acer Aspire 3 15, while offering fair performance, is limited by its less capable processor, lower RAM, and a basic GPU, which may not suffice for more intensive engineering applications.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.5
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 have displays that offer a resolution and brightness that is adequate for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming, which is why they're fair for general use. However, for engineering and design, where precise color representation is crucial, both lack wide color gamuts, leading to only fair screen quality in these fields. While for gaming and 3D applications, the importance of high refresh rates for a smoother visual experience is not met by either laptop, along with their only moderate resolutions and basic panel types, making their quality poor for these uses.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.0
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$971
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.0
7.5
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.0
7.4
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
9.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Dell Inspiron 14 5420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $971 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and it's easy to carry around. The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Its Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and integrated graphics can only handle simple tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, so it isn't ideal for students in more technical fields like 3D graphics. Unfortunately, the battery lasts only around six to seven hours of light use."
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Smarthouse
Nick Ross | March 2023
"If laptops were food, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is arguably a Big Mac. There are cheaper and more expensive options, but this arguably represents the baseline of quality and value in the world of mobile computing… something that’s underlined by the attractive $1,279 price tag."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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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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.
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