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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option and don't mind a slight compromise on cutting-edge features, the Acer Aspire 3 15 could work well for general use. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, while slightly more expensive, may offer better performance, which could be beneficial if you plan on doing more intensive tasks. In terms of battery life, the Dell might have the edge, which can be important if you need your laptop to last longer on a single charge and if you are frequently on the move. The Dell might also have a slight advantage in build quality or after-sales support, as it's a brand with a reputation for this. Remember though, the exact tradeoffs can vary based on the specific configurations of the models you're comparing, so it's essential to look at the specs such as processor speed, RAM, and storage type and capacity for the particular laptops you're considering. 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 15 3511.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 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.
Engineering and Design
5.9
7.0
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its AMD Ryzen 3 processor and Radeon 610M graphics, provides fair performance for engineering and design, suitable for less demanding tasks. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is equipped with a higher-end Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics, along with more RAM and storage, offering better performance for more complex engineering and design workloads.
Content Creation
7.0
7.5
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.0
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 offer displays that are adequate in clarity and brightness but may not be as sharp or vibrant as higher-end models. For engineering and design tasks which require precise color representation, these laptops' screens may fall short due to limited color gamut coverage, affecting the accuracy of color-intensive work. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the lack of high refresh rates on these laptops means motion may not appear as smooth, and the moderate resolution and panel quality can detract from the visual experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
9.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has 6.5 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.
Cost
$330
$560
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 costs $560.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
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 3511 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 with the AMD Radeon 610M graphics delivers fair gaming and 3D experience, whereas the Dell Inspiron 15 3511's Intel Iris Xe graphics offer a similar level of gaming and 3D performance; both laptops come with the standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is sufficient for some gaming but may not be ideal for fast-paced games that benefit from higher refresh rates. While the GPU is the most critical factor for gaming performance, the quality of the screen is also important, and both laptops feature IPS displays with standard resolutions that provide decent visuals but may not be as sharp or vibrant as higher-end gaming laptops.
Software Development
7.0
7.3
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Acer Aspire 3 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
6.2
The Acer Aspire 3 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Dell Inspiron 15 3511 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $560 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 230 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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 15 3511
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Zachary Cuevas | November 2021
"The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) is a solid, if unremarkable, 15-inch budget laptop. It improves on many of the issues we had with the previous 3505 model, and with the inclusion of Windows 11, the 3511 is already a step above its competition. The lack of a USB-C port, the subpar speakers, and the dim display are drawbacks to factor in, but it's still one of the better 15-inch budget laptops on the market, especially when you consider it's under $400."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
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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