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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is typically less expensive and offers a solid option for general use with an AMD Ryzen 3 processor and basic graphics. However, its storage is limited. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, while slightly more costly, provides more storage, a stronger AMD Ryzen 5 processor with better integrated graphics, and it features a touchscreen. If budget is a concern and you need a device for everyday tasks, consider the Acer, but for better performance and features like a touchscreen, the Dell might be worth the extra cost. 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
- Good for software development
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
- Good for general use
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.3
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for software development.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 laptops offer screens with adequate resolution and brightness, but they don't stand out in terms of vibrant colors or exceptional clarity, which is fine for tasks like web browsing and document editing. In engineering and design, the importance of accurately rendering colors is critical, but these models only provide fair color coverage, meaning professionals might find them lacking for color-sensitive work. As for gaming and 3D applications, the refresh rates on these laptops are not high, and while the resolution and panel type might be acceptable, gamers and 3D designers will miss the smooth visuals that come with higher refresh rates.
Battery
9.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
$400
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 costs $400.
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Key similarities
General Use
6.6
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3525 to be good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with its Ryzen 3 CPU and 128GB of storage, provides satisfactory performance and storage for everyday tasks, but its moderate battery life and fair portability may limit on-the-go use. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 steps up with a more powerful Ryzen 5 CPU and a larger 512GB storage, offers a touchscreen and a slightly longer battery life, making it a tad better for multitasking and more interactive use, despite its similar portability and screen quality to the Acer.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.0
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 3525 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.9
6.4
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3525 to be only fair for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and Radeon GPU which may not deliver as robust performance for demanding engineering applications as Dell Inspiron 15 3525's AMD Ryzen 5 and its Vega 7 graphics. While both have high-definition IPS screens, the Acer's lower overall storage capacity paired with less powerful computing components make the Dell a potentially better fit for strains of engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.0
7.1
4.1/10
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 Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
6.9
4.1/10
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 15 to be good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
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 3525 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 3525 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 3525 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Dell Inspiron 15 3525 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 3.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 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 | 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 | 259 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
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 3525
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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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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