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Aspire 3 Spin 14
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Inspiron 14 5420
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What we think

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

To help you decide between the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, let's consider key differences. If you need a convertible laptop with a touch screen for versatility in usage, such as tablet mode for reading or presentations, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 may be more suitable. The Dell Inspiron, on the other hand, could offer better performance for more demanding applications, which could be important if you run engineering software or do video editing. The Inspiron might also have a more robust build quality but may be less portable due to a heavier and more solid construction. If battery life is a major concern for you, you'll want to check which of the two offers longer unplugged usage. Lastly, consider the cost versus the benefits for your specific needs; if you don't require the extra performance or the convertible feature, you could save money by choosing the option that aligns with your minimum requirements. 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 Spin 14
  • The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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 for software development
  • Good overall build quality
  • Very good battery life
  • Good speakers
  • Good keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

6.5
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
7.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.

Gaming and AI

5.8
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
6.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1200
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 Spin 14 is poor.

Engineering and Design

5.9
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
7.1
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.6/10
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 Spin 14 is poor.

Screen Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
6.5
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Battery

8.0 Hours
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 hours of battery life.

Build Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
7.0
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$418
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
$971
Product image
Product image

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities

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Content Creation

7.0
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
7.5
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

6.9
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
7.4
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to be good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.

Portability

Very Good
Aspire 3 Spin 14
Inspiron 14 5420
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

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How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14Dell Inspiron 14 5420
Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14Dell Inspiron 14 5420

GENERAL

Price
$418
$971
Release Date
April 1, 2023May 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74''12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7''
Weight
3.31 lbs3.4 lbs
Width
12.6"12.36"
Depth
9"8.96"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i3-N305Intel i7-1255U
RAM
8 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
02
Storage
128 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
8 Hours10 Hours
Battery Capacity
40 Wh54 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
14"14"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 12002240 x 1400
Refresh Rate
60Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
250 nits279 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.3/107/10
Portability Score
8.2/108.3/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/106.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.3/107.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/107.5/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

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

Shopping

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Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14

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Rtings

Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."

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 Spin 14 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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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

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Laptops evaluated
48,640
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109,395
Recommendations made
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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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