The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers a budget-friendly option with decent battery life, making it very portable. It is suitable for general use with moderate performance, and it's particularly quiet due to its fanless design. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, while more expensive, offers much better performance suitable for more intensive engineering tasks and 3D work. It also has a higher storage capacity and better screen quality, but with shorter battery life and slightly less portability. Neither is built for intensive gaming. Consider the Inspire 14 Plus for heavier workloads and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for everyday tasks and better battery life. 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 Plus.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offers a more powerful CPU and larger storage, which makes it perform better for general use than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, which has a lower-tier CPU and less storage. Additionally, the Inspiron has more RAM, contributing to smoother multitasking, and a higher resolution screen, enhancing visual clarity, while the Aspire 3 Spin has longer battery life and a touchscreen, adding tablet functionality.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 primarily because of the former's more powerful Intel i7 processor and higher-performing Iris Xe graphics, compared to the Acer's lower-end Intel i3 processor and UHD Graphics Xe. Additionally, while both laptops feature the same screen refresh rate, the Dell's higher screen resolution and quality, including better color coverage and brightness, offer a more visually immersive experience for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
7.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, leading to better performance in engineering and design tasks, as well as a higher quality screen supporting wider color coverage and brightness for more detailed visuals. While the Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers the versatility of a 2-in-1 convertible design, it has a less capable processor and graphics unit, making it more suited to less intensive tasks despite its fair portability and silent operation.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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.
Software Development
6.9/10
7.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
7.0/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has an adequate display for everyday tasks, but it may not be as sharp or as bright as some users would like, making it less ideal for viewing intricate details or working outdoors. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, with a better quality display, offers sharper images and more accurate colors, which especially benefits users engaged in engineering and design work where precision is key. However, neither laptop is optimal for gaming or 3D rendering due to lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes or animations.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
7.4/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$1,162
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus costs $1,162.
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."
"The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is for power users on a budget. If you're looking to maximize CPU and GPU performance on your next 14-inch laptop, then consider the pricier Razer Blade 14 or Asus Zephyrus G14. If you're looking for a thin-and-light 14-inch Ultrabook, then the Asus Zenbook 14 or LG Gram 14 may be better options. For the best of both worlds, however, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 rides a fine line between extreme performance and portability while keeping prices at reasonable levels. Frequent travelers who rely on performance beyond what the Core U-series and integrated graphics series can offer will find the Dell to be a solid solution."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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.
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
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
109,395
Recommendations made
23,703
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.