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Updated January 12, 2024·
Based on the comparison, if you prioritize versatility and cost savings, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, with its 2-in-1 convertible design, can function as both a laptop and a tablet and generally comes in at a lower price. However, it falls behind the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 in terms of storage and memory, which can impact performance in demanding tasks. The Dell offers more power, more storage space, and a slightly larger screen, which might make it a better choice for heavy multitasking and general use, but it also tends to be less affordable than the Acer. Each device runs on a different edition of Windows, with the Acer equipped with Windows 11S and the Dell with Windows 11 Home, which can affect software compatibility and user experience. If you need better performance and are willing to invest more, the Dell may suit your needs, but for casual use with the flexibility of a tablet, the Acer is cost-effective and functional. 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
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
Key differences
General Use
6.5
7.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.6/10
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 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its higher RAM, which enables more efficient multitasking, and a more powerful CPU and GPU combination for quicker processing and graphical work, whereas the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a lower capacity for multitasking and processing due to its lesser CPU and RAM. While the Acer's higher resolution and touchscreen may benefit certain design tasks, its hardware capabilities are overshadowed by the Dell's performance strengths, which are more critical for engineering software requirements.
Content Creation
7.0
7.5
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 offer screens that are satisfactory, providing enough resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and streaming, but they lack the exceptional clarity and vibrancy found in higher-end models. If you're into engineering and design, the color accuracy is crucial; however, these laptops might not cover the professional color spaces like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB comprehensively, thus not being ideal for color-critical work. For gaming and 3D applications, the lack of a high refresh rate will lead to less fluid visuals, which is essential for immersive gameplay and smooth action scenes.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 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
$418
$580
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 costs $580.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
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 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both labeled fair for gaming and 3D because they have mid-range integrated graphics that can handle light gaming and 3D tasks, but not high-end gaming or professional 3D work. The Acer has a smaller screen with a higher resolution which makes for sharper images but has a less powerful processor than the Dell, which offers a larger screen and more RAM for potentially smoother multitasking and slightly better gaming performance.
Software Development
6.9
7.3
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 15 3511 to be 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 to have very good portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
6.2
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 | Dell Inspiron 15 3511 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$418 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-N305 | 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 | 8 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 230 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 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 | No | 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 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 15 3511
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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 Spin 14 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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