The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is significantly less expensive and offers the basics for general use with moderate battery life; it's lightweight and has a touchscreen. However, its performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering or engineering might be limited. The Dell Precision 5470, despite being pricier, is more powerful with better performance for engineering, 3D work, and multitasking, supported by a better screen and longer battery life; it's also quite portable. If you're budget-conscious and need a laptop for everyday tasks, choose the Acer. For more demanding applications and the best experience in professional environments, the Dell is a better fit. 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 Precision 5470.
Advantages of the Dell Precision 5470
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.4/10
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Dell Precision 5470 outperforms the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use mainly due to its superior CPU and graphics card, which make it faster and more capable of handling demanding tasks. While the Acer's fanless design ensures silent operation, contributing to its fair rating, the Dell's higher-end components and good build quality contribute to its good rating, despite potentially greater operating noise and heat.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
6.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Precision 5470, with a stronger GPU and higher screen refresh rate, offers smoother and more detailed gaming and 3D experiences, making it the better choice for those activities. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, while capable, provides less power and lower refresh rates, which might result in less fluid graphics and slower response times during game play and 3D 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
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, with lower-tier CPU and graphics, less RAM, and a dimmer screen, provides fair performance for engineering and design, while the Dell Precision 5470's higher-end CPU, professional-grade GPU, more RAM, and brighter, more color-accurate screen make it better suited for such demanding tasks. While both are similarly portable, the Dell's superior keyboard and lower operating noise may also contribute to a more comfortable and quieter working experience for long engineering or design sessions.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Precision 5470 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Precision 5470 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
1920 x 1200
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Precision 5470 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
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Dell Precision 5470 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 provides adequate visibility and clarity for everyday tasks due to its resolution and brightness but falls short in delivering the vibrant colors and broad color spectrum that professionals in engineering and design may need. On the other hand, the Dell Precision 5470's display offers sharper images and a wider range of colors, catering well to those in professional fields that require accurate color representation. However, neither laptop's display has a high refresh rate, which is essential for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, making them less suitable for those specific needs.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 has very 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
$1,669
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
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 Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Dell Precision 5470
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.
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