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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and a more budget-friendly option, the Acer Aspire 5 17 could be a great choice. With its 17.3-inch display, it's suitable for general use and has a decent battery life. However, it's less portable due to its size and slightly heavier weight. On the other hand, if you're looking for better performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, with a faster main processor and a dedicated GPU, the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is the better option despite being more expensive. It also offers a more portable 14-inch higher-resolution display, longer battery life, and a lighter build, which may be a significant advantage if mobility is key for you. Both have the same amount of storage, but the Dell has double the RAM, enhancing its multitasking capabilities. 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 5 17
- The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Inspiron 14 5420.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.5
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you're primarily using your laptop for everyday tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, and working with documents, both the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 offer displays that meet these needs with their resolution and brightness, ensuring a comfortable viewing experience for general use. However, for engineering and design where accurate colors are critical, these laptops may fall short as they don't excel in covering professional color gamuts, which could affect the precision needed for such specialized tasks. In the realm of gaming and 3D applications, high-refresh-rate screens are essential for smooth visuals, and lower refresh rates on these laptops mean they won't provide the best experience for fast-paced, graphically intense activities.
Battery
7.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$700
$971
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its larger screen and adequate RAM is suitable for general use where portability and intensive processing are not the primary concern, offering a comfortable viewing experience and reliable performance for everyday tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 uses integrated graphics, which are less powerful than the dedicated Nvidia MX570 GPU found in the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, limiting its gaming and 3D capabilities despite having a large screen. While both laptops have a similar screen refresh rate, which is crucial for gaming, the Dell's superior GPU and higher screen quality, with better resolution and pixel density, make it more suitable for gaming and 3D applications despite having a smaller screen size.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to be good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers less processing power and graphics capabilities with an Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, which may struggle with resource-intensive engineering software, and it has a larger screen but lower resolution, affecting visual clarity for design work compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5420, which is equipped with a faster Intel i7 CPU, dedicated Nvidia graphics, and a higher resolution display for more demanding engineering tasks, plus it is lighter and more portable for on-the-go use.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5420 to have good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has 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 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 14 5420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $971 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Dig into reviews and images
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 5 17 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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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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