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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a larger screen and slightly lower weight, making it a better choice for users who prefer a bigger display for multitasking and don't mind a little extra weight for carrying. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 offers double the RAM for improved multitasking and performance in demanding applications, and it's more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, which is significant if mobility is a priority. Additionally, the Inspiron has a longer battery life, better suited for extended use without access to power. Both are similarly priced and have the same amount of storage, but the Dell's higher performance and portability could make it a more balanced option for a variety of tasks while the Acer could appeal more to users needing a larger screen and can accommodate a slightly heavier device. 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 5425.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.3
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for content creation, and software development.
When comparing the Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 for general use, both laptops have adequate resolutions and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but they don't feature the high-quality panels that provide the sharpness and clarity found in more premium laptops. For engineering and design, these laptops offer fair screen quality as they can display a reasonable range of colors, but they may not cover the wide color gamuts that professional photo editing and graphic design work typically require. When it comes to 3D gaming, the screens may lack the higher refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering, though the resolutions and panel types are sufficient for casual gaming and content creation.
Battery
7.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 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 5425 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$700
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with a solid CPU and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, a larger screen with IPS panel offering decent color coverage and contrast which is good for general media consumption, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, which despite its smaller display offers higher pixel density and better resolution, making it more portable with longer battery life, and it comes with twice the RAM which can be better for multitasking.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both fair for gaming and 3D because neither has a high-end GPU nor a high screen refresh rate, which are very important for smooth gaming and rendering 3D graphics. However, the Dell has a more powerful CPU and a higher screen quality that could give it a slight edge, but its smaller screen size might be less immersive for gaming and 3D applications compared to the larger screen of the Acer.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 14 5425 to be good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 stands out in engineering and design use largely because it comes equipped with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and twice the amount of RAM compared to the Acer Aspire 5 17, which has an Intel i5 processor and less RAM, hindering its performance in intensive tasks. Additionally, the Dell's GPU, screen ratio and density offer a crisper and more expansive visual workspace, which is beneficial for design applications, while both laptops have IPS screens with similar color space coverage, ensuring good screen quality.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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 5425 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 5425 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 14 5425 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $500 | ||
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 0.75'' | |
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 | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
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 | 12 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 | 1920 x 1200 | |
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 | 8.1/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
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 5425
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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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