The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger screen and a full-size keyboard with a numeric pad which is suitable for those who prefer a comfortable typing experience and a spacious display. However, it is heavier, which affects portability. The Dell Inspiron 14 7425, on the other hand, provides a smaller, sharper screen with a higher resolution and touch capability. It also has a better performance for 3D tasks, machine learning, and computing workloads due to a more powerful processor and double the RAM. Despite being typically more expensive, the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is lighter and thus easier to carry around, with slightly longer battery life, making it a better option for those who need to work on-the-go. 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 7425.
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 have similar screen quality.
When considering the Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 7425 for general use, both offer panels with adequate resolution and brightness, but they don't stand out against more specialized displays for color-sensitive work or entertainment. For engineering and design tasks, their fair screen quality reflects the sufficient resolution and brightness, but the color accuracy might not meet the high standards needed for professional-grade color work due to limited color gamut coverage. While gaming and 3D applications benefit from high refresh rates, these laptops fall short, as they prioritize resolution and panel type, which results in a less smooth visual experience essential for fast-paced games and high-frame-rate 3D rendering.
Portability
Good
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.4/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has 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.
Cost
$700
$800
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 costs $800.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's larger screen and number pad along with decent CPU and RAM make it well-suited for general use where portability isn't a priority, though the battery life is just adequate. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 offers a compact form factor with a better CPU, more RAM, and higher-resolution touch screen, catering to those who need more power and versatility in a portable package, though storage expansion is limited.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.2/10
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 7425 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 7425 are both considered fair for gaming and 3D because their integrated graphics (Intel i5-1335U Iris Xe for the Acer and AMD Ryzen 7 5825U Vega 8 for the Dell) and screen refresh rates (both at 60Hz) can handle games at lower settings, but may not suffice for high-end gaming. The CPUs and screen quality, which also contribute to the experience, are adequate for casual gaming, with the Dell having a slightly higher pixel density and the Acer offering a larger screen.
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
6.9/10
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
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 is better suited for engineering and design tasks compared to the Acer Aspire 5 17 primarily because it has double the amount of RAM which is crucial for multitasking and running complex software, and it features a higher-end AMD processor which generally offers better performance for such applications.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.3/10
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 7425 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
7.2/10
7.3/10
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
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7425 has 7.5 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7425 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Overall, this Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 offers a lot to like, especially at its oft-discounted price of $800. It’s a sturdy laptop with strong performance, a convertible touchscreen, loud speakers, and a convenient fingerprint reader. But the trade-offs you’ll make in pursuit of that lower price—most notably the dim display and stiff trackpad—might just keep you from outright loving it."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 7425
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
109,695
Recommendations made
23,768
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.