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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17, being priced in the lower midrange and typically much more expensive than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, offers a larger 17.3-inch screen and a more powerful main processor, which can be beneficial for tasks that require more computing power. However, it has a lower battery capacity compared to the Dell Inspiron, meaning it might not last as long on a single charge. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly, lighter, and therefore more portable, with a smaller 15.6-inch screen. This model may be more suitable for general computing tasks and users who prioritize affordability and portability over screen size and processor performance. 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
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Acer Aspire 5 17.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for software development, and content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 have screens with resolutions and panel types that are adequate for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and watching videos, which makes them fair for general use but their brightness might not be optimal for all lighting conditions. For engineering and design work, while the resolution in both might support detailed work, the lack of wider color gamuts means that the color accuracy required for professional photo editing or CAD may not meet the standards needed by professionals, marking the screen quality as fair. When it comes to 3D and gaming, both laptops' screens fall short due to their lower refresh rates and only moderate resolution and panel type importance, which can result in less smooth visual experiences essential in fast-paced gaming, describing the screen quality as poor for these uses.
Cost
$700
$346
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $346.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to be good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a superior processor and more on-board storage, which contributes to its better performance for general use compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which has a less powerful processor and smaller storage. Additionally, the Acer's larger screen size and consistent battery life enhance the overall viewing and user experience, despite it being slightly less portable due to its larger size and weight compared to the lighter and more compact Dell Inspiron 15.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is fair for gaming and 3D because it has a mid-range Iris Xe GPU, suitable for light gaming but is limited by a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 also falls in the fair category because it comes with a lower tier UHD Graphics GPU, which is less capable than the Iris Xe, and although it has a higher screen refresh rate, its performance is constrained by a less powerful CPU.
Engineering and Design
6.7
6.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a more powerful Intel i5 processor and better integrated graphics which make it more suitable for engineering and design tasks than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which sports a less powerful Intel i3 processor and weaker UHD graphics.
Content Creation
7.2
7.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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
6.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to be good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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.
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 and Acer Aspire 5 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
6.2
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $346 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
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 15 3520
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | January 2023
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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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