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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is in the lower midrange price bracket and is often significantly more expensive than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, which is priced in the budget range. Both come with the same amount of storage and RAM, but the Acer has an Intel processor and GPU while the Dell has AMD equivalents. The Acer's larger screen and higher battery capacity may make it more suitable for longer use without charging, but it's also heavier and less portable than the lighter Dell. For general use, performance between the two is comparable, but for specific tasks like 3D and engineering, the differences in their processors and graphics may affect performance. If touchscreen functionality is important, the Dell has it, but the Acer does not. Additionally, the Dell Inspiron's keyboard and webcam are slightly lower quality than those of the Acer Aspire. Overall, the best choice depends on whether you prioritize a larger display and battery life or portability and touchscreen, along with your specific performance needs and price sensitivity. 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 software development
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has no clear advantages over the Acer Aspire 5 17.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.3
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 provide adequate clarity and brightness, but may not offer the sharpness and vibrancy found in higher-end displays. When it comes to engineering and design, both laptops have limitations in accurately displaying a wide range of colors, which can be critical for professional creative work. For gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops mean less fluid motion and slower response times, detracting from the immersive and smooth experience desired by enthusiasts and professionals in the field.
Cost
$700
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 costs $400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.0
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
7.7/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a better experience for general use with its larger screen and longer battery life, making it suitable for extended use without frequent charging, whereas the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, while more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size, has a shorter battery life and touch screen, which may appeal to users looking for more interactive and on-the-go usage but can contribute to the reduced battery performance. Both laptops have similar CPU and RAM, ensuring comparable computational performance, but the Acer's increased battery capacity and bigger display endow it with an advantage for tasks that benefit from more screen real estate and lesser need for charging, albeit at the cost of reduced portability compared to the lighter Dell model.
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
60Hz
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 3525 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are deemed fair for gaming and 3D due to their integrated GPUs—Intel Iris Xe and AMD Vega 7 respectively—which are suitable for moderate gaming but not ideal for high-end, demanding games. Both have a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is standard for smooth visuals but not as high as specialized gaming laptops; the CPUs and screen quality are secondary but still relevant factors, with the Aspire 5 having an Intel i5 and the Inspiron 15 featuring an AMD Ryzen 5, both offering decent performance for most tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.7
6.4
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 3525 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, is suitable for less demanding engineering and design tasks, and its larger screen offers a decent visual workspace, albeit with modest color coverage, which may not be ideal for color-critical work.
Content Creation
7.2
7.1
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 3525 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
6.9
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 3525 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 3525 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
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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 3525 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 3525 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 15 3525 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 3.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 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 | 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 | 60Hz | |
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 | 7.8/10 | |
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 3525
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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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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