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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize high-end gaming or engineering tasks that require advanced graphics, the Acer Nitro 16 with its dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card will serve you well, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is lighter and more portable with a longer battery life, suitable for general use and multitasking, and it features a touchscreen. It's also more affordable but less capable for intensive 3D or engineering tasks due to its integrated graphics. Both have similar storage and RAM, facilitating smooth operation in various applications. 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 Nitro 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
- Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 16 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and has a high screen refresh rate, which are very important for gaming and 3D tasks, providing smooth visuals and the ability to handle more demanding graphics processing. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 uses the less powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics and has a lower screen refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming and 3D applications, although it may still manage less intensive tasks reasonably well.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.3
6.2
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 16's screen offers vibrant colors and clarity that serve well for presentations and detailed diagrams, which is pivotal for engineering and general use, but it may lack the high refresh rate sought by gamers for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 provides acceptable image quality for everyday tasks and design work, yet it won't stand out in either category due to average color reproduction and brightness levels. Both laptops are less suited for gaming and 3D due to their lower refresh rates, which don't deliver the fluid motion required for an optimal gaming experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 14 7420 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$801
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 costs $801.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
260.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 offers strong performance with a high-end CPU and dedicated graphics card, making it a solid option for more demanding tasks and some gaming, alongside a large, high-quality screen and substantial battery life; it is, however, heavier and bulkier, which detracts from its portability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 is lighter and more compact, features a capable CPU for everyday tasks, and a touchscreen for versatility, though it has a smaller screen and shorter battery life, but it's better suited for on-the-go use where portability and ease of handling are priorities.
Content Creation
7.8
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.7
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 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
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 and Dell Inspiron 14 7420 both have good 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 Nitro 16 and the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $801 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 260 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
Dell Inspiron 14 7420
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | June 2022
"Notable qualities of the Inspiron 7420 2-in-1 include the 16:10 aspect ratio, strong hinges, 12th gen Intel CPU with optional GeForce MX graphics, and easy serviceability. Such features would typically cost hundreds of dollars more on higher-end alternatives from competing manufacturers. The value proposition is therefore relatively high for users looking to maximize bang for the buck."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Dell Inspiron 14 7420
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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