A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 17 (2024)
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.1
6.4
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.5
7.1
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.1
7.5
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.0
6.5
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
326.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has 10 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
Poor
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5420 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,250
$971
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) has a price of $1,250 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 costs $971.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
326.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Software Development
7.6
7.4
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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
7.0
The Acer Nitro 17 (2024) and Dell Inspiron 14 5420 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 17 (2024) and the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 (2024) | Dell Inspiron 14 5420 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $971 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2024 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.14'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.62 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.76" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.55" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-14700HX | 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 | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 326 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 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 | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17 (2024)
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PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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Smarthouse
Nick Ross | March 2023
"If laptops were food, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5420 is arguably a Big Mac. There are cheaper and more expensive options, but this arguably represents the baseline of quality and value in the world of mobile computing… something that’s underlined by the attractive $1,279 price tag."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 (2024) or the Dell Inspiron 14 5420
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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Why trust us
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
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