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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming or need a laptop for 3D rendering and machine learning tasks, the Acer Nitro 17 with its dedicated Nvidia graphics might be the better choice, despite being heavier and having shorter battery life. However, for general use or if portability and longer battery life are more important, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is lighter, more compact, and offers better battery performance, though it's less suited for intensive tasks due to its integrated graphics. Keep in mind that the Acer may cost more, but it has a larger screen and higher performance for resource-intensive 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 17
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.2
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.9
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its robust CPU and GPU performance, ample RAM, and high-quality large screen, but it may be less portable due to size and weight. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, while also equipped for engineering and design tasks with competent components, offers greater portability with a smaller screen and is likely to have a quieter operating noise, but may have compromises in screen size and possibly speaker quality.
Screen Quality
7.4
6.3
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17 likely has a superior panel with higher resolution and brightness, making it good for general use and detailed engineering tasks where clarity and color accuracy are critical. However, its lower refresh rate falls short for the fast-paced visuals crucial in gaming and 3D applications. Conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425's screen provides a fair experience in both general use and engineering due to adequate resolution and decent color reproduction but also lacks in refresh rate for high-end 3D work.
Battery
8.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 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
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 comes with a larger screen and a more powerful CPU and GPU, making it suitable for general use that requires visual detail and multitasking; however, its larger size and weight affect portability and it has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 also offers solid performance for general use with enough RAM and a capable processor, plus better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, but has a smaller screen with less powerful graphics capabilities.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.4
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and Acer Nitro 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.0
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Dell Inspiron 14 5425 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
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 | 8 Hours | 12 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 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8.1/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
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
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Dig into reviews and images
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 5425
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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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