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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 17 offers stronger performance for 3D work, machine learning, and engineering due to its powerful graphics card and is suitable for gaming, but is less portable given its larger size and shorter battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, while not as powerful in GPU-intensive tasks, boasts a higher portability score with its lighter weight and compact form, making it a better choice for on-the-go usage with general use and business tasks; it also has a superior display with a higher resolution and better color accuracy. Choose the Acer for performance-heavy tasks or the Dell if you prioritize portability and screen quality. 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
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
- Very good portability
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.6
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
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 Plus 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.
Screen Quality
7.4
7.0
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offer good screen quality because they have the appropriate resolution and brightness, along with a panel type that provides clear images and wide viewing angles. The display quality for engineering and design is good on both laptops due to their ability to represent a wide range of colors accurately, essential for detailed work that requires precise color matching. However, their screen quality is poor for Gaming and 3D tasks because they likely have a lower refresh rate, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced games and 3D applications where fluid motion is crucial.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has 6 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
3.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$1,162
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus costs $1,162.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 offers a large 17.3-inch screen with good color coverage and high refresh rate, suited for an immersive experience in general use, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, with a sharper 14-inch display, better screen brightness, and a lighter build, is easier to carry and work on for longer periods, though with a smaller battery capacity than the Acer. Both have ample storage and memory, quality keyboards, and handle heat and noise well, making them versatile for everyday tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a high-performance AMD CPU and a dedicated Nvidia GPU, suitable for demanding engineering tasks and design software, whereas the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with an Intel CPU and integrated graphics, while still capable, may offer slightly less graphical prowess but gains in portability with its smaller size and lighter weight. Both have high-quality IPS screens; however, the Acer's larger screen may be more comfortable for detailed work, at the cost of being less portable than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus.
Content Creation
7.8
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Nitro 17 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
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 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 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Dell Inspiron 14 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $1,162 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 64 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2240 x 1400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 326 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | August 2022
"The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is for power users on a budget. If you're looking to maximize CPU and GPU performance on your next 14-inch laptop, then consider the pricier Razer Blade 14 or Asus Zephyrus G14. If you're looking for a thin-and-light 14-inch Ultrabook, then the Asus Zenbook 14 or LG Gram 14 may be better options. For the best of both worlds, however, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7420 rides a fine line between extreme performance and portability while keeping prices at reasonable levels. Frequent travelers who rely on performance beyond what the Core U-series and integrated graphics series can offer will find the Dell to be a solid solution."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
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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