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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Nitro 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, consider the following trade-offs: if you need stronger performance for heavy tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software, the Acer Nitro 17, with its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, will suit you better, although it is less portable due to its larger size and weight. On the other hand, if you prefer something less expensive and more portable for general use, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with integrated graphics and a smaller screen, might be a sufficient choice, but it won't handle intensive tasks as effectively. Additionally, battery life is typically longer on systems with integrated graphics, so the Dell may last longer on a charge than the Acer, which has a more power-hungry dedicated graphics card. 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
- Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.3
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 15 3530 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
6.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, RTX 4050 GPU, and large high-refresh-rate screen, which are crucial for rendering and simulation tasks; however, its size and weight make it less portable. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, with its Intel i5 CPU and integrated GPU, offers a balance of performance suitable for less demanding engineering software, and its lighter weight and smaller screen enhance portability, but it may fall short in more GPU-intensive tasks.
Screen Quality
7.4
6.6
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
If you prioritize watching movies or browsing the web, the Acer Nitro 17, with its strong resolution and bright display, offers a more vibrant and clear viewing experience compared to the Dell Inspiron 15, which has a decent display but may not be as sharp or vivid. For intricate tasks like engineering and design, the Acer's ability to represent a wider range of colors more accurately is crucial, providing better detail and truer colors than the Dell, although both may not fully meet professional standards. However, for gaming or rendering 3D graphics, the Acer falls short with a lower refresh rate, which means less smooth visual motion, while the Dell, despite similar limitations, offers fair performance for casual gaming at best.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.2
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$699
$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 15 3530 costs $699.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and better graphics card, suited for higher performance needs such as gaming or heavier applications, and a larger screen, but is less portable and offers shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, which offers sufficient performance for everyday tasks, longer battery life, and easier portability due to its lighter weight and more compact size. Both have adequate RAM and IPS screens with good screen quality, but the Nitro has a higher refresh rate and better color coverage, enhancing visual experience, while the Inspiron emphasizes on excellent heat management and lower operating noise, contributing to a comfortable general use environment.
Content Creation
7.8
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Dell Inspiron 15 3530 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 3.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-1335U | |
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 | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 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 | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
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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