The Acer Nitro 5 15, often less expensive, has a dedicated Nvidia GPU which is better for intensive gaming and 3D tasks, but it's heavier, making it less portable. Meanwhile, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus costs a bit more and has a faster main processor and more storage, along with a higher resolution screen, making it better suited for general use and engineering tasks where the GPU is less critical. The Dell also offers better portability with its lighter weight. Decide based on whether gaming and 3D performance or portability and screen resolution are more important for your needs. 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 5 15
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
Good overall display quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.6/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is equipped with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a high 144hz screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for smooth gaming and 3D performance; conversely, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, while having a superior screen resolution, is limited by its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60hz refresh rate, impacting intense gaming and 3D rendering capabilities.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
326.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 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 general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, both the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus offer good screen quality with clear resolution and adequate brightness. However, for engineering and design work that demands accurate color reproduction, the Dell Inspiron's screen covers a wider color spectrum, making it the better choice for those needs. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, where high refresh rates are crucial for fluid motion, neither laptop's screen is ideal due to lower refresh rates, making gaming or 3D work less optimal on both devices.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$780
$1,162
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus costs $1,162.
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a larger screen and a dedicated GPU, making it suitable for general use with an inclination toward occasional gaming or graphics work, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which offers more storage, a higher resolution screen, and longer battery life in a more compact and lightweight design, making it excellent for general use with greater mobility and better screen quality for everyday tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
7.8/10
8.5/10
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 5 15 and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful graphics card and solid processor, although it's heavier and has a thicker build, affecting portability. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, while lighter and more portable with a higher resolution screen, leverages integrated graphics, which may not handle intensive tasks as well but is quieter and has a better battery life.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.9/10
8.5/10
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 5 15 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
7.4/10
7.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2240 x 1400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Nitro 5 15 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.4/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and Acer Nitro 5 15 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus compare to other laptops
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
"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 5 15 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.
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
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
110,895
Recommendations made
24,028
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.