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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 is more expensive but offers better performance with a faster processor, more RAM, and a superior graphics card, making it suited for 3D work, gaming, or engineering tasks. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron is more affordable and lighter, which makes it more portable. While its battery lasts slightly longer, its performance is lower due to the weaker processor and integrated graphics, suitable mainly for general use. Choose the Acer if you need power for demanding applications or the Dell for everyday tasks and easier mobility. 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 general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is considered good for general use due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, and a dedicated graphics card which provides a smoother and faster experience; although it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which has a less powerful CPU and integrated graphics, resulting in fair general use performance but longer battery life and better portability.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is superior for gaming and 3D applications primarily due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, offering smoother visuals. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its basic Intel i3-1215U UHD Graphics and lower refresh rate, can handle gaming and 3D tasks but won't deliver the same level of performance or fluidity.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is equipped with a more powerful Intel i5 processor, additional RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card, which provides significant advantages in performance for engineering and design tasks, as well as a higher quality display with better brightness and refresh rate.
Content Creation
7.5
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 15 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 5 15 is somewhat better.
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
6.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a pleasing display due to its resolution and brightness, which make it comfortable for daily tasks, unlike the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 that has a fair screen but may not be as vibrant or sharp. For engineering and design purposes, both laptops have fair color coverage but may not completely satisfy professionals who need highly accurate color representation for their work. When it comes to gaming or 3D applications, the Acer's lower refresh rate can make fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to laptops designed specifically for these uses, while the Dell also lags, lacking the high refresh rate crucial for immersive and fluid gameplay.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
6.2
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$329
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $329.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $329 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"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."
Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | January 2023
"Dell's Inspiron 15 (3525) is a peppy-enough and affordable-enough home or remote work machine, but it's not very ambitious; it does little to go beyond the basics. More the concern: It’s readily overshadowed by a number of machines that outperform and outclass it. Even if the Inspiron can get the job done today, its competition has the mettle to keep doing the job tomorrow in a way the Inspiron simply can’t promise. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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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