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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 is a good option if you're looking for a capable laptop that's more budget-friendly. It is significantly less expensive than the Dell XPS 15 and provides good gaming performance thanks to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card. The Acer has decent battery life, but it's also heavier, which could be a downside if you're looking for portability. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 15, while more expensive, offers a better screen with a higher resolution, which could be a plus if you're into photo editing or enjoy higher quality for media consumption. The Dell also has better overall build quality and materials, making it a more premium offering. If your work involves intense processing tasks, the Dell's higher-tier Intel processor could be beneficial. Additionally, the Dell is lighter and thus easier to carry around, which may be an important factor if you travel frequently. 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
Advantages of the Dell XPS 15
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Dell XPS 15 offers a more powerful CPU, higher resolution and brightness in screen quality, and longer battery life which are very important for general use, along with superior keyboard and speaker quality which are somewhat important, making it very good for such use. The Acer Nitro 5 15, while it provides a solid processor and sufficient RAM, falls short with a lower quality screen, shorter battery life, and heavier weight, making it just good for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.8
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Nitro 5 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 15 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.
Content Creation
7.5
8.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
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
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
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
7.4
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
606.0 nits
The Dell XPS 15 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 15 and Dell XPS 15 both offer adequate resolution and brightness with panel types that provide clear and vibrant visuals for tasks like browsing and watching videos. When it comes to engineering and design, the Dell XPS 15 shines with superior color accuracy, catering to professionals who need precise color representation for tasks such as photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D, the Acer Nitro 5 15's lower refresh rate diminishes the gaming experience compared to laptops designed for this purpose, while the Dell XPS 15 also lacks the high refresh rate critical for smooth motion and more immersive gameplay.
Battery
5.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 15 has 10 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 15 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
8.5
The Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Dell XPS 15 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 15 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 15's combination of a robust CPU and high-performance GPU, specifically designed for gaming, makes it a strong choice for engineering and design tasks that can leverage significant graphical power. Meanwhile, the Dell XPS 15, although less potent in GPU, offers a superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, and a more advanced CPU – making it suitable for detailed visual work and computational tasks in engineering and design, with the added benefit of increased portability and a high-quality keyboard.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Dell XPS 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Dell XPS 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.21 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 13.57" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 9.06" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 606 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 XPS 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 15 or the Dell XPS 15
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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