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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is slightly more expensive, has a larger screen, more storage, and a powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, making it suitable for intensive gaming and engineering tasks. However, it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, which makes it less portable. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is slightly less expensive, offers better battery life, and is lighter, enhancing its portability, but it has less storage, a smaller screen, and an integrated GPU, which means it’s not as well suited for gaming or intensive engineering tasks but works well for general use and everyday productivity. 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 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.2
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is more suitable for gaming and 3D applications due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 360, which delivers smoother visuals and can better handle graphically intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, with its integrated AMD Ryzen Vega 8 graphics and a standard screen refresh rate of 60, offers modest gaming performance suitable for less demanding games and 3D work.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. Both laptops have quality IPS screens, but the Acer's larger screen and better GPU provide a clear advantage for intensive graphical work, while the Dell's more compact size and lesser operating noise may appeal to those valuing mobility and comfort.
Screen Quality
8.2
6.3
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 5 17's high resolution and bright display ensure texts and images are crisp and clear, making it appealing for general use and detail-oriented work like engineering and design, despite its lower refresh rate hindering the smoothness desired in gaming and 3D applications. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425, with a fair resolution and brightness, provides an adequate visual experience for general tasks and engineering software, but its color accuracy and range may not match the precision required by professionals in those fields. Both laptops, with their suboptimal refresh rates, fall short for gaming and 3D work, where fluid motion and quick visual response are key.
Battery
6.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has 12 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
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
279.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its larger screen and high-performance CPU and GPU, is well-suited for general use that may include gaming or resource-heavy applications, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 14 5425, which offers a smaller, higher-resolution screen for sharp visuals, better battery life, and easier portability, making it ideal for everyday tasks and on-the-go use.
Content Creation
7.8
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inspiron 14 5425 and Acer Nitro 5 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
7.2
7.0
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 14 5425 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 5 17 and the Dell Inspiron 14 5425 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 14 5425 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 12.4'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 12.36" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 8.96" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 279 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"A slim chassis, an acceptable weight (1.6 kg) and a real-world battery life of almost 13 hours turn the Inspiron into a mobile companion. Good: The battery can not only be charged using Dell's proprietary power adapter, but also with a universal USB-C power adapter (min. 45 watts). Office and Internet applications are handled by the built-in combination of Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM just as easily as modest computer games. Heat and noise development are generally okay, but the laptop should work a bit quieter under full load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 14 5425
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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