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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers robust performance for gaming and engineering tasks, with higher RAM and a strong GPU, but it's heavier and less portable. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is more budget-friendly, lightweight, and offers better portability, making it suitable for general use. However, it has less storage and lower performance capabilities for intensive tasks. Both have similar battery life, but the Acer's larger screen and higher refresh rate provide a better experience for fast-paced games and videos. Choose the Acer if gaming and performance are priorities or the Dell for cost savings and everyday use. 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
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers a more powerful CPU and double the RAM compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which means better performance for demanding tasks, as well as a superior graphics card suitable for gaming and other graphics-intensive activities.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX graphics card and a high screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with its relatively basic integrated Intel graphics and lower screen refresh rate, offers a more modest performance that may deliver an adequate experience for less demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.0
6.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is better suited for engineering and design workflows due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, which can handle intensive tasks and heavy graphics demands, and it comes with more RAM for multitasking; however, its larger size and heavier weight make it less portable than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520. While the Dell Inspiron 15 is more portable and lighter, its Intel i3-1215U CPU and integrated graphics are less capable for demanding engineering software, and with less RAM, it won't manage multitasking as efficiently.
Content Creation
7.8
7.0
7.4/10
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 17 and Dell Inspiron 15 3520 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 5 17 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
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 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
8.2
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 17's screen offers higher resolution and brightness, making text and images clearer and easier to view in various lighting conditions. In engineering and design, the Acer's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color representation which is critical for detailed work, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520's color range is less so, limiting its effectiveness in these fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer's lower refresh rate hampers the smoothness of fast-moving visuals, making the Dell Inspiron, despite its limitations, a comparably adequate option given its similar deficit in this aspect.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
6.2
The Acer Nitro 5 17 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
$830
$325
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 costs $325.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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 17 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $325 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 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 | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
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 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 17 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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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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