If you prioritize gaming performance or tasks that require a powerful GPU like 3D rendering or machine learning, the Acer Nitro 5 17, with its dedicated Nvidia graphics, may be the better option, despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life. However, if you seek a more portable and affordable option for general use, content consumption, and light productivity work, the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 would suit you well with its superior battery life, but its integrated graphics won't support intensive gaming or heavy graphics work nearly as well as the Acer. Both have similar amounts of RAM and processors capable of handling everyday tasks, but the tradeoff is between high performance for specific applications versus portability and cost. 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 16 5620
Good portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
6.2/10
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
10.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and has a high screen refresh rate of 360, making it more suitable for gaming and 3D applications than the Dell Inspiron 16 5620, which comes with a less powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower refresh rate of 60.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
7.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
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 16 5620 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
6.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5620 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Nitro 5 17's superior panel, higher resolution, and greater brightness will make for a more vivid and clear visual experience compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5620. In engineering and design, though, the Acer Nitro 5 17's coverage of color gamuts such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB will be more refined, allowing for more accurate color representation which is crucial in these fields. However, the Acer's lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for gaming and 3D work, where the Dell, despite its limitations, may also struggle due to similar constraints.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has 8 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
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 has 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 16 5620 costs $500.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics, making it well-suited for general use that may include gaming or graphic-intensive tasks, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Dell Inspiron 16 5620, which has a more modest Intel i5-1235U processor with integrated graphics, longer battery life, and a lighter, thinner design for easier transport. Both models have good quality IPS displays and sufficient RAM for general tasks, but the Dell offers a higher screen resolution and aspect ratio, potentially providing a more comfortable viewing experience for productivity tasks.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
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 16 5620 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Inspiron 16 5620 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
7.2/10
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Inspiron 16 5620 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 16 5620 compare to other laptops
"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."
"If the world is exciting enough right now, you can do far worse than a solid performer that you know will get the job done. Our review model is as powerful as you'd want an office machine to be unless you're performing specialist tasks and the price point is pretty attractive (unless work will let you have a MacBook Air instead)."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Dell Inspiron 16 5620
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.
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