The Acer Nitro 5 17, at a lower midrange price, offers great value, especially for gaming with its powerful GPU and large storage. However, its larger size and weight might not be as convenient for frequent travel. The right choice largely depends on whether you prioritize gaming and cost savings or professional applications and portability. 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 Precision 5470
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
6.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 Precision 5470 is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 offers superior gaming with its high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics and a screen capable of a high refresh rate, ensuring smoother visuals, while the Dell Precision 5470 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX A1000 and a higher resolution display which is great for detailed visuals but has a lower refresh rate making it less optimal for the most fluid gaming experience. Both laptops have quality IPS screens and robust CPUs, but the Acer prioritizes screen refresh performance and the Dell offers a sharper image with a higher resolution screen.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
7.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Precision 5470 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Precision 5470 has a better screen for content creation.
Both the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Dell Precision 5470 offer screens with resolutions and panel types that provide crisp, clear images and decent brightness levels, which are ideal for general use such as browsing and productivity tasks. Their capacity to reproduce a wide range of colors is beneficial for engineering and design professionals who need accurate color representation for their work. However, these laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which could lead to less smooth visual experiences during fast-paced games or when interacting with 3D graphics.
Battery
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Precision 5470 has 9 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
3.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Precision 5470 has very good portability, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$1,669
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Precision 5470 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its larger screen and robust main processor, is great for general use that requires a comfortable viewing experience and solid performance, albeit at the cost of portability due to its larger size and heavier weight. On the other hand, the Dell Precision 5470 offers a high screen quality in a more compact and lighter package with better battery life, making it ideal for general use by those who prioritize ease of carrying and working on the go.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 5 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Precision 5470 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is favored for engineering and design owing to its robust AMD Ryzen CPU and high-performance Nvidia RTX GPU, which are crucial for computationally intensive tasks, and a large screen that benefits detailed work, but these features come at the cost of portability and battery life.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 Precision 5470 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
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Precision 5470 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Dell Precision 5470 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."
"The Dell Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Dell Precision 5470
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.