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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 depends on your priorities. The Acer model is a higher-priced gaming laptop with better performance suitable for intensive tasks like gaming and engineering software, due to its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. It also features a high-refresh-rate screen and better build quality, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, impacting portability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron is more affordable, making it a good fit for general use and less demanding tasks. It has a longer battery life, which is great for on-the-go use, but it uses an integrated graphics solution which is less capable for heavy 3D tasks and gaming. Choose the Acer if you need high performance and are less concerned about budget and portability, or the Dell if you prefer a budget-friendly option with better battery life for everyday tasks. 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 Predator Helios Neo 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.0
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for general use, though the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is considered good for general use because it has a more powerful CPU and greater RAM, which contributes to smoother multitasking and better performance for demanding applications, alongside a higher quality screen for visuals. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is considered fair due to its less capable CPU and lower RAM, which may slow down performance with intensive tasks, and a lower quality display, but it is more portable and has a slight edge in battery life which makes it more suited for on-the-go usage.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.0
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165, making it superior for gaming and 3D applications compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3525, which has an integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60. Additionally, the Helios Neo 16's GPU supports advanced features such as hardware ray tracing and DLSS which are crucial for gaming realism and performance, whereas the Inspiron's GPU does not, further differentiating their gaming and 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.3
6.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
7.7
7.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3525 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.5
6.9
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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
7.8
6.3
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 likely excels in screen quality for general use and engineering tasks due to its higher resolution and brightness, along with a wider color gamut that ensures more accurate color representation. For gaming and 3D applications, the screen may fall short if its refresh rate isn't high enough to match the rapid visuals often required. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525, with its fair screen quality, probably offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and entry-level design work, but its color range and refresh rate may not suffice for more color-critical tasks or fast-paced gaming.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.2
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 costs $400.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3525 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Dell Inspiron 15 3525 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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. Many of its slightly higher-end rivals have to be on sale (and frequently are) to match it on price, but the Inspiron 15 (3525) is outclassed even by some similarly priced options, making it a difficult recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3525
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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