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Updated January 12, 2024·
If your primary concern is gaming or graphics-intensive tasks like 3D rendering, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 with its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card is the better choice. However, it's less portable due to its larger size and weight. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is more budget-friendly and is sufficient for general use and lighter tasks. It's also more portable, making it easier to carry around. Keep in mind that the Dell's performance may not be adequate for demanding applications, and it might have a shorter battery life compared to the Acer due to its smaller battery capacity. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.3
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 3530 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a 165Hz screen refresh rate, providing smooth visuals and high fidelity for gaming and 3D applications; in contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 has a less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower 120Hz screen refresh rate, making it less optimal for gaming and 3D tasks. While both machines have capable CPUs and screen quality, performance in gaming and 3D heavily depends on GPU power and screen refresh rate, which are superior on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16.
Engineering and Design
8.3
6.9
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design because it has a high-end CPU and GPU, a 16-inch, high-resolution display with wider color coverage, which is essential for design accuracy. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, while also good for such use due to its adequate RAM and processor, has a less powerful integrated GPU and a smaller, standard resolution screen, making it less ideal for intensive engineering applications and design work where screen quality and graphics performance are critical.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.6
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 likely offers a high-resolution display with good brightness, making it suitable for day-to-day tasks and detailed engineering work, which benefits from the accurate colors provided by wide color gamuts. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate may not provide the fluid visuals that these tasks often require. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530, offering adequate resolution and brightness, provides a fair experience for routine tasks and engineering applications but may lack the color accuracy and high refresh rate desired for more specialized activities like gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
3.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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 3530 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$699
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 costs $699.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers robust performance with a high-refresh screen, making it a solid choice for general use where speed and visual clarity are appreciated, although it's heavier and has a shorter battery life than the Dell Inspiron 15 3530, which is lighter and offers longer battery life but has lower screen brightness and color coverage, making it better for users prioritizing mobility and all-day use while still providing adequate performance for everyday tasks.
Content Creation
7.7
7.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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
7.5
7.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 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 Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Dell Inspiron 15 3530 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.65'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i5-1335U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 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 | 1080p | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3530
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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