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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize high performance and a sharper display for tasks like engineering or 3D work, the Acer Swift 14 is a strong choice, but it's more expensive and less portable due to its heavier build. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 offers more storage options, longer battery life, and easier portability with a lighter design and smaller price tag, which might be suitable for general use or if budget is a main concern. 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 Swift 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 14.
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 is highly regarded for general use due to its strong CPU, plentiful RAM, superior screen quality that boasts high brightness and full coverage of sRGB color space, alongside great battery life and portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, while offering a significant amount of RAM, falls behind with a less powerful CPU, a display less vibrant and lower in resolution, and reduced battery longevity, though it compensates somewhat with a larger screen and additional RAM for multitasking.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Swift 14 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift 14 with its higher screen resolution and color coverage is better suited for design work, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, with double the RAM, enhances multitasking and complex engineering tasks, despite having a lower screen quality; both use the Iris Xe GPU which aids in moderate graphics-intensive tasks, and due to differences in battery capacity and size, the Acer is more portable and quieter, but the Dell might offer a slightly larger screen and numeric keypad that some users may find useful for engineering work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good.
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
8.2
7.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 is good.
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
7.6
6.0
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Swift 14's high-resolution display and brightness make for crisp and vibrant viewing, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511's lower resolution results in less clarity and detail. When it comes to engineering and design, the Acer's superior color gamut support offers more accurate color reproduction critical for these tasks, unlike the Dell with its fair color range. However, for gaming and 3D work, the Acer falls short due to a lower refresh rate, making fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to laptops designed specifically for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 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
Excellent
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.2
The Acer Swift 14 has good build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$560
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 costs $560.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift 14 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 14 stands out for gaming and 3D because it has a higher performance CPU and GPU compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 which, while having more RAM, has a lower tier CPU and integrated GPU, affecting its gaming and 3D capabilities.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | Dell Inspiron 15 3511 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $560 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 230 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
Dell Inspiron 15 3511
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Zachary Cuevas | November 2021
"The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3511) is a solid, if unremarkable, 15-inch budget laptop. It improves on many of the issues we had with the previous 3505 model, and with the inclusion of Windows 11, the 3511 is already a step above its competition. The lack of a USB-C port, the subpar speakers, and the dim display are drawbacks to factor in, but it's still one of the better 15-inch budget laptops on the market, especially when you consider it's under $400."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
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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