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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your focus is on higher performance for tasks like engineering and 3D modeling or machine learning, you might lean towards the Acer Swift 14, as it offers a more powerful processor and better graphics capabilities. It also features a higher resolution display, more RAM, and a larger storage capacity, ideal for demanding applications. However, it comes at a higher price and is a bit heavier, which might affect its portability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and has a larger screen, but it comes with a less powerful processor and graphics, which means it's not as well-suited for intensive tasks. The Dell also has a lower resolution display and less RAM and storage, making it more suited for basic general use rather than specialized work. Both have similar battery lives, but the Acer's is slightly better, so if you plan on being mobile, the Acer might serve you longer without needing a charge. Choose the Acer for performance-heavy tasks or the Dell for cost-effective general use. 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
- Good for engineering and design
- 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 3520
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 14.
Key differences
General Use
8.2
6.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14, with its higher-end CPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality, excels in general use, offering smoother performance and better visuals, while also being lighter and boasting a longer battery life for enhanced portability. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, despite having a larger screen, falls behind due to a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality screen, and it's heavier with a shorter battery life, affecting both performance and portability for daily tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.0
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
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 3520 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift 14 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift 14 has a more powerful GPU and a higher resolution screen, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which has a less capable GPU and a lower resolution display, despite its higher screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is only fair.
The Acer Swift 14 boasts a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a higher-end integrated GPU compared to the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which means it offers better performance for demanding engineering applications and design work that can benefit from these specs. Additionally, the Acer has a higher-resolution screen with better color accuracy, which is crucial for design tasks, whereas the Dell, while offering a larger screen size and more portability due to lighter weight, falls short in screen quality and performance but may be more budget-friendly.
Content Creation
8.2
7.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for content creation, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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
6.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 3520 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
7.6
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
259.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 14 offers superior display clarity and color accuracy due to its higher resolution and advanced color gamuts, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks that demand precise color representation and detail. Despite its strengths, the Swift 14 falls short for gaming and 3D applications because of its lower refresh rate, which is essential for a smooth visual experience in fast-paced scenarios. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, with just fair screen quality for both general use and professional applications, lacks the enhanced color range and resolution, making it less ideal for detailed work but equally less capable for gaming and 3D work due to similar refresh rate limitations.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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
3.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 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 3520 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
$329
$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 3520 costs $329.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | Dell Inspiron 15 3520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $329 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 3.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 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 | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 259 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 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 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 3520
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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. Plus, those alternatives are much more enjoyable after work."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the Dell Inspiron 15 3520
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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