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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 offers portability with a lighter weight and slightly smaller screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511, making it more suitable for those who frequently travel or commute. Despite a smaller battery, the Acer Swift 3 also manages a balanced battery life, but for those who need longer unplugged performance, the Dell's larger battery size may prove advantageous. The Swift 3 may handle multitasking and demanding tasks somewhat better thanks to its higher memory. The Inspiron, however, features a larger storage capacity, which is beneficial for users with significant data storage needs. The decision hinges upon your prioritization of portability and battery life against storage space and multitasking capability. 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 3
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inspiron 15 3511
- The Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
6.0
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Acer Swift 3 stands out with a display that offers better resolution and brightness, making images and text crisper and easier to view under various lighting conditions. For engineering and design, the Swift 3 excels with wider color coverage that ensures more accurate color representation, which is crucial for detailed and color-sensitive work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, neither laptop is ideal due to their lower refresh rates that can result in less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes or high-speed rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good 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 3 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.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
230.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is favored for general use due to its balance of a solid CPU and ample RAM for multitasking, a high-quality screen, and strong portability with good battery life, while still having a decently sized screen for comfortable viewing and use.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
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 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both fair for gaming and 3D tasks due to their integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which provide decent but not top-tier gaming performance, and their screens are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which is standard for casual use but less suitable for high-level gaming that benefits from faster refresh rates. The Acer has better screen color representation and brightness, enhancing the visual experience, while the Dell offers more RAM for better multitasking, but both have similar CPUs and FHD screen quality, which are sufficient but not exceptional for demanding graphics work.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.0
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3 has a strong CPU, sufficient RAM for demanding tasks, and a quality integrated GPU suitable for engineering and design, all presented on a high-definition IPS screen with good portability due to its lightweight build and long battery life. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 offers double the RAM which is ideal for multitasking and more complex engineering software, a similarly capable CPU and GPU, a larger screen that benefits design work, but compromises on portability with a shorter battery life and heavier build.
Content Creation
7.6
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 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
7.6
7.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Dell Inspiron 15 3511 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.
Cost
$500
$510
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 costs $510.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3511 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Dell Inspiron 15 3511 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $510 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 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 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 230 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 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 | 1080p | 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 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
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 3 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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