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Aspire 1
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Alienware m16 R2
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·

If you're looking for a cost-effective option for everyday tasks like browsing the internet, working with documents, and streaming videos, the Acer Aspire might be suitable and easier on your wallet. However, if you're into gaming, 3D modeling, or use demanding software for engineering or machine learning, the Dell Alienware will offer significantly better performance suited for those activities, although it will be heavier and have a higher price. The Alienware often comes with features that support intensive tasks, such as advanced graphics and cooling systems, at the expense of battery life and portability. Choose based on what matches your primary needs. 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 Aspire 1
  • Good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
  • Good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Good for gaming and AI
  • Good for software development
  • Good for content creation
  • Very good overall display quality
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Very good speakers
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

5.8
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.

Gaming and AI

5.6
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.

Engineering and Design

5.5
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
8.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.

Content Creation

5.9
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.

Software Development

6.1
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
7.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.

Screen Quality

5.2
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Portability

Good
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 1 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

5.5
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.

Cost

$244
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
$1,650
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
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Key similarities

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Battery

6.0 Hours
Aspire 1
Alienware m16 R2
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life.

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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 1Dell Alienware m16 R2
Acer Aspire 1Dell Alienware m16 R2

GENERAL

Price
$244
$1,650
Release Date
October 1, 2022January 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78''14.3'' x 9.8'' x 0.93''
Weight
4.19 lbs5.75 lbs
Width
14.3"14.33"
Depth
9.4"9.81"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel Celeron N4500Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM
4 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
02
Storage
128 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6 Hours6 Hours
Battery Capacity
36.7 Wh90 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"16"
Display Technology
TNIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10802560 x 1600
Refresh Rate
60Hz240Hz
Display Brightness
200 nits302 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
5.6/108.5/10
Portability Score
7.5/106.8/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
5.4/108.8/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
32
USB-C ports
02
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
13
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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Acer Aspire 1

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Dig into reviews and images

CNET

Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."

Dell Alienware m16 R2

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Dig into reviews and images

LaptopMag

Momo Tabari | January 2024
"Alienware’s m16 R2 is a solid gaming laptop that leaves much to be desired, particularly in its quest to fulfill your needs as a product for productivity. Battery life under eight hours and a dim display are both vital issues for something that will accompany you through school projects or a workday. However, the Alienware m16 R2 is an exceedingly powerful gaming laptop, consistently being one of the best in our performance tests when compared against similar products. Even then, its display is lacking color, its fans get pretty darn loud, and its speakers aren’t punchy enough to rise above that noise."

Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Dell Alienware m16 R2

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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Why trust us

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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.

By the numbers

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124,695
Recommendations made
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About the laptop team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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