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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is a budget-friendly laptop that offers good general performance for everyday tasks with moderate battery life and portability. It is not designed for intensive gaming or heavy engineering tasks due to its modest processor and graphics card. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is more expensive but is built for high performance with a powerful processor and graphics card suitable for intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. It is heavier and less portable, but the higher resolution display and more substantial build quality could make it a better choice for demanding applications. 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 3 14
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m15 R7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
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 m15 R7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate, which makes it only fair for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is equipped with a high-end GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate, justifying its good reputation for gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is equipped with a mid-range processor and graphics card, making it fair for engineering and design due to its adequate performance for less demanding tasks, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a high-end processor and top-tier graphics card, providing very good capability for more complex engineering and design applications. Additionally, the Dell Alienware boasts a superior screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, which is crucial for detail-oriented design work, but it's less portable and might produce more operating noise, a tradeoff for its increased power.
Screen Quality
6.1
8.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 delivers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but may not have the color accuracy and wider color gamut needed for detailed engineering and design work. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 provides high resolution and brightness with superior color reproduction, meeting the demands for precision in engineering and graphic design. However, for Gaming and 3D applications, despite their resolutions and panel types, both laptops fall short in refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visual experiences.
Battery
9.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$434
$2,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with moderate processing power and RAM, a fair screen quality, and good portability due to its lightweight and longer battery life, is adequate for basic tasks and appealing for those who seek mobility and longer unplugged usage. Conversely, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 excels in performance with a superior processor and double the RAM, a higher-quality screen, and is better equipped for demanding applications, but it comes at the cost of portability and shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Acer Aspire 3 14 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
7.1
7.3
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and Acer Aspire 3 14 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 Aspire 3 14 and the Dell Alienware m15 R7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Dell Alienware m15 R7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 5.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 86 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Dell Alienware m15 R7
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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