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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 is more affordable, lighter, and offers longer battery life, suitable for general use such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption; however, it may not handle 3D rendering or intensive tasks as smoothly as a more powerful system. The Dell Alienware m17, on the other hand, is geared towards gaming and demanding software applications due to its higher-end processor, superior graphics, and better performance scores. It's also heavier, typically costs more, and has a shorter battery life, which may be a drawback if portability and price are major considerations. Choose the Acer if you prioritize budget and mobility, or the Dell Alienware if your focus is on gaming or engineering tasks that require significant computational power. 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 m17 R5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is somewhat better.
The Acer Aspire 3 14, with its lighter weight and longer battery life, may be more suitable for users who prioritize portability and longer use between charges, while its fair keyboard and speaker quality are tradeoffs for its price range. By contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5's stronger CPU and RAM, along with better screen quality and significantly higher speaker and keyboard quality, cater better to users requiring more power and a richer multimedia experience, but its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable.
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.7
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers a superior gaming and 3D experience due to its Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and high screen refresh rate, which are key for delivering smooth, detailed graphics and responsive gameplay. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 14's AMD Radeon 610M GPU and lower screen refresh rate make it less suited for intensive gaming, despite being relatively good for general use and light gaming.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.1
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers a fair level of performance for engineering and design due to its mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, moderate RAM, and basic AMD Radeon GPU, making it suitable for lighter tasks, and it benefits from a higher portability score due to its lower weight and slim design. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is equipped with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, double the RAM, and a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU, providing very good performance for demanding engineering and design applications, but sacrifices portability with its larger size and heavier weight.
Content Creation
7.2
7.8
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.1
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 3's screen provides adequate clarity and brightness but may lack the sharpness and vividness that come with higher resolutions and better panel technologies found in premium models. In engineering and design, while the Aspire 3 can handle basic tasks, professionals who require precise color reproduction might find it lacking due to limited color gamut coverage which is not as high as in specialized screens. The Dell Alienware m17 R5, although better for general use and engineering with its higher resolution and wider color gamut, falls short for gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion but is not the device's strong suit.
Battery
9.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 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
$440
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $440 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.1
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$440 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 5.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
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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