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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 14 is less expensive and offers good battery life, silent operation, and decent performance for everyday tasks. The Dell Alienware x14 R1, while more costly, offers substantially better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming, due to its high-end CPU and GPU, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life. Choose the Acer for budget-friendly general use or the Dell if you need high-performance capabilities for specialized tasks. 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
- The Acer Aspire 3 14 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- 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
411.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for general use, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers superior general use capabilities over the Acer Aspire 3 14 because of its more powerful CPU and double the RAM, which contribute to better multitasking and performance, despite it being slightly less portable due to higher weight. Additionally, the Alienware's significantly brighter screen with higher screen color quality, combined with better battery life and advanced features like hardware ray tracing and DLSS, make it more suitable for a wider range of tasks including gaming.
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is poor.
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 offers superior gaming and 3D performance compared to the Acer Aspire 3 14 majorly due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a screen refresh rate that is more than double, providing much smoother visuals and better handling of fast-paced action. While both laptops have a similar screen size and resolution, the Acer's modest AMD Radeon 610M GPU and standard refresh rate limit its capability to run intensive 3D applications and games as effectively as the Alienware.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 offers modest performance with its Ryzen 5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and Radeon 610M GPU, along with a standard screen quality, making it fair for engineering and design use. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 packs a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, twice the RAM, and a superior Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, accompanied by a brighter and more color-accurate screen, establishing it as very good for demanding tasks like engineering and design.
Content Creation
7.2
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 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.
Software Development
7.1
7.7
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 x14 R1 and Acer Aspire 3 14 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware x14 R1 is somewhat better.
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
6.1
7.9
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but it may not display colors as vividly as needed for engineering and design. The Dell Alienware x14 R1, with its higher resolution and better brightness, provides clearer and more accurate visuals for detail-oriented work, though it lacks the refresh rate required to deliver the smoothest experience in 3D gaming. Both screens, without high refresh rates, fall short for gaming where fast motion should appear fluid to avoid screen tearing and lag.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 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
$1,201
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has a price of $434 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 costs $1,201.
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Key similarities
Battery
9.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 14 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware x14 R1 has 9 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
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Aspire 3 14 and Dell Alienware x14 R1 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Aspire 3 14 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 14 | Dell Alienware x14 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$434 | $1,201 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.5'' x 0.74'' | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 4.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 12.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.5" | 10.34" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 411 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 8.1/10 | |
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 | 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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware x14 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Alienware X14 series is thinner, but also slower than the competition. With the X series, you get plenty of modern technology: Intel Alder Lake CPUs, GeForce RTX 3000 GPUs, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E, G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. However, the slim design has some drawbacks, just like its larger siblings. The shifted hinge position results in a very deep device with a large footprint compared to the competition."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 14 or the Dell Alienware x14 R1
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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