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Aspire 3 15
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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 22, 2024·

If you're looking for an affordable option for everyday tasks such as browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the Acer Aspire 3 may suit your needs without breaking the bank. On the other hand, if you require a laptop for more demanding activities like 3D modeling, machine learning, gaming, or complex engineering software, the Dell Alienware will provide vastly superior performance but at a higher cost and with decreased portability due to its weight and size. The Alienware also typically offers better build quality and more advanced features, which may justify its price if these aspects are important to you. The battery life is generally longer on less powerful laptops like the Acer, so if you need a machine to use on the go without frequent charging, that's an important consideration. 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 15
  • Good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
  • Good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Good for gaming and AI
  • Very good overall display quality
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Very good speakers
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

6.6
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.

Gaming and AI

5.8
Aspire 3 15
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 3 15 is poor.

Engineering and Design

5.9
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
8.4
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.

Content Creation

7.0
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is somewhat better.

Software Development

7.0
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
7.6
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Aspire 3 15 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Battery

9.5 Hours
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life.

Portability

Good
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

6.2
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.

Cost

$330
Aspire 3 15
Alienware m16 R2
$1,650
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Aspire 3 15Dell Alienware m16 R2
Acer Aspire 3 15Dell Alienware m16 R2

GENERAL

Price
$330
$1,650
Release Date
January 1, 2023January 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74''14.3'' x 9.8'' x 0.93''
Weight
3.97 lbs5.75 lbs
Width
14.29"14.33"
Depth
9.35"9.81"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 3 7320UIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM
8 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
02
Storage
128 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
9.5 Hours6 Hours
Battery Capacity
40 Wh90 Wh

SCREEN

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

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
6.3/108.5/10
Portability Score
7.7/106.8/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
10/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
6.3/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
6/108.8/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
NoYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
22
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
23
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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Acer Aspire 3 15

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Rtings

Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | March 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and it's easy to carry around. The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking, but it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Its Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and integrated graphics can only handle simple tasks, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, so it isn't ideal for students in more technical fields like 3D graphics. Unfortunately, the battery lasts only around six to seven hours of light use."

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 3 15 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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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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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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