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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is a budget-friendly option that's typically much less expensive, offering moderate performance suitable for general use and some light gaming. If cost is a concern and your needs are basic, the Acer Aspire 3 15 may suffice, but if performance for demanding tasks is vital and budget is less of an issue, the Alienware m18 R1 is a better fit. The Alienware's size and weight make it less portable than the Acer, which may also factor into your decision depending on your mobility 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 3 15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.1/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with moderate processing power and memory, an entry-level graphics unit, and a standard high-definition display, offers sufficient functionality for routine tasks but may struggle with demanding applications; its lighter weight and longer battery life improve its portability and usability on-the-go. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 features a high-end processor and an advanced graphics card, extensive memory, and a larger, higher-resolution display, making it more suitable for intensive tasks but less portable due to its heavier build and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.8
9.1
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.9
9.1
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 offers modest processing and graphics capabilities suitable for lighter engineering and design tasks, along with decent portability and a silent operation, which might appeal to those who prioritize mobility and a quieter working environment.
Content Creation
7.0
8.4
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.
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
7.0
8.0
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is good.
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
6.2
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 15's screen may be adequate for general tasks, as it offers a decent resolution and brightness, contributing to a clear display, but it may not have the high color accuracy or wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB that professionals in engineering and design would need. Similarly, the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a good screen for everyday activities and can handle the color requirements for engineering and design quite well, but for gaming and 3D work, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes. Although these screens might be sufficient for casual gaming, serious gamers and 3D professionals typically seek out displays with higher refresh rates for a more fluid and immersive experience.
Battery
9.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$330
$2,600
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 15 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Dell Alienware m18 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $2,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 16.2'' x 12.6'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 8.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 16.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 12.59" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel i9-13900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 244 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 15
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Dig into reviews and images
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 m18 R1
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | July 2023
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 15 or the Dell Alienware m18 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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