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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is more budget-friendly and offers longer battery life with a larger screen, which might be perfect for general use, whereas the Dell Alienware x14 R1, while more expensive, provides superior performance and a high-refresh-rate display, making it ideal for intensive gaming, engineering tasks, and 3D/machine learning applications. The Alienware laptop also features a more robust build quality, better heat management, and additional ports for connectivity. If portability is crucial, both laptops are relatively lightweight, but the Alienware's higher portability score indicates it is easier to carry around. 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
- The Acer Aspire 3 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware x14 R1.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware x14 R1
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.6
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
244.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware x14 R1 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 15, with modest RAM and a less powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, might struggle with demanding tasks compared to the Dell Alienware x14 R1, which offers more RAM and a high-end Intel i7 CPU, leading to better performance in general use. While both have IPS displays for good screen quality, the Alienware x14 R1 stands out with a higher screen brightness and better colors, making for a more vibrant visual experience.
Gaming and AI
5.8
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 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
8.2
4.1/10
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 15 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 15 is equipped with more basic hardware like the AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and AMD Radeon GPU, which provides fair performance in engineering and design tasks, and it operates quietly but this comes at the cost of computational power. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware x14 R1 packs a high-end Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, offering very good performance that's more suitable for demanding engineering tasks, plus it has a better build quality and heat management, which justifies its increased size and weight.
Content Creation
7.0
7.9
4.1/10
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 15 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
7.0
7.7
4.1/10
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 15 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
6.2
7.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
244.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
411.0 nits
The Dell Alienware x14 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.
If you prioritize a balance between cost and everyday tasks like browsing or word processing, the Acer Aspire 3's display provides adequate brightness and resolution. For professionals in engineering and design, the Dell Alienware offers superior color accuracy and range, crucial for detailed visual work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, despite the Dell's comparatively better resolution and panel quality.
Build Quality
6.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware x14 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
$1,201
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 15 has a price of $330 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 15 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware x14 R1 to have very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 3 15 has 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 15 and the Dell Alienware x14 R1 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 15 | Dell Alienware x14 R1 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$330 | $1,201 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.74'' | 12.7'' x 10.3'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 4.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.29" | 12.66" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.34" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | 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 | 128 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 | 15.6" | 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 | 244 nits | 411 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | 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 | 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 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 15 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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Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
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Recommendations made
23,638
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About the laptop team
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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
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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.
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