When choosing between the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Acer is more budget-friendly and versatile for everyday tasks, offering decent performance for general use with the added benefit of portability and longer battery life. The Alienware, on the other hand, excels in high-performance scenarios like gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software, boasting powerful hardware but with the tradeoff of being more expensive, heavier, and having shorter battery life. Assess your priorities and choose accordingly, with the Acer for casual use and mobility, or the Dell for specialized, power-intensive activities. 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 Spin 14
Very good portability
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers adequate performance for everyday tasks with acceptable battery life and a screen that's fine for general use, but it may not handle multitasking as smoothly due to its modest CPU and RAM. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m16 R2, with its superior CPU and higher RAM, excels in handling more demanding applications, offers a higher quality screen, and though it's less portable due to its size and often shorter battery life, it's well-suited for more intensive use like gaming or editing.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1200
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 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, while offering versatility in screen positioning and decent screen quality, isn't equipped with a GPU strong enough for advanced gaming or high-end 3D rendering, leading to limited performance in these areas. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m16 R2 boasts a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, making it more suitable for immersive gaming and demanding 3D tasks, although potentially at a higher price point and with reduced portability.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
8.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.6/10
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 Spin 14 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has modest CPU, RAM, and GPU specifications, which means it will handle everyday tasks well but may struggle with high-demand engineering software, whereas the Dell Alienware m16 R2 packs a more powerful CPU, extra RAM, and a superior GPU, making it a better fit for demanding engineering applications but at the cost of reduced portability due to its size and weight. Additionally, the Alienware's high screen quality enhances visual work, but its bulk and possible operating noise might be less appealing for users who prioritize a quiet, mobile setup.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware m16 R2 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
6.9/10
7.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
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
6.2/10
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, which makes it adequate for general use; however, its limited color range falls short for detailed engineering and design work, and its refresh rate isn't high enough to satisfy the demands of smooth gameplay or 3D applications. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m16 R2's higher quality display provides vibrant colors and sharp details that professionals need for engineering and design tasks; yet, despite its superior resolution and panel quality, its lower refresh rate does not deliver the optimal experience expected in high-frame-rate gaming or 3D environments. Both laptops exhibit strengths for certain applications but are not ideally suited for gaming or 3D content where high refresh rates are essential for the best experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$1,650
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
"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 Spin 14 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.
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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