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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is designed for general use with an emphasis on versatility and portability, offering flexibility as a convertible laptop with a touch screen, suitable for everyday tasks, and casual usage. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is a high-performance laptop intended for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering programs; it will provide superior processing and graphics capabilities but is larger and less portable, with shorter battery life due to its powerful components. If you prioritize portability and battery life for everyday tasks, go with the Acer. If you require top performance for demanding applications and gaming, and you're less concerned about portability and battery life, the Dell Alienware will serve you better. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.7
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 offers better gaming and 3D performance due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a significantly higher screen refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14, with its Intel i3-N305 UHD Graphics Xe and standard refresh rate, provides a fair experience, sufficient for less demanding games and 3D applications but lacking the high-end graphics and fluidity of the Alienware.
Engineering and Design
5.9
8.1
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is poor.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 is rated very good for engineering and design use because it has a more powerful processor, double the RAM, and a high-end GPU, which greatly benefit demanding applications; additionally, it offers a larger storage capacity and a significantly superior screen quality. In contrast, the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is rated as fair for such tasks due to its more modest processor, less RAM, integrated graphics, and lower screen quality, although it is lighter and offers better portability and operates silently with its fanless design.
Content Creation
7.0
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 are both good for content creation, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 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.
Screen Quality
6.2
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 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 likely offers satisfactory clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and productivity software, which are essential for general use but lacks wider color gamut coverage critical for precision in engineering and design, and does not provide the fast refresh rates desired for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 probably delivers both the clarity and wider color range needed for detailed engineering and design work, and a good level of brightness for general use, but falls short in providing a smooth gaming experience due to a less optimal refresh rate. The importance of color accuracy and range for engineering and design cannot compensate for the high refresh rates essential for 3D gaming, which neither laptop seems to prioritize.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has very good portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.2
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Software Development
6.9
7.4
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be 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.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$418 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-N305 | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 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 | 8 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | 97 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 5.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14
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Rtings
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."
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | January 2023
"Overall, the all-AMD system in the Alienware m17 R5 is impressive, especially the graphics performance. However, various driver issues and unnecessary inconsistencies prevent us from truly enjoying such a potent gaming machine. In addition to strong 3D performance, we particularly like the build quality, the fairly bright UHD display with high color space coverage, and the fact that the gamer is often quiet when not under load and also rather quieter than some competitors under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Dell Alienware m17 R5
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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