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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a more budget-friendly option suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, and media consumption; it also offers better portability due to its lighter weight and possibly better battery life. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is a high-performance laptop designed for gaming, 3D rendering, and other intensive tasks, with superior graphics and processing power. If your work involves gaming or demanding software applications, and you are willing to invest more for higher performance and don't mind less portability, then the Alienware might be a more appropriate choice. 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 5 15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
275.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 surpasses the Acer Aspire 5 15 in general use due to its more powerful CPU and larger RAM capacity, enhancing multitasking and performance. While both have high-quality IPS displays, the Alienware's larger screen, better color coverage and contrast, and more robust build make it ideal for intensive tasks, though it sacrifices some portability and has a shorter battery life compared to the more travel-friendly and longer-lasting Acer Aspire 5.
Gaming and AI
6.1
8.9
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
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
6.6
9.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.3
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 5 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.
Screen Quality
6.2
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
275.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5's screen quality suffices due to its adequate resolution and brightness, but the Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out because of its higher quality display that makes text sharper and images clearer. When it comes to tasks requiring color accuracy, like engineering and design, the Alienware's adherence to a broader range of color gamuts offers a more precise visual representation, whereas the Aspire 5 falls short. However, in the realm of Gaming and 3D applications, the slow refresh rate of the Alienware's screen dampens the experience despite its high resolution and panel quality, which could be a letdown for gamers and professionals working with fast-moving visuals.
Battery
7.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has 7 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has 2 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$480
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 5 15 has a price of $480 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.3
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Aspire 5 15 are both good for software development.
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 5 15 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 15 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$480 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.97 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 275 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 6.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | November 2022
"The Acer Aspire 5 15 is a good value office laptop with reasonable battery life. The combination of slim exterior, relatively low weight (approx. 1.7 kg) and 8 hour real-life battery runtime makes the Acer Aspire a truly mobile laptop. The modest Tiger Lake processor supports this area and simultaneously ensures an affordable price point. The Aspire produces little noise and stays cool. The screen (FHD, IPS) might not win any prizes but is entirely appropriate for the price."
Dell Alienware X17 R2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2022
"The Alienware x17 R2 recognizes targets a significantly higher TGP of 175 W for a roughly 30 percent performance boost over laptops running on the ~100 W GeForce RTX 3080 Ti like the Razer Blade 15 or Gigabyte Aero YE5. Similar results can be found through the CPU as well. This single aspect of the Alienware is perhaps the biggest differentiating factor between it and other ultrathin gaming laptops. Of course, the "performance at all cost" approach comes with drawbacks. Power consumption in particular is through the roof and battery life suffers because of it even when on the lowest performance settings."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 15 or the Dell Alienware X17 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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