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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, or engineering tasks and don't mind a higher price, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is a superior choice. It boasts stronger processing power, more memory, and a more potent graphics card, which all contribute to higher performance in demanding applications. However, the Acer Aspire 5 17 is significantly more affordable and, with its lower power consumption, offers longer battery life for typical use. The Acer is also lighter and thus more portable, making it a solid option for general usage like web browsing, office work, and media consumption. Both laptops have large screens, but the Alienware has a much higher refresh rate, which is ideal for fast-paced gaming but does not significantly impact other tasks. 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 17
- 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
7.3
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is good.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with a mid-range CPU and sufficient RAM for basic tasks, a decent screen, and is lighter for easier carrying with reasonable battery life, making it a solid choice for general use at a likely lower price point.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.9
3.7/10
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 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is less suited for gaming and 3D applications because it has a GPU that is less powerful (Intel Iris Xe) and a lower screen refresh rate compared to the Dell Alienware X17 R2, which boasts a significantly stronger GPU (Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti) and a much higher refresh rate, resulting in smoother visuals and better performance in demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.7
9.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17's fair performance for engineering and design tasks can be attributed to its adequate CPU and GPU, which are suitable for basic tasks, but may lack the power for more complex engineering software, as well as its satisfactory screen quality and portability.
Content Creation
7.2
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 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 17 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
7.2
7.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 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 17 are both good for software development, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you're focused on everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, both the Acer Aspire 5 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 offer displays with adequate resolution and brightness, which are key for a pleasant general use experience. For engineering and design work, the Alienware's superior color accuracy across wider color gamuts will provide a more precise visual representation, essential for detail-oriented tasks. However, for gaming or 3D applications, despite the Dell's higher resolution and quality panel, its lower refresh rate compared to dedicated gaming laptops means it won't deliver as smooth motion crucial for fast-paced, visually intensive environments.
Battery
7.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 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 | 50.3 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 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 | 266 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
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 17 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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