The Acer Nitro 16 falls within a midrange price, is lighter, and offers longer battery life for general use, making it suitable for users who prioritize portability and cost efficiency while still providing good performance for gaming and engineering tasks with its RTX 4070 GPU. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware m18 R1, with a higher price point, comes with more storage, double the RAM, and a more powerful i9 processor and RTX 4080 GPU for top-tier performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming, but it's heavier and less portable, impacting its suitability for frequent travel. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and resolutions, but the Alienware's better build and heat management may appeal to those using resource-intensive applications regularly. 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 Nitro 16
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
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
8.2/10
9.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 16 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1, with its superior Intel processor, double the RAM, and a more powerful Nvidia graphics card compared to the Acer Nitro 16, is excellent for engineering and design tasks that demand high performance. Although the Acer Nitro 16 is still very capable, especially with a solid AMD processor and Nvidia graphics, the Alienware's larger screen and higher storage capacity better support intensive workloads despite being less portable and noisier.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 16 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
8.3/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
When considering the Acer Nitro 16 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1, their very good and good screen qualities for general use stem from their panel types, higher resolutions, and brightness, which contribute to clear and vibrant displays conducive to everyday tasks and media consumption. For engineering and design, the Acer Nitro 16's very good screen quality is likely due to its wider color gamuts, which ensure accurate color reproduction essential for precise design work, while the Dell's good quality suggests it has respectable but slightly less comprehensive color coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops' poor screen quality can be attributed to lower refresh rates that don't match the higher standards required for smooth visuals and fast-paced action in these scenarios, despite their decent resolutions and panel types.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 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
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Nitro 16 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,050
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 outshines the Acer Nitro 16 in general use primarily because it packs more power with its higher-performance CPU and double the RAM, which results in smoother multitasking and handling of demanding applications. However, the Nitro is more portable and offers longer battery life, making it a better choice for those who prioritize mobility and extended use on a single charge.
Software Development
7.7/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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 Nitro 16 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Dell Alienware m18 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.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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