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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 5 offers an attractive cost-value balance, being less expensive and lighter, making it easier to carry around, and it performs well for general use and engineering tasks. Despite a smaller screen, it has a high refresh rate making it suitable for fast-paced games. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 has a larger screen and significantly higher battery capacity, which could mean less frequent charging. The Alienware also boasts superior color coverage, beneficial for color-sensitive work, and it is equipped with a more powerful graphics card, which is better suited for 3D and machine learning tasks but comes with greater weight, possibly affecting portability. 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 5 15
- The Acer Nitro 5 15 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m17 R5.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 5 15's screen offers suitable resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but its more limited color range can be a downside for engineering and design work which often require wide color gamuts for accurate color representation. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 ensures sharp images and vibrant colors for all kinds of tasks, including design and engineering, as its screen covers a wider range of colors. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short since they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and a competitive edge in fast-paced visual environments.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 15 both have good build quality, though the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$780
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has a price of $780 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 15, with a robust CPU and ample RAM, is deemed suitable for general use due to its solid screen quality, moderate portability, and good heat management, though it might fall short in battery life when compared to some competitors. In contrast, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 also fits general use well with its powerful CPU, ample RAM, larger and higher quality screen, but sacrifices portability and has a shorter battery life, while delivering impressive speaker quality and better heat management.
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.7
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 5 15, with a Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a screen that refreshes 144 times per second, and the Dell Alienware m17 R5, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher 480 refresh rate screen, are both sturdy picks for gaming and 3D tasks due to their high-performance graphics cards and fast screen refresh rates, though the Dell's higher refresh rate may offer smoother visuals in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m17 R5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 15 is good.
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 stands out for engineering and design use thanks to a more powerful CPU and a larger, higher refresh rate screen which can be crucial for detailed design work, along with double the storage space of the Acer Nitro 5 15, making it capable of handling more complex projects. However, the Acer Nitro 5 15 offers a lower weight and slightly better portability, which may benefit users who need to move frequently with their device despite its less powerful GPU and smaller screen.
Content Creation
7.5
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.4
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 15 has 5.5 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.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 15 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 15 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$780 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.19" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.67" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 97 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 | 144Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2022
"The Acer Nitro 5 is a fast QHD gaming notebook. The Nitro 5 is a well-balanced gaming laptop for just under US$ 2400. A Core i7-12700H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU enable QHD gaming at high to maximum settings, accompanied by fast PCIe-4-SSD (1 TB) and 16 GB of RAM. Acer delivers a solid QHD gaming notebook with the Nitro 5 AN515-58. However, the laptop is not completely free of shortcomings. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The laptop heats up noticeably under load, but not excessively. Noise development is on the usual class level. Once again, however, Acer needs to improve the fan control."
Dell Alienware m17 R5
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Nitro 5 15 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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About the laptop team
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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