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Nitro 5 17
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Alienware m16 R2
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 22, 2024·

If you require high performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, investing in the Acer Nitro 5 17 could be justified despite its higher cost. However, if portability and battery life are crucial for you, and you use your laptop for more general purposes, the Dell Alienware m16 R2 may be the more sensible, cost-effective choice. Keep in mind that the larger screen and potentially superior specs of the Acer might not compensate for the convenience of carrying a lighter laptop with longer battery life. Consider your most frequent activities and whether they justify the additional expense. 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 17
  • The Acer Nitro 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Dell Alienware m16 R2.
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m16 R2
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Very good speakers
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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Screen Quality

8.2
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for engineering and design, and content creation.

Portability

Fair
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 both have only fair portability, though the Dell Alienware m16 R2 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.2
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
8.5
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.

Cost

$830
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
$1,650
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 costs $1,650.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.8
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
302.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for general use.

Gaming and AI

7.7
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for gaming and AI.

Engineering and Design

8.0
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.

Content Creation

7.8
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.4
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m16 R2 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for software development.

Battery

6.0 Hours
Nitro 5 17
Alienware m16 R2
6.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m16 R2 has 6 hours of battery life.

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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Nitro 5 17Dell Alienware m16 R2
Acer Nitro 5 17Dell Alienware m16 R2

GENERAL

Price
$830
$1,650
Release Date
February 1, 2023January 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98''14.3'' x 9.8'' x 0.93''
Weight
5.95 lbs5.75 lbs
Width
15.89"14.33"
Depth
11.02"9.81"

INTERNAL

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 5800HIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
45
RAM Slots
22
Storage
1024 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6 Hours6 Hours
Battery Capacity
57.5 Wh90 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
17.3"16"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10802560 x 1600
Refresh Rate
360Hz240Hz
Display Brightness
307 nits302 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.2/108.5/10
Portability Score
6.1/106.8/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
7.5/108.8/10
Webcam
720p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
32
USB-C ports
12
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
13
Thunderbolt Version
N/A4

Shopping

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Acer Nitro 5 17

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Dig into reviews and images

NotebookCheck

Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."

Dell Alienware m16 R2

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Dig into reviews and images

LaptopMag

Momo Tabari | January 2024
"Alienware’s m16 R2 is a solid gaming laptop that leaves much to be desired, particularly in its quest to fulfill your needs as a product for productivity. Battery life under eight hours and a dim display are both vital issues for something that will accompany you through school projects or a workday. However, the Alienware m16 R2 is an exceedingly powerful gaming laptop, consistently being one of the best in our performance tests when compared against similar products. Even then, its display is lacking color, its fans get pretty darn loud, and its speakers aren’t punchy enough to rise above that noise."

Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 5 17 or the Dell Alienware m16 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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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

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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