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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize battery life and a midrange price with solid engineering performance, the Dell Alienware m17 R5 may appeal due to its larger battery capacity compared to the Acer Nitro 5 17, which has a lower midrange price. The Acer offers great performance for general use and gaming, but the Dell's higher battery allows for longer use away from a power source. Both laptops have a 17.3-inch display, substantial storage, and good heat management, but the Acer is slightly more portable due to its lower weight. For intensive gaming or engineering tasks, both are viable, but the Acer edges ahead with a higher refresh rate display, though the Dell has better screen contrast. Choose the Acer if cost and portability are bigger concerns, or the Dell if you want longer battery life and don't mind paying more. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use.
When considering laptops like the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, the quality of the display is satisfactory due to their adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring clear and vibrant images for daily tasks. For engineering and design work, where accurate color reproduction is crucial, both laptops provide decent coverage of professional color gamuts, but may not satisfy the most demanding color-critical tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, the lower refresh rate of these screens can result in less smooth visuals compared to screens designed specifically for high-speed gaming.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Nitro 5 17 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 17 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
$830
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 provides solid general use capabilities with a capable AMD Ryzen CPU and ample RAM, which are complemented by a quality IPS screen and dedicated Nvidia GPU for smooth visual performance, although its portability is limited due to a heavier build and average battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.0
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, making it excellent for tasks requiring computational power, like 3D rendering, often found in engineering and design work. Conversely, the Dell Alienware m17 R5, while still powerful with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, offers stronger build quality and more battery capacity, which can be beneficial for extended work sessions away from power sources, despite being less portable due to its weight.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
7.4/10
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 Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Alienware m17 R5 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
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Nitro 5 17 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
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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 17 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Dell Alienware m17 R5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 7.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 15.64" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 11.76" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 Wh | 97 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 | 360Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 301 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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 m17 R5
See more
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 17 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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