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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your priority is high performance for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering or engineering software, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is designed for such intensity with a more powerful processor and graphics card, alongside double the RAM of the Acer Nitro 5 17, making it suitable for intensive gaming as well. However, this performance comes at a higher cost and with a slightly heavier build. On the other hand, the Acer Nitro 5 17 is more affordable and still capable of handling general gaming and everyday tasks, and it offers better battery life. Choose the Alienware if top-notch performance and gaming is your goal and cost is less of a concern; go for the Acer if you prefer a balance between price, performance, and battery life for general use and casual gaming. 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 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 build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
8.9
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 X17 R2 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is very good for gaming and 3D primarily because it comes equipped with the high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and has a higher screen refresh rate, enhancing visual fluidity and gaming responsiveness compared to the Acer Nitro 5 17, which is outfitted with the still powerful but slightly less capable Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics, alongside a lower refresh rate. Additionally, the Alienware’s screen offers better quality with higher brightness and broader color coverage, which makes for more vivid and immersive visuals in comparison to the Acer Nitro 5 17.
Engineering and Design
8.0
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have panels with strong resolution and brightness which are essential for clarity and visibility, making them excellent for general tasks like web browsing and video streaming. However, for engineering and design, while both have decent color accuracy necessary for color-critical work, with very good coverage of color gamuts, they might not satisfy professionals seeking the highest color fidelity. In contrast, for gaming and 3D applications, their poor refresh rates lead to less smooth visuals, which can be a drawback for fast-paced gaming or high-frame-rate 3D rendering where smoother motion and quicker response times are crucial.
Battery
6.0 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$2,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 5 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 16 GB of RAM, is a solid choice for everyday tasks, and its reasonably good screen, combined with a fair balance between weight and battery life, allows for satisfactory portability and usage duration. On the other hand, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 stands out with a more powerful Intel i9 CPU and double the RAM at 32 GB, which translates to smoother performance in strenuous tasks, alongside a screen with higher brightness and color accuracy; however, this comes at the cost of slightly reduced battery life and increased weight, impacting its ease of transport.
Content Creation
7.8
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 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
7.4
7.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 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 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 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 | 360Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.1/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 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 Nitro 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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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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