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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2, consider that the Predator is less expensive and offers comparable performance for 3D and engineering tasks, but the Alienware has twice the memory which is beneficial for multitasking and more demanding workflows. The Alienware also boasts a slightly larger and quicker refresh rate screen, though with a lower resolution than the Predator's. Both pack powerful processors and high-grade GPUs suitable for gaming and intensive tasks, but the Predator could have a slight edge in battery life. The Alienware is a bit heavier, impacting its portability. If price is a major factor and you seek a machine with a high-resolution display and longer usage between charges, the Predator is a strong option, while for top-tier performance, especially in multitasking, and a more immersive gaming experience given its larger screen, the Alienware may justify the extra cost. 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 Predator Helios 16
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware X17 R2
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.8
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 likely offer sharp displays with high resolution and brightness that make everyday tasks and media consumption a pleasure. For engineering and design, professionals will appreciate the wide color gamuts of these laptops, providing color accuracy for tasks like photo editing and CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these laptops may lead to less smooth visuals, which can detract from the immersive experience often desired in fast-paced games and 3D simulations.
Battery
6.5 Hours
2.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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
7.4
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,300
$2,000
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $2,300 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers substantial portability for a gaming laptop and a higher-resolution screen, which benefits general use, but its battery life is shorter than some users might prefer. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 boasts more RAM and an exceptionally powerful processor for multitasking and demanding applications, alongside a premium build quality and top-notch speaker and heat management systems, making it very good for general use at the expense of greater weight and less portability.
Gaming and AI
8.5
8.9
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
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 X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very 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
8.7
9.1
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware X17 R2 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 features a high-end CPU and a powerful GPU, coupled with a high-resolution screen, making it ideal for engineering and design tasks that demand significant processing and graphical capabilities, along with excellent color representation. In contrast, the Dell Alienware X17 R2 offers even more RAM for complex multitasking, a top-tier GPU for intensive workloads, and a large screen, but at the expense of a lower resolution and increased weight, affecting its portability and screen sharpness compared to the Helios 16.
Content Creation
8.2
8.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very 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
7.9
7.8
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Dell Alienware X17 R2 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 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 Predator Helios 16 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Dell Alienware X17 R2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,300 | $2,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.82 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 11.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 2 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 87 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 480Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 367 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 16
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Dig into reviews and images
IGN
Samuel Horti | June 2023
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
Dell Alienware X17 R2
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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 Predator Helios 16 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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