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Predator Helios 16 (2024)
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Alienware m17 R5
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Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for gaming and AI
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good for content creation
  • Good battery life
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m17 R5
  • Very good speakers
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

8.3
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.

Engineering and Design

8.7
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
8.1
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) and Dell Alienware m17 R5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) is somewhat better.

Software Development

8.0
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
7.4
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.

Screen Quality

8.4
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
499.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m17 R5 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has a better screen for gaming and AI.

Battery

6.5 Hours
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
5.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m17 R5 has 5 hours of battery life.

Portability

Fair
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Cost

$1,599
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
$1,100
Product image
Product image

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) has a price of $1,599 and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities

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General Use

8.0
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
499.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) to be very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.

Content Creation

8.2
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
7.8
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) to be very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m17 R5 is good.

Build Quality

7.4
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware m17 R5
7.8
The Dell Alienware m17 R5 and Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) both have good build quality.

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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) and the Dell Alienware m17 R5 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)Dell Alienware m17 R5
Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)Dell Alienware m17 R5

GENERAL

Price
$1,599
$1,100
Release Date
January 1, 2024June 1, 2022
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 10.9'' x 0.98''15.6'' x 11.8'' x 1.05''
Weight
5.73 lbs7.3 lbs
Width
14.15"15.64"
Depth
10.88"11.76"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-14700HXAMD Ryzen 7 6800H
RAM
16 GB16 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
22
Storage
1024 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6.5 Hours5 Hours
Battery Capacity
90 Wh97 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"17.3"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2560 x 16001920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
165Hz480Hz
Display Brightness
499 nits301 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/107.8/10
Portability Score
6.4/105.5/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/108/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/108/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
33
USB-C ports
21
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
32
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)

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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 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 Predator Helios 16 (2024) 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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Why trust us

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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.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,595
Recommendations made
27,213
Consumer hours saved

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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