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Predator Helios 16 (2024)
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Alienware X17 R2
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Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)
  • Very good for software development
  • 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

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Gaming and AI

8.3
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
8.9
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
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 Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) are both very good for gaming and AI, though the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

8.4
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
480Hz
499.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware X17 R2 for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 has a better screen for gaming and AI.

Battery

6.5 Hours
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
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.

Build Quality

7.4
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
8.5
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) has good build quality.

Cost

$1,599
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
$2,000
Product image
Product image

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) has a price of $1,599 and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 costs $2,000.
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Key similarities

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General Use

8.0
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
499.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
367.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
2.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell Alienware X17 R2 and Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) are both very good for general use.

Engineering and Design

8.7
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
9.1
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.5/10
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 (2024) is very good.

Content Creation

8.2
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
8.3
9.8/10
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 (2024) are both very good for content creation.

Software Development

8.0
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
7.8
9.8/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware X17 R2 is good.

Portability

Fair
Predator Helios 16 (2024)
Alienware X17 R2
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) 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 (2024) and the Dell Alienware X17 R2 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)Dell Alienware X17 R2
Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024)Dell Alienware X17 R2

GENERAL

Price
$1,599
$2,000
Release Date
January 1, 2024December 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 10.9'' x 0.98''15.7'' x 11.8'' x 0.82''
Weight
5.73 lbs6.82 lbs
Width
14.15"15.72"
Depth
10.88"11.79"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-14700HXIntel i9-12900HK
RAM
16 GB32 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
22
Storage
1024 GB1024 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6.5 Hours2 Hours
Battery Capacity
90 Wh87 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"17.3"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
2560 x 16001920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
165Hz480Hz
Display Brightness
499 nits367 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/108.5/10
Portability Score
6.4/106.1/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/107/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/108.5/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/109.5/10
Webcam
1080p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
32
USB-C ports
22
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
34
Thunderbolt Version
44

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 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 Predator Helios 16 (2024) 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.

By the numbers

380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
111,195
Recommendations made
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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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